The Cold Truth

There was no way I was going outside to take garden pictures today.  Even our double pane windows had formed ice on the inside.  Instead I took pictures of our indoor plants.  I had a nice picture of a rosemary blossom and a lovely picture of winter sunshine on fuzzy peppermint geranium leaves.  I could have used pretty pictures and left the impression that everything was rosy, but I didn't do that.  Instead I'm writing the cold hard truth!  It is frigid here.  Overnight the temperature dropped to -10.  My garden has a little snow cover, but it's a thin sheet when what is really needed is a heavy blanket.  More than that both Ed and I have colds as well.  We did venture out today. The snow made that loud crunching noise under our feet that only happens when it's right around zero or below.  If you are looking for blooms here only the rosemary has them.  They are small, but lovely like a little blue orchid, however a closer look reveals aphids and a gross blob of stuff that they leave on the plants.

Meanwhile downstairs under the lemon verbenas, this is what we find on the window sill under the plants.  I know frass when I see it and the leaves on the branch above have definitely been chewed.

Upon close inspection I found this.  The Pollyanna in me wants to think this is some sort of beneficial insect, but I know  the cold hard truth is that it will probably hatch out into a leaf eating machine.   Lemon verbena leaves are delightful with a delicious lemony flavor and scent.  I like to eat them myself.  Tomorrow will be the last day for whatever lives in that furry little cocoon.  My indoor plants need my attention.  Maybe we'll do the winter sunshine on fuzzy peppermint geranium leaves next time!

Don't Know My Eggs From my Aphids

Almost without notice, our activities have shifted toward getting ready for next year's garden.  While clearing out the residue from the second planting of peas, a young milkweed plant was pulled and placed in the weed bucket.  A large number of golden eggs caught my eye but I placed the entire plant in the bucket.  The chance that I may have inadvertently trashed monarch butterfly eggs haunted me.  Monarchs are described as laying their eggs thinly on many different plants.  What I saw on the milkweed stem was a large number of eggs.  Finally the milkweed stem was removed from the weed bucket and tied to a standing milkweed plant.  I had to give the eggs a chance to hatch.

A picture seemed appropriate to record my actions.  While taking the picture I had noticed ants working the eggs. I figured that some of the eggs would be eaten by the ants.  Examination of the picture revealed that the eggs were actually aphids.  The camera sees much more than my old eyes.  It plainly shows the length I went to in order to save aphids and ants from the indignity of the compost bucket.  We have never claimed to actually know what we are doing.