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Pileated househunting?

I sure hope so. I spotted (well, actually Chili spotted) two Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) in one of the pine snags. Since two years ago I had a pair build a nest in another snag (just about 30 feet away), I'm hoping they were househunting and they choose my location. Oh...the bluebird come by pretty much daily to grab some insects from the grass, but they did not start a third nest. I suppose I will just have to wait until spring of 2009......a worthwhile wait, I might add.

On an ornary note, I checked the Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants today to get the correct scientific name for the milkweed I purchased at the master gardeners plant sale which was marked as butterfly milkweed. Well, based on my research it appears to be scarlet milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) which is not native. I'm clearly disappointed to have been misled and sadly I started several pots with the seeds of this non-native. The butterflies seem happy with it, but since I was hoping to be "all native" moving forward, this just saddens me.

Next trip to Maple Street Natives in West Melbourne, i'll see if I can't get some proper native butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa).

leyland cypress or leyland depressed?

Two of my leyland cypress and the 2 little giant arborvitaes seem unhappy....really unhappy. They are turning brown. I'll have to do a websearch to see if I can find out why they are failing. I am going to begin potting up the errant sea myrtle trees (Baccharis halimifolia) to add to the back outside of fence naturalized area. Those that I have planted are doing very well!

Today's garden finds include the return of blue mistflowers (Conoclinium coelestinum) and the buds of chaffheads (Carphephorus carnosus or Carphephorus corymbosus) finally showing their purple color. I also picked and ate a few of the ripened grapes which I think probably are muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia). They tasted rather nice.

I started using the beta site of the ISB Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants located at http://www.plantatlasbeta.usf.edu. It is easy to use to locate the scientific names and determine if it is a native or not. There are also wonderful picture to help determine what the plants are and you can bring up by searching by county which helps limit the number of plants you need to weed through.

Mowing continues! Maple Av. natives here I come!

Rains return

Some nice thunderstorms are in the area. The plants really need a good drenching after a few days without measurable rain. The pond is back within its banks and I can get the lawn mower around it again to mow. And mow I have. I didn't even finish the back yard and it is time to mow the front again.....and that is without rain for a few days. I guess the oppressive heat this week contributed. Thankfully it is going to be back down to seasonable temps today.....and my morning garden walk confirmed that it has cooled down.

I saw the first buds on the Redroot (Lachnanthes caroliniana). A Gulf Fritillary Butterfly was mesmerizing on the Dogfennel (Eupatorium capillifolium) early in the week. I tried to catch him (her?) in a net to take a photo but I am a bit too slow. I also spotted one on the red flowered cannas. The alligator flag (Thalia geniculata) in the pond is beginning to show leaves. I can't wait for it to flower!

The climbing hempweed (Mikania scandens) is expanding along one section of the front side fence and has adapted to the daisy shaped metal lawn ornament in the "wild" section of the backyard. I await the pretty white flowers!

This past week I had many varieties of butterflies including sulphurs, monarchs, swallowtails (including zebra) and others. A good many dragonflies seem to be calling the yard home. I was surprised that they are up close to the house instead of being down by the pond...although the pond has a great many of its own. We have had a tree frog explosion as well! I'm happy that most that I have seen are green, so florida natives and not the cuban type. Many are the size of my pinky nail. I can't imagine the chorus that I will encounter each night when these guys all grow up. As long as they eat the mosquitoes, the are welcome to stay. I can always wear headphones.

a trip to the melbourne native plant nursery

Stopped in at the native plant nursery on henry rd in west melbourne while running errands out that way. I bought some replacement purple cone flowers, a blue flag iris (which won't bloom until next year probably, but at least the grounds are good and wet for it to get established) and two small plants that like boggy conditions (the name escapes me now, but I'll include it when I remember). The nursery people are very nice. I wanted a passionflower vine but he didn't have any that were "ready". I'll check on my next trip out in a week or two. Butterflies have been enjoying the dog fennel. I pulled ragweed out of the front when I realized that Chili and Tanner were developing itchiness...a sure sign that the ragweed is back. Hopefully I got it all.

Bluebirds are back!

The bluebirds were back scouting the nesting box today. The winged sumac is beginning to produce flowers. The Tall Elephantfoot is in flower as are a few Patridge Pea with many more seedlings visible. First signs of fruit on the rear wild grapevine. I replanted the drowned butterfly garden today with four of the salvaged plants and hope for better results. Yesterday I discovered some sunflower-looking flowers over behind the overgrown veggie garden as I was cleaning up around there. Found a very ripe bell pepper which was bright red. Woodpeckers are making good use of the garden shoe that I tacked to a pine snag and filled with birdseed. Two can be seen taking turns grabbing seed and flying back to their home a couple of lots over.