A Way To Garden

A Way To Garden

'horticultural how-to and woo-woo'
the source of organic gardening inspiration
margaret roach, head gardener

Menu
  • podcast
  • Plants
    • annuals & perennials »
      • groundcovers
    • bulbs
    • trees & shrubs »
      • conifers
      • deciduous
    • vines
    • vegetables
    • tomatoes
    • herbs
    • fruit
    • houseplants
    • taxonomy 101
    • decoding botanical latin
  • recipes
    • soups
    • entrees
    • side dishes
    • salads
    • desserts
    • pickles & condiments
    • freezing & canning
    • baking
    • guest chefs
  • how-to
    • weeds
    • pests & diseases
    • shade gardening
    • container gardening
    • water gardening
    • garden prep
    • composting
    • organics
    • pruning
    • garden design
    • from seed »
      • seed starting
    • lawn care (organic)
    • garden faq’s
    • for beginners
  • nature
    • bird sh-t
    • frogboys
    • insects & worms
    • jack the demon cat
    • mushrooms & other fungi
  • about
    • margaret and her website
    • my public-radio podcast
    • my books
    • 2019 events
    • my email newsletter
    • my garden
    • horticultural ‘woo-woo’
    • sponsorship
    • resource links
  • Home
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • Pintrest
    • Feed
    • Podcast
  • my books
  • 2019 garden events
  • when to start seed
  • webinars
  • monthly chores
  • garden faq’s
  • top-50
  • andre jordan doodles
  • slideshows
  • Garden Tools Co

cecropia moths, millipedes and other wonders

Tweet
Pin107
Share1
108 Shares

moth of all moths
TIME FOR A LITTLE NON-PLANT MOMENT, captured in a quick jumble of other-than-botanical snapshots from around the garden lately. There are moths and millipedes of size XL proportion; baby birds everywhere–the stuff you get to see if, and only if, you keep your eyes, and ears, open and don’t move too fast on to that next garden chore.

Click on the first thumbnail to start the show, then toggle from slide to slide using the arrows on your keyboard or the ones beside each caption.

Useful Related Links:

  • More about Cecropia moths
  • More about Millipedes and other arthropods
  • More about American robins
  • More about blue jays

Related

Frog with headphones
Don’t Miss Out!

Get my award-winning podcast...

Listen on Apple Podcasts

...and my ribbiting free newsletter.

20 comments
July 3, 2011

comments

  1. Bob Scherer says

    July 3, 2011 at 1:32 pm

    Thanks for sharing. Love that moth! The millipede not so much. And of course you have to have a frog!

    Reply
  2. Wendy says

    July 3, 2011 at 2:02 pm

    Love all your snapshots Margaret, thks so much, you help me so much in my garden.

    Any more of Jack?

    Reply
  3. Coastal Jan says

    July 3, 2011 at 2:12 pm

    In my neck of the woods (northwest coast of Canada) starlings are increasingly displacing robins making it even more difficult for the lovely harbingers of spring/summer to survive.

    The photos of the nests and newborns touched my heart, and I want to say “Thrive, little one, thrive!”

    Jan

    Reply
  4. Lucy Corrander says

    July 3, 2011 at 5:25 pm

    Fantastic post. Really enjoyed the little show. Impressed by the moth. Impressed by the millipede too but think I might be disconcerted if I came across many. Perphaps I’d get used to them though?

    Lucy

    Reply
  5. Marty says

    July 3, 2011 at 9:48 pm

    When I’m in the garden I think of you with all your creatures. We came across a rattle snake last week. I must say the critters of the lizard, frog and snake kind unnerve me and take some of the peace of gardening. I must say that the moth is, to me, an amazing evidence of the divine.

    Reply
  6. Tammy says

    July 4, 2011 at 12:47 am

    I do think I prefer the common name Robin to Turdus migratorius. :)
    Thanks for the slideshow. Enjoyed it !

    Reply
  7. Lynda Chernek says

    July 4, 2011 at 8:00 am

    Loved your slide show. Always partial to frogs. I have bottle brid houses around me house which are always nested by Sparrows. They even chase the Blue Birds away. They are now on their 3rd clutch ! Recently added Wren houses & always their noisy antics. I shall watch for the Cecropia Moth . . . beautiful !

    Reply
  8. eileen says

    July 4, 2011 at 10:34 am

    I had a beautiful swallowtail on an allium yesterday. the yellow against the purple was really striking but no camera so I had to just take it in. It doesn’t seem like we have as many butterflies and moths as when I was a kid…of course, I’m about 2000 miles from where I grew up but there aren’t that many around here. I am shameless in my courting of hummingbirds & bees and have lots in my yard. I would think that the butterflies & moths would like more of the same but I will have to research that and see what I can do to help them out

    Reply
  9. Dee says

    July 4, 2011 at 12:23 pm

    I didn’t realize that robins reused their nests, but apparently they do. We had a family with three fledglings in the fig tree by the kitchen window in early spring, and now mom and pop are back, apparently caring for more eggs. Smart choice, the fig tree — easy source of food.

    Reply
  10. Ronnie Gunn Tucker says

    July 5, 2011 at 10:41 am

    Enjoyed this post very much. Thanks, Margaret. What I’m noticing in Georgia seems to be a resurgence of lightning bugs. An evening delight to see them blinking quietly in the garden and adjoining woods.

    Reply
  11. Meryl Natchez says

    July 5, 2011 at 11:11 am

    Thanks for the lovely photos. They are an inspiration!

    Reply
  12. Pam G says

    July 7, 2011 at 11:23 am

    Love your nature slideshow! How come other birds seem to be afraid of the jays? Also, I was checking out your hydrandeas and wonder if you have a tip for why one of my many many H. plants is always beautifully green but never blooms-the one right next to it does.

    Reply
    • Margaret says

      July 7, 2011 at 4:57 pm

      Welcome, Pam. They are pretty raucous birds, loud and social, and are much bigger than many of our other common feeder birds/songbirds, so I suppose they are something to be reckoned with for those reasons. They do eat the occasional egg but apparently are not the terrible plunderers we thought after all.

      As for the Hydrangea, that’s curious. What prevents hydrangeas or other flowering things from blooming is usually too much shade, too much Nitrogen fertilizer (makes leaves at the expense of blooms) or improper pruning. What is different about the way this one is being handled — if anything?

      Reply
  13. Susan says

    July 8, 2011 at 10:08 am

    I always love the slide shows; the baby robins look SO frail!
    I wonder if you are having more problems with earwigs, and what you are doing
    to discourage them??
    thanks

    Reply
  14. Karen Leslie says

    July 9, 2011 at 3:25 pm

    dear Margaret, So magical to see your moth, as I had a first visit on July 21st, 2009 on the glass front door of my cottage in Elizaville, NY. It was a Cecropia also, later found out also known as a Robin Moth. The name has such personal resonance for me and my family. And, too, last spring, for the first time since living in the Hudson Valley, I captured photos of a ‘Robin’s’ nest…3 baby blue eggs, and a very obliging mother. It made my year. Want you to know, finding your book, at the perfect moment in my life, when I so longed to read word’s expressed exactly like yours, helped me down the path of my own creative destiny. And so many of the beauties in nature that I have been blessed enough to discover these last few years, gave me that blissful jolt of visceral connection with my senses, it all adds to my song of life…Hurray! I really do think you are one of the ‘sparkly’ people, and your garden looks to be like paradise. best, Karen Leslie

    Reply
    • Margaret says

      July 9, 2011 at 5:43 pm

      Welcome, Karen. I am so touched by your kind comment, and the fact that we are both, not so far away, seeing the same magical things this spring and summer. Nice — or as you say, hurray!

      Reply
  15. Smallpeace says

    July 12, 2011 at 10:08 am

    I love moths…and lightening bugs…and lady birds…and praying mantis. When I was a little girl, I’d capture the poor creatures in a jam jar and set them on my nightstand to watch them as I fell asleep. Then, in the morning, I’d release them back into the wild. Flying flowers I used to call them.

    Reply
    • Margaret says

      July 12, 2011 at 1:09 pm

      Me, too, Smallpeace, as you can tell. I love your coining the phrase “flying flowers.” Beautiful!

      Reply
  16. Linda B Horn says

    August 25, 2011 at 2:25 pm

    Watching 15 Swallowtail Butterfly larvae feed on my fennel. Slowly they are disappearing and looked under the fennel to discover Mr. Green Frog waiting for them to be in reaching distance. Moved Mr. Frog and he was back in two days. Only 2 caterpillars left. Dog eat dog food world. L

    Reply
  17. Dahlink says

    June 19, 2012 at 4:13 pm

    I’m with Tammy on preferring the name “Robin” to that Latin insult! No wonder they can be bad-tempered. It’s the catbirds that get us, though–one carries on ad nauseam when our two rescue cats are outside. “Cat! CAT!! Caaaaat!!!”

    We have a bounty of green frogs in our small pond this year. I’m now seeing them setting out for other ponds, I think. I’ve seen three mid-sized frogs far away from the pond. Every frog wants to be king, I guess. I also think we may have a bullfrog lurking–so far I’ve only seen the top of its head, but it looks much bigger than any other frog in residence. As soon as it spots me, it disappears under water.

    Reply

leave a reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

facebook-1

Podcast: Soups, Soups & More Soups

I’VE FOLLOWED a vegetarian diet for decades, but it wasn’t until just a few years ago that I mastered a really good vegetable soup. Now I’m learning variations on vegetable-based soups, plus ones with beans and even ideas for mushroom soups, too–all thanks to Alexandra Stafford and these recipes. (Stream it below, read the transcript or subscribe free.)

https://robinhoodradioondemand.com/podcast-player/6211/vegetable-soup-ideas-with-ali-stafford-november-5-a-way-to-garden-with-margaret-roach.mp3

Margaret Recommends

My picks of garden gear, books, and mulch, mulch more, all things I use myself. (Disclosure: includes affiliate links.)

AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

RECENT FAVORITES

  • david lebovitz's french onion soup (from 'my paris kitchen')
  • 'the way through the woods: of mushrooms and mourning,' with long litt woon
  • in a time of bird decline, counting and feeding them, with emma greig of feederwatch
  • spice it up! flavorful new cookbooks, with alexandra stafford
  • talking pests, with clemson entomologist j.c. chong
  • growing and blooming clivia, with longwood's alan petravich
  • must read: 'late migrations,' with margaret renkl
  • when inner conifer needles turn yellow or brown
  • winter squash-coconut milk soup with garam masala
  • pumpkin custard: holiday pie, minus the crust

awaytogarden

mad gardener, nature addict, award-winning writer & podcaster, rural resident, corporate dropout, creator of awaytogarden dot com and matching book.

Instagram post 2190297402408409324_444552553 Snow day. To be followed by a snow night. #awaytogarden #wavehillchairs
Instagram post 2177779417009402040_444552553 No matter that it was 11F and 17F on mornings this week; my lifelong companions and I are all tucked in, each in our respective offseason spots. Three giant pots of #cliviaminiata that are actually pieces of my long-gone grandmother’s original plant from many, many decades ago, love the offseason bright cold of the mudroom, and get no water till around the new year or so. They need a chill (under 50 but above 35) for about 40 days to trigger timely bloom in late winter/early spring (without it they will bloom whenever, later, like June or even summer). The #alocasia reacts to the cold of the mudroom by shutting down and going dormant and leafless, and then I’ll let it sleep till late winter, when I give it a drink to see if it awakens. That one sleeps and wakes on its own timetable because I do not have a proper spot for it (ideally warm, like 60 or 65 at least, and humid and bright...no can do the humid part here). We have been together probably 10 years anyhow, despite my shortcomings as a #plantparent . #alocasiaamazonica #clivias #houseplantsofinstagram #houseplants #awaytogarden
Instagram post 2172580656557749859_444552553 Gardener: “I raked all the leaves!” Nature: “Oh, really?” (Cue sound of demonic laughter from on high.)
Instagram post 2170506606641504178_444552553 I wanna tell you how it’s gonna be You’re gonna give your love to me I wanna love you night and day You know my love will not fade away Not fade away Nope. Not this #cotinus leaf’s fiery hot love at least. Like the 1957 #buddyholly song I first heard by #therollingstones in 1964, it keeps going. #awaytogarden #fallfoliage2019 #cotinusgrace #notfadeaway
Instagram post 2168987273989949378_444552553 “Jack Frost nipping at your, er, geraniums...” And here it comes.
Instagram post 2166837817953503284_444552553 Constant companions: If you want to keep good company all winter, grow some good keepers. My house is stuffed with piles of #cucurbita awaiting their time in the oven or soup kettle. Each one is a character, distinctive. On one chair in the mudroom two close cousins in #cucurbitamoschata — the horse collar-shaped one called ‘Tromboncino’ or ‘Tromboncino Rampicante’ snuggles with some ‘Butternut.’ The ‘Tromboncino’ are better eaten green and small as #zucchini but I can’t resist their eventual mad size and shape, big enough to wear around your neck. I use their meat for enriching vegetable stock; the ‘Butternut’ are far more rich and delicious. Seed respectively from sandhillpreservation.com #sandhillpreservationcenter and @turtle_tree_seed (whose ‘Butternut,’ selected for “lastingness” for decades, will keep and keep into next spring or more). #wintersquash #awaytogarden #goodkeeper #cucurbitaceae
Instagram post 2162565040882902064_444552553 Furry fall friend: I look forward to crossing paths with this woolly caterpillar of the #giantleopardmoth this time of year, when its fiery intersegmental bands and plush coat seem to be just the right autumn-into-winter look. Miraculously this tiny animal will overwinter in a woodpile or in the leaf litter, even here in the North, building up a concentration of antifreeze (glycerol I think?) in its cells before the worst weather begins to avoid disaster. (Reminds me of the super-hardy #woodfrog who does similarly. Such heroes.) Swipe to see a beat-up pic of the adult moth, tattered with scales missing at its wing margins, but still dramatic. Unlike various spine-covered caterpillars that can sting you, this one’s hairs (or setae) won’t, but he will roll up tight if touched, in self-defense. I am in awe of such complex strategies of survival, I am. #mothsofinstagram #caterpillars #awaytogarden #hypercompescribonia #hypercompe
Instagram post 2161992098629435854_444552553 Beans are life. I mean, not only do I live on them daily (as I have as a vegetarian for 40+ years) but each one is a seed, a living embryo, a distinct and gorgeous little DNA miracle. I have been inspired by the hashtag #31daysofbeans by @lukasvolger lately, loving watching someone unknown to me (um, who shares my oatmeal thing too apparently...also see his #28daysofoatmeal) dish up the #phaseolus. We both admire bean ambassador Steve Sando @rancho_gordo and this photo might be my fave bean of all that I “met” via Steve years back, big and flat and chestnutty ‘Christmas Lima.’ My advice: don’t wait till Dec. 25 to dig in.
Load More...

SEARCH ANY TOPIC

Welcome! I’m Margaret Roach, a leading garden writer for 25 years—at ‘Martha Stewart Living,’ ‘Newsday,’ and in three books. I host a public-radio podcast; I also lecture, plus hold tours at my 2.3-acre Hudson Valley (NY) Zone 5B garden, and always say no to chemicals and yes to great plants.

  • © 2008-2019, Margaret Roach Inc.

  • contact
  • sponsorship
  • privacy policy
  • terms of use
built by WebDevStudios; design by Kenneth B Smith