garden pests
The other night while doing a long overdue fertilize of the garden, I found this little guy. While I know we’re supposed to be mortal enemies, snails and gardeners are rarely friends, I took a moment to get better aquainted. I plucked him off of my African Bulbine and placed him on the patio table. Within moment’s he relaxed, poked his head outside of his shell and became quite inquisitive. While I snapped photos he seemed intrigued in the large lens of my camera. Feeling a new-found connection with thisĀ gastropod I went and grabbed him a fresh leaf of lettuce. Without any hesitation at all he began to feast, and I filmed away. While I admit I’ve been upset in the past by slug/snail damage, a closer investigation reveals a gentle creature indeed. I find the odd slug but this is definetly the first snail I’ve found, and I haven’t spotted one this big since I was a kid. After the photoshoot, the light of the day had faded and not having the heart to destroy and/or relocate him I place him amongst a patch of sagina moss. I figure we’ve got an understanding now and he’ll stay away from the prized specimens, it’s not like their is a shortage of greenery in the back anyways. I’d like to see him again, so off he went, another nature moment in an urban garden.
I know what you’re thinking. “This is what I do on a Thursday night?”. I need to get a life… š
A rather stressful day for the garden today. While at work I received a hectic phone call from my girlfriend. Apparently the roofers had arrived unexpectedly and a whole wack of plants needed to be moved if they were to get the job done. The ceiling in my room started to leak during the last rainstorm and our landlord is getting a new roof put on.Ā I was at work at the time and very little could be done to help, they moved what they needed to, and I arrived home after work to move the rest. The entire garden is in shambles,Ā splinters and old shingles litter the pavement. The whole experience puts cobwebs in my brain, my place of serenity temporarily locked up in chaos. Minor damages already apparent but surprisingly minimal. I’m happy to have a non leaking roof, but still a bit stressed about the health of the garden. While damages are normally minimal day to day, it’s hard to just accept broken specimens and ripped leaves, a little part of me dies.Ā The urban gardener may be spared from deer and other annoying garden pests, still what does one spray to prevent roofers from stacking their tools all over you freshly planted garden bed. 1 deep breathe and you let it all go, at the end of the day, all you can do is, rebuild.
On the bright side a PLANT HOARDING moment. A friend of mine at work brought me in a specimen of Zaluzianskya capensis otherwise known as night flowering phlox. The plant isn’t even a relative of phlox but has a habit that looks similar (I guess), it’s actually a distant relative of the snapdragon. Although I find theĀ flowers remincicent of silene, Zaluzianska is another strange plant for the collection. The blooms are closed during the day, and open inĀ the evening to reveal the strangest sweet almond-esk fragrance. Endemic to South Africa, it’s suspected that it’s night blooms are designed to be germinated by prowling moths. It’s sometimes planted as an annual and propagated by seed, if you’re crazy like myself it’s been known to overwinter indoors.
Zaluzianskya capensis
