2 GIRLZ GARDENING

Odds and Ends

2009-09-07T17:05:00.006-04:00

Nash felt compelled to do a LOT of barking this week during the 3 a.m. hours of the mornings. Spot-lit by the Spider Moon, the deer, rabbits, raccoons, foxes and goodness-only-knows what else were in full view as my boy perched in the dormer. Since I was alerted to the breach of the integrity of our property, I grabbed the camera on my way out the door and managed to hold steady long enough to get this shot.

Flying dragon--mock orange.
Inedible. Prolific. Spiky thorns.
Obviously impervious to nematodes.
We planted this as a specimen in the front yard 9 years ago. I believe it has the ability to rule the world, taunting the citrus-deprived with its hard, bitter, juice-free, seed-packed fruit. So uninviting neither insects, nor beasts graze on the oranges or the leaves.

This is a ginger lily. It generously perfumes the whole backyard with its gingery, lemony scent.

Green Things

2009-08-25T20:31:00.007-04:00

We have a tree frog who visits, but has not taken up permanent residence, on one of our living room windows. Early morning, late evening, he appears. Where does he go in the heat of the day?

This evening when I went out to water, I discovered this green thing: Tomato Hornworm. Luckily I caught him before he totally defoliated the plant.

My luck runs wild. This hornworm has rice grain size wasp eggs attached to its back. Had I not discovered it and applied the snips, death would surely have been imminent.

Not a good image from 8 p.m., but, you get the idea of the green things. Broccoli plants and mustard sprouts. Both went in on Saturday, August 22. I'm pleased the broccoli is thriving in our 90 degree heat, and I'm surprised at how quickly the mustard seeds sprouted.

Not a green thing, but a lovely purple utilitarian thing at the entrance to the vegetable garden. I always wear gloves and need a pair of snips when I visit the garden. With this storage addition, I can make impromptu visits--no worries.

Peppers

2009-08-16T19:55:00.008-04:00

This has been a peppery, 90 degree, muggy day. Good for picking peppers, pickling peppers, roasting and stuffing peppers.
From the grill the Giant Marconis went into a lidded bowl for awhile, then we slipped the skins off, slit the tops and gently tugged the seeds out, made a small slit--unless the body fell apart and then it was more like putting a puzzle together--and LL stuffed half with a refried bean mixture and I married the other half with a pepper jack cheese concoction.

I pickled jalapenos, hot bananas, brother David's salsas, and 2 odd-shaped Giant Marconi using cider vinegar and water 2:1, sugar, garlic, bay leaves and ground coriander. Yes, the seasonings were experimental, but I'm the only one what eats 'em, so there.

Just to catch you up with the harvest. I picked about 10 pounds of figs this week, which magically turned into preserves after I washed, cut, macerated, cooked, and canned them.

I've groaned and moaned about my tomatoes--verticulum leaf mold, nematodes, deer munching, bird pecking, squirrel stealing--you name it, and it's more likely than not the reason I've lost 10 out of 20 plants. Plus, everything went in late so we got nothing until past mid-July. But, but, but, as my good neighbor Gherman says, I am picking a peck here and there of German Johnson, Cherokee purple, Anna Russian, Mortgage Lifter, and a small round red hard clustering fruit I can't remember the name of. So, the situation could be worse. With any luck the half dozen plants that I've got in large pots will produce before frost. Took a page out of brother David's book with that trick. I'll keep you posted.

By the way, the corn nubbins in the box were full and sweet--both yellow and white kernels. I had about a dozen hills which each produced 1 large ear and 1 nubbin. And, no worms. Next year, ah next year, there'll be a bigger crop. The gardener's hopeful heart runs wild with desire.

Nematodes Happen

2009-07-25T15:32:00.010-04:00

Stunted growth, yellowed and browning leaves, wilted demeanor. This is not just another depressed plant in need of cheering up. I suspect nematodes. Can't be certain until the roots are examined for knots, aka galls. However, I have already lost 6 or 7 tomatoes and cucumbers this season whose roots I have examined and wept over. Sadly, this plant is scheduled for surgical excision under sterile conditions later this week. Silly to wait, but I am a silly optimistic gardener operating under the delusion that I can salvage the Yellow Pear fruit hanging so valiantly on the pathetic vine.

See the little bumps? Nematodes are microscopic, so I can't even use my favorite bug control--index finger and thumb pressed firmly together with bug betwixt. This photo is the root of a tomato.

And, this is the root of a crookneck squash. Pretty impressive demonstration of the vile invader. The squash worked like a maniac above ground producing flowers, attracting bees, suffering the vigorous assaults of squash bugs, and actually setting fruit (about 20) that matured. All the while, it had a sub rosa secret life. Who knew?

The discovery of this nematode infestation was accidental because this plant got yanked for other reasons. SQUASH BUGS. Their eggs look like those gold bead cookie decorations and come by the dozens. This photo is a juvenile. The adult is more toasty colored with a harder crust. At this stage I clap my gloved hands together over both sides of the leaf and easily eradicate--well, a handful of the sap suckers.

My apologies for starting my new blog year on such a negative note, but this is the problem that's been on my mind for the last couple of weeks. On the bright side, working on this solution is a way better caliber of problem than this gardening girl has gnawed on at 3 a.m. for the last year or so. This one can at least be fixed with solarization and lying fallow for a while. Come to think of it, most things I perceive to be problems at 3 a.m. benefit from exposure to the light of day and letting be.

OKRA

2008-09-07T15:43:00.005-04:00

Back in June and July when the rabbit families were mowing down my okra plants, I wasn't remembering what always happens: the okra continue to grow to the point where the rabbits can't reach them. Then they're mine! As you can see above, they're 8 to 9 feet tall now.

Come August, the pods must be picked daily or they grow into woody stems suitable for painting a red Santa suit and white beard on, but not for eating. I cut those whoppers off and drop them on the ground. Then, next spring, I'll have a batch of seedlings ready to transplant. They'd volunteer to germinate all over your garden if you let them.

We had a pan-full of fried okra for lunch today. I cook them the way Mama always does (with the omission of bacon drippings). She "accidentally" lets them brown a bit much so some are extra crispy and crunchy--no breading. My friend Judith calls this sauteing--sounds like "so taying."

Spiders Welcome Here

2008-08-30T15:54:00.016-04:00

A view from the web:

I love photographs with unintended results. LL took these two. (The pond beyond the chairs is where the water lily in the sidebar resides.)

I thrill to the sight of my yellow-backed garden spiders (Argiope aurantia). Their presence tells me my garden is a healthy place to live and raise a family. I'm not saying it's free of predators--got plenty of those from the hawks that taxi on unseen currents above, talons itching for snakes and bunnies and mice, to the birds that snack on bugs and the gardener who mashes flea beetles between her thumb and forefinger.

Speaking of reproduction, this brownish silk pouch, about 1" in diameter, was deposited in the tea olive that she used to anchor her web. Come spring we'll be the proud grandmothers of a thousand baby garden spiders.

Now, this is a type of spider that I've observed for years. You can guess where. That's right--my kitchen counter. I cut a lot of zinnia bouquets, and as I arrange them by the sink, these unfortunate hitchhikers jump off or get washed off.

This green fellow is a lynx spider with spines on its legs.

Space Alien Caterpillar Update

2008-08-24T15:12:00.006-04:00

When you find a creature that you cannot identify, email a photograph to the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. They are smart and helpful.

"This is the caterpillar of a Cecropia Moth. This is a large species of silk moth. The caterpillar will eventually spin a large cocoon and pupate inside. It will spend the winter in the cocoon and hatch into a large, beautiful moth next Spring. The moth has 3-4 days to find a mate, lay eggs, then die. This species is not common in NC, but is found in the Sandhills and areas in the Piedmont and foothills." John Connors @ NC Museum of Natural Sciences

You may recall this caterpillar came off of my next-door-neighbor's wax myrtle. The bush came from Fuquay, but based on what John says, I'm guessing the bush's provenance was by way of the Sandhills, Piedmont or foothills.

FIGS! GLORIOUS FIGS!

2008-08-23T14:13:00.008-04:00

Our fig tree is a Brown Turkey that my father rooted about 7 years ago (green thumb similar to Mom's mentioned in my 7/12/08 posting). I prune it every February for 2 critical reasons: (1) figs appear on the new growth, and (2) I can reach almost all the way to the top without a ladder (indeed, my reach is proportional to the flexibility of the limbs which, I admit, must bend a good bit for my 61 1/2 inches to reach).

This tree is situated in full sun and received no fertilizer or extra water this year. However, it soldiered on and gave us 25 to 50 figs several times a week for about 3 weeks.

One of our favorite recipes: figs wrapped in prosciutto. Mix 2 tablespoons of walnut oil (I use olive or grape) with 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Split the fig and put a quarter teaspoon or so of goat cheese (I'd use Gorgonzola if LL liked blue cheese, but she's a tender petal...) in the center. Dunk in the vinaigrette and diaper its bottom with a strip of prosciutto.

I've waited too late in the season to photograph the rich red interior of a perfectly ripe fig. All the good ones are gone now. This is a poor facsimile, but this'll give you an idea.

PERSONAL-SIZE IT

2008-08-16T17:49:00.006-04:00

On July 12th, the cantaloupe vines promised a glorious crop. We went weeks in our micro-climate without sufficient rain. My hand watering did not save the day. One problem I had when watering was I couldn't tell where the plant was. I'd thought of marking each with a tall stick, but never got around to it. The positive side to gardening is there's always next year.

The drought shrunk my cantaloupes. Instead of human head size, I got single-serving size. Some are sweet, some are not. As you can see, they're definitely ripe.

These squash are not water-starved dwarfs. They were meant to be personal-size. They remind us, and folks we've served them to, of acorn squash in flavor and texture. I've cut them in half, scooped out the seeds, drizzled olive oil on the inside, wrapped them in foil and grilled them.

As long as I'm talking about good eating, here's one of the light dishes we've been eating on Wednesday nights when LL gets home late after work. This selection includes beefsteak, Park's whopper and brandywine with mozzarella, olive oil and basil.

Other Predators

2008-08-09T16:07:00.001-04:00

This caterpillar was on my next-door-neighbor's wax myrtle. Chris captured it and ran straight to me knowing I'd be fascinated. It's like a gardening science fiction creature.

This is not just a photo of the side of the house; note the wax myrtle post caterpillar defoliation.

This handsome creature prefers figs...

...as does Nash, although he enjoys the ripe ones best.

I'm not certain who the predator is here. I have lots of hexagonal shaped beetle thingies that congregate on my tomatoes and squash. Or, it could be a worm. Either way, I cut off the bad part and eat the rest. I'm not proud.

Oh Deer!

2008-08-05T19:38:00.000-04:00

Deer, deer, deer. Daddy Deer with antlers and spotted fawns tagging behind him, no less. The entire Deer family. In my backyard. Grazing on whatever catches their eyes--Grandma's rose, Neblitt's blueberry bushes, Parker's Whopper tomatoes, stringbeans, cucumber vines. I'd show you a photo, but it came out too blurred. If your glasses fog up and you can't tell your camera is set on close-up when you're taking a picture from across the yard, well....

The forensic evidence is in:

hoof prints----------------- and I wonder
why my cubanelle pepper grows like it's
doing the limbo. Yes, that stem is parallel to the dry earth.

dental imprints--------------tell a trained investigator
age, sex, species, size and social security number.
I, however, am not trained. For all I know this could be the work of a raccoon or the devil. What, I ask, is the purpose in biting this exquisitely perfect fruit without consuming it?

Why I'm Late for Work During Harvest Time

2008-08-04T20:55:00.000-04:00

It takes a good 30 minutes to harvest, wash, sort and store what's coming in now. Counterclockwise: tomatoes, cucumbers, banana peppers, jalapeno peppers, okra and stringless stringbeans.

I've been asked why I pick the tomatoes before they ripen on the vine. In my garden there's a lot of competition for my vegetables. There are all manner of bugs, birds and squirrels lying in wait for the perfect moment to take that one random bite--and move on to the next meal. Also, I know that after watering--not raining because we haven't had that going on 3 weeks--tomatoes grow faster than their skins and tend to burst, leaving them vulnerable to bugs and rot. Tomatoes seem to be perfectly happy ripening in the safety and comfort of my kitchen. I rest easier knowing their integrity will not be compromised when I need them. Believe me when I say the bugs, birds and squirrels aren't going hungry in my garden. They enjoy about 25% of the produce and share another 25% where I cut away evidence of their bites. Having thus justified my practice, I will say that there is nothing better on earth than picking a perfectly ripe Beefsteak from the vine, wiping it on my sleeve and munching on its supple, juicy flesh. A preview of heaven to be sure.

DAHLIAS IN BLOOM

2008-07-19T17:46:00.000-04:00

Dahlias delight the eye in our backyard, please the bees and sate the vase. What's not to like about them?

Dinnerplate. The plant itself would tower over me if it were not flopping over--I'm clocking 61 1/2" myself. Can you say "super-size me"?

Susan B. Kommen Dahlia

Cantaloupe Update

2008-07-13T17:59:00.000-04:00

I bought a 6 pack of cantaloupe seedlings in mid May on my trip to Dobson in Surry County. Paid .99 at a country market--the original "Fresh Market"--the kind of place that sells flower and vegetable plants, fresh vegetables and fruits, hoop cheese, pork rinds, RC Colas, etc. all under overt closed circuit television surveillance. Kind of a "smile you're on camera" situation at the checkout counter with a photographic quality not unlike your driver's license.

You can see they're well underway (as is Jubal) on 6/12/08.

One month later, the vines truly hum with bees.

...and if you look closely, you will see fruit with the potential to become a divine melon with tan netlike ridged rind and a sweet fragrant orange flesh--in maybe another month. Stay tuned.

My Mother's Green Thumb

2008-07-12T10:25:00.000-04:00

My mother is a master "rooter" of cuttings: gardenia, forsythia, rose, confederate rose, rosemary, wisteria, hydrangea, peach and fig--to name a few. This is a peach tree in her yard that she grew from a pit. Some of its blossoms are pink and some are white.

I think if we tested the dna on her thumb, the results would reveal something like rhizocaline, a powerful hormone that stimulates the growth and development of plants. Or, maybe it would reveal consistent attention to the details of gardening on a daily basis.

Below is a sample of some plants I have in my yard that she started.

gardenia

rosemary

confederate rose
(mallow)

fig

wisteria

forsythia

Mama is also a really good biscuit maker--more on that topic, later.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAURIE!

2008-07-08T06:23:00.000-04:00

Celebrating the life of a special gardener

...it's not 52 degrees out...it's not the 52d day of July...it's not just a random number...

Fruits of Late June

2008-07-04T06:03:00.000-04:00

What we're eating now.

peaches
blueberries
cucumber
sweet banana pepper
Parker's Whopper

Brussel sprouts

squash
plums

The Family That Gardens Together...

2008-06-23T20:48:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, June 21-22, I visited Brother David's garden. If you wonder how I look, I'd say pretty much like the guy in the white t-shirt, except I'm 10 inches shorter, same gray hair but slightly longer and noticeably thicker, my glasses are like Harry Potter's, about the same weight, and very similar good looks. We share a passion for gardening and reading. This garden looks and feels paradisaical: verdant greens, zinnias, banana trees, snail vines, Easter egg eggplants, single serving-size spaghetti squash, a dozen different peppers and tomatoes, cucumbers and a water garden. We're touring just before a raucous thunder storm so there's an extreme rain forest feel to the garden.

David's garden also has amenities.

If it were winter, Brother Marion would be warmed by the fire of the Irish Waterford cast iron stove. Instead, it being June 22, 2008, he holds a smoking firestick in his hand that emits a cherry aroma.

Now, this is an organically grown tomato plant. 8'+ and growing. An embarrassment of riches.

Finally, we have Mama standing by the peach tree that she started from a pit a few years ago. In the spring, I'll show you a photo of the amazing flowers on this tree--some are white and some are pink.

Thanks for taking the time to look at my pictures.

You Say Potato...

2008-06-15T15:47:00.000-04:00

This is my potato harvest spread on the cookiesheet. Last February, in the pantry, I discovered a bin filled with sprouting potatoes. Instead of dumping them straight into the compost, I scratched the earth below a blanket of leaf mulch in an unused part of my vegetable garden and laid them to rest. Potatoes at rest apparently offended Sissy, the calico, because she promptly dug them up. They grew anyway. They were determined in the pantry and not to be deterred in the good earth. When I saw green leafy matter poking up through the leaf mulch, I piled the mulch on even higher. My number one gardening adviser, Mama, said they'd be ready when they bloomed. Last weekend I noticed the first two plants in the row were brown. In certain defeat I pulled them up. Voila! Even the still green plants were fully potatoed. When next I spoke with Mama she was surprised by my news and checked her own plants. Same story in Wilmington as in Raleigh. Who knew?

After the daddy rabbit and his brood feasted on my okra plants the week of June 1, I covered them with this floating row cover on June 8. It lets in moisture and sun and keeps out those who have the munchies. Jubal says he knew about the rabbits, but did not know the okra were important to me. Between Jubal's alert vigilance and the row cover, the okra crop has recovered its growth.

This is Sissy putting the cat in catnip. That's oregano in the immediate foreground.

We had about an inch of rain yesterday evening that fell slowly and soaked nicely into the ground. So that's mud I was digging in with my all time favorite gardening tool--Wolf Garten hand held rake. The pile of rocks came out of the hole and the scrawny Jubilee tomato went in. This is a part of the garden not previously tilled. Believe me, the rest of the space was just like this when I tilled it the first through seventh times. I love the Jubilee because it's reliably large with balanced acidity and it's yellow. I note that Jubal, whom I love, shares similar traits.

Brandywine--heirloom with large potato-leaved foliage; bears large pink beefsteak-shaped fruit. The fruit weighs over a pound. Last year I had one 2 pounder.
To the right is my full row of tomatoes--Beefsteak, Brandywine and Jubilee. Started the seeds under the grow light in late February.

This is my overflow row of tomatoes consisting of the cherries, and the extra seedlings of the Jubilee, Brandywine and Beefsteak. At the end near the Adirondack chairs is the cheater tomato that I bought for $2.59 in Dobson (county seat of Surry County) when I was there in May. The cheater, aka Park's Whopper Improved CR, was in full bloom with several small fruit when I bought it. Some people I know brag about eating their tomatoes by the 4th of July. That doesn't happen for me and the plants I start from seed--more likely the end of July. Yes, I gave in to peer pressure.

Eat Sleep Garden

2008-06-08T16:27:00.000-04:00

The projected temperature today was 102 degrees. It is 100 now at 4:47 p.m. Thought I'd post a few photos of my garden as it looks today. Here we have remnants of okra plants left for me by a small nuclear family of rabbits, plus their assorted cousins and friends. Getting them out of my garden at 6:30 this morning was like herding cats. As I watched them make their leisurely retreat, I saw the various breaches in my fencing. Good thing I planted enough for their family and mine.

I'm including this photo of passion flower for its unusual architecture and beauty. It smells like grape candy.

This is a slick glass birdbath with dead bees in it. It is tucked conveniently by the winterberry bush which is in full bloom. I learned the hard way that bees need water and a way to access it. Therefore, according to my wise friend Connie the beekeeper, Townbees.blogspot.com, put a stick or rock in your birdbath. The silver lining, and I almost always try to find one in these learning opportunities, is that this is a mistake that I will not be making from this day forward. My other birdbath now has a nicely bleached oyster shell in it for easy ingress and egress.

From this vantage point, in the foreground, we see asparagus fronds; echinacea (pink cone flower which reseeds like crazy); oregano to the left of birdbath with oyster shell; catnip (cat mint) to the right of birdbath; pretty blue wine bottle; pickling and burpless cucumbers; black beauty eggplant; zuchinni and crookneck squash; Jubilee, Brandywine and Beefmaster tomatoes; cubanelle, jalapeno, banana (hot and sweet) peppers; basil; onions; okra; and sunflowers. Promises of good things to come.