Root- Knot Nematode

My eggplants and tomatillos have been looking pretty rough lately, so I pulled them up, and as you can tell by the photos it's root-knot nematodes. ( I had really been looking forward to those purple tomatillos ) I had some problems with the winter garden and I used a product made from chitin and right before planting this spring I applied it again. So I don't know ....... I'm going to plant some marigolds around the garden and see if that might help some. If nothing else, it'll bring some pretty colors to the vegetable beds.

Summer fun and book meme

The little one and I, have been enjoying our summer so far. We've been playing at the park, going to the library for their summer reading program,(it's all about bugs, cool!) painted rocks to look like vegetables for some garden markers, started painting a birdhouse, and built a volcano. I was expecting a huge eruption of water, baking soda, and vinegar. But as you can see it was more of a ooze. Hubby told us next time to just use the baking soda and vinegar and see how that does. Hopefully that will be more dramatic.

On another note, my friend Laura tagged me for a book meme. The rules are:

1) Pick up the nearest book.
2) open to page 123
3) find the fifth sentence.
4) post the next three sentences.
5) tag five people and acknowledge who tagged you.

Dang, I don't know 5 people to tag!!!!

My book is The Animal Dialogues, written by Craig Childs:
Okay here goes...

" He watched. His head moved as if it had the fluid suspension of a gyroscope. The female finally came."

It's about owls.

Really.

I swear.

" This male did not take our mouse. He glided between trees, his voice growing irritated. I had to run out and grab the mouse back because he wouldn't dive for it. He watched. His head moved as if it had the fluid suspension of a gyroscope.The female finally came. I posed the mouse on a broken branch and stood behind a tree, extending the branch from my arms."

I just started this book last night and I only made it to the third short story. Good reading so far and I'm looking forward to reading some more tonight.

Florida Scrub Jay

This article is from the current issue of Nature Conservancy.

Aloe and Vera

Remembering Dad

I am well again, I came to life in the cool winds
and crystal waters of the mountains.......

-John Muir-


May 25, 1940 - June 18, 2002

Sugar Baby Watermelon

Loved by children and chickens alike.

Hooray, our first sweet, tasty, watermelon!! I'm shocked at how hardy this variety is. ( I have the worst luck with powdery mildew and none of the plants do well because of it.) It also has a nice compact growth which was great for my small garden. I think I'll try growing it next time as a container plant to see how it does.

Red Admiral

Shirley and Aloe

It's painfully obvious, now that Shirley and Aloe are CROWING (ALOT), that they are really Larry and Al.

Ummm.......okay, that wasn't supposed to happen.

Wapsipinicon Peach Tomato

This little heirloom comes from Iowa and is named for the Wapsipinicon River. Wonderfully sweet and very hardy. I definitely recommend growin this one. I started them from seeds and then transfered them over into a Earth Box. If you lack available space for gardening go buy one of these. They are just awesome. I was lucky enough to get this one as a gift, so maybe I'll pick up another and try some watermelons or cantalope.

Ducks at the beach?

Have you ever seen such a thing ?