I spent most of yesterday fussing over my tomatoes. I “didn’t get the memo” (from the movie “Batman Begins”) about pruning. As vines towered four feet over my head, I had to channel my inner contortionist to crawl into the jungle and clean up a big pile of limp or shriveled leaves and branches. That’s […]
Crane Fly – I spotted this impossibly long-legged, mosquito-like insect on my cherry tomato plant today, and since I’m keen to attract beneficial insects to my garden, grabbed a photo and went to the internet. I learned it is a crane fly. I think I can spot the ovipositor, so I’m assuming it’s a female just taking a […]
Nasty Aphids Attack Corn! What else is new? Aphids attack everything! As I was out shaking the tassels to promote pollination, I discovered my second corn plant has been attacked. Everyone passing by my garden has told me they had trouble growing corn here, and I am no exception! Though, I naively thought I might […]
Corn Advice Welcome! I am growing corn in my parkway (the strip between the sidewalk and the street), and the yard near the sidewalk. Everyone who walks by tells me they had trouble growing corn. I thought I was going to be the exception. Yesterday, a couple went by and said they grew corn, but […]
The neighbors’ gardeners trimmed their row of Eugenias that back up our properties two days ago, and I filled a green can with all that fell on my side. (FYI, wear a mask if you are messing with Eugenias as you will be blowing allergens out of your nose for awhile. I know.) This big guy […]
Oh, it’s blissfully quiet on my street! Except for aircraft (jets high, coming in to LAX south of here, small planes going up and down the coast, occasional helicopters heading over the mountain), I don’t hear a thing! Not even the incessant barking of the dog at the end of the street. No drone of […]
“Growing Purple Cabbage” is Kaye saga as she triumphs over a host of garden pests to harvest, on Mother’s Day, her first-ever cabbage. With neighbors, Sophia, C.L. and Larry. Click on YouTube for high resolution. If you have a question, please leave me a comment. I’ve learned a lot since Mother’s Day 2012, and I […]
What’s Eating My Amaranth? Something’s eating the tender shoots. When this much of the shoot gets eaten, there’s not enough energy in the plant to recover. I confess I planted Amaranth because the description on the seed packet sounded so enticing. “Elegant burgundy plumes add rich color to the back of a border. Striking maroon leaves […]
Yesterday, I discovered I had grown potatoes for the first time in my life! When I noticed some of the potato shoots looking droopy, I thought I would dig down and investigate. In the episode “Rainy Day” I had planted 6 small potatoes in a pot, 3 purple, 2 golden and 1 red. I kept […]
Earwigs! GRRRR! That’s my response whenever I see them. After many nocturnal visits to the garden, witnessing numerous snails and slugs, and the occasional Armadillidiidae (roly poly) foraging on my vegetables, last night I spotted a Dermaptera (earwig) lounging on a young spinach leaf. I was curious what critter was eating on my new spinach seedlings, […]
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