Posted on August 24, 2022August 24, 202208/24/2022 giant squash time and other things I thought I saw something in a firewood piece. It was a mason wasp! The Chef made a delicious dinner. BLT with farm share tomatoes and Paula’s sourdough bread. The okra and peppers side was breaded and pan fried, with both farm share and garden okra, topped with cholula hot sauce. These corrientes cowpea leaves seemed maybe diseased because they were covered in light yellow speckles, so I removed them. Some sort of fungus maybe on the basil? It is the round dark spot I’m pointing to with my snippers. I have been removing them. If anyone knows otherwise, I’d let a leaf miner live. Trimmed all the basil this evening for the Chef to do a pesto batch. This corrientes cowpea stem is flat like a ribbon. Side view of flat stem of cowpea. A mystery. Last but definitely not least, the giant green-striped cushaw squash. I’m not sure if Briar was concerned or unimpressed. We got out the bathroom scale for this magnificent beast. The squash weighed 14.5 lbs. Last year’s big squash was barely 7 lbs.
Posted on July 19, 2022July 19, 202207/18/2022 The Missouri fluttermill primroses just keep going! I’m wondering if it’s that I’m giving the new Justicia pilosella behind them water? It’s usually just a cup or two. A mystery squash has emerged. The green basils are getting sunscald on their leaves, I think. The amethyst basil are shaded a bit by the mealy blue sage and look better, but also wilt more often between watering.
Posted on May 13, 2022May 13, 202205/13/2022 garden checkup Sweet basil seedlings. Butterfly milkweed is up in the backyard too but hasn’t flowered yet (same as front yard). Yellow flax still blooming! It’s annual, so I hope the seeds like it enough here. Whitlow-wort gone to seed. Another native annual from TX home. False gaura that I planted from potted last night is doing well. Texas verbena has bloomed! It’s a perennial. The rattlebox had adorable seed pods as promised. The Rocky mountain bee plant from the botany club plant sale is blooming! There were ants at the blooms. The Phacelia is really fun. The prairie bluet is flowering a bit. I’m worried since it’s early that this means it’s not happy. However, it’s a perennial, so hopefully it will do its thing now and be less worried next year. The twice-moved yucca is making new little leaves! This yucca is in the shade which I figure is probably okay at this age. Many plants seem to like to have nurse plants. The baby winecups are starting to get true leaves. Second year for this mystery plant with no blooms. It does have a square stem. Abby suggested Monarda, which I did seed here at one point, so fingers crossed!! Slippery silk beans and several other varieties are up!! The two leaf senna didn’t have a lot of roots when I planted it from a pot last night. So, I put two containers of water so it would gradually keep it damp for now so it can get established. It’s my only sprout from the seed and I love this plant! It’s a host for Cloudless Sulphur butterflies.