They are over here, 
they are over there, I have never seen so many eight spotted foresters everywhere. 
Alypia octomaculata
These colorful moths are often mistaken for butterflies as they visit flowers during the day. 
They seem particularly fond of sand cherry flowers, I counted five on the small tree. 
There are plenty of flowers in the hell strip at the moment, 
don’t get too close to that swash buckling opuntia! 
“Shiver me paddles” 
Has to be rum. 
This pyracantha has so many blooms it looks like it is covered in snow. 
I keep meaning to move that bat box to a higher location but there are always anoles living in it. 
“We really should go and visit Bill and Margaret in the bat box sometime dear.” I took a picture through the round hole to see if I could capture the anoles “at home”… 
…it was amazing what they had done to the place. 
The pyracantha’s pungent aroma is not everyone’s cup of tea. Feather grasses are looking well groomed at the moment, 
with our recent breezy weather they have been reeling all around the patch. 
“Take your panicles by the hand…” 
Behind the feather grasses… 
…inland sea oats on their fast rise. 
I needed this image on St Patrick’s day. She is still on the hunt for a four leaf clover. Lucky for her I have plenty of it in some of the most inaccessible places in the patch. 
There is a fine stand of it below this mature sotol. 
This works brilliantly for me, as in… “You will find one in there I am sure of it, just keep pulling them out. When you are done here there is another patch around the base of the barrel cacti you can search.” 
“right over…. 
…there. I bet there are a few four-leafers in there.” Stay Tuned for:
“Holey Bridges”
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You are diabolical indeed what with your 4-leaf pulling escapades. You do realize it won’t be that long before she’ll be reading your posts and the jig dear ESP, will be oh so up!
I have larkspur envy. I put out some seed and have no idea what happened but it is/was something other than enthusiastic propagation. Maybe the music and canapes provided didn’t suit. No telling. I’ll satisfy myself with your not-so-hellish strip shots and satisfy myself with what’s left of my primrose patch after last night’s blow through.
PS – how in the world did you get your feather grass so well combed out? Mine is riddled with brown!
I am indeed TD and she occasionally does read some of my posts, I fear the cat will be out of the bag soon enough :-)
Yes we did well on the larkspur front but very poorly on the bluebonnet front this spring…I think we may have had a grand total of 3…3!
I have been known to groom feather grass every once in a while but these are Au naturel, feather grass is just picky about when it looks good. I had quite a few this particular year:
https://www.eastsidepatch.com/2010/04/men-in-blackfoot-daisies/
Heh, I have been pulling out clover everywhere too. Quite the diabolical strategy you are employing. I approve 100%.
BTW, do you still grow that giant papyrus? Where did you get it? I’m thinking I need to plant something wicked-cool looking against my new 9′ stretch of fence, and that seems like it might be cheaper and less prone to dying than Mexican Weeping Bamboo. We shall seeeeeee.
Hi Lori.
So much clover, so little time.
I do still grow ‘King Tut’ papyrus and if I remember correctly I got it from Emerald Gardens. I grow it in a stock tank and treat it like a marginal (it likes to have wet feet). I would definitely keep in contained for fear of the king gaining domination over your entire garden. Have you considered Alphonse Karr bamboo as an alternative to M.weeping?
well now you’ve done it. I MUST find an eye patch for my cactus. Looking at the feather grass and the inland sea oats I thought you’d been in MY yard with your camera. However, no anoles here, darn it. Your hell strip is beautiful!
Every swaggering opuntia needs an eye patch or at least a plastic parrot on a shoulder paddle!
Thanks Cheryl.
1) So THAT’s what those spotted flying things are (I’ve had a few in my yard as well)
2) Next you’ll be employing P’s help with alphabetizing stuff – that’s what my dad used to do – he’d save up all his filing for the weekends, take me and my little sister to work and set us loose on alphabetizing all of his files. We thought it was great fun. Took us a while to realize what he was doing.
Hi Katina.
Lots of the eight spotted foresters, I guess conditions have been favorable for them this year.
I have found that iPad / minecraft bribery is also very efficient, as in…”if you fill this H/Depot bucket to the top with…(insert seasonal weed)…you can get a new mod for the game.”
Perhaps I should invest in some small tools and a couple of these for added incentive:
I’m emailing you a picture of a whole bunch of 4 leaf clovers that a friend found while setting up a deer stand. It should show her that they really do exist. You should really tell her that what she is pulling isn’t clover but one of the wood sorrels. I hate the yellow blooming stuff like you have but I will tolerate the purple kind that only shows up occasionally.
Sshhh Bob…
it IS a 4 leaf clover! :-)