Praying Mantis Egg Cases to Hatch

Hey Mom Can you See Me?

Remember me when I was tiny?

The very first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22^nd in 1970 and 20-million people came together to protest environmental destruction and raise awareness for a healthier, more sustainable planet.  Since then, Earth Day has grown to be an annual global event with one billion people around the world joining together to draw attention to the environmental issues we face today. 

Praying mantis will attack almost any insect and completes one life-cycle per season. It usually takes two to four weeks of warm temperatures for the egg cases to hatch. The tiny mantis forces them selves through the narrow slits of the egg case and immediately disperse into the foliage. One praying mantis egg case will yield approx. 50-200 young mantis. After 5-6 months, the mantis reach their full size, and females deposit 1-5 egg cases on brush and flowers stalks they then dies. Their egg cases overwinter and hatch out in the spring, completing the life cycle.  They are so cute brownish and so tiny and they will stay where they are released. You can find them in your garden the next following days. When they are grown they do come back to my garden to say "Hi Mom Remember Me Look how Big I have Grown".  Be Creative Enjoy

Praying Mantis Egg Cases Tenodera aridifolia sinensis Each praying mantis egg case will hatch about 200 mantids to help control pest insects in your garden or greenhouse. Mantids (mantis) eat various mites, insect eggs, aphids, leafhoppers, mosquitoes, caterpillars and other insects when young. The adult mantis will eat larger insects. 10 Praying Mantis egg cases I purchased to hatch Will release into my garden when they hatch I take each case and place in a paper lunch bag with a paper clip and put next to my sunny side window 10 cases into each bag with a paper clip next to the sunny window

Earth Day April 22nd 2012 Celebration

The very first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22^nd in 1970 and 20-million people came together to protest environmental destruction and raise awareness for a healthier, more sustainable planet.  Since then, Earth Day has grown to be an annual global event with one billion people around the world joining together to draw attention to the environmental issues we face today. 


My son and his friend purchased two baby chickens Rhode Island Reds and I know there is a lot of work having them since my other son when he was young wanted chickens. Since every Mom knows the kids lose interest after the novelty wears off and who gets to take care of the feed, water, collecting fresh eggs, cleaning the coop and letting them out to graze and lock the chickens in the coop at night to protect them from predators.


 Mom does this extra job like she needs more work around the home like living on the Little House on the Prairie.  I told him were we live in NJ are able to have chickens but I told them if any are Rosters they must go back to the farm since they will crow and are loud. (Plus their coop is next to my bedroom window)


I was told by my son and his friend  the Rhode Island Red chickens were sexed and that mean that the chicks are females or pullets and will lay brown eggs. 

Rhode Island Red Chicken

Baby Chick

Wandering around 

Basking in the Sun

Checking out the  Rock Garden

Just to let everyone know that different chickens lay different color eggs some brown light and dark, some blue and green and sometimes a pink color and different shades of white, bright, pastel, cream. But they all taste the same except if you let your chickens feed free range meaning they will eat anything that is in your lawn (bugs) and even grass and their feed plus you can give them your scrap food like pasta and corn anything your going to put into the trash. The chickens egg yoke will have an orange color not just the plan feed yellow color and taste better than just the feed egg.


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Garden Planting Asparagus 2012

Mary Washington Asparagus Plant 6 for $3.98 Planted 12 in my Garden

Hey today April 19 2012 has been a fun day for me to plant in my Garden and I want to give all you readers some tips since I did grown Asparagus in the past and I found out they only produce a few years before you need to replant them again.

I had purchased Mary Washington Asparagus for $3.98 and you get 6 plants so I purchased 2 packs. They need Full Sun and they  harvest mid season. Well I did grow asparagus and wanted to let everyone to know that you can plant Asparagus now but you will get a fern type plant grow and next season you will see those asparagus sprout out of your garden.

Oh boy do they taste so great fresh out of your garden that is why I purchased two packs to plant into my garden for next season.

Here is the trick you did a hole put Miracle Gro Veggie and Flower Garden Soil into the soil then place the
plant in the hole with the soil mixture then cover them over and put more of the Garden soil on top then water.

12 Asparagus plants I planted

Cover with dirt and garden soil

They look dried out  before you plant them

Water Well and you will enjoy the organic delicious tasting Asparagus next year and remember they will fern this season after planting so do not pull the fern out of the ground. I did fence them and put a label on them so I would know not to plant anything on top of them.

Here I go again planting early in the mid April my Husky Cherry Tomatoes and I water everyone very well.

In my Small Garden with 7 husky cherry tomatoes and Parsley

My Husky Cherry Tomatoes by Bonnie Bell

My dill and parsley at the end of my small garden remember the come back every year if you do not  pull them out

Miracle Gro Garden Soil I use every year in my garden

 Have fun Gardening and Experiment with everything you enjoy I do. So Remember.....

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New Plant Additions to my Yard

My White Dogwood blooming in April

My purple Iris in an April Bloom

New Addition Peppermint Star Garden Pinks 

New Addition Roman Strawberry's

New Addition Fire Star Dianthus

This year I am adding perennial's in my flower bed around my front steps. Dianthus, Roman Strawberry's and Peppermint Star Garden Pinks. I just love all the beautiful bright colors with my purple Iris in bloom.

My Bleeding Heart
I also have a few bleeding hearts that come up every year and they do not need any special care they just like the shade.

White Dogwood Tree Blooming in April

I love this time of year and enjoy watching all the different plants and flowers blooming.

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Baked Veggies and Fruit

Veggies and Fruit

Baked Veggies and Fruit

Getting Back to the Kitchen I am making Baked Veggies and Fruit
2 mini red pepper, 2 mini orange peppers, 2 mini yellow sliced in half (take out the seeds)
1 celery stalk sliced thin then cut in half on an angel
6 mini carrots sliced in half
4 grape tomatoes whole
1 slice piece of red onion
2 cloves of fresh garlic cut in half long way
4 grapes
1 apple whole
4 peanuts (optional)

Drizzle lightly a little olive oil (about a tablespoon)
Cover with foil to keep the juices in and bake at 325 until tender

You can add any type of fruit you desire.

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Enjoy

Spring Garden Flowers Blooming

Marigolds and Petunias ready to be planted 

Tulips in bloom April

Grape Hyacinth bloomed in March

Pink Hyacinth  early April 

Tulip blooming in my flower garden

Spring has just started and walking around the yard I already had my grape hyacinth bloom in the rocks around my pool. What a beautiful color and this plant does not need any care. I have a few tulips by my mail box that are in bloom and my bulb garden is just starting to take off. My hyacinth is the color pink and there is a mixture of different color tulips starting to appear. I have an assortment of bulb flowers and when they all are in full bloom they are beautiful. Looking forward to plant more colorful flower around my front yard, gardening is a joy and very relaxing.

Be Creative
Enjoy