Category: Nature

Rusty Tussock Moth – Orgyia antigua

Tonight I was cleaning up the courtyard garden and found a wonderful surprise. This little fellow was on a tree that is not doing well.

Rusty Tussock Moth

When I finished for the evening I took a quick look at the wormy guy and found that he was climbing down the tree. His movement indicated which was his head. He looks a bit prickly, but could that be an illusion? According to Debbie Hadley on the About.com site, “touch them with a bare finger and you’ll feel you’ve been pricked by fiberglass.”

Rusty Tussock Moth

I saw a photo of the Rusty Tussock male moth and it is amazing. I hope that I have an opportunity to see one up close.

Canadian Forest Service

Bug Guide Image of Flightless Female

Orgyia antiqua (Rusty Tussock Moth)

Armadillo Bugs or Rollie Pollies

I enjoy gardening. Growing things from seed, nurturing the plants, making more plants from cuttings, harvesting seed… And it is fine to have dirt under your nails.

This season, well we really don’t have seasons on the CA Central Coast, I have been cleaning up my gardens, moving plants, and adding new plants.

Recently I noticed what seems like loads of Armadillo Bugs, Rollie Pollies, Pill Bugs. A bug with several names. This morning when I was hand watering, I found a dozen on one of the garden walls. By the time I went inside to grab the camera, nearly all of them had disappeared, only this one remained.

Armadillo Bug

I was curious about their story. Can they cause damage? Armadillo Bugs are actually crustaceans and have gills. They typically clean up garden debris and don’t usually cause damage.

And according to several articles, Rollie Pollies, or Armadillidiidae possess the ability to safely remove heavy metals from soil.

More information about Armadillidiidae

Aphids, Lichens, Rust, Mold…

Aphids and Lichens

Aphids and Lichens

Yesterday I found a few of my Hellebores were covered with aphids. How does that happen? I had just purchased a bottle of peppermint castile soap and decided to give the plants a washing and a cutting.

The lichens were seen on stones in the mountains behind our house. I have taken photos of loads of lichens but never red.

Aphids and Lichens

Rust and Mold

A rose bush very near the Hellebores has small orange splotches. I didn’t know it was rust until I did a google search. According to the Royal Horticultural Society what I found is probably the parasitic fungus, Phragmidium tuberculatum. More cutting will be needed.

The rose bush, actually more of a vine was here when we bought the house. We keep digging it up, attempting to move it, apparently never getting it all because it keeps coming back.

The mold is growing on a container of tomato and basil hummus. The container was hidden behind a large dish of couscous.

Why did I take photos of such things? It is interesting to see surfaces transformed in a natural way. There can be beauty in things that are opportunistic and even a bit destructive. Something small can make a difference.

Lichen on Fence

I had lovely gardens that took a lot of care. Recently I decided that I needed to spend less time in the gardens and more time in the studio. There isn’t enough time for everything. Strong plants should survive. Since I have found multiple things to damage the existing plants and trees, I suspect it is time to clear out everything potentially damaging and tend to the plants and trees that remain.

We finally did take down a tree that had been sick for quite a few years. Tried to save it because it was being grown for a source of art material. It is a sad day when a tree must be removed. Trying to think of the future and that we can use the space to grow dwarf citrus trees. I do love a good orange, but I am sure going to miss the tree.

Seeping Tree

Brugs and Snails

It seems that everything loves Brugmansia. I often have a difficult time with spider mites, but my current problem is with snails. They have eaten most of the passion vine in the courtyard and every Brug has snail damage.

Brug Leaf Damage

There are wee snails even inside of flowers.

Snail Inside Brug Flower

I gathered a bunch of snails and placed them in our open recycle bin with the leaves they had been feasting on. I suspect that they will eventually die. I feel that I am giving them a chance to find somewhere else to live.

I am debating about ordering Escar-Go! from Gardens Alive. It is a great product that I have used in the past. I really do hate killing things, but I would like my flowers and plants to stay intact.