"Hasta La Vista, Baby"

Petunia

Their life ended with a slippery "squash" leaving a green stain on the driveway on this warm May evening.  Lilac lace dripped under the boysenberry beds.  Lacey petals were the cause of evil interlopers.  Once full, draping petals fluttered in the breeze attracting all kinds of pollinators.  Even evil pollinators.  Yes.  Budworms have attacked the petunias leaving tattered petals in their wake.

Each evening I tour the garden.  Lately, attention is on the petunias to hunt budworms.  Since they grow under the boysenberries, I prefer to hand pick the buggers.  You can pick the damaged bud from the plant and dump it in a bucket of soapy water.  The caterpillars inch down the throat of the blossom to dine on the delicate salad.  Picking the damaged bud is fine since it's ruined anyway.  Budworm hunting season in Bakersfield is May and August (and probably all summer long); so this is a task that needs to be tended to diligently.

Heliothis Virescens - Geranium Budworm

Budworms attack more than just geraniums and petunias.  I have found that gently shaking the plant can jar them from their dinner; but since the buds are already ruined I suppose picking the bud is the neatest way to snag them.  I don't use soapy water.  My trophies get marched out to the driveway just as "Taps" is sounding at sunset.  Then, SMASH!  My garden Croc sends them to the heavens with a "Yippee-ki-yay".  Rinse.  Repeat.

Wave Petunias / Magellan Zinnias

Not everything is edible in Maybelline’s Garden.  This past weekend I tore out the pansies and stock from the two front flowerbeds.  Some of the lobelia was trimmed in hopes of blooming later this summer.  Those plants were planted back in October and had grown beautifully through the rainy season.   Sadly, they were ripped out to make way for some muscle plants that should be able to thrive during the summer. 

Some Wave petunias (Misty Lilac) were plugged into the bed next to the driveway (See the loose bricks?  I drove into them.).  The petunias were fertilized with Dr. Earth and given a long drink of water to start them off right.  I never realized that petunias have a scent.  These have a soft, sweet scent.  Their light color makes them stand out at night; so I expect the hot summer nights to be perfumed with petunias.  (I can smell the breeze bringing the scent inside as I post this.  It sure beats the smell of feedlots.)  The Wave variety of petunias spread out.  The number of plants here should cover the ground nicely and continue to bloom until frost.  The plant tag directs to feed weekly and to remove spent blossoms to encourage growth and continuous  flowers.  There’s a Watermelon Crepe Myrtle multi truck tree that is centered in this flowerbed.

The other small bed next to the sidewalk has Magellan Zinnias.  Their not listed as dwarf but they only grow to 18”.  This variety is multicolored and should be able to take the heat of summer.   There are a couple of Loropetalum chinensis “Rubrum” in this bed as well.  Until they grow up, there will be other plants to keep them company.  This bed was also fertilized and irrigated to get everything off on the right root. 

Farmer MacGregor fears that these zinnias will attract neighborhood hoodlums that aspire to recreate a scene from Caddy Shack.