Integrated pest management in the edible garden

Squash borers: Take action before they do damage.I ended up with some volunteer butternut squash vines from kitchen scraps buried in the garden. Normally, I would not be growing them during mid-summer, but we'll see how they do in our hot summer weather.One action item is to bury the base of the...

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Summertime, summertime...

Is it spring or fall?Several years ago, I purchased this native fall-blooming aster, but each year it has bloomed in both the late spring and early fall.  Its breaking of bud dormancy may be caused by the same length of day as its correct blooming time. Whatever its problem, we do enjoy its surprise...

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Kohlrabi: a versatile cole crop

The weird stem enlargement is about the size of an apple...Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) is one of the many cole crops (cabbage, kale, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and more), which have all been bred from just one plant species. Kohl is the German word for...

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A wish for a greener 2015

I wish you and yours a wonderful and bountiful New Year!!A frosty reddish leaf lettuce.Winter vegetablesHere in Florida, even here in North Florida where we receive several killing frosts each winter, we can grow most cool weather crops right through the winter. In most of the country, gardeners spend...

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Yard critters

A green treefrog (Hyla cinerea) jumped out of the beggar ticks (Bidens alba) that I had pulled from the front garden.A bagworm (Oiketicus abbotii) is overwintering on a beautyberry bush.Managing exuberance carefullyI allow some beggar ticks (Bidens alba) and snow squarestem (Melanthera nivea) to...

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Lime basil

Lime basil took over my early lettuce rows. I'd grown it here last year and now I know that it's an abundant reseeder. I'd let it grow since early September when I set up these 2 rows, but now it was time to give the lettuce and the beets more room.Abundant harvest of lime basil! I shared some with...

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Beautyberry bread

Gathering the berries. I used only the ones at the ends of the branches because they are the last to ripen.I robbed the birds!Many birds feast on our beautyberries (Callicarpa americana) including mockingbirds, catbirds, and cardinals.  So I felt guilty removing even one cup of their winter berry...

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