Organic pest control!

I was hand watering a few plants this morning while it was cool and comfortable.  While admiring a nice potted red bud tree, I looked up and noticed some chewed leaves. "What the heck??" I said. "Something is eating you!"  As I looked a little closer I saw a few plump caterpillers munching away.  When they saw me they froze~ pretending to be twigs. "Yeah, right. If you don't move, I can't see you...." So I went and found a bucket and started picking them off the leaves, one by one. The more I looked, the more I found, and I patiently dropped each one into the bucket.    

      

    I don't ordinarily let insects in the garden bother me. I strongly believe in the natural order of things. They may make a few ragged edges and sometimes they can be bothersome, but for the most part, I leave them alone. In fact I enjoy seeing the balance of nature in progress. But these guys can eat literally EVERY leaf on a small tree like this. So I collected every one that I could find, feeling a little guilty, but determined to save my tree from further damage.

"Well, the hens need protein, don't they?" I said to myself.  I dumped the bucket full of wigglers into the coop and BOY did they love the treat!!

FiddleSong Farm hens LOVE their protein :)

Day Lily days

With all the late spring rains, my garden is exploding with color! I have planted several varieties of day lilies over the years and just LOVE their clusters of huge, bright blooms.  Now, I have to find other places to plant them out in the yard. Problem is, if Lucy has access they will be cool, comfy cushions for her big pig butt.

My next problem to solve is how to cut down on watering waste and time.  Rick says he has enough old hoses to "reach to Fiddletown" so I aim to fashion those old leakies into a sturdy soaker sytem by laying out the hoses and punching holes in the places where I need the water to leak :) THEN Rick will hook them up to the automatic timers and we'll be in the money!