8 A M Walk in the Garden and the Rest of the Day

Little Rosy Cloud

Ode to Spring 

I walked through the garden today, and two different day lilies are blooming. I never tire of walking around to see what has opened. I am usually joined by my two cats, Lucy and Lily. My husband and I walked through our gardens on Sunday and counted over 115 different day lilies that we have planted. Of course, as stated in a previous blog all are tagged, so we can remember the names.



I am pleased to say, that even with this crazy erratic weather we are experiencing, (95 on Sunday and 45 last night), the plants in the garden are adjusting. The other 113 day lilies have scapes at various heights and promise to offer many photo opportunities for the next several months. .

Mrs. Snapping Turtle

I just walked into the house to make a cup of tea and the phone rang, a call from my next door neighbor. She had a visitor in her sunny back yard. Her backyard abuts the same wetlands as mine, but she has sun, where I have all the trees. Well, this visitor has been hanging around for a couple of days, visiting when the sun is out. Her dogs, just don't want anything to do with Mrs. Turtle and made all the ruckus they can to get this unwanted visitor to go back to her side of their idea of an invisible fence line. Mrs. Turtle, she would have nothing to do with leaving.

Future nursery site?

My neighbor tried a broom to discourage her, Mrs. Turtle just responded with hissing. She is on a mission. That is when my neighbor called me. What was she to do?  When I  arrived, I could see, this turtle was looking for a spot to lay her eggs. She had found what she thought was a warm sunny bank, near the wetlands. A bank higher than the water line, where the eggs would be warmed by the sun and and her offspring, when hatched, would just roll down the slope to the water.  After several attempts at digging a spot to lay her eggs, the turtle left on her own. She just couldn't get through the hard ground, clay, to lay her eggs.

I had just recently read an article, I can not remember where, on turtles and the trouble they are experiencing with finding the correct spot for laying eggs. As I have been reporting, Phragmites and other non-native invasive plants are changing the vegetation ecology around many wetlands, ponds and lakes with growth that is covering the open bank areas. Thick, shaded and cooler ground has replaced the open, warm and sandy areas.

I continued my walk, with out my tea and noticed the leaves of the Joe-Pye plants were riddled with holes. I LOVED that. Something was using the leaves for a nursery. The eggs have hatched and the caterpillars were enjoying the leaves. I found the little caterpillars and here is a picture.
                                                      Can you identify them?
                                                      I am not sure what it is.
                                                 That is my project for the afternoon.

It is now 9 A M  and I still have not had my cup of tea, with this non stop excitement of the morning, I can hardly wait for the rest of the day. Please, I welcome your comments with the caterpillar's name.