Mantids, Mantids, Mantids

So ladies and gentlemen, today was Emma's 7th birthday. Happy birthday to my little sister and another great year of her pestering adorable self. It was a hectic but great day and in amidst the revelry there was another mantid sighting! I believe it is Zeus, however, there is a heavier green to this mantis than the last. It still has the same ye stripe that Zeus had though so until we see mutli-mantids at the same time. I knew I said I'd have flower pictures for you, but rather more mantids! The lavender I have to say has grown quite healthily and after viewing Nicky's garden and her happy little sprouts, I have to say that mine aren't doing too terrible. I think the growing season is quite overheated this year. Everything at Chris and Kelly's house has seemed to be stunted as well as everything here. The only thing that appears to be doing well is the potted lavender plant that has grown a huge and healthy proportions in the direction of up!

Over all it has been well and good and on Monday I will get the remaining things at work cleaned up and take some pictures of the rapidly growing sunflowers, despite the fact that all the sprouts failed to rise.

I also went out of my way to watch a documentary on bugs the other day that follows the life cycle of a caterpillar and a mantis. Its quite interesting and very factful! Great to watch. Its called the Fascinating life of Bugs! Narrated by the same woman that plays the elemental in the Chronicles of Riddick. It's a great watch that I recommend. Next research project! Onion propagation.

ZEUS!

Ladies and gentlemen! We have Mantids! For those of you who weren't reading beforehand, last summer we had three mantids come to our stoop. One was a rather hefty Ms. Mantis, who I might add, was a wonderful lime green shade and spend most her time eating insects of my plants. A grand thing to have. A few weeks after Ms. Mantis there were others! A boy, who was significantly smaller than she was though a matching green, and a small young boy mantis who was a flashy brown with green steamline marks. It appears that the brown mantis, hereby designated Ulysses, was the successor because his wee little one who was spotted for the first time today on our stoop, is BROWN!

He was discovered by Emma, who came into the room in a rush sputtering she'd found a baby. She thought at first glance that he was perhaps a baby mosquito, but that she was almost certain he was a mantis. I immediately grabbed my camera and came outside to discover him CAPTURED! He was on our stood by the nook one leg trapped in the spiders web. No spider to be seen I attempt to remove him when there was A SHOWDOWN!

We have named him Zeus! P.S. Our plants from the church fundrasier has come in! Proven Winners the lot. Planting will commence tomorrow. Tomorrow I will get Lavender, Sunflower, and Basil pictures so you can all see the progress they have made.

Solve for Happiness

I do love flowers, and this is why. Can you even stop looking away from these? Half open chives! And our butterfly friends!

Today we spent the day doing things good for us. I mean health wise! I started the day by weighing myself, already down to 154.3 which is grand. I am very pleased because I have been working quite hard. Emma and I went for a run this morning, followed by a second run and then that was followed by something that was even better. FLOWER SHOPPING! SOoo!!! I have gotten everything I need for going to garden tomorrow. It was fun. I mean I had a bunch of fun doing it because it was with my mom and I enjoy shopping with mom. We got a flat of marigolds, daisies, a sweet basil (which is going to be living on my front step), and mom got some bulbs of something for the edging. Anyway! Its very exciting because as of tomorrow I will be finally removing the stupid trees that have been occupying the side of the driveway. I'm also going to get the bush finished as well! Yup things are looking up. Thank goodness

Recovering

Alright! So today was not my best day, but that doesn't mean I can't think of something to make the day better and guess what... I have just the thing to do it. This morning was not one of my better moments and I think I have dishonored myself in the face of my employers for it, but hopefully, because they are such great people, they won't hold it against me. Either way, in an effort to drag myself from this ridiculous rut I decided that it was time I went to Nicky's and did some gardening. Her garden is less mine and more of just a relaxing place to sit while I planted sunflowers into the seed plugs she gave be for my birthday. 2 rows of Sunspots, 2 rows Dwarf Incredible, 2 rows Teddy Bears, AND 2 rows of Mammoth Russians. That's a lot more sunflowers than I should be allowed to even touch in one day, but I have already plugged them and as of tomorrow we will be on the look out for the babies so they can be put in the garden and Chris and Kelly's. I do love sunflowers. I wish I was one. I also trimmed the chives, which will soon go in the book! Found the lavender from last year has sprouted and begun making flowers, and transplanted basil and the mystery plant that I had in one of the seed plugs. Butterflies were making their appearance today as well. I think in an effort to feel better, tomorrow i will document all the photos down and make a photo entry to show how bright the world is. I have to say, he made everything beautiful. I just have to look out my window.

Excitement Ahoy!

More babies on the horizon! That's right guys, the seedplugs are sprouting!!!

Now first you have to understand, my eyes are not so great to begin with, so I'm pretty proud of myself when I get those tiny seeds all measured out into only 2 seeds per plug, but the chamomile seeds? Nono, those things were almost smaller than pinheads, so I merely got what I could in and was fairly certain only a few would come up since the seed packet was mildly old. This my friends... This means I was right mistaken. I now have over 20 chamomiles making residence in my 4 seed plugs. Well more babies for me! I have to do some research and find out how they grow with companion plants but it shouldn't bee too difficult. But in addition to those babies who have been up for approx. 2 days, I now have some thai basil making its appearance! YAY! Baby Basil is so exciting I have to say. Bijou, the lavender is also making a wonderful rebound form her purchase state and already has a few new sprigs coming up. Such a great start!

Oh yes, so many great things that these are only the things happening in MY house. The garden at work has been doing even better! The grape hyacinths are up and beside their bigger bolder cousins they look magnanimous! Its a great addition to the garden, however there have been some requests lately and it looks like I'm going to have to work extra hard now to get the front and back really nice. Not sure why, but hey!

ALSO! The Crumpacker/Lovell house is in full bloom now. Chives were so unruly they were in desperate need of a hair cut, which I of course am pleased to supply since I have adopted them as part of my herbal repertoire. They are so nice with their hair trimmed. Hopefully the buds will come up nice and strong this year and I will get to press a few of the flowers. I could put them in the book with the others! So exciting. On top of that, the lavender planted there last year, the one I couldn't keep because of his fuzziness giving mom allergy problems! He's got new sprigs as well!!! So proud of my baby!

This spring is going to be a grand thing. Already planning out the big box. So long as I keep my head up and above the water, I'm hoping it will last.

Bring it on Spring!

So I spent this week at home tending my sickie sister yet again. I have not seen my little people or the garden, but I can imagine its doing well. As of Thursday last week this is what the flowers looked like, hopefully tomorrow we will be completely updated on our possible hyacinth births! There is also the corner now that its free of rosebush!




Also I have been working on making windchimes! The last one was origami right? Well this time I made a flat windchime that rest against the wall and I made it of stones, an old watch, and a big butterfly ring.

Babies!

Well I know its been some time since I last reported in, but some of you might not realize, we actually how CAN'T you realize! just how nice its been outside. It literally still is the winter months and I'm sleeping with windows open at night. This is a grand thing everyone and just over the last few days at work I have great news!

Because of the lovely days we've been having I have been enjoying some time out in the garden with the kids during work, cleaning out all last winter and falls leaves, only to reveal... BABIES!

These are the hyacinth bulbs that I had planted last autumn. I planted eight and they have all arisen! Along with another 40 something bulbs of babies that are happily springing forth with tiny buds. On Saturday I also worked, but I spent some more time in the garden and I happy to report NO MORE ROSEWEED! People can claim all they want that rosebushes are nice, I think they are scrappy and annoying. I yanked them forth after a nice hard rain and tada! The bench corner is now ready for some mass lavendering! So exciting.

Tomorrow I will draw a scheme for the rest of things, but we have a great amount of work ahead. We were given the go ahead for the front yard as well. Time to get working!