Beachgirl's Blog: April 2020

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Beth's Patch ~ the garden's

Signs of spring coming have been the growth on the butterfly weed, which is up several inches already. In the front the lantana is just beginning to poke up around the roots of the plant. It winters over better if you do not cut it back in the fall so we followed their advice. One of our Verbena Bonariensis never died back this winter and is around 5 ft tall. Probably going to take it out and transplant it or give it away due to where it's located.

Butterfly Weed

Verbena Bonariensis

Miss Huff lantana

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Happy Earth Day ~ Praying Mantis

Comparison between a native Carolina Mantis ootheca (left) and a non-native invasive Chinese mantis ootheca (right). An ootheca is the formal name for the egg casing from which the tiny praying mantis will eclose. These were both found in my garden this AM while weeding. By mistake I knocked the Carolina Mantis casing off of it's twig so I relocated it. I know of 2 other Carolina Mantis casings in the yard.

Friday, April 17, 2020

Beth's Patch ~ Gardening Season Starts

4 hrs of yard work this AM and it looks like nothing was done. Columbine with the earliest ever bloom. Bees pollinating the crab apple tree. The asters are up to 10" to 12" already which is usually their size in about a month. Might need to be cut back 3 times this year. 34 years ago I planted about 100 tulip bulbs. I think there are 5 left at this point and here is one of 3 blossoms from today.

Tulip with Quince bush in the back.

Columbine Blossom

Bee pollinating the Crab Apple tree.

More Crab Apple tree blossoms

Never ever had asters this high in mid April.

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Fabric Postcard Swap ~ "A"

My postcard group Fabric Postcard Art decided to do an ongoing alphabet swap. Here's the "A's" that I have made or received though some of the postcards are from alphabets swaps done in the past