Friday, August 25, 2017

The butterfly bush or weed



Just some lovely pics I took last year of my butterfly bush/weed. They had finally made it to blossoming after many seasons of frustrations. First I just couldn't get the seedlings to survive after insects and other critters ate them in the small pots. Or was it just not the right type of soil? Not sure but the next year I decided to use a soil that wasn't loaded with compost. That was successful. There were other problems after that too. By the time I tried again in another season I was left with one successful seedling that actually grew enough to be planted.  Good thing, I was only left with one last seed. So after I planed it and it grew to a nice plant, thinking it was just another weed, my dad nearly killed it off. I was pretty disappointed at my dads kill happy hands. Well another season goes by and in the spring I get a surprise. The plant came back and this time later in July I think with a crown of beautiful bright orange blossoms. So pleased that finally after my hard work and persistence I finally got my butterfly bush. 
So far it really hasn't attracted any butterflies but a few hover flies and other things.
This year it made even more blossoms and the only thing it managed to attract were lots and lots of aphids with their keepers the ants and one ladybug. No seed pods this year because of the infestation. 
Oh well there's always next year. 😏

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Just some cooings on.

Time for catch-up again. Still decapitating those ivy vines. Just can't do it all the time. I wait for when its not so hot and humid. But none the less they're almost pretty much out on the front. Found lots of empty snail shells for my collection in the processes. They come in handy for projects. Such as wreaths and a certain broach I made for my self. Still tackling other things too. Been a pretty busy summer. And oh yeah we might actually get some peaches this year. So far the squirrels have been keeping away. Another story when it comes to the night creatures.

Anyways here are some pics of some of my doves took two years ago just before I put them out for the season in their outdoor cage. I managed to take a few nice ones of my "rare in my household" a young dappled ring neck dove. She had a brother who looked just like her but as I said before her brother got spagetified by a hawk before we reinforced the cages to keep out the rodents and you guessed it hawks. Oh and I even got a rare pic of a dove just about to take off the covered car in our garage. Rare considering my camera is pretty old and its only a point n shoot camera. Not to mention a Kodak camera. I wonder if someday it might become a collectable? 



Oh they look a bit poopy considering when inside their winter quarters its a bit cramped for the night. But they have the whole garage to do what they please during the day. Such as bathing, foraging, playing and of course flying. 😊