actual pink ladybug on a parsnip
Apparently this little guy is special. He's not red. He is pink. Parsnips attract these special pink ladybugs from hundreds of yards away according to some online source.
There are 500 kinds of ladybugs in the US alone, so I guess this isn't so surprising. But I felt like sharing. I couldn't get a picture of the baby praying mantises that were out last week, so maybe this is compensation for that.
Also, I figured I'd share pictures of the bounty we've reaped so far this year:
There are 500 kinds of ladybugs in the US alone, so I guess this isn't so surprising. But I felt like sharing. I couldn't get a picture of the baby praying mantises that were out last week, so maybe this is compensation for that.
Also, I figured I'd share pictures of the bounty we've reaped so far this year:
7 jars of strawberry, and 6 jars of raspberry jam
raspberry vodka and strawberry wine
There is more jam in the fridge - being consumed regularly around here.
The raspberry vodka is simply one 750ml bottle of vodka, 3 cups of raspberries (in our case both red and black raspberries), and 2 cups of sugar. It will sit like this for the next 3 months until we strain out the fruit.
Yes, that's a washing machine...
The strawberry wine is a much more complicated matter involving yeast and that fancy contraption you see bubbling at the top. In about a month it will be strained and tasted. It could take up to a year before being ready, but we'll see.
The purpose of these photos today - for this special Sunday edition of Rascal Scratches - is not only to make up for the fact that I should have shared them yesterday, but is also in reaction to something somebody here saw in the Wall St Journal this morning about the definition of a real gardener.
Somebody in my tai chi class asked me yesterday how the garden is doing. When I started rattling off all the stories it seemed like she was in total disbelief because I also stated that we do almost no weeding. This story in the WSJ just reminded me of my classmate and all the other friends we have around who still buy into the notion that you need to spend hours and hours working on your garden to make it beautiful and useful. My pictures above (and elsewhere) should show that you do not need to spend much time working in the garden to get rewards.
I also occasionally post different photos on the Green Rascal facebook page.
I suppose it's one of my missions in life and this business to get people to be better stewards of the Earth, and those who write articles about spending 4 hours or more weeding every week, and comments such as those referring to the WSJ article, deeply disappoint me. Clearly Permaculturists need to do more educating...
The raspberry vodka is simply one 750ml bottle of vodka, 3 cups of raspberries (in our case both red and black raspberries), and 2 cups of sugar. It will sit like this for the next 3 months until we strain out the fruit.
Yes, that's a washing machine...
The strawberry wine is a much more complicated matter involving yeast and that fancy contraption you see bubbling at the top. In about a month it will be strained and tasted. It could take up to a year before being ready, but we'll see.
The purpose of these photos today - for this special Sunday edition of Rascal Scratches - is not only to make up for the fact that I should have shared them yesterday, but is also in reaction to something somebody here saw in the Wall St Journal this morning about the definition of a real gardener.
Somebody in my tai chi class asked me yesterday how the garden is doing. When I started rattling off all the stories it seemed like she was in total disbelief because I also stated that we do almost no weeding. This story in the WSJ just reminded me of my classmate and all the other friends we have around who still buy into the notion that you need to spend hours and hours working on your garden to make it beautiful and useful. My pictures above (and elsewhere) should show that you do not need to spend much time working in the garden to get rewards.
I also occasionally post different photos on the Green Rascal facebook page.
I suppose it's one of my missions in life and this business to get people to be better stewards of the Earth, and those who write articles about spending 4 hours or more weeding every week, and comments such as those referring to the WSJ article, deeply disappoint me. Clearly Permaculturists need to do more educating...
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