Beetles Invasion

Did you know the formal name of Beetles are Coleoptera? I didn't either, but now I do. It reminds me of Cleopatra. I wish Cleopatra had come to my house instead of these Japanese Beetles. Actually, ghosts are creepy so maybe not. Nope, it'd still be better than these pesky bugs.
So, I have been picking off the beetles from my pole beans and potato plants, and tonight there were only 3. Every night there have been less and less beetles, and I hope they haven't mated and spawned their infesting eggs. Last year there were NO problems with bugs. This year, there have been. I'm not going to post a picture, because they're gross, and if you don't know what one looks like, consider yourself lucky.
We ate a Jalepeno from the garden on nachos, it was SO spicy! My lips were burning, and my fingernails were burning, and I have so many left! Too bad the deer ate all my green peppers and not those! Everything is growing so good, we have so many beans, and zucchinis, and have been digging for potatoes, which is like christmas digging under the tree for a present! My Butternut Squash is growing really long, I have looped it around the garden and pulled out the broccoli stalks to make room. The tomato's bottom leaves are still yellowing and falling off, but the tomatoes are growing nicely. There are a lot of them too! So far, it's been more challenging this year, but also more rewarding!

Pickin'

Today we went Blueberry picking. We went to the Gold Barn, because I can't remember ever going anywhere else, therefore, they have the best blueberries. Unfortunately, we could only pick for about 20 minutes before it started storming. We picked "Collins" variety berries, and altogether our family of 3 picked 6 pounds, with 3.6 of it coming from me! Apparently toddlers don't really understand the concept of keeping any berries in your bucket, because she was constantly cramming her face with them. YUM!
To celebrate blueberry day, we made pancakes for supper, and bulked up on diaper rash cream. Someone ate A LOT of berries. I had to buy 10 pounds for freezing, and I plan on buying 10 more in the coming week. I also want to make a pie.
I was surprised at how many berries were on one bush, it can't be that hard to grow them, and I know the climate around here is made for it! Even if I just had two mature bushes, I feel like it would be beneficial. Something to look in to!

Baby Vegetables

I've got produce! These babies were really cute, but they're even better now that we can EAT them. Still could use more beans, and the broccoli went really fast, but I'm looking foward to lots of zucchinis, tomatoes, and potatoes. Last night there was a really weird ant swarm on the side of one of the boxes, and I sprayed it with Terro, so I'm hoping we don't die after eating the potatoes they were by. At least the ants are dead.

We have been eating beans and peas right from the garden, and one zucchini. I've decided not to do lettuce again next year, maybe romaine, but my lettuce is really bitter, not sure why.

So far everything's growing really well, and I finally have a nasturtium flower!

Dinner's ready!

We brought our Broccoli to a friend's house for lunch Wednesday and it was so good! I was proud I could bring something organic and delicious. I think it was ready early because I started the plants when they were half grown.
Anne ate the lone bean that was ready last night, most of them will be ready in the next couple days (the ones that weren't eaten.) I'm already thinking about doubling my garden again next year!

I'm lazy.

We haven't put up a fence. The deer also haven't come back, so that's a good thing. I have been spreading Milogranite around the entire garden regularly, which is helping keep the deer away! It must work because there have been a family of bunnies in our yard around the garden too and they have left everything alone, even the lettuce. So, I think we're going to pass on the fence because the ground is very hard and it's hard to poke in the stakes. And I'm lazy.
Everything is growing, and all my flowers are blooming, and I'm so happy with everything and how it looks. There are some yellow/spotty leaves on my tomatoes and peppers, but they are still thriving, so I don't think it's anything serious. I love all the flowers in our yard and on the vegetables. So pretty, and a contrast from the sour last post I had.

Stupid Deer

So, a little set back in the garden. It was eaten by deer on Wednesday, and I stood in the middle and cried. Oldest thought I was a little crazy and started crying too (not sure if it was because she finally realized what a nutcase I am.) Anyway, after researching many methods, many of which have already been in place, I decided we need a fence. A BIG fence to go all around the garden, which measures 19'x25'. Went to Menards to look last night, and I found the last deer fence available. A 7' high by 100' long mesh fence for only $13! Yeah Menards! Now the only thing I need to decide on is the supports. The menard's man was trying to get us landscaping lumber, 8' high for only $1.97. That would require us to use a post hold digger and they are quite large. Major problem with this is the ground around the garden is rock hard (which is why we have raised beds!), and it also seems more permanent. I'm leaning towards rebar stakes we can just hammer in, major problem with these is they only come 7' high. The fence would either drape on the ground or hang over the top. A Willie Nelson-eque man came up to us with some wisdom while we were debating the merits of the deer fence, and he said it worked well but hummingbirds and dragonflys get caught in the mesh and we would have to free them. I said it's a small price to pay for no more deer!

Luckily it's a long weekend coming up so I will have time to put up a fence and replant the beans the deer stole. I'm most upset about my sunflowers, it's too late to replant them and they were doing so well! The deer didn't touch the zucchini, peas, or nasturtiums, but ate the tops off some potatoes, and the sides off the broccoli. They also ate 3 pepper plants down, but I'm hoping I can go to the local greenhouse and maybe they will have some mature plants I can purchase and replant. I know it's cheating, but I fully acknowledge that and I'm over it. I'm so excited my husband has agreed to help me with the fence. I guess it beats having to pee around the beds at night, like he has been doing (which also hasn't helped.)