catching up with the garden; july 2013

 summer is flying by!  we have been working as much as we can and so has this spider in the satellite dish.

 butterflies are so much fun to watch.  more than once i chased these two to get a nice photo

 this one was kind enough to strike a pose.

 and so was this one.  

 however, over in the rain garden, we would prefer that these just left and never came back.  genista broom moth caterpillars are destructive and can defoliate plants and shrubs.

 in the keyhole garden, we are seeing very mixed results.  the okra is flourishing.

 the yellow squash did not make it-squash borers destroyed the stem.

 we will be picking lemon cukes soon.

 texas star hibiscus in the rain garden

 thai basil in bloom in the herb garden.

 rosemary in bloom attracts a lot of bees

 chive blossoms are removed before they even open to prevent seeding

 caraway seeds are starting to form

 tabasco peppers are getting ready to turn red

 red noodle beans in the square foot garden have pretty lavender blooms

 stink bugs like them too

 this little leaf hopper looks so pretty on the texas star hibiscus

 pickling cukes in the vertical garden

 sedum autumn joy getting ready to put on a show

 thai chilis ready for cooking-proceed carefully with them

 if memory serves, tansy is planted in gardens to help keep the ants at bay.  don't tell these ants that, the don't seem to care.

 chive blossoms waiting to be arranged in a vase

 and as always, we have cake.  each week i make something different.  this one is a vegan carrot and zucchini cake.

 blueberry muffin cake made with berries picked in the demo garden.

and sometimes, you just have to mix it up.  with 6 pounds of blackberries from the garden, i made some jam and then baked biscuits to serve with it.

sunday, july 22

it was a hot day in the garden.  i was joined by shirley and we did a little of what we do best-weeding!

the vertical garden has been slow to take off this year.  i will have to work on this for next year.

 kabocha squash-unbelievable!!!

 the flowers are so big that 4 bumblebees can get in there and still find nectar.

 the plant is very productive-we will be eating lots of squash!

 look at the basil bed-can you see pesto in your future? i can...

 these are the blooms of the southern wood plant

 tansy

 comfrey gearing up for the second round

 over in the rain garden, the false blue indigo has recovered from its webworm attack

 just look at all of the new growth.

 things are looking good in the shade garden too.  pieris, mountain fire.  love the red foliage

 italian arum-wonder who is eating the berries...

 cleome in the zombie garden 

 gulf fritillary caterpillars

and of course, cake.  a blueberry muffin cake to be exact.  come and join us some time!

what a difference a little rain makes!

okay, it was more than a little, it was 5.5 inches of rain.  we needed it and we need even more but i am also happy to see the week or so of gloomy weather leave for a bit.  the garden exploded a bit this week  with all of the rain.

tiny and delicate but a big plus in the garden; buckwheat blooms attract beneficial insects and it is a great green manure.

some day, we hope to figure out where this cleome came from and how it ended up in the zombie garden bed.   

 remember the pineapples in the zombie garden?  they are loving the weather and have more than doubled in size.

 i planted 3 taro root tubers in the zombie garden, so far only one has taken to the new digs.

 over in the grape arbor, these are pretty tasty!  3 years ago, I harvested some grapes and made a starter, it is still living in my fridge.  every now and then, i take it out and feed it and then make some bread.

 kabocha squash-or the vine that ate the ag center...

 the bronze fennel was where all of the action was-it was teeming with all sorts of insects.

 the other part of rain-fungus!  these sprouted out of the logs in the herb garden walls.

 what they look like when mature

 wood ears-popular in chinese cuisine, they are edible.

 mushrooms are fascinating organisms.  the current trend of hunting and foraging for local foods has many locavores searching for prized edibles.  properly identifying them is crucial since they can be deadly.  unfortunately, it takes more than just looking at the top.  this guy might mislead a newbie-the blazing hot sun completely changed it's appearance; when i arrived 3 hours earlier, it was a creamy white color without that brown ring around the edge.

 looking at the bottom is just as important as the top-there are so many important clues here; veil, stem, gills, color and spores are all important factors to proper identification.  always get an expert to help you identify your finds before you eat them!

 fungus is everywhere.  this white, webby substance is actually the mycelium, the actual organism and each species has a "web" and they can be very large.  the crazy part, the mushrooms are actually the fruit of the mycelium.  below are some close up shots of the mycelium.

lichens aren't plants, they are symbiotic organisms comprised of fungus and algae.  for more a detailed explanation, visit this website.

a visitor to the garden taking a rest on the arbor.  it was hot, humid and sunny-typical summer but shirley and i managed to remove two big baskets of bermuda grass.  come on out and join us!