Some Uneventful Gardening

These pretty flowers are in the buttercup (ranunculus) family I planted them several years ago, and they just keep blooming. The flowers are only open for about 3-4 hours each day, so I have to make a point of visiting them. They were already closed up for the day when I went out at 1:00 to pick up my piles of trimmings and weeds. Sometimes the squirrels will bite the tips off of unopened buds. When the flower opens it looks a bit like the snowflakes we cut out of folded paper. There is one "snowflake" flower in the picture - can you find it? I've read that animals will not bother buttercups - obviously the squirrels don't read.

Skipper Moth Visiting my Golden Dewdrop

I spent some time in the garden this morning while it was still cool (80 degrees) by Florida standards. I cut back the golden dewdrop where it was crowding my plumeria. I pulled some weeds, but had to be careful not to step in places where the turtle laid her eggs. They may hatch next month.

At one point, the Mister asked me to stop what I was doing and look down at my feet. I did. I recognized his request as a Fire Ant Alert. All was well. No fire ants. Those little eternally angry denizens of the garden let me alone today. I saw no snakes, did not raise the ire of any bees and neither mosquito nor deer fly honed in on my exposed parts. No alligator was basking on the bank of the pond. Gardening can be a risky adventure here. Life threatening, actually. Wear gloves! Maybe a helmet and a concealed weapon.

Today was pleasant and uneventful as I yanked out the weeds that flourish and crowd out my herbs and flowers. My miniature roses are healthy and happy, except that the squirrels do not allow them to bloom. If I remember correctly, I have a white, red, orange and pink. It's only a guess. Ask the squirrels - maybe they know.

The plumeria was a gift from my friend Heather. She gave me a cutting from hers about 2 years ago. I let it grow in a pot on my lanai for the first year and then, early this spring, I planted it between the golden dewdrop and the fig tree. The next morning I found that a deer had nipped the top off of it. Swell. I waited a month or so for it to start a new growth of leaves, and when it did not I trimmed the top off once more to see if that would wake it up. It worked! I have 3 new shoots coming off the top with nice shiny healthy leaves. When it flowers I'll take pictures for you. I'm being extremely optimistic here. Thank you for stopping by!