It has been fabulous weather here in Ohio. And by that I mean we've been getting drenched with rain. I don't mind. I really like it, because it means I don't have to go out to water the garden. So over the last week or so, I've noticed my cabbage leaves have started looking a little like lace. I lifted one of the leaves and look what I found.
Caterpillars!
Okay, so most people would not be thrilled to find these guys on their broccoli or cabbage, but what can I say? I'm strange.
They're not the most attractive little caterpillars in the garden, but I do like the little cabbage whites that flutter around the yard. They're always around, and they are so innocently pretty. Take a look.
When I was growing up, I used to walk my dog in alfalfa fields, and hundreds of these little butterflies floated like a cloud over the field. I loved them, and I guess I still have a soft spot for them.
Of course, the woman at the plant store thought I was completely insane when I asked what would be the most hardy plant to host them over the summer. She suggested I buy a couple of cabbages, (duh) then pull the little worms off. I don't think she quite understood what I was trying to do. We got into a bit of an argument about it that went something like...
Me: But I want the butterflies.
Her: They're pests.
Me: But they're still pretty, and they're butterflies.
Her: Well, you can plant the cabbages and get the butterflies, but you'll have to pull the worms off.
Me: Why would I want to do that?
Her: What? They'll eat the cabbages.
Me: Yeah?
I have a feeling I don't quite fit in with your typical gardener. Oh well, look at the pretty little butterflies!
I also had a new visitor to the garden. While my Mom spotted a big black butterfly, (lucky duck it was probably a Black Swallowtail) I caught this little guy basking on some dirt. It's a Red Admiral. I'd never seen one before. He was a little beat up, and needed a rest, but he's still pretty.
So that's all the news from the garden. I'm still in search of milkweed. I'll let you know how that goes.
On the writing front, I had some fun helping my awesome CP brainstorm a new idea, and I kept getting a ton of great ideas that would be awesome, but it's not my project. Why does that always happen? For my own projects, I can't come up with anything, but for someone else, I've got a million ideas a minute. I guess it's because I don't have the pressure of actually writing it.
Have a great week everyone,
And Happy Reading!
Jess
3 comments:
If it's any consolation, my father understands your approach to gardening. He thinks the "butterfly house" at the local zoo is a very sorry excuse for one. It's full of pink flowers which don't particularly appeal to any species of butterfly he's familiar with. Worse, there's not a cabbage anywhere. He feels they definitely need some cabbages if they want butterflies! {Smile}
I understand, too. I'm allergic to cabbages, so if I decided to grow them, it would definitely be for the butterflies. {SMILE}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin
P.S. I do enjoy brainstorming. I tend to get more ideas than I can do stuff with, but that's part of the point of brainstorming. If you come up with enough ideas, some of them should be useful. {Smile}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin
I know what he means about butterfly houses. We had a great one down in Florida. It had all native species, and a butterfly garden around it as well. They did a good job supporting the entire butterfly life cycle.
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