There is a snake in my garden

This week I was working in the front garden and I startled this little guy (or should I say it scared the heck out of me) This snake was around three feet long and from what I can see, it looks like it's a Black Racer.  A harmless snake that feeds on small animals. 

I updated my front garden, mostly taking out the old bromeliad plants and keeping the little pups.  The front of the house is the only sunny area in my garden, so is mostly planted with succulents, cactuses, and bromeliads.

The snake loves my Staghorn fern.

These bromeliads flowers are a little finicky, some years I don't get any flowers but this has been a good winter.

It is going to be a good summer for the Brasilian Red.

The Zebras are starting to come back for the summer season.

This little guy is a Gulf Fritillary caterpillar.

What a difference a Pressure Washer machine makes

I borrowed a pressure washer machine from a neighbor to pressure clean the stone in the back garden.  What a difference a pressure cleaner makes ( See my previous post )  The wet and humid weather in South Florida turns stones black quickly, so a pressure washer is a part of the garden tools in the shed.   

This week at the DragonFly Garden

Another invasion of caterpillars, I am not familiar with these little guys.  They managed to strip down to the bone, one of my Devil's backbone hanging baskets, all in one night. 

This is the most beautiful Hibiscus flower in my collection, for some unknown reason I don't get too many flowers from this plant.  I am always ready with my camera when one opens up. 

The only bromeliad in my collection that doesn't get any help from me, it finds its way to my garden all by itself.

This is the time of the year when the Starburst plants are full of flowers.  My plant has been overwhelmed by other trees around and it does not flower like it used to (it needs lots of sun during the fall months)

Spike spiders make the best webs in the garden.

Birding and gardening throughout the month

One of the pleasures of gardening in South Florida is taking pictures of the birds visiting the garden, especially during the winter.  This year we have not had as many visitors as years past.  We have the regulars coming every day for a meal at the bird feeders and those that stop by during the winter months.     

This hummingbird comes to the garden every year during the winter months.  He loves my Firebush plant but this year most of the flowers are facing my neighbor's yard, so he's not very visible from my side.

This morning I took a picture of these two Zebra butterflies mating.

When there are no tomato plants around, the Hornworms go after the Angel's Trumpets plants.

Flowers this month

The Milkweed is looking good, lots of food for the Monarch's this summer