It's a start

Now that the Fall semester has started back, I find myself very busy with school work and not as much time for this new hobby of blogging..and even less time to go out in the yard and tend to my plants.  I spent my labor day trying to figure out Discrete Math, in particular functions, when it has been 12 years since my last college algebra class.  Hubby was a dear yesterday, working in the yard and installing an additional pipe off our existing irrigation system to be able to water my newly planted veggie garden.  Also I finally got a rotating drum for the compost, we will see how it goes.

He bought and installed a tank for reclaimed rain water to irrigate the yard last month and put a pump on the side so it has water pressure.  It is working out nicely and hopefully will save on the utility bill as well as being ecologically friendly!  Tropical storm Isaac filled it up so when it is dry I will be using it for sure!

I started the butterfly garden several months ago as inspiration from released butterflies at our wedding and the idea that I could raise some caterpillars.  I bought some books and thus began the butterfly obsession in our house.  My oldest son is interested in them and can identify several species when we are out and about in town.  At home, we have raised Gulf Fritillaries, Monarchs, Polydamas Swallowtails, Black Swallowtails, Sleepy Orange, Cloudless Sulphur, Giant Swallowtails and various moths.  I either collect the eggs or caterpillars from the garden with their host plants, then bring them onto our back screened patio.  I have two small zippered habitats but I have also just let them eat host plant on my back patio.  When they emerge I release them back into the garden after their wings have dried in 24 hours. 

When we bought this house a few months ago, this spot near the back wall had a ficus that was half dead, an overgrown philodendron, which is still in the corner, just cut back quite a bit and some sort of date palm that was extremely overgrown with very painful spikes on the branches.  I initially put in some lantana, pentas, zinnia from seed and cosmos from seed.  I am not finished with this area by any means but I am amazed how fast it grows and I can't believe zinnias planted from seed grew to almost four feet high.  We put the adonidia palm in probably a month ago as the area gets brutally hot sun during the day and many of the plants were wilting.  There is a mix of nectar and host plants in here that bring butterflies all day long.  Have only seen a hummingbird once; I don't know how to get him to come back other than to keep planting what they like, as space will permit. 

Still have work to do.  Hubby built me the trellis but the coral honeysuckle isn't really showing a lot of new growth right now.  Vincas are most established flowers here.  Gallardia are my favorite visually but they seem to fade fast.  The melampodium has also really taken off here.  Again, it's a start.

Skippers are fast fliers and there seem to be so many different kinds..hard to identify them all.

Beginning efforts in the front yard..planted coleus and torenia under the oak tree.  The entire front yard and front of the house is shaded by two large oak trees.  Pygmy date palms next to the house were existing with no other plants..I put in some caladiums and liriope, probably going to add some impatiens.  I am still not sure what all I will put up here..I know I should have had the master plan before I put anything in but I was tired of looking at plain dirt and leaves. The coleus around the oak I bought as a $9 flat at Lowe's and they were small.  After they flowered, I read on the Internet about pinching them back.  I did this a few weeks ago and they really have bushed out a lot.