Friday, July 30, 2010

Friday

This morning I was sitting in my desk chair looking out into the front patio garden and wondered what was making a rose stem hang way down. I thought maybe a raccoon had been climbing around the area, and went out to check. Well I picked up the branch and quickly dropped it, as I had grabbed hold of a critter. YIKES. I believe it is some sort of moth caterpillar, maybe a Sphinx moth.


















My shed's garden hanging in there barely.








One of the most delightful things about gardening
is the freemasonry it gives with other gardeners,
and the interest and pleasure all gardeners get by visiting
other people's gardens.
We all have a lot to learn
and in every new garden there is a chance of finding inspiration
- new flowers, different arrangement or fresh treatment for old subjects.
Even if it is a garden you know by heart
there are twelve months in the year
and every month means a different garden,
and the discovery of things
unexpected all the rest of the year.
Margery Fish, We Made a Garden, 1956

~ Happy Gardening ~

Zone 10 ~ s.e. FL

10 comments:

F Cameron said...

There are always surprises in the garden. Your shed garden looks like it's doing well from the photos. We've gotten a few good rainfalls here, just in time to save the garden.

Morning's Minion said...

That creature has the shape of a tomato horn worm--wonder if that's what it is? [And what would such be doing on a rose?]

Tom - 7th Street Cottage said...

I love the quote today. Enjoy your day. Hopefully this heat will pass soon.

Becca's Dirt said...

I hate anything that looks like a worm. He must be eating some foliage. Anyway I know critters have their place just not where I'm at. Lovely quote. Have a nice weekend.

Floridagirl said...

Oh, dear, bad damage, but what a beautiful caterpillar! I do love the moths that come from these too. Yesterday, I discovered my plumeria pudicas had been cut my something just three inches from ground level. Each and every branch. Very distressing!

I love your shed garden. I've never seen such a beautiful setting for shed in a garden. Very nice.

Ami said...

That creature also looks like tomato horn worm to me, which I had found on my angel's trumpet braches at one time. Your shed garden looks beautiful too me especially with those crepe myrtel flowers.

Have a good weekend!

Susan said...

Grabbing a caterpillar would be quite a surprise...not necessarily a pleasant one. I love your quote at the end of your post. How true it is. Have a great weekend!

NanaK said...

Oh my! I can imagine grabbing one of those caterpillars would be quite jolting. I don't like to squish 'em unless they are on my tomato plants of course. Being on a rose would require at least a relocation. They can eat a lot very quickly. Loved the poem. It is so true that each month of the year creates a new garden. Hopefully, this weekend will bring some rain. We have 40% chance here.

Dave said...

Looks like a horn worm......but who knows for sure.
Mother nature continually surprises me with bugs that I've never seen before. And finding it usually causes surprised knee jerk reaction!
Did much get munched?

Corner Gardener Sue said...

I like that quote. Last night I watched the video on Ruth Stout's garden that I got on ebay recently. It's about 24 minutes, done when she was in her 80s. I also found a used copy of one of her books at a local used book store a couple weeks ago. I can't remember if it's the one I read and laughed over when I was in my 20s. She sure was a character!