Sunday, July 15, 2012

Farmers Markets, Fanatical Peas, and Larvae War...

I heard someone once say, "One mans dish is another's distaste" or maybe it was, "One mans trouble is another man's job." I can't remember it exactly, but it just goes to show you that you can observe a lot just by looking.
I was walking home from work and coming through the honeysuckle trellis in our back yard. This has been a stop of heartache for me as the honeysuckle became the breeding ground for about 14,000 aphids over night. I have sprayed and ans Cisco says, "El Koboshi'd" them for about a week and don't seem to be winning. One day they are in remission, the next they are looking at me in a swashbuckling way saying, "Is that the best you've got!"
So as I walked, I mused. Should I call that master gardener mother of mine. I know she's busy with a wedding and selling pretty pounds of produce to the local farmers market, so will she want a call about the latest aphid attack? Then I noticed we weren't alone. There little ladybug larvae romping around the leaves and buds. Why nature had sent her ying to my yang. She has sent her white knights to send the aphidic orcs packing. Sweet. No reason to call this time.

Here is Luther going about eating his daily 6 dozen. 

I couldn't tell if this was Hermione or Gwendolyn, but she's no slacker.

Saturday was an odd day weather wise. It didn't rain, and waited until we all had given up hope of seeing the sunshine, then got to be a scorcher. I pruned up the ivy fence in back (no, there won't be a picture of the horror) and pulled up some small trees seemingly planted at random on the right side of our front yard. The previous owner scattered rock about 2"deep, then planted small fir trees and then forgot all about the area. In consequence, there is a mound of grass that you can't mow for fear of throwing rocks and the innocent bystander and can't dig out because the grass is heavily matted in the rocks. The trees were in several different stages us decay, but now they all look the same. (gone) Chalk up one more victory of our side!
Then it was on to the vegetable garden. Mostly we are harvesting and watching new beets, radishes, and carrots growing. There isn't much to do as far as weeding as most everything is too big to need weeded or too fresh for weeds to differentiate themselves as interlopers. The sugar snap peas are buy reaching out for new heights as I either planted too many, or else had too small of an area. I could say that it was all by the book, but blaming never helped anyone. All I am going to do is to munch a thoughtful pea pod and decide what to change next year.


Peas reaching for another trellis to conquer

Our corn isn't very tall, but the tassels are showing so we're hopeful

The daylily border is going strong. There are some flowers, but a lot more about to bloom.

The last stop of the day was the local farmers market. Our market (in Puyallup) is a rather large and eclectic group. From elephant ears, corn dogs, and pizza to baby clothes, jewelry, and dog boutiques. We bypassed all of this wonderful variety and headed for produce lane and flowers. Raft Island Roses (located in Gig Harbor, which is worth the drive but very far with two children who don't like driving!) has a stand there and their roses are exquisite. We purchased two of them, but the third we wanted was already sold. I am going to plant them in the kitchen garden and take out the three that died and returned as extra wild roses - that keep forgetting to bloom. 
The only depressing part of going here is that you see all of the people who are selling their produce and it all looks better (and is priced cheaper) than yours. Their beets, corn, peas, and the rest are all extremely nice and inexpensive. We have debated spending our money there instead of in our garden, but since I enjoy pottering about the old homestead, we'll keep gardening. It is just one more reminder that we aren't doing this to save money - just my sanity!



 

2 comments:

  1. I'm looking forward to sharing some of those snow peas with you. And your roses are beautiful.. I've had it with one of mine that is so colorless, I've decided to yank it and replace it with one that's colorful.

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  2. Yay for the ladybug babies to the rescue! I've had some plants beset by aphids and have seen green lacewing eggs on them, but no action yet! Those eggs better hatch and get those babies to work, pronto!

    The roses are lovely. I love farmer's markets!

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