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| From In the Garden |
Meet the Pot Man, aka Mr. Fix-it's alter ego, the Fisherman. He sits by the bathtub pond with his pole forever in his hands hoping for a bite from the small goldfish swimming around in the pond. One day perhaps he'll catch a fish-who knows?
I've seen 'pot men' in all the garden magazines and even online and had been desiring to make one for quite some time. My pot man is modeled after my husband and if you look closely and squint your eyes you might see a resemblance to Mr. Fix-it (those who know him). Mr. Fix-it loves to fish, always wears plaid shirts, has blue eyes and a big mustache and usually has a smile on his face-just like my pot man.
If you are thinking of making one of these I can tell you they are not real easy to make. Let me give you my number one lesson: go with smaller pots for the arms and legs than you think you'll need. Pots get mighty heavy and awkward to handle when all put together with the nylon rope. Once a pot man is put into place you might wish to save yourself trouble by picking a good spot-one where your pot man will not ever have to move again-they are not easy to place or move.
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| From In the Garden |
Since the Pot Man is modeled after my dear husband and he gets very little blog time, I thought it only appropriate to say Happy Father's Day to him on here and to tell him how awesome he is every single day of the year! He is the best husband and father....
in the garden....
Happy Father's Day to all Fathers!
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team,
In the Garden
These things are named walking sticks due to their similarities to a small stick of a tree. I spot them often in our yard. They like to eat Ivy, Privet and Lettuce.
Does anyone know what this skeleton bug is called? I have seen them all my life and never really knew what they were until researching the following bug. I knew they start out their life in the ground as I dug several of them up as white pupa in the garden soil a few weeks ago. They are a true sign that summer has arrived...
The cicada is a really scary looking bug but not harmful in any way except to sapling trees. They are referred to as the Dry Fly in Appalachian Mountain area. There are 2500 species around the globe and people eat them in some countries! I found many interesting facts with a click of the finger on the Internet. Check out this site for some additional info on the Cicada... 
Here is a Wingless Wasp (as we call them) that I spotted in our yard just today. Perfect timing for this posting! The hair on their body looks like red Velvet hence the name, Velvet Ant. They are about an inch long in size. The one you see here in our yard is a female because she has no wings. The males have wings. They feed on nectar and other insects larvae and only the female can sting you if pestered or stepped on. They get the nickname Cow-killer from farmers working in fields many years ago without shoes on their feet. When stung from stepping on one, they say the sting hurts so badly that it could kill a cow! In reality they cannot kill a cow but I would stay clear of them when you come upon one. The simple rule to remember is, When seeing Red on a insect such as the hour glass shape of the Black Widow Spider, stay clear!
I have no idea what name to give these beetle bugs. We often find them when moving a log or under the moist leaves. 
Another unknown bug but strange enough looking creature for me to run grab the camera! Look at the size of those eyes! They are not really eyes but appear to be so. 
How ironic, as I was preparing this posting, look what I spotted on the window screen in front of me! Look at those pincher's! Ouch to a finger if pestered...
Here is a Millipede bug that we often see in our yard. Upon research, I found out that Millipedes are a hard shelled relative to the Lobster and Shrimp! They are a slow mover and when touched, they roll up into a ball. As children we called these type bugs Ball Bugs or Roly Poly's. They are beneficial to a garden. They mainly eat old leaves and live in moist areas but they can do harm to saplings with lack of decaying leaves.
Another unknown bug but seen often by us in the garden. This one was on the bloom of the trumpet vine. I hope he was eating something other then the bloom but without a name for this bug, I may never know what he does in the garden...
I borrowed this Lady Bug picture from the Internet. Lady Bugs are a true friend in the Garden as they eat aphids. We have lots of Lady Bugs in our gardens and also in our house during the winter months.
