The Sunflower Muncher

The sunflowers I had started indoors from seed in late January grew as high as an elephant's eye.

So high, in fact, that it's been hard to get them inside the photo's frame.

Something has been chomping on them for some time, and I mean I'd go outside and a six footer would be reduced to a two-inch stub. So I started regularly spraying them with Dr. Bronner's, and I put out slug traps (bottles of beer), which kept about three of the sunflowers intact to where I could harvest one of them so far.

I soaked the seeds in brine and roasted them, and they're not half bad at all, though this particular flowerhead may have been harvested a wee early. I just wanted to get to them before the birds did.

Anyway, tonight a June thunderstorm really whipped up some drama. I was outside securing things and just checking the garden, and I saw on the birdbath a sight that nearly made me jump from fright...a caterpillar--black, hairy, and no lie, as long as this post is wide. More like three of these guys.

He was HUGE. So I became acquainted with the culprit who was munching down my sunflowers.

So I looked him up: big black hairy caterpillar who likes sunflowers, and I discovered that I'm feeding no other than Hypercomp scribona, the giant leopard moth.

Absolutely stunning!

I'm so thrilled that I'm tempted to stop spraying and let him have the whole garden.

I also saw yet another frog today, which is always a welcome sight.