Sounds of Heaven Memoirs: Still Contending To See More Blooms On The Crape Myrtle Tree. Already Captured MANY Japanese Beetles. I Will Not Allow Them To Overtake This Tree.

Let me share with you that the Spectracide brand Bag-A-Bug Japanese Beetle Trap works. I filled 1 bag with lots of beetles. What I would do is use the water & dish soap solution I would make up and pour it on the beetles already in the bag. To make sure they were dead. I filled up a bag and then replaced it with another bag. I then re-read the instructions and found out I missed a big step the first time around, place it 30 feet downwind from the flowering tree/plants. I did it this time not knowing if it would still work. It is working and the bag is filling up again. I see a few blooms on the tree but I want to see more. I have even fed the roots of the tree a couple of times with Miracle-Gro.

I have lots of cherry tomatoes turning ripe. I am seeing the cucumbers begin to grow and I already harvested 3 small eggplants. I peeled them, then cut them in cubes and soaked them in salt water to draw out any bitterness there might be in them. I soaked them for a couple of hours and the water actually turns a brownish color. I made ratatouille with the eggplant along with other fresh vegetables. I really seasoned it with red pepper flakes to give it a bit of a kick. I also planted a few more parsley seeds and they are beginning to grow too. I have lots of fresh dill and chives. I like when I sit on the patio, and you can catch a whiff of fresh dill as the wind blows gently in the direction. I already had 1 bloom on my hibiscus plant too. Gardening, even on a patio is fun. This morning while on my patio I wish I had my phone to take a picture, but I didn't have it with me. There was the male cardinal bird sitting on a branch of the crape myrtle tree watching over the bird nest. Can you tell that I enjoy the sights and sounds of nature? Here are a few pictures.

Here's a side note that is kind of funny. Remember when I made the Dolly Parton Banana cake mix recipe and said I will not make it again because it was messy putting the cake together with a pudding layer and whipped cream as part of the frosting? I was speaking with someone I gave some of that cake to. They told me they gave some to their son and he liked it. He asked if they bought this cake from Publix. That made me laugh because I am not making that cake again. I guess people liked what they tasted in the finished product. How funny is that!