The garden is still going strong. We have veggies piling up faster than we can eat them. These are some of our tomatoes, sweet peppers, and cucumbers. The weird, yellow spheres at the bottom are lemon cucumbers.
Not shown: 20-30 more cucumbers, 2 more bowls of tomatoes, some hot peppers, a handful of beans, a few eggplant, and a solitary zucchini.
When we returned from vacation just over a week ago, we were greeted by lovely fresh veggies. I had a friend enjoy our harvest while we were away. Now it’s finally our turn!
The spider is eating a bee and it is soooooo cool!
I thought these pictures, especially the first, were cool enjoy to justify a sort of watermark
I skipped the bales this year. We were supposed to get the house painted in early May and I wanted the garden as open as possible for the painters. Unfortunately, frequent, heavy rain pushed the painting back into June and they’re still finishing up.
We have: 15 types of tomatoes, Many types of sweet peppers, 2 types of hot peppers, 3 types of eggplant, 2 types of cucumbers, lots of beans, brussels sprouts, some sad broccoli, some herbs, and a couple of artichokes as an experiment. We will have zucchini and summer squash once the painters are done so I can move the pots back to the deck and use the space where they are currently standing their ladders.
I actually used to be a bit scared of spiders, until I realized I was really just scared of getting bitten by a venomous spider (not that we have many of those around here.) I started taking photos of them and learning to identify them as a way to overcome my fear. I still dislike suddenly finding a spider, or any arachnid/insect/bug on me, or finding a spider I can’t identify, but I feel like I have come a long way.
I did happen to get bitten by a spider last year. It was a big, black, beast of a spider, and it was hiding in the finger of my gardening glove. The gloves are a little big on me, so I didn’t notice the spider when I put them on. I planted two blueberry bushes before it got fed up and bit me. Unfortunately, when I got the glove off, the spider was a bit squashed, so I wasn’t able to definitely identify it (but my money is on a female Hacklemesh Weaver.) I was able to confirm it wasn’t venomous. It hurt kind of like a bee sting when it bit me, but the bite never swelled or anything.
In retrospect it wasn’t a terrible experience, and the kids think it’s funny when I stomp on my gloves now before putting them on.
I was out picking raspberries and spotted something interesting.
Looks like another nursery web
I went out to pick our first cucumbers last night and came across a cluster of baby spiders in the cucumber leaves. The spiders are off to the right. The egg sac is hidden among the leaves to the left.
I have some close ups below. Arachnophobes beware.
Six weeks ago I started some hydrangeas from cuttings.
They are all now rooted and putting out new growth. I didn’t lose any plants!
I’m going to transplant them into larger pots and let them grow some more before planting in the ground.
This is very similar to the Gardening Hat I made, but with a nice stripe pattern. I made it for my mom, who taught me all the gardening I know. It is a very simple pattern, which makes a women’s size. It works up very quickly and the pattern is easy to memorize.
My hydrangea cuttings are rooting! I checked a few days ago and there were little root buds, and a few little roots, at the bases of most of the cuttings (photo.) Today, some are rooted well enough that they can no longer be gently removed from the soil. None have rotted or wilted, so far.
May I pick it? Please?
Five Monkeys Menagerie 