Over the weekend we were weeding. We are usually quite tolerant of things that turn up unexpectedly in our garden, our soil is so impoverished the rule usually is; if it is green, and doesn’t need watering, it stays. Really, if something has gone to all the effort to grow here it deserves a chance!
Occasionally though, we decide that some things have to go, and one of the things that had to go this time was all the self-seeded parsley plants that have infiltrated almost every part of the front yard.
I may have left my run too late to slow them down for next year though as they had already gone to seed. Again. I never told you I was a good gardener!
These herb-plot escapees pop up everywhere, on the edges of other flower beds and in the gaps between the pavers. If they weren’t so useful I would have to say they were a terrible weed. One advantage is that I never have to go far when I need some for dinner!
One of the plants in particular was weeded more carefully than the rest. Over the last week I noticed that a katydid had made its home in the flower heads and was seen every day just hanging around, looking for lunch, and trying not be noticed by being as green as possible.
Obviously our gardening efforts had been noticed and he was nowhere to be found when we uprooted his home. Just as well for him, many of the weeds made it into the chook run and the tasty green morsel he was would have only lasted mere seconds with those hungry girls…..
“Nothing but flowers here, keep walking”
Insects like this that use camouflage are of special interest to me.
I love how insects are so well hidden, even in plain sight. The world is a wonderful thing 😀
-giggles- I used to have a runaway parsley problem too but the alpacas have discovered they like it so now I have to fight them for it. Lovely pic!
One part of the garden has been named The Parsley Pit because of its parsley overflow! I have yet to sell it to the chooks, they are only interested in stripping it, not eating it….
lol – I wish I could send my alpacas over. They’d clear that patch for you in no time! Not sure whether they like the flavour or are just desperate for something green in all this dry brown. Maybe you should let your chooks ‘build up an appetite’?
It has turned horribly brown and dry so quickly hasn’t it? I am back to venting the washing machine on the small patch of actual grass out the back in the hopes it doesn’t turn up toes and fry. Don’t like my chances though…..
I am trying to acclimatize the chooks by giving them a taste of different things.
Because they haven’t got older chooks around they don’t see others eating strange things so they are a little wary of new tastes.
I am winning them over though, every time I go to see them I have something to eat so they are starting to realize that it is worth tasting everything!
Oh, of course. I forgot your chickens are very young and new to the family. By the time you’re finished, those girls are going to be regular little gourmets. 🙂
And I’m letting the grey water onto the grass near the house as well to make sure there’s something palatable there so the alpacas will keep it nice and short. Life is full of strange little situations.
They are supplied with treats all day! Lucky buggers. I even went out and bought them a bottle of sesame seeds yesterday because they love them. It is good bribery when they don’t want to go to bed 🙂
Remember when every summer evening the dads would come home from work and stand out on the lawn and water for hours? Using grey water on those precious green patches would have been unheard of!
Funny you should say that. One of my earliest memories is from when I was 4 and we’d just arrived in Australia. We were living in Wagga Wagga on the outskirts of town [dirt road in front of the house] and it was hot. About 10pm everyone was outside and us kids were running through the sprinklers having a wonderful time. 😀 Ah the good old days.
I remember my Pop making us a massively long slip’n’slide out of a length of plastic and a soaker hose, we played on it all day! Our back hill would be perfect for that but I think if we did it for the kids the water police would be here in no time! Yep, those were the days…
Parsley is my most prolific crop too. However it is looking pretty ordinary at the moment. I am waiting for it to go to seed, so I can replant. Apparently the fresher the seed the better the germination. Another lovely bug photo!
Thanks 🙂
I am very amused to see that the neighbours have tried to grow half a dozen parsley plants in purpose built planters and they are nothing but dried up stalks. Here I am yanking them out of gaps in the pavers and paths and mowing them in the grass!
I am having huge luck with thyme too, can’t get rid of it. It loves my Bay trees as well, plants itself in their pots and grows happily. 🙂
Aw man, send some thyme my way next time I see you! Our old place had ridiculous luck with parsley too (which we pretty much never eat) and rosemary, but I’ve never had luck with the two herbs I eat most (basil and coriander, curse you!) We are going to try again in the new place, and see how we go!
I will! 🙂 I use heaps of thyme so it is just as well there is so much of it. My best thyme plant is right on top of a Jumping Jack nest which is a little inconvenient. I have to snip and run!
I even have two thyme-attracting Bay trees in pots, having had to buy a second one after almost completely defoliating one in the first year thanks to the Man’s stew habit!
Tomatoes and basil love each other, maybe you should plant a tomato in a big pot and grow basil all around it.
You are oh so correct… your chooks may not have the taste for parsley yet, but they’d have been delighted with the katydid. I didn’t realise for ages that chooks love live food 🙂
They certainly do! If one of them finds something decently wiggly she snatches it up and runs for her life, the other three dashing after her in an attempt to get a share.
I was thinking of buying them a container of mealworms from the pet shop as a treat. 🙂