jimmy cheezy cocopoof

I know its hard to believe, after the 8+ inches we had with Irene & family, but I have to tell you that we realized it was dry today! This time instead of the burnin hot sun and what not, ( but I don't have to tell you that the sun is at a crazy angle.) The Wind, had a little to do with sucking the moisture outta ...ever ...livin ....thang ...on tha... earth.

Chapped lips, tumbleweeds, dust bowl.

There was much watering of seedlings today. No I wont complain. Because this summer when it was a hundred thousand degrees I was dreamin of a wind, even a hot dry wind. Blow-dryer-wind is what we called it in the SW.

Yes I have no photos this week. I hope I don't bore you. please write & tell me if i do. actually write & tell me anything. any ol thang.

So... I can tell you that we have a fall garden planted. AND that is why I have been somewhat silent. The heaping spoonfuls of soil and seed I am hauling around the garden, yes, me, alone, all me, solo, sans hands..... Oh HI HATTIE!, Oh I was just joking... ha ha, hee... heee? ha? ho? hello?
I'm of course being silly, that happens I am told. We do everything by hand so the brain starts to get giddy.

Hattie plowed her bootie off, making amazing raised beds for planting. Then we compost & level each bed for seed. And then the seeding, by hand mostly. yadda yadda.water, yadda, Its really amazing.

Its a beautiful thing. I am gonna take a photo for you, this week. I AM! i will! I SWEAR!

This is all for you my winter denizens! Never fear ! The Cornucopia of Nourishment is at your door just for the asking. So easy. I bring you yummyness. just ask.

oh Irene!

Irenie, you caused a lot of hullabaloo, about 8 inches of rain & plenty of wind. And in this neck of the woods we were lying prone all night in fear of tornadoes.

The garden fared pretty well all of our pre-hurricane precautions seemed to have paid off. The naked hoophouse is not an Irene tragedy, it's getting a facelift this fall so we decided the hurricane was a good reason to release the old plastic, rather than wake up to a bent hooper.


Hattie said the row covers barely budged in the gusts.


Since we didn't have the market on saturday we decided to have our own, Post Hurricane Sale
we had lots of wonderful customers come out & shop. THANKs YA'LL!!!!!

volunteers, squatters and earlybirds

Not the truest title but hey, it early, so sue me. or give me a better title.

Around the garden there are amazing things and some just a little inspiring.

Out around the compost bin there are lots of 'volunteers' this one has been out there blooming for a while now. Its eye catching because there is either green or brown out there and a shock of pink is always welcome. She doesn't care that Hattie tried to dispatch 'er. I think she is trying to attract the bee's who live back there...



Another grandstander is the perfect, no disease, lush cherry tomato poppin up by the back door. She's hidin some little gems under those leaves. Dunno if she was dropped as a seed or if a tiny start was tossed. But here is our fall crop! well not so much, can't bear to cut her down, but against all odds I'd say!


About a month ago after all the drama with the bee hives, I discovered the spare & mostly abandoned bee hive shaped like a house ( Dave told me the name of that type of hive, but guess what I forgot it.) had some action! Oh yeah, they are in & outta there all the time and there is a queen bee. imagine that. We aren't even mad that the hive is in the MOST inconvenient spot.

These little fuzzy green pointy hairs on the dirt were expected sometime this week but not as soon as they showed. Do you know what they are? I think they had all the perfect conditions, lots of rain warm temps but not too burnin hot, and of course lots of expectant eaters... Baby carrots comin! We are happy to have you.
cheers! off to cut arugula!!

our parasitic pals

Since the very first time I grew tomatoes I knew about the Tomato Hornworm. ( Actually I called Molly back then & said what the.....) What a crazy creepy GAWjuss critter! They are masters of disguise. Even after you find one, once you move your eyes it is easy to lose it.

First you think, ooo cool, then you see the munching & decimated mater plant. Then you get mad, then you google. Well it turns out that the hornworm turns into a moth, kinda normal except it kinda hovers like a humingbird. Yeah a hummingbird moth. kinda cool. And if you have plenty of maters & you aren't trying to make a living off of them.... you might let it live.

I mean, whats so great about tomatoes? I'm sure there are some delish weeds out there. what up? Git ooouuuuttt. Don't MAKE me kill yo arse... please... I'm a lover not a killer.

Like I said though, they are easy to lose sight of.... UNLESS!

...............tune of underdog...................
..........here I come to save the daaaaaaaaay.....

I confess that this week is the first time I ever heard of, let alone saw with my own eyeballs the hornworm's natural predator. And boy was it excitin! It actually happened just before that latest thunder boomer & I was torn between carrying it out with me to get a photo and running to shelter to save my personal electrical system from potential zappage.I think I made the right decision.

SO here I share with you , in case you ever see this... You should know, it is creepier than the hornworm its own bad self and even more GAWjuss in its own ultimate way...

Ladies & Gentlegardners I give you Cotesia congregata .........


A Braaconid wasp (pupae)... A Beneficial!!!!!
The female wasp lays eggs just under the skin of an unlucky hornworm. As the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the hornworm–literally eating a hornworm alive. Larvae chew their way out through the host’s skin when they mature. Once outside, the future wasps pupate, spinning tiny oval cocoons that look like insect eggs along the external back and sides of the worm. These fellows–and ladies–are not just innocently hitching a ride. When the adult wasps emerge from the cocoons, the already weakened hornworm will soon die, thus preventing any further defoliation on tomato plants. So, if you see a bright green hornworm carrying what looks like a clutch of white-colored insect eggs on its back, leave it there! The hornworm is not only feeding its own destruction, it is also carrying potential destroyers of hornworm brothers, sisters and descendants. The braconids get a meal and a future, and the hornworms get…GONE! ( this information was summarized from Betty Gray - a Galveston Master Gardener)

If you enlarge the photo above, by clicking on it, you can see the little larvae are like little cotton swabs. We found numerous Hornworms with this 'affliction' and they will remain. Think of how many wasps are here on this ONE caterpiller they must live on. No spraying anything that will hurt the waspies, and i guess that means BT cause the worm would no longer be able to survive thus giving the wasp its much needed nutrients.... right hattie?

Now that you know what I know, feel free to fill in any blanks. I'm a novice. Loud & Proud.
oh & come on by the booth Saturday at the historic complex, 'cause damn the worm we got maters.


Eat Local!!

rain dance

So last week I had my post all ready, blabbering on about the drought. How dry it was. Our main task was to keep the garden watered. And since that was not really all that interesting I decided to do a little profile on a curious water feature that is in my neighborhood.
I guess it was the raindance we needed since we got somewhere near 2 inches in just a couple days. Weatherbug says 2.69 for the month. It was sure a nice respite for the week. And the weather has been pretty nice since then. But the dryasabone forecast will be back, it is after all only July.

First I saw one, and thought it must be an ancient artifact. Then they started popping up all around, 2... 3, and then a red and white one showed up. I gotta tell ya, I'm easily amused. especially on my day off. I am much more serious when working....much...


Here in my hood there is an army of little john deere's (and one International Harvester) merrily watering the lawns. They are just so darn sweet. Apparently they follow the hose & wrap it up when done! crazy, the tires have little spikes !

I googled john deere yard sprinkler & found one at Ace Hardware... but of course... Ace is the place!! I was shocked at the cost. I certainly wouldn't leave it out in the yard!!

Here is a little video to take you to commercial break... think the end segment of CBS sunday morning.... with poor lighting.... and no tripod..

Little Shoppe of Horrors

As we approach the July 4th weekend market, where there will be tons of folks scrambling for everything we can possibly load into our booth. People who will want melons ( i think its a little early) and wonder where are the apples? Not that we sell either of those, but other folks at the market do; when they are in season.

Some folks don't know what the difference between conventional and organic produce is, and why organic can be more expensive. There was a time when I didn't know. And when I thought local meant grown in Pop's back yard. And Pop surely wouldn't use chemicals to grow. right?
Farmers Markets are not only a point of sale but also an opportunity for education. Some folks don't know where, when or how. Just FEED ME. Some do. Some already know.

Last week a middle school aged girl was at the market with her grandmother and the girl was amazed "you grow all this stuff yourselves? Everything? Wow, that's cool" .
I realized that she was offering a compliment to us. She really cared that it took a lot of work to do this and was thanking us. I proudly said "thank you very much, it is a tough job and it's people like you that make it worthwhile." and that was mostly it. but I think that she understood it was hard & there were lots of veggies. Maybe she grew a squash for science class and saw the constant care needed.
But I created a happy thought that she would be one of those future grownups who asked where & how it was grown. I was so surprised by her interest that I didn't engage her as much as I wish I did. I would have asked her if she ate beets or if she wanted to try some arugula. Maybe she will be back.

I guess my soapbox moment here is that if you know about organic farming; help those who aren't aware to understand what it takes to be a farmer, and if it's your thing, how organic farming can work. It might have to be administered in small doses.

Some topics to begin talking about food:
• what is seasonal eating
• why eating local is good for our economy
• how to cook a particular item from the farmer
• books that are fun to read about eating locally
• the dirty dozen - fruits and veggies that are best when organic
• and if you are feeling brave, chat about GMOs and CAFOs

And don't forget that it is okay to do your best and not do everything.


The best advice is to KNOW YOUR FARMER.

See you at your local Farmers Market

just a quick howdie

Here is a bee of some sort ( anyone know?) trippin on natures fractals.