Microscopic Strawberry

There has been good news today, as I discovered the very first strawberry of my garden.

The Bait Motel

I've been fighting a host of predators in my garden these past few weeks - primarily slugs and these little black bugs that are covering certain branches of the plum tree in the neighbor's yard. Ugh.

Now, I used to think I could deal with bugs in nature. Bugs in my home? Dead. Quickly. But bugs outside? That's where they're supposed to be! However, once they decided that my garden was for their pleasure, I became very unhappy.

Yesterday, I trimmed the branches that were bug covered and hanging over the garden, so I hope that takes care of the gnats (or whatever they are). But the slugs? I wasn't sure what to do with them.

When my teetotaling mother suggested I buy the slugs all a round of drinks, I figured that was a good indication that I shouldn't just ignore them anymore. I knew someone was munching away at my peas as soon as they popped their little heads out of the ground, but I wasn't sure exactly who it was. But in good faith I brought them home a bottle of beer (after studying the multitudes of slug bait that all seemed not nice for a vegetable garden, if I ever wanted to eat them).

Beer was poured into containers, buried in the garden so the slugs could easily access it, and of a depth that would cause drowning the instant they tried to taste.

This morning, however, my anticipation for drowned slugs was not fulfilled, as I had filled the containers to the brim, allowing everyone to just get tipsy before visiting the salad bar. And visit it, they did, as one entire lettuce plant was brutally devoured.

This afternoon, the gloves came off. No more offering slugs a drink to stay away from my plants - they are getting a full buffet of slug bait. It's supposedly safe for dogs and cats, in case any eat some while passing through the yard, so I didn't feel as unorganic as I might have had I gone straight for the poison. Hopefully, it works.

Mr. Miyagi

This is The Husband's garden. While at the garden show last week, I was going crazy hugging the beautiful plants that I bought. Almost out the door, The Husband stopped in his tracks to look at the tables full of Bonsai. We spent at least 20 minutes looking at all the different kinds they had. Finally, he settled on Mr. Miyagi, a 3 1/2-year-old White Oak. He was started from a seed, which encourages me in my seedly endeavors.

The only sad thing for us about him is that he wants to be outside. Which makes it very hard for us to find a place where we can see him, and where he's protected from strong winds and blazing sun. For now, he sits on our patio, enjoying his shadow.

Saturday Planting

So I'm hoping that this is Spinach, not orderly grass growing in a row. *fingers crossed!*


This morning I planted the most delicious cherry tomatoes in the history of man: Sun Gold. I have two plants, so that one can be just tomatoes I devour off the vine, and the other can actually make it inside for dinner. Seriously, my coworker brought me some of these last year and I had to struggle to save some to share with The Husband!


This other tomato is a Japanese Trifle. I loved it in the seed catalog that my FIL mailed me, both for its name (I'm a sucker for Asian sounding food), and that it is an heirloom tomato that has an "incomparable, almost indescribably complex and rich flavor" - whatever that means! Come on, catalog, you're supposed to describe these things, not just call them indescribable!


Here is my acorn squash that I stuck in a corner. I wasn't feeling squashy when I planned this year's vegetables, but I repented at the garden show.


Here is the Spearmint and Orange Mint that I also bought last week (left and right, respectively). They are in a pot in the ground, as I've heard they can be quite invasive. I love them so much!


And last, but not least, here's one of the Strawberry plants that my coworker gave me a few weeks ago. From the flowers, I think I can determine that it is doing well, and not being beaten up by the nasty slugs I see in the mornings!

Growth!

So, this is either a Sweet Pea or just a regular old Pea.


I know that for a fact, because a plant exactly like it is growing next to one of the other stakes I set up.

But this, however, could be a photogenic weed, or, as I'm hoping, my Bush Beans.


I'm sorry some of these aren't quite in focus, for some reason my camera thinks that the dirt is the subject of these portraits.

But this is encouraging! Hooray!

Does Every Baby Plant Look Exactly the Same?

I almost forgot to note, it looks like the early contender in sprouted seeds is the Bok Choy.


That is, unless what I thought might have been Oregano a few days ago, and then changed my mind to guess that they are just weeds, is actually Oregano.


In that case, Oregano wins. But where are my Sweet Peas and Bush Beans?

And the Green Grass Grows All Around

Today, after heartily mowing the lawn with our push-blade mower (more exercise is always great, I keep telling myself, after I have to make two or three passes to get all of the crab grass cut), I proceeded to set up a fairly awesome sprinkler system. I have 4 rotating sprinkler heads (with distance adjustments) connected by 4 mini hoses so that almost all of our yard will be covered with just one turn of a handle. No more turning on and off the water, running out to move the sprinkler, and giving up and just killing the lawn at the middle of summer!

The added bonus of our new sprinkler setup is that it gives a subtle hint to our lovely neighbors that our (granted, unfenced) property line is not 5 feet into our yard. Take that!