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[Suzy]

I noticed an old query about bites in leaves.  These may be from leaf cutter bees, which are quite prevalent here, I gather.   They are very efficient, line tunnels and make cells for their young with the leaf cuttings.  Basically they select a suitable leaf, cut a piece to measure, roll it up and fly away in about 6 secs.  So that is why they are not seen very much.  I have been fortunate to watch them on my roses, [this plant is their favourite munchie apparently].    Easy to identify the little git that was defacing my plant,  think small brown bee,  but  they didn't do any lasting damage, so I left them alone and the rose recovered.  Yes it does look a bit unsightly for a while, just picked the leaves off and it recovered perfectly.
Cheers
Suzy

[Campo Girl]

Hehehe laughing at the "little git" that was defacing your roses. We are not killers in our garden and I am even going to stop using RoundUp now that we have chickens wandering around.

Our fruit that we grow, we share with the birds, they love raspberries so rather than netting them we share, I just planted more so we get some hehe

I hate killing anything, even ants for goodness sakes, I always think back to the food chain from my school days

I am looking forward to retirement when I can really get gardening! LOL

Simone x

[Suzy]

I love looking at the ants trundling about, they are such workaholics and so interesting to watch. [Except for the teeny weeny ones which appear in the house in summer, although my husband says they save me sweeping up any crumbs!].   We too share our stuff with the birds, mostly grapes, pears and cherries.  The only pests we enjoy swatting are the dratted flies in autumn.   Don't build your hopes up about retirement, that's what we are supposed to be and never been busier,  isn't it a lovely word though in Spanish, jubilado, makes you feel jubilant!!  Still it beats 9 to 5 in the office environment, now we can please ourselves what and when to do it and sometimes not even bothering at all until manana. 

We are still waiting for the processionary caterpillars to descend from the pine trees, they are very late this year, think it must be all the rain.  We can hear lots of frogs and toads singing at night down in the barranco, which fortunately is now a babbling brook and passable with care in the Xtrail.

Loads of work ahead now the weather is actually improving, seed planting, pricking out, hoeing, etc.  My daffs and tulips look a treat at the moment and the yellow jasmine is best ever this year with loads of flowers. 

Happy spring gardening
Suzy