Strange Looking Caterpillar - What is it?

Fascinating-looking little thing.  I wonder what it is?  I read somewhere that moth larva are fuzzy and butterfly larva have no fuzz.  See those 4 strange white bumps?

My New Swing

Mark and Jere gave me this fabulous swing.  What a treasure, I love it!!!  It's way too expensive a gift just for letting them stay at our house during the Round Top antique sale, but the greedy side of me won over, and I accepted it!! Have you ever seen anything with so much character?!

Amaryllis April 17, 2016

These beautiful bulbs have a very short bloom season, but they pack a punch when they are in full flower.

 There a few unruly Hojo Santo runners that are crowing into this stand of flowers, I need to remove them.

Pretty Pinks April 16, 2016

Weekend at the Farm April 16-17, 2015

Arrived Friday afternoon, this is the weekend before our party so my plan was just to weed and piddle and spray herbicide in paths.  I wasn't able to get much done because of the rain. 

Friday evening while walking around I came upon a copperhead in the Medicine Garden.  Bert shot him.  I almost stepped on a rat snake last weekend, but I let him live, he's not doing any harm beyond the initial shot of adrenalin that seeing a snake unexpectedly causes.  Rat snakes get really big, yuck, but they don't hurt you.

It rained pretty hard last week and everything is pretty beaten down.

The Vegetable Garden looks good.  The beans are starting to climb up their supports, and I have lots of little tomatoes.  It hasn't been a good year for the asparagus.  I think next year I'm going to start over with new soil and new asparagus starts.

I ordered a new sea grass rug for under the dining table.  When we arrived on Friday there were 2 rugs lying on the ground inside the gate.  The email I received read that the arrival date was the 19th, so maybe I'll get a third rug on the 19th.  Stickin' it to the man.  Hahahahaha.

Spent lots of time in the Rose Garden cutting back my Homestead Purple Verbena out of the paths and transplanting pieces of it to other gardens.  It's nothing anyone can see now, this effort is for next spring just like all the blooms this spring are the result of past years' efforts. 

Fertilized all my azaleas because it's supposed to rain, so the timing is perfect.

Listened to Lyle Lovett most of the day.

Made a stew for dinner.

Face timed with Blake.  She told Josh and Amy that she's pregnant.  She told the rest of us on Pizza Night.  Happy news.

I got stung by a wasp in the Greenhouse.  I always shake the plastic shower curtain that hangs in the doorway to see if any wasps fly out, but this time the wasp nest was in the fold of the shower curtain and one of the little monsters got me.  Swelling and itching for 3 days is what I have to look forward to....

Most of Saturday was frittered away moving verbena plugs.  I didn't get anything done related to the party such as cleaning the house or cooking....

Slept horribly Saturday night because of swelling and itching in my hand, finally got up and took some Benadryl.  Sunday morning was gray and rainy.

I found some Cleome seeds in my seed box and spread them in the Star Garden and the Rose Garden.

I moved some more verbena from the Rose Garden paths to various places throughout my gardens.

We left about noon and came home to do some shopping.

Spring Time at the Farm April 10, 2016

Mrs. Dudley Cross April 10, 2016

This shrub rose is quickly becoming one of my favorites.  I almost lost this rose a few years ago - vole damage - and I nursed it back to health.  Last fall it was loaded with blooms, and this spring it is impressive again.  Mrs. Cross' flowers are a pink and yellow blend.

Columbine April 10, 2016

Ehamanii Canna April 10, 2016

Ehamanii gets very tall.  It is still early spring, so the plants are still small.  The flowers look really pretty today.