Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

Usually I'm pretty good with my photos. I take more than one from different lengths. This morning I must have been a little too complacent with some of them. Sometimes they come out well though. The above butterfly was taken with my little camera. It usually won't focus on something like a butterfly, but since the big camera was nowhere around I took a chance. Sometimes the planets align and it just happens.

Other times it doesn't. I was going to show you some photos of my chard. The one above turned out OK, but right now the leaf miners are back and I wanted to show the phtotos of eggs up close. These things are tiny. The early morning light isn't all the strong. I should have taken lots, but I didn't. So I have nothing to show you but white blurs. I can tell you that the white eggs are tiny, white, and long and thin, but as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words and it is certainly worth much more than the four I describe it with.

Since the leaf miners are back I'm supposed to scrape off the white eggs every couple of days. They hatch in about four so you can't leave them too long or your leaves are history. Well I became a bit complacent about looking for them too. I had to remove a couple of leaves. I'll try to keep on top of it from now on.

Then I tried to photograph another milestone event in the garden. Luckily all my neighbors are asleep at 7am so they couldn't see. Not only did I do my little happy dance, but I helped out with sex in the garden. I took photos of the great event. Yes it is the start of the great zucchini glut. The first female blossom opened this morning (Dark Green). With three male flowers opened on the other zucchini (Costata Romanesca) and me wanting them for my lunch, I decided to pollinate the female flower by hand. I ripped the anthers off the poor males and liberal wiped them over the stigma of the female. Then took the males in for lunch. Hmm writing this makes me feel a bit like a black widow spider, but I like squash flowers in my salads.

Sadly all of the whopping two photos didn't come out. So I had to go back into the garden this afternoon. The flower was all closed up. Once pollinated, she had takes off her fancy dress. I think the celebration is over. If all goes well I certainly won't be celebrating in a few weeks when I can't get rid of them all. Why oh why did I plant four zucchinis?

At least my salad was festive. I had lettuce with snow peas, tomatoes (donations from Debra - whose flowers are not Sungold yellow but orange-red - and Zelda), and squash blossoms. The salad was dressed with my garlic scape dressing. The cole slaw features my cabbage, carrots and onions. The pickled snap peas get a bit gray when pickled, but they taste divine. They feature my peas, dill, hot peppers, garlic and onions.

As I was taking my replacement photos I of course noticed all the things that still need to get done in the garden. The wind had blown over the potato foliage so it was draping down over all of my tomatillos. I grabbed two stick and proceeded to prop them up with some string. Now the tomatillos that have grown up the side of the cage can finally get some sun. The the potatoes finally have a few buds on them. Now I just need about another month or so before they are ready. They take so long. Note to self: if I grow potatoes again, use a much smaller space.