Pillywiggin Postscripts

Toad Week at Pillywiggins Garden

8/23/2018

Apparently, it's Toad Week at Pillywiggins Garden. It started on Sunday as all weeks do. We decided to take the scenic route home down Toad Lake Road. It was a beautiful day & we stopped to enjoy the view.

On Tuesday Jason found a teeny-tiny toad in our garden. We've been watching what we think is the same toad for several years now and had affectionately named him Mr. Toady. Jason found the baby toad in one of Mr. Toady's favorite hangouts. Hmmm. Could it be Mr. Toady is a Mrs.?

Baby Toady

Mr. or Mrs. Toady?

Yes, I do believe it's so. Why? Because today Jason found another toad in our garden and this one was HUGE - as big as Jason's hand! It seems we have the entire Toad Family living in our gardens. Maybe we should rename them Small, Medium & Large?

We love sharing our gardens with toads. They eat insects, grubs and the slugs that attack our hosta. We're also happy to share our gardens with tree frogs. Several years ago we found a baby tree frog hiding in the hydrangea next to our door. Each year since we've spotted a tree frog hanging out under our porch light which sits just above the same hydrangea. We think it's a Gray Tree Frog or possibly a Cope's Gray Tree Frog. It's hard to tell because they share much of the same territory and are almost indistinguishable in appearance.

Did you know...

The average lifespan of the American Toad is 10 to 12 years.
The average lifespan of Gray Tree Frogs is 7 to 9 years.
The average lifespan of the Cope's Gray Tree Frog is 2-1/2 to 7 years.
One frog can eat over 100 insects a night!

I wonder what we'll find next? Anything's possible in Pillywiggins Garden!
Follow our blog or "Like Us" on Facebook to stay tuned.

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Create a New Bed in a Flash!

8/21/2018

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Want to transform a patch of grass into a new bed in less than 2 hours for very little cost and absolutely NO digging? Here's a quick tip from the Pillywiggins' own backyard.

I had acquired a cement garden bench that needed to find a home within my landscaping. We have a beautiful birch tree next to an old clump of lilac a few feet off the back of our patio beds. It was the perfect spot for my bench and a new bed but I was hesitant to add to Jason's "Honey-Do List." He's been so busy and it's been so hot...

Carving a bed out of lawn by hand while carefully avoiding the birch & lilac roots is no easy task! So imagine my surprise when on a hot Sunday afternoon Jason said, "I'm tired of mowing around the birch & lilac. Let's put a new bed there."

And voila! In a little over an hour's time a new bed appeared!

I "dug it" but Jason didn't. Instead, he used materials we had on hand and a few "down & dirty" landscaping tricks.

Black plastic & landscape fabric are the industry standards for weed barrier, but it's pricy. We used cardboard boxes as our weed barrier. It will work just as well, it's biodegradable and FREE! (Thick layers of wet newspaper work too!)
Cover the entire area with cardboard. Use a carpet knife to trim the cardboard into the desired shape. Leave space around the root of any trees, shrubs or plants.
Apply a thick layer of mulch over the cardboard. It's ok to mulch lightly around the base of trees & shrubs but don't let the mulch touch the bark of the tree. And for Pillywiggin's sake, please don't build "mulch volcanos" around them! We see this mistake made all the time, even by professionals.

We'll introduce hosta & Cora Bell to the bed next spring. We have a few clumps that will be ready to split by then. (Free plants!) For now, I think it looks nice mulched and the slight curve to the bed makes it so much easier to mow around. I'm happy to wait while the cardboard & grass break down. (Free compost!) The cardboard will be easy to dig through come spring.

There you have it. Nothing fancy, just a cheap, easy project to add some extra appeal to your yard.

Now, if I could only find a spot for my latest yard sale treasure...

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Hummingbird... Moth?!?

8/17/2018

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Everyone loves hummingbirds but how many are familiar with the hummingbird moth? I never knew they existed until about 10 years ago. We were at a party and I was wandering around the yard admiring the flower gardens, ponds & statuary when I spotted a large flowering shrub buzzing with tiny hummingbirds. It was near dusk but I could see that something wasn't quite right with these little birds. They were smaller than usual & they looked a little...off. Maybe they were babies? I motioned for Jason excited to show him my unusual find. "They're not hummingbirds," he laughed. "They're hummingbird MOTHS. Bugs, not birds." Honestly, I thought he was pulling my leg. How had I not seen these magnificent creatures before?!?!

I was thrilled when Jason came home from work this week with video of a hummingbird moth in action. I couldn't wait to share it with our readers!

The 2nd clip below was filmed in slow motion. And the moth is still a little too fast to catch a good look at him.

Hummingbird moths are widespread throughout North America. I look for them now but I don't see them often. Or maybe I do but I'm mistaking them for hummingbirds?

Hummingbird moths are about half the size of a ruby throated hummingbird.
Hummingbirds & hummingbird moths are both nectar feeders that are attracted to many of the same flowering plants.
Hummingbird moths have proboscis, not beaks. But, if you spot them while they're feeding their proboscis do resemble beaks when unfurled.
A hummingbird moth's wings buzz when they hover just like hummingbird wings. They can fly sideways & backwards too. Unlike hummingbirds, the moths have antenna and 4 wings that are almost transparent.
Hummingbird moths are members of the Sphinx moth family. There are 4 species of hummingbird moths in North America.
The Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris Thysbe) is the one most likely to be spotted in our area.

The Pillywiggin Opinion

In most cases, especially in our area, the hummingbird moth's larvae does little damage to plants. Eggs are laid on the underside of leaves. A horned larvae will emerge to feed on the leaves but it's not much of a problem/nuisance for gardeners around here. Adult hummingbird moths assist in pollination and they are beautiful, interesting additions to the garden.

We say invite them in!

Feed & Attract Hummingbird Moths

Butterfly bush
Phlox
Dame's Rocket/Sweet Rocket
Verbena

Habitat for Hummingbird Moth Larvae

Honeysuckle
Vibernum
Cherry Trees
Plum Trees

Have you found something cool in your gardens lately? Share a photo with us on Facebook!

If you want something cool in your garden... Call Upon the Pillywiggins!

Warm Glass ~ Cool Gourds ~ Enchanting Gardens

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