February and the Hellebores are Lovely

The Hellebores are finally filling in their bed a bit (I put them in as very, very small plants a few years ago to minimize the amount of digging around this big oak)- and there are a lot of babies sprouting too. While they take a while to get going, hellebores add so much to the landscape without requiring much fussing. Insects don't really bother with them and they're not very picky about soil type or ph level. They're stiff enough that the wild cats that have adopted our property don't lay on them like they do on softer plants like my lamb's ear.

Assassin Bugs on the Asparagus and Rosy Tobacco Blooms

I found a group of assassin bug nymphs huddled together on one of the asparagus plants.

 These little guys are a beautiful sight in the garden.  Some types can bite so I don't usually handle them.  They do a great job eating insect pests so I get to eat more of my veggies.  Welcome, I say.

These true bugs (Heteroptera) are likely wheel bug nymphs (Arilus cristatus) from the family Reduviidae.  This is the only North American member of this species with all others preferring warmer climes.

 Meanwhile in the garden...

Nicotiana alata and red oleander bloom together across a path.  There is some Nicotiana langsdorfii in the picture too.  Those have only developed their basal rosettes, no flowers yet.  The oleander came through this colder-than-usual winter just fine.  There was a small amount of dead to trim out, but he's doing so well that once his blooming is done I'm going to prune him back.  The lemon verbena behind the flowering tobacco, scented geranium and my stevia (last two planted elsewhere) also seem unperturbed, returning yet again.  I don't think they know that they are not supposed to keep coming back so reliably here in North Carolina. Sssssshhhh.

Lilies, day Lilies, and a red rose in bloom with sunflowers and a dramatic mustard in seed.

The Guinea Hen Flower and the Orange Army

About 5 years ago I bought and planted dozens of these checkered flower bulbs.  I'm a sucker for the drooping bell shape and the unusual coloration.  But the Fritillaria meleagris likes moist but well-drained soils and I've got heavy clay.  My garden soil is slowly getting better as I add more and more compost each year.

After I saw not a one of these flowers appear, I purchased a few dozen more and tried again.  And failed again - so I thought.  Some interesting foliage had sprouted where I buried the bulbs, but I couldn't be sure what it was.  Next season, I gave up and didn't plant anymore.  Instead I tried to be happy with my successful plantings of Fritillaria uva-vulpis .  This other fritillaria is known by the strange moniker Fox's Grape. Foxes must have a very different idea of what a grape is....  While they are also beautiful, they don't have the odd and wonderful checkered shading that I find so appealing in its cousin.

Now years later, the snake head emerges!   Here she is at the base of a jessamine/jasmine hybrid vine, nodding serenely.  A second bloom at her feet offers a clue to suggest it wasn't just the soil plotting against her.  The felled bloom has the fine angled cut of a bunnie's bite on its stem.  Rascally rabbits!

The arrival of a clan of feral cats that adopted our property late last summer have made this beautiful vision possible.  Although we still have a few visits from the woodland bunnies, they are not nibbling as much of the spring garden this year.  The foliage of the Guinea Hen flower has been arriving faithfully and without fanfare, but until now its blooms have been devoured.  With the patrols of the orange army of cats - who interestingly enough hail from the same woodlands nearby that is also home to the hungry rabbits - this elegant flower that has become endangered in the wild, is finally safe in my garden.

Swimming Lessons with the Harlequin Cabbage Bug

The mustard greens have been descended upon by these voracious eaters and pro-creators.   The bright red with black stripes make them stand out nicely against my greens.  I appreciate this as I enter the garden with my bucket of soapy water and invitations to a buggy pool party.

In our area we have about three generations per year.  I find them in groups of 2, 3, and 4 madly working on creating that younger generation.  With only 50 to 80 days to complete a life, they've got priorities.

Murgantia histrionica

Loners are sucking the life out of the leaves of my mustard, taking a break and refreshing for the next round of whoppee.  Further north, they have only one generation in the growing season.  And Yankees think southerners are slow - pfft!

The eggs they lay can generally be found on the backsides of leaves.  Just like the adult, the eggs are striking in appearance - little cylinders in black and white, lined up perfectly in sets of 12.   Eggs can take as little as 4 days to as long as 29 days to hatch.  The length of time required varies with the temperature.

At first, the pool gets crowded pretty quickly.  But with each day of lessons, the greens are quieter with fewer and fewer harlequins making merry.

They don't bite so I pick them bare handed.  I find it easier to get the bug without damaging the leaf they are sitting on that way.  With a gloved hand I'm prone to tearing leaves as I pick.  The colorful marauders are very cooperative, staying right where they are as I work through the leaves.

This drowned pair was retrieved from my bucket.  Even their undersides are pretty, with the red and black patterning carried over to that side. I wish I could convince them to eat the @#$*!  bermuda grass instead of the mustard.

Monarda citriodora - Lemon Horsemint, Bee Balm

This is a different type of beebalm than I've grown before. Its pretty, but has me a bit confused.
There's a lot of conflicting info out there about it. Most sites refer to it as a 'winter annual', but I've found accounts from gardeners that say it has perenialized in their gardens. From those sources, it is said to be hardy to zone 6.
From some sources it is said to prefer sandy soil, others that it is easily adaptable and will tolerate even clay soils. Even its water preferences are hard to know - I've found it listed as a plant suitable for xeriscaping (meaning it is very drought tolerant) but have also found sources saying it prefers to be kept evenly moist. Most agree that it can take full sun to semi-shade.
While it can be aggressive (invasive) in some areas, I can find no sources that say it grows in my area (zone 7b in North Carolina). This means I'll have to be sure to collect some seed, just in case. It is an edible plant, with leaves that add a nice lemony flavor to salads or cooked foods. Its flowers are quite different than the Monarda didyma that I also grow, with the flower petals appearing much like bracts or leaves with a different coloration than its regular leaves. This is one that I'd like to get a nice colony of going for the enjoyment of the bees we expect to start keeping in the spring. Hopefully, the spot I've chosen will be to its liking - only time will tell.

Kittens and Spiders - OH MY!

The common garden spider (Argiope aurantia) is a leggy beauty! This lady (the boys are much smaller) made her web on my Isaac House hybrid scabiosa - aka pincushion flower. These are my favorite of the pincushion types. I think this spidey agrees.

The thicker, zig-zaggy filament in her web is called the stabilimentum. Exactly the purpose of it is unknown. The name comes from the belief, now widely discounted, that they provided stability to the web. Seems a likely inspiration for the words written in the webs of E. B. White's book, Charlotte's Web.

This less showy brown spider was sunning on my clothesline. His first spot was on the backside of a peg. I came close to touching him as I hung out my sheets. Luckily I spotted him just in time - scared the bejeezus out of me! I'm not sure who this guy is yet....

The other surprises outside today were much cuddlier forms of natural pest control! A group of feral cats - momma and 5 kitties - have set up house in the woodpile. Lefty, my almost toothless Yorkie, discovered them. He was yapping away, which luckily is very UNcharacteristic of him. When I went to see what the ruckus was, I spied these cuties hiding deep in the pile. We had seen these cats in the abandoned yard next door, but they had disappeared. We thought they'd gone off to the nearby woods where a fair amount of wild cats live. But here they are! They won't let us get too close right now. We're hoping some mackerel and time will change that. We set up some old bed frames with springs as a make-shift fence to keep the dogs away.

The family has been enjoying their protected area, having play fights and sunning out in the open this afternoon. It would be nice if they stuck around. We've got an exploding population of voles and chipmunks that have been eating my bulbs and, worse - tunneling under the foundation of the house. Some kitties patrolling the area might be just the solution we need.

We've done some trap and release type stuff to try to at least lower the pest population, but its time consuming and hasn't made a difference. Plus its not really any kinder than just offing the voles and chipmunks, as distasteful as that is - moving them away from their food stores and familiar areas is just setting the rodents up to die.

The little cuties are all orange and white variations just like their Ma. I'm thinking Marmalade and Dreamsicle, maybe Carrot Top for a few names to start with....

Ambush Bug Phymatidae PHYMATA Nymph

While gathering basil from the garden for a hot sauce I was making today, I found this little guy. He was hiding on a flowering stem. I don't see any wings so think this is a nymph. The rounded projections just above the abdomen (section called the mesothorax) on either side look like they might be what develops into the wings or may even be tiny little wing-lets. The prothorax seems a bit spiked to me suggesting he may be a Phymata erosa or jagged ambush bug, but I really don't know for sure.

He (or should I say 'she'?) was quite willing to pose for my camera. These bugs stay very still awaiting their prey. Because of this hunting strategy I was able to get very close, getting some nice details of its little face. The yellow eyes are very striking. The front legs are thickened (like Popeye's arms!) and held in a similar manner to a praying mantis. I think this is referred to as raptorial. You can see the segments in the antennae really well in the shot above.

The shape of the head is kind of reptilian. He's an odd mix of familiar features - like a mad scientist stuck crab legs on a fat lizard. Look at all the little bumps scattered across the body. The yellow and green coloration is beautiful - as well as practical, providing excellent camouflage. Entomologists refer to this as cryptic coloration

I'm sad to learn these guys eat bees. We're in the process of learning to become beekeepers - which is very exciting! Hopefully when he grows up he won't off too many of my colony.

For any interested - the hot sauce I made of roasted jalapenos and a mix of three different basils is beyond delicious! And best of all, like Paris would say: It's HOT!

Here are good shots of the back, displaying the color pattern and shape. The sections of the thorax and the abdomen are easy to see here and below.