Earwigs vs bunnies

Last night I took Briar out for her final business trip of the evening and noticed this big pile of earwigs feasting on fallen oak buds. Okay, I knew we had a lot of earwigs. I knew they nibbled on my purple potatoes last year. I have also suspected them of getting a few seedlings, like my coreopsis seedlings.

However, these earwigs chose an awfully suspicious place to dine. Right next to a denuded branch of moss-curled parsley.

Wes has just constructed me an anti-bunny defense screen for the front yard raised beds. So, soon we’ll find out… Are the bunnies really the culprits of the lost seedlings of mizuna, bok choy, and carrots? Did they, as suspected, eat all the leaves off my front yard parsley? Or am I going to have to find out if diatomaceous earth really works on earwigs?

Stay tuned.

The earwigs are above my finger and my finger points to the nibbled parsley.

TOAD

Wow a friend!!
A slightly closer view but I didn’t want the dog to bother our amphibious friend so this is as good the photography gets tonight.

Native seed stratification success

Several seeds I pulled out of the fridge recently are sprouting in their humid containers so we planted them today!

Liatris mucronata from Mom!  Yay!
The yucca has a really long root! Mom, is this Arkansas yucca?  It’s the one from your house.
The green milkweed (Asclepias viridis) had tons of seeds sprouting and a very brushy or fluffy root for each seedling.  We put them root down, I just wanted to show the fluffy root here. Dad got these seeds for me!

Everything is growing!

Spring is really springing today. It’s very humid and warm too though no substantial rain yet despite forecast.

Widow sedum is growing a lot since I put seedlings here in fall.
Possibly dill seedlings.
Blackberry is leafing out.
Red lake currant is budding.
Pink champagne currant budding too. 
Native “Crandall” currant budding.  I just got it this winter.
Native field violet or “johnny jump up” (Viola bicolor I think) is blooming in front yard near non-native chickweed (white flower) and non-native henbit (between the chickweed and the violet).
Spinach is a bit chewed on.
I don’t know when the lettuce grew this size but it feels sudden.
“Rhubarb” Swiss chard (named for red stems).
New Kuroda carrot.  The other two carrot varieties are also up.  I put jars over these first few in case bunnies like them like they like the mizuna and bok choy.  Mustard greens untouched.
Radishes getting adult leaves.
Collard greens from Judy sprouting.
In the plant window, mammolo (green ones) and red rubin (red ones) basil have been up a few days now.

Removing seeds from cold stratification

I checked on seeds in the fridge this evening.  Two species have started sprouting so I planted them in sprouting trays and also some directly in the ground. The others species I think I’ll keep out and see if they sprout as they’ve been in since January I think.

Desert globe mallow with little roots before I tuck them into their new dirt.
Blue flax also before covering the roots.