Wild Pumpkins Have Invaded My Garden

There are two mystery vines growing in our garden. I thought they were muskmelon and left them because they are so easy to grow. Well, the vines didn't look quite right. The leaves were too big for melon and the vines were too thick. Then one of the monkeys touched the a vine and said it had stickers. They did have spiny vines, not really stickers, but definitely prickly. There were plenty of male flowers, but I had not seen any fruit yet. The things are about eight feet long and I have had to train the vines to keep them out of the pathways. I finally found a female flower and I think we have pumpkins. I have never successfully grown a pumpkin, so we will have to see what happens. Once again, my garden has gone wild. I don't have the heart to pull them out. They are going to get huge and my garden is tiny. Wish me luck.

Oh, btw, we don't spray here. If a bug has to be disposed of it is done by hand. We prefer to let biodiversity balance the bug situation. Wisdom of the Trowel has an awesome beneficial bug post. Check it out.

Ronde de Nice Squash

I picked my first squash today. Here is a picture of a little baby Ronde de Nice zucchini. Isn't it cute? I think I am going to bake it with a tomato, Parmesan cheese, and garlic.

This is the first year we have grown squash, beans, and corn together in the three sisters style. It is working out fantastic. I stink at growing corn and the squash bugs usually get my plants after just a few fruits are picked. Not so this year, the corn is gorgeous, the squash bugs are confused, and the beans are doing great as usual.

We have to leave the corn in after it produces because it is supporting the beans. This fall, after everything is done, we will pull them out and make a scarecrow from the cornstalks.

Idalou Texas

Somebody from Idalou, Texas read my blog today. I don't know who you are, but I am naming the white bunny after your town. I love my site meter. One time someone showed up from Katmandu, too cool.

ARRRG...CLICK BEETLE!!!!!!!!!

It has been a critter filled day here at Aunt Debbi's Garden.

The temperature is below 90 so out into the garden I go. The chore list includes weeding, spreading compost, and killing weeds in the pathways with boiling water. Smells a lot like cooking spinach. Why would anyone every cook perfectly good spinach and make it into a green gooey mess? It is so lovely as a salad.

The first visitor we noticed was a giant swallowtail butterfly. It was sipping nectar from the zinnias. We check the lemon tree to see if it had laid any eggs. Instead of a bird poo looking caterpillar, all we found was actual bird poo on the lemon. Too bad, maybe later

The next visitor was a two lined skink. It was not actually a visitor. Baby Monkey kidnapped it from a neighbors house and brought it home. I made him release it in the garden after the poor things tail fell off.


I came back into the house to put the pot back on the stove to boil when I noticed something large and dark on my shoulder. It moved when I tried to brush it off. I asked Middle Monkey to identify it. He starts screaming, "It's a giant cockroach." I find myself dancing around the kitchen screaming, "GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF!!!!" He runs for a towel yelling, "This may hurt." Not sure what he was planing on doing. About the time he took a swipe at it with the towel I hear a loud click. Praise the Lord it was not a giant cockroach. It was a black and white click beetle. We played with it for a little while and let it go on the deck.

On further research I find that the click beetles larva eat corn plants. Hmmm, maybe we should have let it go someplace else.

Happy 4th

High Noon at Aunt Debbi's Garden the Spagetti War Begins

Will it be "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly?

Click the question for more fun.

The Sock Situation is Not Over

Remember the great sock debate? Rember the poll?. Well the four of us who thought it was important remember it. OFB was out voted and socks are here to stay. Well, The manic gardener had this too funny post today. This is exactly what happens when garden bloggers get in a tiff. Shame on all of us ;)