Gotta Love Those Garden Pests!

Gah....., a photo by Leenechan on Flickr.

This stripey bugger has eaten almost all my curly leaf parsley! If I didn't have two pots of flat leaf parsley as well I'd be very angry!

I'm not going to spray or squish this one. It is a swallowtail butterfly caterpillar. If it tries to move onto the other pots I'll gently transport it to another part of the yard. Hopefully the birds won't eat it.

I'm so determined to get a nice flower from "Moondance" that I cut a half open, thrip-free bud off the plant and put it in a cordial glass filled with water. I'm assuming it will open all the way in the vase. I cut a Snowpuff cosmos to give it some company. Wish me luck!

Oh, Lulu...

"What did you say?", a photo by Leenechan on Flickr.

Looks like Lulu and butterfly bush "Black Knight" are having a conversation! Maybe she can tell me why his flower spikes are so small?

Hard to kill.

"Remember me?", a photo by Leenechan on Flickr.

But easy to maim! This miniature potted rose was one of my big stars last year, until it fell victim to an insect attack.

Since it's a zone 6-9 rose, we had to overwinter it indoors. We are in Zone 6, but when you're growing pretty much anything you can't count on a typical winter.

Now that we're giving in regular baths with insecticidal soap, it's starting to look better. I'm wondering if it needs to be repotted...It's a pretty small rosebush, but I wonder if a nine-inch pot is too small for a rose?

Today is a good day to take photos.

"What's your name?", a photo by Leenechan on Flickr.

And gardening! Over the past few days I've been busting my butt digging out two new flower beds. One is a half circle in the front, a proper flowerbed for Msr. Jules Elie and Butterfly Bush "White Profusion." It will also be the future home of peonies "Lorelei" (preordered, definite location) and "First Arrival" (preordered, possible location). Hopefully, it was also be the home for a "Quietness" rose. I've seen sites selling that shrub rose now, but in the Northeast you have to plant roses in the spring.

I also am creating a wider bed on the east side of the house, where Japanese Anemone "Robustissima", our two tree peonies and mountain laurel "Nathan Hale" currently reside. It will also be the future home for peony "Scarlett O'Hara", Chinese tree peony "Flying Swallow in a Red Dress" and butterfly bush "Miss Molly." Tree roots and yellow jackets abound. Phew!

I love my new yellow edger.