Garden Porn?

While chillin’ by the pool,this afternoon,Harley and I noticed a commotion in the garden…..

Oh

my

Gawd!!!!

 

It was ….

….butterfly sex!

 

Actually,there’s another male behind her.He just doesn’t show in the photo.

There were two groups of these goings on….

A regular orgy,I tell ya!

…and I stood in the midst of them…

Dancing all around me was

sex!

…I was so mesmerized by their dance,I totally forgot my fear of butterflies…

This went on for over an hour.

I really,really need to start using video on the camera,but it was just too neat to stand and be a voyeur…

kinda like being in the middle of a porn movie….

..I forgot…

sorry…

I wonder who won her favor…….?

And this is why I use parsley as an edging plant in the garden……..

Somebody went to Sanibel Island,and all TheGreatWall got was….

Plants!

 

…more on that,later…

 

Yep…it was time for a long,weekend getaway.

...I’m retired.I can do whatever I want,

 

….whenever I want….

 

Time for a birthday party for a good friend and fellow blogger.

 

Time to reconnect with old friends.

…They’re not really old,

 but…...

 

…well,whatever…

 

….. you get my drift…

 

Just hang out…

 

…at a beach bar or two,

 

…or three…

 

Sanibel Island….

The island of Gulf breezes,waves,spectacular sunsets,beach sunflowers,beach bling,Royal Poinciana trees,Mimosa trees,shore birds….

 

So,what did TheGreatWall get as a souvenir you ask?

 

I’ll tell ya….

 

Plants!

 

I absolutely had to return to SCCF native plant nursery to pick up a few things….

 

….Yeah,right.Since when does a gardener go to a native plant nursery and pick up a few things……

 

I had a list,but room in the Tacoma,and the credit card said,”Girl,you had best slow down.”

 

What made it back to TheGreatWall….

l-r: native Red Salvia,salvia coccinea;native Wild Olive,Osmanthus americanus;a blunt leaved peperomia,peperomia obtusifolia, classified as an endangered Florida native plant.

 

Harley has checked things out and deemed them all okay to stay.

She’s handling her new job as Chief of Security quite well,don’t cha think?

 

Oh!!!!

 

and books came home,too!

I heart local bookstores.

 

So much more enjoyable than big box ones.

 

People there know how to read.And they have actually read the books they recommend.

 

I have already read halfway thru the top book.Great ecological novel,IMHO.A comparison of human society to an anthill,in novel form.Makes you think….

 

The bottom book needs no explanation.I have wanted that one for-EVAH!

 

So…..

 

how’d you spend your summer vacation?

Random Photos…and a new Toy!

…It’s HOT…

…and Humid…

The dog cat

–Harley is taking some time off,and keeping cool under the bed-

days of August,that’s for sure.

Nothing to do but weed

…a bit…

…in the cool of the morning…

…and take some photos…

just some random shots…

….it was too hot for anything else….

Blackberry Lily

Bleeding Heart Vine

Beauty Berry

Purple Cone Flower

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

and my newest toy….

A Spiralizer!

The first time I read about one was here,but I have since seen them all over blog-land,and decided to try one for myself.I thought it would be perfect for a new and different way to use the veggies from the garden.

I got mine here…

I tried mine with zucchini,onions and garlic…

…and tomatoes for good measure…

After spiralizing (is that a word?) the zucchini,

I finely chopped the onion,but you could spiralize that,too

sauté the onions and garlic in just a tad –don’t want too much,or  the zucchini will get all mushy and oily…of olive oil.

Toss in the zucchini…

Saute ‘til it’s al dente’. Like pasta?

Toss in the tomatoes….

Salt and pepper to taste…

…Sprinkle with some parm….

Serve with some roasted chicken…

and garlic bread….

….and enjoy!

Wonder how carrots will do?

…for stir fry?…

or beets…?

or potatoes….?

or apples?

There’s a new sheriff in town…

Two years ago,I posted about the loss of the beloved Ms.Fannie.

The one who kept the gardens safe from lizards and squirrels…

 

The one who kept the (old) pool safe from invaders….

I thought no one could do the job that Ms.Fannie did.

She seemed irreplaceable.

Well,I am happy to introduce you to the new Chief of Security (in training) of TheGreatWallofLutz.

Meet Harley….

...the NEW sheriff in town…

Harley is a rescue kitten.She hasn’t had the best start in life,but when I saw her picture,I just knew she was destined to replace Ms.Fannie.

As soon as she arrived she set straight to work.She found a lizard and trapped it right away!

You go girl! She has more balls than most males!

Her training period will mainly encompass keeping the seashells planters safe….

…and most important….

….keeping my flip-flops safe….

But for now,she is busy with learning how to keep the area under the bed in the master bedroom safe and secure……

Damn good at it,too,I must say….

 

If you want a pet,please consider a rescue pet.

Not only will you have the best pet ever,

….but you will have a friend for life!

They come neutered,full shots,tested for diseases,and micro-chipped.

And they will be your best-est friend…

for-ever!

B,F,and Just Because….

While the renovations on the house HQ of TheGreatWall are going on (new AC on 1/2 of the house,new electric,and new electric panel),I decided to forego renovations on the front and the north side gardens .They’re going to be torn up while the out side work on the HQ is going on.I figure it would be wise to wait until that is finished.Hopefully,by then,cooler weather will have arrived.And it won’t be such a chore.

Sooo…

…….with that in mind……

B is for….

….Berries….

Honeysuckle

Simpson Stopper (seems early this year…weather?)

Wild Coffee

….Yep,the birds are having a feast….

F is for …

…fruit…

Pineapple

Grown from a grocery store bought pineapple.

The mother plant has put off a baby so I shall get two more plants from the original.

It is gonna be very tasty grilled with some some pork.

                                           Brown Fig

Something(squirrel,raccoon,possum?)got to the largest one.How do I avoid this?Cage it?Suggestions?

…and the just

because….

 

Good year for the orchids…..

 

….and bling….

Yep,Miss Emma has her bling on…

a girl has to have her bling….

and her phone…..

It started with a leak…..

…in the outside wall…

Not just any leak.

But a major leak.

Inside and outside.

I ended up with this…

Notice the rotten siding…

 

Then both AC systems broke down.

Yep-there are two separate systems on this house.One for each end of the house.

On the same day!

Soooo…what are ya gonna do?

Call a contractor and architect,that’s what!

Who show up with the very same vision you have,for this house.

Which is a very dangerous thing,I tell ya!

This house has two stories.The upper story,and part of the first story,are clad with T-111 siding.It was disintegrating and needs to be replaced.It will all be ripped off.The house will be Tyveked and tar papered,and stuccoed.From top to bottom.

These entry doors …

will be replaced with something like this….

or  this…

  I think this is the one.

 

The windows in the master bedroom …

will be replaced with sliders.

Kinda makes sense,dontcha think? …Leading out to the new pool,and all….

All that crap the popcorn on the ceilings will be removed.The interior repainted.

I did rein myself in with removing the solid staircase and replacing it with wrought iron.

Dah-yum!… I really wanted that,too!

I do have a budget,after all…..

Not to mention mundane things.

….like new soffits and fascia….

Everything has been measured…blah,blah,blah…

… and hopefully,priced within my budget…

Until this is done,I shall have to busy myself with turning this…

into a gravel pathway.

And getting ready for the fall veggie garden….

 

Stay tuned….