Those Little Green Worms

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So, a couple of people have asked me who picked the little green worms off my broccoli (and also the Kale, they made a special appearance on that last night)

I am very proud to report that I did it.

Yes, me!

That was until my oldest saw what I was doing and she said “Hey I’ve see those little guys on that green leafy stuff over there….”

ARGH!

She was right, on my green leafy kale was a bunch of green little wormy things.

She picked those off while I finished with the broccoli.

The chickens are really loving us these days.

Carrots and Stupid Green Worms!

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Last night I harvested the first of my carrots, I love it when the garden finally starts to produce. There is so much satisfaction in harvesting and eating healthy home grown produce.

I pulled about 40 carrots, only 1/4 of my total carrot patch, I am going to be freezing and canning a lot of carrots this year, if all goes well.


The warm weather has arrived, after a long cool spring and an unusually cold June. As soon as the temperatures reached the high 80’s my summer squash started to bloom like crazy and already there are two “Cue Ball” zucchini squash ready to for harvest.


When I was doing my daily walk around the yard I noticed my broccoli.


Some light green worms were munching away happily, I can’t believe all the damage that was done in one day! The leaves look terrible, but the centers, where the broccoli flower grows look untouched, so I don’t think at this point the broccoli crop is lost.


I picked about 40 caterpillar/worms off the plants and fed them to the chickens (the birds loved them!). I hope I got most of them, I will be checking again carefully for the next several days to make sure they are all gone.

I pray they haven’t done too much damage.

I am also very thankful that my family doesn’t depend on our garden for food!

Cup ‘o Tea

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Around these parts we had a very wet cold June, I think it was the wettest and coldest on record. (Global Warming?) Because it was so cold and wet there were many cool weather crops that got an extended growing season and some of our warmer weather plants had a chance to grow big and tall before they began to produce. Things like Melons and winter squash will be in short supply this year, they really can’t take a season shortened by four weeks, I am hoping the fall will be warmer than normal.


Because of this it looks like we are going to have a bumper crop of Chamomile this year, and not wanting to lose any or buy any this winter I set the children to work picking the flowers.

Since picking flowers is generally frowned upon at my house, they think it is fun to pop the blossoms off the plants.


I am going to dry these little babies and save them for cold winter afternoons. I seep a weak Chamomile tea, add warm milk, honey and the kids love it! It is a great way to warm the belly after an afternoon in the snow.

Sweet Peas

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I have a lot of flowers in my yard

There is a general rule that the flowers in the yard DO NOT get picked.

I like them outside to brighten the yard, they last longer and are prettier outside, nothing is sadder to me than a daisy that looks thin because it has been picked over.

anyway…


There is one exception,
and that is my
Sweet Peas!

I have grown them now for four years and have fallen in love with these flowers,
they are so pretty and different and the
fragrance

HEAVENLY!

I plant these special little beauties in the spring and about June they start to bloom, I cut every single bloom until they stop flowering in August. (By doing that I keep them from going to seed and they bloom longer.) I have small vases in the kitchen and the living room and the smell fills the house.

The best part is filling small jars and sending them to the neighbors, there is nothing like fresh flowers to brighten someones day.