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Monday, June 4, 2012

"Close-up" in the garden

 June 4 asks for a close-up photo. I couldn't pick just one. We are having the rainiest of weather and I am torn between whether I am loving it or not. I do like to have an excuse for staying indoors and sewing, crocheting,knitting, cooking or reading but I am missing my outside time. In between downpours I have been checking on the animals, feeding the poultry and so far today I even managed to squeeze in about five minutes in the vegie patch.
 There is still one tomato plant that is growing in the garden. I think it is time I picked the remaining fruit though because it is just one good frost away from useless.
 I really like  the water droplets on the flowers. Nasturtiums are a favourite here. I'm not completely convinced on the eating of the flowers (it's the texture) but the leaves are nice in a salad.

Now it was fortuitous that I was down in the garden today. Otherwise these dreaded cabbage moth grubs would have made more of a meal of  the brassicas than they already had. Their appetites are voracious and they aren't welcome here. I often will allow a self-sown plant to get a hold in the garden even if it takes up too much valuable room but bugs begone. We have plenty of birds around and I do all the right things to encourage the predators but sometimes the only thing for it is to manually remove the baddies. At least that way I know they are gone (for now) and that no nasty chemicals have been used.

Tracy

4 comments:

Lisa said...

I'm just a beginning gardener myself, but I saw a video which advised sprinkling wood ashes around your cabbages - they swore it does the trick!

Very pretty pictures, Tracy.

Bec - Farmers Wife said...

Great photos Tracy.

Abbeysmum said...

I read somewhere a long time ago, that placing some white egg shells near your cabbage etc, will convince the moths that there are heaps living there already and they will move on elsewhere...hope it works.

Kim said...

Great photos ...you managed to make a cabbage moth caterpillar look beautiful sitting on his leaf with a rain drop. It seems a pity to squish him.
If I am not busy, I try and get the eggs on the backs of the leaves before they turn into anything.Or if I am busy I net the garden. Though sometimes I just go out there and they have beaten me and eaten all the leaves!