Pesky hungry caterpillar!

My tomatoes plants are thriving and growing and bearing so many countless tomatoes!

I am thrilled as it is my first time growing tomatoes and it is quite easy. Just need to water them daily in our Florida heat. I've been reading some library books on gardening and all. We will be but for now just the tomatoes, jalapenos and green bell pepper plants.

I've been seeing those destroyers on our plants. At first I was hesitant about killing them. I just threw them over the fence. But now? I just put on my gloves and pick those stubborn fighter off the stem and walk out the gate to the rock and pick up another rock and just crush it. I always offer a little "I'm sorry" prayer.

I am amaze to see wasp coming hovering it and start picking it up just like vultures. So I imagine in bugs world, our vultures are their wasps. Then pretty soon the ants come marching in and start making a new home over the remains of it.  So now I just wipe those dirt and ants away and make another killing of those horned caterpillar.

Pesky green horned caterpillar

Out you go!

This is the story of my gardening.

I'll be showing you all the plants we have purchased and that our home are filled with them here and there mostly in the front and side of our home.

They are lovely. They are a mess. They overwhelmed me. They consume me, my time, my thoughts and me. They are demanding of me.

This past few days, it has been raining and raining and I've been soo thankful of the rain.

Because I don't have to care for those plants and to be outside in the heat. Though I don't complain but it SURE is H O T. 

I've learned about my tomatoes. They need to be watered daily without fail. If I don't, you know what happened? They droop and look so neglected that I just felt my heart broke. Oh poor thing and rush to water them. I hate seeing them droooooop down. And another thing the tomato will crack. I didn't understand why and when I read and I was enlightened. They were so thirsty and when they got some drink and are plentiful and start feeding those tomato. Those tomato start growing some more and they cracked. So I need to maintain their water level so they don't crack.

I marvel. I delight. I am happy. I am always on the lookout for those sneaky green caterpillar. Usually I find them under the leaf, I guess they are hiding from the sun and eating in the shade. Their poops are my telltale hints. When I see them, Uh OH, I go and search right away for them. I don't always see them right away but I am on the LOOK-OUT for them.

This is the caterpillar's poops. And their giveaway.

I know, yes, a lot of poops there. At first it will be green then it turn dark. A lot for just 1 or 2 caterpillar(s).

See the bare stem? The caterpillar ate up the leaves.

They start at the way top and work their way down! So when I look through our bay window to see those plants and I lovely appreciate the flowers and the color of those plants. I notice the bare stems. I am alarmed. Gee! I cannot believe how those caterpillar can evoke emotions in me. Gee!

See the white flower behind the tomato plant? That is Pulmeria. This is our 3rd summer having this plant and the first summer they bloomed and they're still blooming. They have been blooming since April and I believe will continue to until it get cold. I bring the plant in when it get cold. But now, I am enjoying the flower they bloom daily.

I am having fun having all those plants. Caring for them, re-pot them, transplant them, watering them. Moving them around. Trying to decide what should be where it should be. Changing our home environment. Making my hands dirty digging in the dirt. Fighting those stubborn ants who insisted that this is their home. Grrr.. Delight at seeing new baby plants growing. Sadden when one fail to thrive. All those emotions. 

~