More Mulching and Butterflies on Blackberry Homestead

Posted on by Julia

August 2, 2025

On July 29 (Tuesday), I was able to finish mulching around the pecan tree I had surrounded with cardboard.

We moved dirt from the Bama Dirt pile to the new garden bed and Bruce added the bagged dirt on top of the Bama Dirt.

It was a hot day.

For supper, I made a fresh tomato tart using tomatoes and Basil from the garden.

We had eaten half of the tart before I remembered to take a picture. The filling is fresh tomatoes, Basil, bacon pieces, and mayonnaise.

After supper, we walked around the yard. I discovered this Variegated Fritillary chrysalis on one of the apple trees.

The sunset was lovely.

From the Backyard
From the Front Porch

On Wednesday, (July 30), Bruce was mowing in the morning. He stopped mowing long enough to text me that the pecan was in the shade and it would be a good time to mulch it.

In the sunshine, I used a shovel to scoop up wood chips from the original pile of wood chips in the back pasture that we made when testing the chipper. I filled my wagon to the top and pulled it to the second pecan tree. I was hot and sweaty at this point. I went inside and drank some water. I returned to the pecan tree with some cardboard boxes and a knife. I pulled up the weeds around the pecan tree. I cut the cardboard boxes up and placed them around the pecan tree, over the existing rotting leaf mulch and cardboard. I scooped the woodchips from the wagon and placed them on the cardboard.

Pecan Trees Mulched

Bruce was pleased with how nice mulching made the pecan trees look.

I was hot and tired after the mulching in the 90s F with humidity making it feel even hotter.

I went inside and took a shower and felt so much better.

I decided to spend some time working on my drawing of the lion cubs.

In the late afternoon, I went out to check on the garden. There were so many butterflies at the edge of the Bama Dirt piles. The wet edges provide a safe way for the butterflies to get water. The Sleepy Orange Butterfly’s wings’ upper surface is orange with black borders while the under surface is yellow in the summer form. I was able to get a several pictures of a Sleepy Orange butterfly.

Eastern Tailed-Blue Butterfly
Sleepy Orange Butterfly
Flying

On the marjoram flowers, I saw a couple of buckeye butterflies.

Buckeye Butterflies

Bruce and I walked around the front yard. The passion fruit vines were blooming.

Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar

I noticed a faint rainbow.

On Thursday (July 31), I had an appointment with my neurologist. I am the same.

We did shopping and spent the afternoon out.

I did get a picture of the sunset as I walked around the corner of the house.

On Friday (August 1), we finished harvesting the dismal potato harvest from the bins we had made. Growing potatoes in leaves and dirt was a failure.

Bruce called it more of a composting experiment.

I noticed severe damage to some of the tomato plants. Tomato Hornworms had hatched and proceeded to devour leaves and parts of green tomatoes. It was hunt them down and squish them time! I found four Hornworms, as well as several Armyworms. How did they get so big in such a short amount of time!

I put the leaves and dirt from the potato growing bins into several of the raised beds as a mulch around the plants. I was able to get some pictures of butterflies on flowers.

I pulled up the soybeans and harvested them. Eight plants produced three pounds of edamame (the beans and shells).

I’ll steam them and freeze them with the shells. I am happy with the soybean harvest and will grow soybeans again.

28 thoughts on “More Mulching and Butterflies on Blackberry Homestead”

      1. I have written a draft of a children’s book (very short), but I am at a loss on how to illustrate it. We could discuss it, if you’re interested. It might take too much time though.

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  3. Julia, I’m constantly amazed at the variety of flora and fauna and your ability to name them!!!  You provide a really interesting description of the progress you’re making on developing Blackberry Homestead.  You and Bruce are workinig hard on your property and it shows.   And thanks for the updates on sunsets – truly beautiful! “D Day” on my shoulder coming up on Tuesday – thank heavens. Love, Howard

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    1. Howard, Bruce and I both hope your surgery goes well. We’ll be down to see you after your surgery. Think about what you’d like me to cook for you. I’d be happy to make it. Love, Julia

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  5. Julia, I commend you and Bruce yet again for the wonderful and important work you are doing on behalf of wildlife, wildflowers, and the ecosystem. It is wonderful to see so many butterflies enjoying the nectar from the fruit of your labor. I have seen few here, even during peak bloom time, and only a couple of bees when the clover first bloomed. The passion fruit flower is so stunning. Now, about those cubs, which you already know I have fallen in love with, the first thing that popped into my mind when I saw the work on the second cub was “I’ma slap some sense into you yet!” I also got a laugh out of Bruce’s “composting experience! Finally, I am glad you were able to get some soy beans! I love edamame.

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    1. We are enjoying having the wildlife and wildflowers mostly. I could do without the tomato hornworms, army worms, squash bugs, squash bores, and aphids. We don’t get many honey bees, but we do get a lot of native bees.

      I am enjoying sketching the cubs. It is fun to see them coming “alive” under my pencils.

      I am really impressed by the productivity of the soybeans.

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    1. Bumblebees (250 species), Carpenter bees, Long-horned bees (over 30 species), sweat bees, squash bees, digger bees, polyester bees (yes, they make a plasticky, waterproof coating for the inside of their nest. This is how they got their name! ), masked bees, cuckoo bees, mason bees, leaf cutter bees, and miner bees are the native bees we have in Alabama.

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  9. Great article, that tart looks like a great pizza. And fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden, well all kinds of vegetables, spices and fruits from the garden are amazing. That’s what I love in the summer and autumn, I can harvest my crops and have everything fresh and tasty

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Published by Julia