Month: June 2026

The Garden Got In The Way of Sewing

HI blog readers!

I’ve been super busy with a HUGE gardening project that had to be addressed immediately.

Remember the Asian Jasmine I planted as a ground cover for TWO beds around my house–one on the shady side that also had azaleas and one around the back screened porch that has the red roses?

And:

Isn’t it pretty. But it turns out it is also a nightmare planted around other plants and near the foundations of a house. A nightmare! Along the side with the azaleas, it started going UP, behind the hardy planks and behind door frames. On the roses side, it went up the inside of that white corner wood piece and came out at the top to wave at me. (Son Bryan to the rescue for recaulking.) And it went UNDER the screens at the bottom of the porch and had to be pulled out with brute force with a pair of narrow nose pliers. (I love that tool.)

Yikes!

Asian Jasmine is NOT a true jasmine, and it is NOT a ground cover, but a VINE. Earlier this spring, its third summer, it started to increase its depth and its top was covered by its long vines that run in straight lines–so there were now two or more layers of tough vines in the depth, with the bottom layer well beneath the soil top.

There has been nothing to do but dig it out, and that has been what I’ve been doing for several weeks now. It is a really big and difficult job that requires a lot of muscle strength. I’ve gotten some help here and there–which has been so appreciated. And I’m feeling really encouraged. But there is a ways to go yet.

When I’ve cleared the ground as well as I can–the roots are often deep–I’ll put a thick layer of pine straw down that will smother any attempts of this plant to send up green vines and leaves. This plant has to have green leaves showing to spread. If I see shoots, I’ll be able to locate them easily under the pine straw. So, this this project will not be “done” for some time I suspect, but this part is the worst part. For sure.

I come in at night really tired–it is hot and the work is dirty–so most days have been two shower days. I have been cooking foods I can easily reheat: a lamb roast, a batch of grits (yum), and a whole sheet of mixed veggies roasted in the oven.

I try to use up what I have on hand with chopped veggie roasts like this one. I would have liked one of the sweet onions now in season chopped to add, but I didn’t have one. What I did have was a head of cabbage, red and yellow sweet peppers, carrots, garlic, and some frozen cranberries and broccoli heads. I seasoned with a dried mixed herb mixture and salt and topped with good butter for the fat. (The town is spraying for mosquitoes at night again, so I won’t use my garden herbs again until fall.)

I check the dish about every 20 minutes and turn over the veggies to mix them all up with the butter. It takes just under an hour as the mixture is thick, and veggies can exude a lot of liquid that needs to be cooked off.

This mixture refrigerates well and heats easily–as do the grits, which I pour into a pan so that I can cut squares out to reheat.

For dessert, lovely, lovely fresh summer fruit cut up or added–especially the seedless watermelon and all the berries. I usually have a glass of my raw whole milk with the fruit.

I’m feeling really healthy, all in all. The physical work has been good, and I’ve loved being outside so much, especially in the cool of the early morning. My farmer’s tan, though, is getting…tanner.

I’ll post pics when I’ve got these two long beds sorted out.

We need rain again. And we’re having a few days of really hot weather, but have been promised another cold front is on the way.

A Giant Leopard Moth

I’ve been busy with a BIG project outside–more on that later. But here we are with the start of another week. It has been beautiful weather here–cool, but temps will gradually rise now as July is our hottest month. And now we need rain again.

No sewing for the past 3 days–which is very unusual for me, as you know. But I’ve come inside every day tired and happy from all the physical work.

Beloved neighbor and I saw this very unusual moth on our morning walk about a week ago. Neither of us had ever seen one like this one. Beloved Neighbor took this picture.

It’s a Giant Leopard Moth.

The underside is black with that rust-colored stripe. This one is small, so likely female. We think she was camouflaging on the grey of the sidewalk. But we moved her to the side anyway as we almost stepped on her.

Here’s a picture I found of the caterpillar form.

And here’s a quote about this moth on wikipedia:

“This species has a notable sexual dimorphism in size, with the adult male reaching about 51 mm (2 in) in length, while the adult female grows up to 30 mm (1.2 in). The leopard moth requires two years to complete its round of life.[5]“

And:

“The giant leopard moth (Hypercompe scribonia) is a moth of the family Erebidae. They are distributed through North America from southern Ontario, and southern and eastern United States through New England, Mexico, and south to Colombia.[2][3] The obsolete name, Ecpantheria scribonia, is still occasionally encountered.

They are known to be attracted to bitter, unripe vegetables and broccoli flowers.

This moth species has a wingspan of 76 mm (3 in). Its wings are bright white with a pattern of neat black blotches, some solid and some hollow. The overside of the abdomen is dark blue with orange markings, while the underside is white with solid black spots, and males have a narrow yellow line on the sides. Their legs have black and white bands. Adult moths are strictly nocturnal and do not generally fly before nightfall.[4]“

AND, from AI overview about “what does it mean” to see this moth:

Seeing a Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia) is a lucky, entirely harmless encounter. Biologically, it means you are likely near a wooded area, meadow, or garden in North America, as this nocturnal insect relies on local host plants like dandelion, cherry, and willow. American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) +3

Culturally, encountering one of these striking creatures is often interpreted as a positive spiritual or symbolic omen.”