(Part 2 of 2) The Summer Garden

So now, we've been through all the terrible trials of May and made it through the regular 82nd Legislature. It's time for gardening, traveling, weddings, arts & crafts and most importantly SUMMER! (And unfortunately, Special Session)

I started running again this weekend, I am sadly very out of shape but getting back. Lola was with me (she's a good little interval runner, I will be taking her more often now). When I was about half was through my neighborhood jog, I trotted past a woman who was probably in her 60's with a glass of wine, flip flops and a house coat on, she cheerfully greeted me, protesting "It's cocktail hour in the garden!" I decided that I needed to go home immediately and make my very own cocktail hour in the garden, and that's exactly what I did.

It was a wonderful evening including a little caprice salad and a glass of Sangria. My cherry tomatoes are out of control and threatening to take over the other two bushes, the heirloom is having a little harder time and seems to be suffering some tomato blight which I am treating to the best of my ability and all three plants have lovely little green tomatoes fattening and ripening and getting ready for my dinner table.

I know it's very sad to look at the hole where my squash used to thrive. I'll have to figure out something that can take the 100+ Texas heat.

While we are talking tomatoes, I had several friends warn me about grub worms ruining my tomatoes and until today I had not seen a single one. Then while I was inspecting the ailing heirloom I saw this disgusting creature. I once again had to put on the garden gloves to "take care of him." I could not handle simply squishing him, so I dramatically flung him to the ground and stomped him with my flip flop. Ewww!

On to the peppers, as before, the banana bells are proliferating. I still have not really figured out the best way to cook them, but I read a great recipe for stuffing them and then wrapping them in crescent rolls, yum. Also, I really thought I bought a red bell pepper, turns out it's purple. Then my orange bell pepper is still green but hopefully will continue to ripen and get bigger.

(Part 1 of 2) The Garden in May

So with the end of session and beginning of special session, May and this first week in June were really crazy at work. Even with 120+ comp. hours worked last month, I tried to keep up with the garden and get a few other creative things done around the house. Plus, I had a couple of great family visits that rendered some new and exciting stuff!

Now to the garden, May was not the best month for gardening here in Casa de Nezda. All of my plants began to bear lots of fruit which was very exciting but not without tradgedy for some. Below are all the pepppers on the banana bell pepper plants along with some pretty tomatoes which I have now devoured.

I have never been a big fan of tomatoes and to this day don't really care for the kind that come on sandwiches at most restaurants, however, a garden tomato is totally different. Squeeze out the seeds, add a little salt and some olive oil and what a wonderful treat. Plus, these tomatoes seem to be able to reach a deep reddness that their store bought counterparts could never hope for. The heirlooms, had some pretty serious problems, including major drought/cold cracks that made them not look so pretty, even though they still tasted wonderful, and one of the two got attacked by pests and had to be thrown away.

Now for the really terrible news, the dreaded squashvine borer... I was warned by a very nice gentleman at the Austin Garden Club that these little pests would be a problem but when I read about them, all the articles said not to worry until June or July. Apparently this is not true in Texas, in Texas a gardener needs to worry about squashvine borers at the beginning of May. Basically, these wasp like creatures lay thier itty-bitty eggs on your squash plants and they are barely visible. When they hatch, they burrow into the the healthy stems and begin eatting. One day the plant looks vibrantly healthy, the next it's wilted, then it's dead. These evil little larva managed to kill all 5 of my lovely squash plants. As soon as I knew there was a problem I tried to help the little plants by cutting open the stems, digging out the white worm looking larva and popping them (yes, they pop), very disgusting, I was very glad for gardening gloves. Here is the damage, very sad.

Healthy, squash stem or so I thought.

Wilted squash plant.

Dead squash with the exposed stem where the borer ate the middle.