What to do with a Baby Opossum

This morning, our neighbor Jan was looking quizzically between her garage and compost bin.  We stepped out to hear her terrier Molly squeaking. The source of the tension?  A baby opossum was hiding out behind the compost bin.

Fortunately, Alex's Extermination Service came to the rescue.  He used a stick and a few yells to chase the babe out from behind the bin.  Then, he grabbed the possum by the tail near its body.  Their partially prehensile tails do not allow opossums to attack when held at the base of their tail.

Lil and Devie were very interested.  We told Lil some of the interesting factoids about opossums, the mammal evolution seems to have left behind.  For instance, did you know that opossums are marsupials, meaning their young complete gestation in a marsupium pouch on the mother?  They have a strong immune system rendering them resistant to rattlesnake, cottonmouth, and pit viper venom.

We debated how cute the little possum was.  Lil wants no one to say they are ugly.

We also debated what to do with her.  We didn't want her around our house, as possums root through trash, eat vegetables from the garden, and can be dangerous as adults.  It's not easy to kill a pest in city limits, and Lil was attached anyways, so offing it wasn't an option.

We decided to pack her in a plastic tote and drove to a ravine a mile away.  We let it go, hoping she'll be young enough not to return.

Head High on the Fourth of July!

We visited the other garden last Tuesday.  Look what we found: Corn!!

Corn that hides Lil the corn princess!

Ears of corn with tassels!

Corn with whispy leaves taller than me!

Baby squash lacing through the corn and...

...heart shaped sweet potato leaves winding their way through the squash!

Our community garden plot is growing according to plan; mostly it takes care of itself.  Here's hoping the rest of the summer proceeds with fairly normal weather so that we might harvest great gobs of corn, squash, and potatoes to put up for the winter.

I love America, a place where there's still room to sow seeds of change, where one can nurture gardens and hopes.  Happy Independence Day!

Summer Sunflowers

I have intentionally planted sunflowers twice. Both times, they were eaten by squirrels. Those that are volunteers from birdseed droppings, however, thrive in my garden.

This year, they started as broad two leaved seedlings under the bird feeders. As we removed the deck and situated new beds, I moved some seedlings to more appropriate places. I tucked them between beds along the fence line and bordering the air conditioner.

Months later they finally bloomed this weekend.

Pollen gathering insects love sunflowers. I can almost always find a bee or two on ours. Later in the season, birds enjoy the sunflower seeds. I enjoy watching the wildlife, hiding the air conditioner, and the contrast of bright yellow petals to the overwhelming green of the garden.

Welcome summer sunflowers!

Harvesting Dragon Tongue Bush Beans

We're harvesting beans, baskets of beautiful yellow and purple striped beans.

These heirloom dragon tongue beans are a bush bean, meaning they do not need to be trellised.  They grow down towards the soil hiding under wide umbrella leaves.

The beans can be cooked fresh.  Sadly they lose their beautiful coloration, cooking to a light yellow color.  They have a buttery taste with a crisp texture, making them delicious steamed or added to stir fries.

The pods can also be left to dry on the vine.  When the seedpods are shriveled, pick them and allow them to dry further on a cookie cooling rack.  Remove the pod and dry the speckled beans further on a rack on top of the fridge or in another dry place.  Store in an airtight container when they are completely dry.  Beans can be kept dry this way for up to a year or made into the best beans and rice ever.

Are you growing beans this year?  What's your favorite variety to grow or eat?

Which Flowers to Pick from the Vegetable Garden

Most annual vegetables send out flowers.  It's their way of ensuring their own reproduction. The home gardener must manage flowers, tending the ones that will develop into fruits we want and removing those that distract the plant from its functions.

Leave the flowers on these plants, as they develop into vegetables:

tomato

cucumber

pepper

eggplant

peas

beans

squash, including zucchini, acorn, and pumpkin (a special case, as the blossoms are edible but if you eat them all, no squash will grow)

Remove the flowers on these plants, as their desirable leaves will bitter if flowers are allowed to bloom:

greens including spinach, kale, mustard, bok choi,broccoli raab, and lettuces

radish

herbs including basil, cilantro, thyme, and mint

Harvest from these plants before they go to flower:

broccoli

cauliflower

brussel sprouts

These flower stems are edible in addition to their root.  If you do not remove these, the plant may use energy producing flowers at the expense of making root bulbs:

garlic (picked as curlicue scapes shown above)

onion

The delicate potato flowers may be picked or left on the plant.  Marie Antoinette is said to have enjoyed these beauties in her hair.  They may pull a slight bit of water and energy from growing tubers, but I enjoy leaving their blooms in the garden.

Of course, you may grow these flowers as edibles:

sunflowers

nasturtium

violet

These lists are by no means exhaustive.  Which flowering vegetables have I forgotten?  Which do you have questions about?

Flooding - bad for the gardener, worse for the farmer

Weather has not been nice for vegetable growers this year. First, the temperatures rose so quickly in early spring that many greens bolted and bittered far before their time. Now tens of inches of rain are flooding fields. The lack of sunlight leaves fruits unripened and rotting. Those of us who don't use pesticides are inundated with weeds. I have remarked more than once recently that I am glad I'm not a farmer. I feel anxious about my own harvest but I know I can always buy what I need if my vegetables don't turn out. Farmers do not have such a luxury: when their crops fail, their whole livelihood suffers.

The Wayward Seed farmers faced reality yesterday and suspended vegetable CSA shares for at least one week. In an email to shareholders, Jaime Moore wrote "Quality and service are of the utmost importance to us, and we will work tirelessly until we are able to once again resume delivery of vegetables to our members. We would rather suspend shares in the short term than give you anything that does not meet our standards of cleanliness and quality." Jaime invited CSA participants to own their share and help weed the fields.

Though I only purchase a fruit share from Wayward Seed, I want to see their fields thrive. I will be volunteering my time this Thursday morning. I plan to be at the farm in London at 10 am. If you can spare some time, please join me!

Baby Vegetables

Many of our plants have set flowers and baby vegetables are beginning to appear!

This is an exciting time to be a gardener.  All the work starting the seeds, prepping the soil, planting the seedlings, and weeding are starting to pay off.

There is anxiety too. I am struggling to keep something (a squirrel I think?) from eating the flowers off the zucchini plant.  I have seen it send out flowers many times but none stay around long enough to go to fruit.

My peas are a lost cause this year, it seems.  Despite being covered in bird netting, sparrows have mowed down the leaves such that they never climbed their beautiful trellis.  Only the peas in Lil's garden have set out a few pods.

What's going on in your garden?

How and When to Water Your Vegetable Garden

With proper watering, an edible garden will thrive without necessarily increasing your water bill.  Here's how to most effectively give your garden the moisture it needs:

1) Use reclaimed water from a rain barrel first, if you have it.  Also consider other sources of reclaimed water - your child's swimming pool, water used for rinsing vegetables or thawing meat in the kitchen, or blanching water allowed to come to room temperature.

2) Water only when needed.  If it hasn't rained in a day, feel the soil.  If it is damp just below the soil, wait another day or two.  If it is dry for the first inch or two, get out the hose or watering can.

3) Water deeply.  Soak the soil at the base of the plant thoroughly.  I typically leave the hose on trees and large shrubs for five to ten minutes.  Each 5x5 raised bed gets at least five minutes of watering too.  Watering deeply allows the soil to hold the moisture for an extended time and gives the whole root base a chance to absorb water.

4) Water at morning or night.  If you water in midday, it evaporates so quickly that the plant loses its chance to absorb the moisture.  We typically water in the evening after dinner so the plants have all night to do their thing.

5) Pay special attention to containers.  They will need watering more often than beds, up to once a day in hot weather.  Place containers closely together to help them retain moisture and not dry out too quickly.

6) Watering is a great chore for kids.  They love to use the hose!  If you are using rain barrel water, remind them not to drink it.

Do you have any tips to water well?