Sunday, May 16, 2021

MONARCH BUTTERFLIES AND AUTUMN FRUIT

We are very pleased with the new plants we obtained this year for the Monarch Butterflies.  The Tithonia Diversifolia is huge with large buds but the Tagetes Lemmonii is now flowering and, when we looked out earlier, it was covered in butterflies.  Of course, many flew off when we went outside to take photos but it is great to have something flowering at this time of year for them.




Our mandarin tree is so heavily laden that Doug has put a support under the main branch and I have removed some of the smaller fruit,  they should start ripening soon.





We are still coughing and sneezing and in "survival mode" only going out for essentials and just coping with the necessities like getting meals etc.  We did take Bobby to the vet at the beginning of the week as he had started sneezing and was not looking well.  A locum vet started by talking about euthanasia which had crossed our minds as he seems to have so many problems.  After checking him over I am pleased to say we came home with Bobby and some antibiotic paste and cream for his bad eye and he is looking a lot better now.  We have also gone back to the tablets for his thyroid problem as he takes them well if put in a piece of heart and it means we can feed him "normal" cat food instead of the special Diet.

When out we also called in at the Library and, next door at the petrol station, bought some red kiwifruit at their fruit stall.  We also bought some golden kiwifruit and persimmon at the supermarket (all well masked). 

We just had some of the kiwifruit after our lunch and I will have the persimmon with a sandwich later with salt and pepper like a tomato.




16 comments:

  1. I regularly buy Kiwi Fruit, but I've never seen a yellow one! How nice to have your own Mandarins; too cold here.

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    1. The yellow ones are much tastier and the red ones even better. Someone must be growing them nearby.

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  2. Persimmons are too sweet for us, Hugh really enjoys his Kiwifruit, and our 18 month old feijoas are giving us several lovely green ovals every day, one tree had 11, the other 16, so next year I am hoping for a bumper crop,

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    1. I don't have a sweet tooth but have never found persimmons too sweet. Mind you, as I said, I have them in salads with salt and pepper. We haven't put feijoas in because of the guava bud moth although may relent and hope.

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  3. Our lemon tree is like your mandarin. So many the branches are groaning. I'd rather have a surplus of mandarin though.

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    1. Doug has just given our lemon a serious prune so not a lot of fruit and still green. (The neighbours' lemons are nearly ripe though).

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  4. We found red kiwifruit last visit. I like them better than the yellow ones.
    Good to see the Monarchs thriving.
    Sending big hugs...hope those coughs and sneezes go soon xx

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    1. Yes, the red kiwi is much tastier. We are pleased to have some lovely flowers for the Monarchs at this time of year. Thanks for the hugs. Surely this virus must move on soon, it is three weeks since we cancelled our flu jabs because of it.

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  5. Poor Bobby, I hope he is on the mend now. Those flowers may keep going through Winter if they are in a sunny spot.

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    1. Bobby seems a lot better. I hope they keep flowering. They are new to us and came as cuttings from the Monarch Butterfly Society

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  6. Your mandarin tree is fabulous. How wonderful that you can just go outside and pick your own.

    I am sorry to read that you and Doug are still sick. I hope that you will be better soon. Colds always seem to hang on too long.

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  7. Yes, we are so lucky with the fruit available here. Everytime we think we are improving we seem to go backwards again. Still we must get over it eventually.

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  8. Hi Susan. I'm just catching up on my blog reading, and am so sorry to hear you and Doug have not been well. I hope you are both much better now. Sending hugz, Mxx

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