It Pays To Hand Water

I usually use the sprinkler system or the hose end sprinkler for watering much of the garden. Today I was watering pots with the hose and wandered over to the fig tree to give it a good soak. The figs have been plumping up and I've been keeping a watch on them. I had one fig last year when the tree was newly planted but this year the crop is MUCH larger. There are 12 figs of various sizes on my two foot tall tree and I don't really want to share them with the birds. I was rewarded for my vigilance by the sight of the first ripe fruit! I contemplated a Fig Ceremony along the lines of the Plum Ceremony but decided instead to share with the other fig eater who lives here. That might change in future years when the crop is a bit bigger but for now it seemed a little selfish...and I didn't want him to see that here :) In any case there will be more...if not many...soon!

Inchworm, Inchworm Decimating The Parsley

I've seen this type of caterpillar at least once before in my garden...several years ago on a potato plant that oddly enough disappeared by week's end. Today as I sat at my patio table I noticed that the parsley plant I had tucked into the bay laurel pot had lost its leaves since yesterday. Upon closer inspection the culprit was discovered and a quick Google search identified it for me...this is the caterpillar of the cabbage white, our most common butterfly. As long as they don't show up on every parsley plant I'm happy to share.