Another Month Another Grasshopper

While watering my hanging bougainvillea, I spotted yet another grasshopper! I could tell it was a different one because it was slightly smaller. I again put on my gloves and scooped it into a small plastic pot but alas, it turned up again on a Mexican Petunia leaf. I grabbed my camera and actually got a picture—sort of, of the pesky creature then scooped it up again and sent it flying. And sent it flying...and sent it flying. Finally!



My nasturtium had been doing so well in its trailing;“Would it bloom soon?”
Then the other day, I noticed something under my foot. The nasturtium. Did it trail that long? As I looked closer, I saw that it had been severed, undoubtedly by another caterpillar (cutworm?). This time I haven’t seen the culprit.

I can still put the leaves in a salad. I got out the seed pack and promptly planted more. Gardening, like life, is like that; some things are beyond control—or the “control” is worse than the original problem (in this case chemical pesticides). You just have to pick things up and start over—and keep going.

Plenteous Pentas

I finally added a deep pink penta to my garden; the first one hadn’t yet opened when I bought it so I couldn’t tell that it was more of a “sweet” pink. Oh well, butterflies like them. Butterflies may enjoy dining on the nectar of pentas but they must not have gotten the invitation to mine; I haven’t seen a single one.

Nevertheless, the pentas' clusters of star-shaped blossoms are pretty, long lasting, bloom often and grow well. When I bought the "sweet" pink one it was the size of this deep pink one (that I got for half price!); now it has multiple branches and blooms. They like having more room to grow.

I thought I could stay outside longer this morning to write since it’s cooler but the humidity smothered that plan.

I haven’t seen any more caterpillars or grasshoppers, no lizards—just lots of tiny white flying insects. I don’t use chemicals and to a point, I reason that these creatures have a right to be outdoors. However, they don’t need to be attacking my plants; they especially like my petunias. Maybe I’ll get some fly paper.