Hollyhocks

now

A look at my hollyhocks growing from March to April...

early March (same spot as above pic)

early April

mid-April

mid-April

now

Bugs

Bugs on my Mandevilla

 I absolutely love the mandevilla plant and have tried growing them... unsuccesfully. I haven't had any luck keeping them alive through our hot summers. I keep trying, I can't help myself. When the nursery has them, I bring one home.

Usually I have planted it in the ground so when my sis told me she has had one a few years in a pot, I decided to give that a try. I've had this one around 4 months. It stopped blooming and started growing so I moved it against the house wall and gave it a trellis to climb on.

 A few weeks ago I was out of town and when I returned I found this...

 every tip was covered with bugs...aphids sucking the juices out of my mandy

I've had aphids on my roses and snail vine and have kept them under control by spraying them with the hose using the jet spray. But never had them this bad and they always looked pretty harmless. This time I took pictures and zoomed in on them.

 Yikes

they no longer look harmless. Disgusting is more like it... hideous... horrible... ugly... sickening... nauseating... appalling... Gross!

Made me feel itchy all over. I know bugs are part of the garden and I love to garden and bugs have never bothered me, but no longer will I take pictures and zoom in. But I will continue to jet spray everything on a regular basis!

It took several jet spray attempts to save ms mandy here and she's growing again and blooming!

Now we'll see if she survives the summer.

Easter 2012

Jayda's 1st Easter...

with Mommy...

 with Daddy...

 with cousin Serenity...

 with Tia Kori... 

checking out the Easter baskets...

 Getting ready for the egg hunt...

grilling...

but mostly just hanging out...

catching up...

and enjoying each other...

  

  

Happy Easter!

Lunch from the Garden

I have been enjoying salads for lunch with ingredients picked from my garden.


Healthy, organic, and delicious! 

(avocado, pine nuts, and feta cheese
not from my garden)

Always starting with lettuce and spinach, radishes, red or green bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and then changing it up with herbs like cilantro, rosemary, basil, parsley or pineapple sage.

I have yet to try adding nasturtium flowers but I plan to.

Sometimes zesting a lemon and adding its juice, or orange sections and zest. And mixing it all up with peach white balsamic vinegar and olive oil or citrus olive oil. Yum! I love this time of year, before the heat wilts away my cool weather goodies.



(there's an ant on my zucchini)