Beauty of the Pea

Of all the vegetables, peas are my favorite. They blend the beauty of an ornamental plant with the no-nonsense function of a veg. They don't mind cold weather, and they stand up to be picked. They're also just gorgeous. 

The blossoms are delicate origami, and tipped upside down, eventually producing a pea in slow-motion sleight of hand that turns the handkerchief of the bloom into a pod. The curly reaches of the vines make the plant seem more alive than other vegetables. I feel like if I could sit still long enough, the pea would wind around my fingers and hold my hand. If only. 

Garlic Catastrophe

This spring we've had some problems with our garlic. Around the time scapes normally form we noticed we weren't getting any. A closer inspection revealed the scapes were dying off as they formed, turning white and mushy. We've had so much rain my first thought was that the ground was too wet. Closer inspection found holes in the leaves, and I started to suspect a bug/pest of some kind.

I recently pulled up a plant for a closer look and dissection. I found, a small, white worm.

Crap.

I don't know what it is, but I'm afraid we're going to lose the whole bed. We don't typically use pesticides, and so it's time to go searching for a natural remedy if we can find one.

Update: After some research, I found out that the pest we've got is a leek moth. Details here. Not sure what we're going to do to save the garlic, yet. We may just give it up.

Small, But Sweet

 

Maybe it's my imagination. But, it seems as if the berries we pick from our backyard taste like heaven. Certainly fresh berries are far better than the mealy ones packed in plastic in the grocery store, but there's something about those from your own patch that's even better than farm-fresh.

 

It's been our best year yet for strawberries, without a doubt. Now don't get too excited. That just means that we've got enough for a serving a day. But it's a wonderful, well-fitting gift to head out to the patch in the morning, pick enough for breakfast or a lunch-snack and know that there are still some that'll come ripe for tomorrow. It's a lesson in patience, and satisfaction in small, sweet gifts.

 

Catching Rain

This is a good year for our small patch of lupines. We've got more plants than any year so far, and they include pink flowers this year in addition to the usual purple. I snapped this picture on a recent rainy day, which wasn't hard to do since we've had so many lately. There are several flowers in the garden that catch the rain in beautiful ways, reminding me that even non-sunny days can be brightened. 

Here's an example of that pink lady (you'll have to click through to see it) ... which must be the result of cross-pollination. I've researched a bit to see if lupines revert to color over time, and they do. But from what I can tell, they revert to purple, not pink. So, that color must be the bees work. Bumblebees in particular love lupines because they've got lots of pollen, but no nectar. I didn't know that, but found a fascinating article on color change on the racemes. 

Blackberry Bloom

Our blackberry bushes are in full bloom, and it's funny to see one of the central flower focal points of the backyard become a thorny patch of canes. It's inspiring to think that each of those small white rosettes will become a thimble-sized berry, which will then become pie filling. This year's full bloom occurred in the first few days of June, which feels a little early. No complaints, a longer growing season will hopefully bear sweeter fruit.