At a glance...

this looks like an ordinary happy garden, and a lovely one at that- if you don't mind my saying so. All those future salads and red sauce growing closer to my kitchen daily...mmm. But, what one doesn't suspect is the army that I've been so impatiently waiting for, and it finally arrived this morning in the midst of all that beautiful vegetation. Beware other bugs... the mantis is here. Unfortunately they don't discriminate between the good guys and the bad guys, if they are hungry they will nab you regardless of which side you're on.


I just happened to peek at the egg sack this morning on my garden rounds, expecting the same thing I've seen everyday for weeks now... nothing... and what a fantastic moment to peek! There they were, hatching out right before my eyes- fascinating and creepy all at once.

I've always been fascinated with the Praying Mantis thanks to my fourth grade teacher Mrs. Waterman. Every year she would bring in a jar housing an egg sack for her class room to watch hatch, and then we got to keep one in the room to roam free till the end of the school year, thus my fascination began. Each child, also got to release a box of Monarch butterflies tagged with a number on their wings for tracking their migration. It was a fantastic sight to watch hundreds of butterflies released all at once- a cloud of color filling the sky. Thank you Mrs. Waterman for instilling a life long interest in bugs.

I love the mantis in logos and artwork, and spiritually speaking the praying mantis has long been honored by the Chinese as a symbol for meditation and contemplation- because of her mindful movements.
I am so happy for their presence in my yard, and am hoping for some to establish permanent homes here. We'll watch for egg sacks this fall. Oh God, I'm turning into such a garden geek! I love it!