July 9, 2014 by Born To Organize

For the Love of Pumpkins

I love my pumpkins. After a good night’s rest I’ve decided that I won’t take it lying down.

Their demise that is.

In case you missed yesterday’s post, my nemesis the squash bug recently moved in. You can catch up here.

Female flower at the ready as a bee swoops in

Actually I did take one thing lying down: pictures. How else would I get a shot of the underside of the leaf and the attached eggs?

Squash bug eggs on the underside of a pumpkin leaf

Leaves, tendrils, flowers and…more eggs

In a word, yuck!

I laid flat on my back and took photos looking up. Fortunately, no one walked by at the time or they surely would have called the paramedics. Amazingly, I managed to get back up, then spent the better part of an hour looking at the underside of every leaf on the pumpkin vines.

That scrutiny lead to another discovery: eggs on some of the pumpkin plant stems. In the end I’d scooped several adult bugs into my dry bucket, along with infested leaves and stems. I removed dead or browning leaves as well as spent flowers, making it easier to detect the adult bugs They were happy to crawl on my glove and from there they went into a bucket. I dumped the infested leaves and bugs into the curb side green waste site, and within an hour the ‘green monster’ came by and scooped the entire pile into the back of the truck. This was another tip from one of the sites: rip them out and compost them.

Infested stems and leaves

The lovely Pauline at The Contented Crafter looked up companion plantings for me, something I hadn’t thought of nor come across in my reading. Ah, the web is vast indeed. There is enough room in the boxes for additional plantings so I’ll give it a try. Nasturtiums unfortunately need opposing growing conditions, but dill might work. I’m going to look for some at the garden center.

It’s unlikely that I removed all the eggs this morning. I’m pretty sure others still lurk on the vine. With daily checks, however, I hope to slow them down and possibly keep them at bay.

Stay tuned.

Trailing the deck

July 8, 2014 by Born To Organize

Decoy Pumpkin Fail

Did you hear that long exhale? It’s been one of those weeks in the garden.

A squirrel shredded my garden swing cover.

Gathering nesting material

My decoy pumpkin died…

Decoy pumpkin no more

…and the dreaded squash bugs descended on my beloved pumpkins.

Squash bugs dancing a jig…or something

A bit of history

I spotted a single squash bug on the side of the house in early spring. Thanks to a dry, warm winter, they happily overwintered. Further reading tells me they’re a hardy bunch and can survive under a blanket of snow. In any event, they’re back.

The idea was to plant a decoy pumpkin in the back garden, hoping to draw them away from the other plants. I planted three varieties of pumpkins in EarthBoxes™ on my deck, as far away as possible from the ‘scene of the crime.’

Unfortunately, the irrigation in the decoy box stopped working. Pumpkins are thirsty plants, and by the time I realized, it was too late. Whether or not it would have worked is anyone’s guess, but it’s now a moot point.

A colony of squash bugs are now residing om my beloved deck-top vines.

I’ve learned a thing or two from a handful of sites, but nothing that gave me any hope. Apparently squash bugs need the squash to reproduce. They’ll go in search of other food, but it’s not until they find a squash plant that they set up house. Some of the professional growers plant ‘sacrificial’ crops like pumpkins (what!!!) to defer the damage away from pricier crops in the same family. Imagine choosing cantaloupe over pumpkins. Why I never!!!

After last year’s debacle, I assumed the bugs liked the fruit alone and that I would be safe until then. Nope! They lay eggs on the underside of the leaves.

Damage

According to John Capinera of The University of Florida:

The squash bug causes severe damage to cucurbits because it secretes highly toxic saliva into the plant. The foliage is the primary site of feeding but the fruit is also fed upon. The foliage wilts, becomes blackened, and dies following feeding; this malady is sometimes called “anasa wilt.” Often an entire plant or section of plant perishes while nearby plants remain healthy. The amount of damage occurring on a plant is directly proportional to the density of squash bugs.

The plants look healthy. I’ve been knocking the large bugs off the leaves, but I’ve yet to go in search of the dreaded eggs. The bees are a buzz every day, moving from flower to gorgeous flower. A couple of pieces of fruit have reached the size of a baseball.

Deck-top pumpkin crop

Developing pumpkin

Regardless of the outcome of this year’s crop, it might be time to take a year off between plantings. I know a lot of gardeners rotate crops for this reason. I took a break from growing tomatoes after a nasty tobacco (tomato horn worm) infestation. They’ve been fine ever since.

I’ll keep you posted.

Resources:

The Old Farmer’s Almanac: Squash Bugs

University of Florida: Entomology and Nematology

Living with Insects: Squash Bugs

July 1, 2014 by Born To Organize

Fairy Garden Additions: A Little Little Free Library

Mary Elizabeth planted the seed. In her sincerest voice she asked “when will you be building a Little Free Library for your fairy garden?”

Well.

I picked up the fairy-dusted gauntlet and came up with this:

The shell for the library illustrates a classic case of the box being more interesting than the contents. Setting aside three tiny jars of purple glitter, I got to work on the structure. I finished it in no time. Fairy structures are like that. If you’ve been putting off building one, today’s the day. Working in miniature is rewarding and relaxing. If you use items on hand, it’s also affordable if not free.

Miniature Library Materials

Old matchboxes infused with special memories served as the basis for the larger books. Toothpicks covered with vintage stickers made slender chapter books. Miniature titles are at the ready for diminutive passersby.

The roof signage came from the bottom of one of the LFL brochures. It’s the perfect size. Serendipity.

The mini LFL sits at the curb of the fairy garden

Like its bigger cousin, this L(L)FL sits near the curb. It was my son’s idea to support it with a clothes pin. Garden builders under 18 often have the best ideas.

My fairy gardening style is ever-evolving. Check out my Page, above, Fairy Garden Frivolity for a look back.

The Little Free Library movement encourages ‘reading for children, literacy for adults, and libraries around the world.’ Little Free Library.org

June 27, 2014 by Born To Organize

The Color Purple

It’s everywhere. Purple that is.

Love-in-the-Mist gathers morning dew

Growing up, my sister claimed purple as her favorite color. To this day it remains unchanged. I’ve always loved green, with blue and purple a close second. In the garden, I like them all.

When our oldest son was old enough to express an opinion, he declared orange as his favorite. My husband loves blue and my good friend, Kristi, loves red, so he assumed only one person could have the same favorite color. He declared that his yet-to-be-born younger brother would favor yellow.

We watched closely as the little one developed his own taste, secretly hoping it might be yellow. That would be a fun story for the family archives. Alas, the color blue won the day, though the story still makes me smile.

What’s your favorite color?

Bachelor Button

Catnip

Garden Rainbow: Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet

June 25, 2014 by Born To Organize

The Garden Hums Along

June is a month of growth. My boys turn another year older, with a year’s growth dutifully marked on the wall. On the other side of the wall, the garden is humming along.

Teenage boys have hearty appetites, while gardens continuously quench a powerful thirst. They appear to grow overnight. It’s thrilling and unnerving at the same time. Suddenly everyone’s growth accelerates.

On the garden front, the sunflowers have dwarfed the Salvia, though they are by no means behind the curve.

Sunflowers, Salvia and Pumpkins

By season’s end the sage should double in size. Planting sunflowers in the same bed is a one-time affair. By next season it will be too crowded. I’ve planted sunflowers in five different locations over the years, and as long as they receive sun and outsmart the squirrels for a few weeks, they do well.

Sunflowers ready to bloom

Another Sunflower Variety

The seedlings at the front of the beds are doing well. They stayed under the screen savers long enough that they were able to take a foothold. The taller plants in the back row didn’t have the same protection, and most of them succumbed to snails. One or two hung in there evading detection, and within a few days most of them will bloom. I can hardly wait.

The EarthBox pumpkins are sending out flowers daily. The bees are working their magic.

Flowering Pumpkins

Look…I grew a pretzel

I call this one ‘threading the needle’

Just like the old-fashioned telephone cord

Today I harvested the first of the delicious, sweet tomatoes and remembered to pinch the flowers from the tips of our basil. Once the basil starts to flower, the leaves aren’t as sweet. I’ve learned to nip them in the bud early. This keeps production going.

If you bend your ear to the earth you should be able to hear it too: hummmmmmm.

Harvested tomatoes with a cherry on top

June 24, 2014 by Born To Organize

My Pretty Porch

The lovely Boomdee is celebrating her birthday today, and not only that, she’s celebrating in her new home. I’m sharing her post from this time last year, which coincidentally involves her pretty porch. We share a mutual love of sprucing things up, among many things. Happy Birthday, Boomdee! We can’t wait to see the magic you bring to your new home. xox

Boomdeeadda

Living in a condo doesn’t give you a lot of opportunity to nurture your green thumb but I always look forward to the month of June. June is when us northerners get all our planter pots prettied-up and set out for the glorious summer days ahead.

source

With that in mind, I diligently hit my local garden centre June 6th, planted everything with tender care and then waited for the rain to stop…..and waited….and waited some more (Alberta’s been hit hard).

Last year, I went banana’s and the porch overflowed with GIANT pots of blooms. So pretty but a little tricky for visitors.

This year, I decided I’d pretty things up with a couple of craft projects and smaller pots. I just loved this dainty ‘Teacup Bird Bath’ I got at the local Farmers Market , but in typical Boomdee fashion, I smashed it to bits before summer…

View original post 219 more words

June 23, 2014 by Born To Organize

Professional Relaxer?

Years ago we bought a cozy little chair hammock for the garden. It came with a decal that said “Professional Relaxer.”

Snort!

I made sure the boys stuck the decal to my husband’s car because I’m incapable of ‘relaxing’ in my garden. My idea of gardening nirvana isn’t about relaxing, but about doing. So after pronouncing to a handful of friends that we had ‘nothing planned’ for most of the weekend, I proceeded to clean my side yard. I sorted, swept, washed, pruned, recycled, tossed and donated most of the afternoon.

We have two narrow side-yards, though only one has a gate. We once used the closed side yard as a play area for the boys.

Once upon a time in the side yard with Fluffy, CC and the boys

In later years, we created a screened-in cat enclosure so our cats could have fresh air and exercise but remain safe. We have one unkind neighbor who set a trap for our cat, then took him to the animal impound. Eventually we discovered the Cat Fence-in System and life in the feline world has been better ever since.

A few years ago we adopted Slinky, a semi-feral kitty who wanted no part of indoor living. I made a cozy enclosure for her, complete with a day-time lounging area, a climbing post and a sheltered bed. She lived out there for a year. After nabbing her for her annual trip to the vet, and keeping her briefly indoors, she had a complete change of heart and moved in!

Slinky’s Private Quarters (Mouse liked to invite himself over)

Absent Slinky, the side-yard morphed again. This time it wasn’t pretty. It became the home for wayward garden screening. Old cat litter boxes, past their prime but not recyclable joined the mix. Plastic pots saved from nursery bedding plants multiplied like unmatched socks. The space no longer satisfied my tidy aesthetic.

Side Yard Starting Point

Far End of Cat Enclosure

We borrowed our neighbors small truck and combined his items with ours and made a trip to a local transfer station. While a trip to the dump was a bit of an adventure, it also made me realize the back-end of human consumption.

Cat boxes without a recycle symbol eventually have to be tossed. Cat furniture, made from particle board and carpet remnants, so too have nowhere to go. Broken tool handles, fractured irrigation pipe, and other bits of detritus end up as landfill. Our trip was an exercise in awareness as well.

Back home, exhausted and sore from the day’s work, I eventually put my feet up. That said, I’ll leave the serious relaxing to the professionals. When you garden, there’s always work to do.

June 19, 2014 by Born To Organize

Strawberries After All

Strawberries after all

After complaining about the ant invasion in our strawberry patch, I’m happy to be eating my words. I reached in to the dense green foliage of the strawberry patch and came up with the perfect berry: ripe, bright red and ready to eat. The ants moved on, preferring the cast-offs from the fruit tree. The rats and squirrels eat half, then dump the rest for the ants and the fruit flies.

No matter. I gathered the berries the snails missed, and put them to good use that night. The day before, I read Strawberry glut daiquiri at Promenade Plantings.

I’m not much of a drinker, unless you count water and tea, but this sounded really good. We actually had white rum and lime in the house, so it all seemed serendipitous. If you have your own glut of strawberries and you like the occasional fruity drink with a kick, this drink is delicious.

What else can you do with all those strawberries?

Check out these suggestions from my blogging community:

Please drink responsibly.

June 18, 2014 by Born To Organize

Plum Lucky

Please forgive my little play on words, but today we really are “plum” lucky. Will you look at all that fruit?

Basket of Plums

Plums Still on the Tree

Coincidentally, today is my youngest son’s 14th birthday. The tree that produced all this goodness was a gift for his tenth birthday. This is the tree’s break-out year for fruit. We have lots of yummy apricots, too.

Freshly Harvested Apricots

Apricots on the tree

In one of life’s small ironies, the birthday boy won’t eat any of this fruit. He’s excited to grow and pick the fruit. He’s especially proud of the ample production. In a stage that I hope will one day pass, he still blames me for over-pruning and thereby killing one of the tree’s four grafts.

In the interest of harmony, we agree to change the subject.

We’re celebrating later with his favorite cake: Sans Rival. It’s a Filipino dessert cake made of layers of butter-cream, meringue and chopped cashews. Its name comes from the French phrase with the literal meaning without rival. My friend Jasmin introduced us to the cake and we’ve been fans ever since.

Happy birthday to my smart, clever, insightful, creative and handsome young man. You can’t see him, but he’s standing at the bottom of the fruit-picker.

Telescoping Fruit Picker

June 17, 2014 by Born To Organize

Pumpkins: Something Old, Something New

Unfurling leaves and curling tendrils

Did you know that pumpkins have been around since 7000 BCE? Now *that* is something old. Something new is planting out pumpkin seeds in EarthBoxes® on our front deck. Most years, the pumpkins start out in the raised beds out back. Unfortunately, the nasty squash bugs from last season wintered over, so I needed a ‘plan b’. One of my readers suggested a decoy plant in the usual place so I did just that. It’s growing so nicely though, that I fear I’ll be just as heartbroken if the nasty bugs take hold.

We’ve been growing pumpkins for a decade, mostly for carving and decorating. We’re all fans of Halloween around here, so nothing could be finer than a Jack o’lantern carved from a garden gourd.

Meanwhile, the pumpkins on deck are thriving. We set up trellises this weekend so the pumpkins can climb up and over. I thinned the plants (always tough for me) so that the others would have room to grow. I planted three varieties from seed six weeks ago today, which means they’re already half way through the 90 day growing season. Isn’t that amazing?

Pumpkin progression: May, 3rd – June 16th

There are a plethora of buds, with the first few male flowers appearing this week.

Male pumpkin flower, open for business

The females will bud next, then it’s up to the bees to cross-pollinate.

Female pumpkin bud

To help things along, Salvia and Sunflowers are growing nearby. They’re all bee magnets, so a good time will be had by all.

Trellised pumpkins grow near sunflowers and Salvia

Please check back soon to see the pumpkins progress. Meanwhile, if you run into a squash bug, please DO NOT offer directions to our place. The pumpkins thank you.