Greetings from the Farm

Only working one shift today, in case you are wondering what I, the 'slave to all plants' is doing on my computer this time of day. Check out the above photo....hmmm......what is it?
A real close up shot of cantaloupe skin ! That netting is so intricate. What part of the plant is the melon exactly? Before you read on, make sure no small children are reading over your shoulder. The 'melon' is the enlarged ovary of the plant! yum. So are tomatoes, cukes, squashes etc. The fruit is the survival vehicle of the interior seeds to bring forth a new generation. So, leaving it to rot in the garden, the fleshy part of the fruit, would provide protection as well as moisture for the plant to perhaps, seed itself and live on. Plants only purpose in life is to re-produce, kinda like, well... I'll skip my sacarsm. WE interupt plants along their journey to EAT them. Some for their swollen ovaries, some for their roots like carrots, some for their 'storage organs' like potatoes (spuds are not roots), some for their flower buds like broccoli and some we eat the seed pods like green beans, leaves of the plant like lettuce & spinach and finally some for their seeds like corn.

Speaking of green beans, these are our beauties. No, that is not a childs hand, it is my 29 year old hand. Quit laughing.

Stop by and get some!

2010 Most Popular Iris

Coming in at #1 is Avalon Sunset, so orangey! Still plenty of all these beauties left. We will be selling the rhizomes at the market & field in a couple of weeks. May be BEFORE we dig orders, which doesn't start till July 15th.

In at #2 Batik, very cool.

At #3 another awesome orange, Savannah Sunset. Very similar to Avalon Sunset,but Savannah is 2" taller!

Tied for #4 Tokatee Falls, awesome blue.

The other #4 is Merlot, even smells like it, and sure looks like it, must be it! Thanks for all the iris orders, it was a great season!

GREEN BEANS

There back for another summer season. We will have them at the Farmers Market Sat., get there early! We should have them most days at the field next week. Get your butter & salt!

The Lovely Lilies!!!!

Okay, so this isn't a lily, but lovely just the same. Salvia 'Plumosa.' Just took all these photos today. Have this one for sale in medium and large pots.

Little lemon colored lilies. They only get around 18" tall.

Knock-out red asiatic lilies, about 30" tall.

Love that orange, about 30" tall. Soooo pretty. All for sale in one gallon pots, just ready to go home and into your garden! Fully hardy and will increase in additional flowering stems for years to come.

Vendors?

Thinking about vending for our festival? Only a few more spots left. What I would like yet:
Honey/maple syrup
Homemade candles
something for kids to purchase
jewelry maker

check out the Farm Festival Line-up at http://www.farmfestival.blogspot.com/

What's that off to the west?

Looks like a batch of rain. Surprise!!! We will open at 10, and close if it storms. There is just no safe place to be is a storm in a field.

Want small plants?

Then come get them soon, most small plants are outgrowing their pots and soon will be re-potted to a larger size and of course the price goes up, bigger plant, more soil, bigger pot, and labor!

Open Sunday 11-4, unless stormed out!

Happy Fathers Day to all of my gardening Dads. My dad used to be my working partner in my first 'garden adventure,' 40 acres of vegetables/berries near Rochester for 5 years.

Some more garden visitors below to become familiar with. One is friend and 3 are enemies!

Hmmm. What are these? Earthworm eggs! You can barely see them with the naked eye. Your BFF in the soil is the earthworm, above ground is the lady bug. Earthworms help with a number of things. They aereate the soil as they move through it, they add fertilizer (worm poop), their presence is an indicator of healthy soil, as they can't survive in unhealthy soil. I always feel bad when I cut one up using a shovel, but if at least 8 segments remain, they will usually recover and re-grow.

SLUGS. Bad, so bad. Typically they love large leafed plants like hosta & also will eat soft fruits like strawberries. They do their work at night, so you won't spot them, but you will see their damage, large ragged holes in leaves. To control them there is bait available, beer traps, DE (diotamaceous earth) and my favorite salt! Here's how: slugs come out about 1/2 hour after dark. Take a flashlight, salt shaker & go slug 'shining.' If you spot them, sprinkle salt on them and they basically melt before your eyes. Some how it's cruel but satisfying all at the same time.

June bugs, in larvae or adult beetle form are bad. Destroy them if you find them in the soil. June beetles are night feeders in the garden. So plants that looked great last night & chewed in the morning, could be these guys.

Picnic Beetle aka Sap Beetle. These bad guys love eating tomatoes, melons, sweet corn.

I have an invention they really gets their numbers down. Take a toss away container, plate/bowl etc. Fill with fruits scraps from home or garden. Place the plate inside a plastic grocery bag, nestle the bag down so the fruit scraps are exposed. Place 'trap' where the trouble is, leave 1 or 2 days, till a group accumulates. They are slow, so grab the bag up, tie the handles, and throw away. It is simple, yet effective. After a few 'scrap traps' you should get them under control. Don't wait till they are really bad to start a control method, always stay on top of the unwanted gardens guests!