Ants in my Plants!

My garden has gotten off to a great start and things are actually blooming this year. Amaaaaazing! Truly amazing! I'm so excited I've been admiring them every morning before I jump in the shower. I worry that it's just a teaser before they die. lol. 

Anyway, my crossvine is growing like crazy but Army Ants have moved in. They're covering part of the plant and the blooms are starting to wilt and die. Now, since this is the first year it's actually bloomed for me, I'm not sure if that's natural for them to do that or if it's because of the ants. 

My question is for all of the gardeners who have become my personal consultants. :) If I sprinkle 7-dust on the vine will that kill the plant or just attack the ants?

Banana Tree

Since the post regarding my "green thumb", I've had some requests for pictures of the banana tree. When I wrote that one I had yet to see any life in the banana tree because I cut it to the ground, as instructed. The trunk actually appeared to be rotting but I guess when I flooded it, like it was in a rain forest, it did something to wake it up because it's growing at a lightening speed. I haven't measured it day by day but I am positive it's adding 1-2 inches a day. It's insane!  

Since I'm proudly showing my green thumb off, I'm going to go ahead and brag about my cross vine. This one I planted last year and I was lucky if it had one bloom on it, at a time, and it seemed a bit dormant. This year it's growing like a weed and it's full of blooms!! WOOT! That's my vision working, baby. Yeah, baby! I did that too. lol. 

In case you can't see the hundreds (maybe that's an exaggeration but if I wasn't showing you a picture, I'd definitely use that term to brag. lol) of blooms, here's one that's a close up view..

Look, there are more blooms in waiting. WOOT! Vision, baby! 

2011 Garden Ideas

So, you know how I have been trying to have a garden for over four years now? I've decided to stop planting sun loving plants in the shade, which is where my garden is. I've also realized that trying to plant something that I find beautiful isn't a good idea either because those are what the deer find to be deliciously tasteful. I've also come up with a MASTER plan, which, if you ask me, is the best plan of all plans! Okay, here it goes. I'm going to have potted plants all over our patio that will house the flowers that the deer like to eat. I will then have Cowboy Bubba sitting on the deck with a rifle. In my north side garden I'm going to have a Cross Vine (that has already been planted), a shrub of some sort and then I'm going to add a truck load of ferns. They love shade, deer hate them and they don't die, even when I try to kill them. That's a damn good sign for me and my garden. Over in front of the pump house I'm going to plant moon flower vines that Randy (the windmill maker) sent to me. This area has an hour of morning sun and then a couple hours of late afternoon sun. 


Here's what I would like from you...what do you have in your garden that you think mine is lacking? I will have an awesome garden by the fall, damn it, if it's the last thing I do! I've resorted to reading a text book on gardening, that's how much I really want a garden. So, please post your ideas...please!