Sunday, March 06, 2011

The winds of March


The winds of March or in Spanish “Los vientos de cuaresma” (the winds of lent) are here. For the last week we have been experiencing strong windy days, strong enough to cause damage to trees. (None in my garden)


Saturday was sprinkler day, one of two days I get to water my plants every week. It has not rained for a couple of weeks and the dry season is in full swing.


These Monarch caterpillars are having breakfast in my Milkweed.

By afternoon is all gone.

I planted Milkweed in five different areas of the garden. Monarch caterpillars go through plants like this in one day.


This morning my wife and I went to a farmer’s market to buy veggies, and look what I came home with.

I had the perfect place to plant this ground orchid (Phaius Rabins Raven)

7 comments:

NanaK said...

Glad to see the monarchs on your milkweed. Since I'm just a little north of you I should be seeing them soon too. Love the ground orchid. I went to Costco and came home with a cymbidium. Food shopping can be as rewarding to a gardener as going to the garden center :)

Ami said...

That Phaius Rabins Raven is a great finding! I was looking for this orchid, and then had to order it from the internet. It also just bloomed for me, although the color is a little different from yours.

Darla said...

It's been a little more windy here the last few days. That's a very pretty orchid. My milkweed is just now coming back from it's winters rest.

Susan said...

Your nun's orchid looks beautiful. I'm jealous that you can plant yours in the ground. My milkweed just started to bloom, so I'm hoping the caterpillars won't be too far behind.

Nell Jean said...

Everything looks good. Impulse buys are the best treats.

Wind is a real problem for me these days. If the sun shines, the greenhouse gets too hot with the door closed for the cuttings and things that are not quite ready to go outside for fear of frost. Strong gusts threaten to take off pieces of the structure if I open the doors.

Sandy said...

Hi Rusty.. just had to stop by and comment on your "Oh so Beautiful" garden.. I'm up the road in Clearwater and love Florida weather. My yard has too much sand to produce such spaces but I do manage to grow some nice plants...
Happy Spring..
Sandy

Edel said...

Hi Rusty, I was from your neck of the woods both from the Miami area (Hialeah) and used to work for the City of Miami, and also from CUBA back in the '60s, so I feel like I'm kin to you. I looove your garden, and your selection of plants. I hope you and your wife enjoy it in good health. My husband and I retired and moved to Sebring, Fl, and love it here. Maybe we can meet sometime and share gardening tips and some "Cafecito Cubano".