That looks like a male carpenter bee. The females and males look like two different species

I also see no real reason to kill them, although that is a Hawkmoth caterpillar and they probably feed specifically on nightshade family plants so cannot simply be relocated. Caterpillars that size are

Plants in the ground always grow bigger because the soil tends to hold water better and there is enough room for the roots to develop

Lots of hard work is paying off

Probably because our postal system is pretty awful. Right now, it's completely non-functional due to covid. Everytime an employee tests positive, they shut entire mail hubs down My long-term plan is to

Steem funded many improvements around the house. It takes a while but you get there

Excellent! Your honesty will also get you recommendations

It's looking great, you've done so much

Nailed it! It's not pretty but it does what it needs to

They are so pretty!

yes the gels that can be applied like that can be used very cleanly

You could try vinegar next time. I'm conflicted about the use of herbicides but there are times when it's all you can do. They do break down in the soil, the main thing to do is try not to contaminate

You are lucky, I was unable to grow anything successfully before I sieved it and dug in lots of organic matter. In fact it will take a few seasons before my soil is even half-way decent. Legumes are about

I sieved my soil to remove countless small stones, builders' rubble and large rocks. Digging in lots of organic matter is the best way to improve the soil

I feel your pain, I worked for weeks to turn a tiny patch into something arable. In the end I had to sieve the soil because raised beds are not an option in my climate. It's worth it in the end, though

Taking shape!

Your aloes will survive the damage to the tops. What is more problematic is replanting straight into wet soil. that could cause stem rot. Rather remove them from the soil and let the stems and roots dry

Lovely! We get them here, I had no idea that they were native to Cyprus

Looking good!

I'm a biker not a car driver but I know art when I see it, that's wizardry at work!