Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Beautiful, but... (wordless Wednesday)






YOU are welcome here but these are not at . . .

6 comments:

Marie said...

What the heck is that? A slug? Never seen anything like that is Kansas!

Michelle said...

Yes, Marie, that is a slug - a Pacific banana slug to be specific. They like to eat plants like my dahlias. :-(

I wondered what kind of questions I'd bet about this post, so I'll just identify the photos now:
1) Queen Anne's Lace, or "false carrot." Weed with seeds that attach to wool and clothing.
2) Green leaves on my red Japanese maple, indicating root stock trying to take over.
3) Canadian thistle flowers. We try to be vigilant on our property, but can't keep up with the land all around us. These are just over our fenceline.
4) Tansy ragwort, a weed toxic to cattle and horses, causing irreversible liver damage. Another weed we are vigilant in eliminating, but that is present around us.
5) Pacific banana slug

Franna said...

Be careful with the little caterpillar on the tansy! It is a GOOD bug. It'll eat the tansy buds, and is being encouraged as a "natural predator" of tansy ragwort. An alternate host for the cinnabar moth caterpillar is Dusty Miller - a welcome garden addition. The cinnabar moth only has one lifecycle per year, so every little guy is valuable. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnabar_moth

Michelle said...

Franna, I know that caterpillar is supposed to be a tansy predator, but I have yet to see one actually harm or kill a tansy plant! Good to know about the Dusty Miller, though -- as long deer will leave it alone.

MISS PEACH ~(^.^)~ said...

Love the lacy look of the QAL but I know how troublesome it can be.
Hope you are having a wonderful summer at the farm!!

Nancy K. said...

Oh, Michelle ~ that photo of the Queen Ann's Lace is spectacular! I wish I could take close ups with my camera but it always blurs...