Omg! Invasions Everywhere!

     I have been kind of laxed with keeping my eyes on my garden. No, particular reason... Just the thought that everything was happy and  "looking" healthy made me feel a bit secure!

     Now, when one thinks plants looking green, fluffy, tall and sprouting, it doesn't necessarily mean that every thing is at it's best.

For instance...

     I have caterpillars everywhere!

Yep!

That's right!

The caption says, "This isn't dirt your looking at!"

Everywhere!
 
    They are IN my lettuce, eating my eggplant leaves, on my orange jubilee, and bougainvillea, Jeeze!
 But, the "good part" is that they are all different types... loppers, horned ones, and they ones I mentioned in the last post...

Missing leaves

     You know!... Gardening is a constant battle! And I know this!
I have to admit though, my defensive action just is not up to par!

      I'm so amazed about the needs and greed that nature exudes... I mean, it seems to me that it's always all or nothing... blooms come and go sometimes in the same day. Insects live sometimes in a 24 hr period,  born, develop, lay eggs, then die...

     But why is it that I can't seem to stay in tune with the needs of nature?... 
I guess making assumptions seems to be MY down fall!

     I don't want to spray icky stuff on them, so I am going to pour soap water to get rid of the pests... Let's see if that will help...

Chili Spray
    
     Use fresh or dried chillies and blend one cup of dried or 2 cups of fresh chillies with two cups of water. Spray fresh. This will kill caterpillars.

Chilli Soap Spray

Ingredients

8-10 chillies (fresh or dried)

4 cloves garlic, diced

2 tablespoons soap flakes

Method:

Combine chillies, garlic, soap flakes and about a liter of water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, and then allow to cool. Decant mixture into a glass jar and set aside for 24 hours. Sieve and pour into a spray bottle.

The chilli and garlic in this mix with discourage leaf-eating bugs. The soap flakes act as a surfactant – helping the chilli and garlic oils to stick to the leaves.

A word of warning: although this spray is non-toxic, it’s worth keeping away from children, pets and husbands. I’d also advise not spraying on windy days.

I found this recipe on a site called,  Veggie Mama 

 http://www.theveggiemama.com/2012/10/guest-post-keeping-bugs-from-your.html


Garlic Spray
     
     Soak four garlic cloves for several days in one liter of cold water, and then blend. This will kill ants, caterpillars and cabbage worms.
A stronger brew can be made by using hot water and adding several red peppers, ground up, and adding two tablespoons of pure soap to help the spray stick. Use spray when solution has cooled .

Pepper Sprinkle
     
     Any kind of pepper sprinkled on wet leaves will protect them from caterpillars.

These are from this site...

 http://www.angelfire.com/ri/ixia/Insect.html

There were many more to choose from, I just selected a couple that really pertain to me!

Now to choose the right one to use!  I am leaning to the chili spray, I have plenty of jalapenos to use so maybe that one to start!

Weather is changing for the desert,

It rained last night, I feel a chill in the air..  Is this a beginning of fall? 
Got ol' faithful out and it's time to catch -up on what George has to say!

So with book in hand and weapons at reach, I march on to destroy the enemy!


Happy Gardening and Veterans Day!!!!!

Flying by Normalcy

         Normalcy is showing itself, but....

     Life is flying by so fast, I can't believe that it's already November... I hope that Halloween was wonderful for all... As for myself, I think I was a bit Melancholy, we didn't get as many little ones running to the door as usual..  We didn't have a bunch of people over either.

     I guess Halloween mid-week is pretty tough, huh?

        I made  lots of food for the family and we watched old movies. Which made it pleasant...

    *Storm Sandy was something else... I have thoughts and hopes for those that are still enduring the aftermath... Speedy recovery to those who are in need..*

Tangent Check Up

    I've been watching Tangent... It's like watching a pot of water come to a boil... It takes forever to get going...
    I left my tomatoes in their spot, you  know to see what would happen...
   Well, I have flowers and lots of green growth on one of the plants,

     The other one, just not happy.. but I have a few volunteers tomato plant in and around Tangent.. really weird huh?

  Volunteers aplenty!    

Can you see the tomato plant?

    The fig tree is just beautiful, and happy as can be... My pomegranate, wild and messy as ever, I think that it likes to be that way... So what ever makes it happy,  I'll just keep doing it!

     Lately we have been battling some sort of caterpillars on our Bougainvillea and our Orange Jubilee bushes...

 So what happens is this...  The caterpillars start eating or something, on the edges of the new growth they just make a mess out of the tips of the bushes... when searching for them to see where and what they are!
They are not there,  not a clue... but after their "big dinner and damage party,"  they emerge at night in to a moth, of some sort, and flutter
about to lay more eggs and repeat the process...

     Well our local garden center has recently Identified the little culprits...  The Tecoma/Bougainvillea caterpillar. Here is a link to help take care of these buggers:

http://www.ironoakshoa.org/ArchitecturalLandscaping/PlantGuy/Articles/PDF/Caterpillardamage10-12.pdf

     I have some amazing color from the Swiss Chard.. and they actually might get made in to something, if I use them when they are small enough... because they are suppose to taste better young and not bitter...

     Now look at the Peach Tree I am so amazed at how that thing is coming along ...

     It has blossoms and I even think a peach or two!!!

 

     "Beautiful" Huh?

      I have this new volunteer... I have no idea what it is!

     I suspect that it is a squash.... 

A peck of Peppers!!!!

      
     I am still getting Bell pepper, Yay!
They are gorgeous!

     My grapevine, blackberries and strawberries are doing marvelous.... I'm so excited to have a fruit salad at harvest time...

 

      I am still getting eggplant can you believe that !!!

     I love gardening ...


          ~So here are some beautiful Fall colors to leave you with!!! ~


MUMS the word !!!!

Computer Shinanigans...

     

   Not really!  More like wear and tear and abuse... Yep! all me...

     I have been wanting to post... I, however, could not use my lap top until I received a new cord for it. The cord crapped out... Yep! You know, "ZZZittt... sparks, and then death to the cord..". So, I needed to let the computer sit until whalaaa... New cord, ready to be plugged in and charging... YYAY!


    Today was the first morning I really felt a nip in the air... It felt crisp, and cool, I even felt a chill enough to give me a shiver or two...  The weather is just superb!

    Tangent is getting along very well... I filled in the gaps, and I have sprouts already... Yea! The radish is beginning to sprout...  I know you can't see but they are sprouting really!

     I think I have some lettuce popping through, and


    My dearest husband, found me a new batch of carrots to plant!

One single sprout of carrots!

      Which the planting of them will happen this weekend for sure! I really want to have carrots...  and it did!

     I also filled in the beets, I have never tried to grow beets, I really have not a clue when they will be  ready to pull! But, I guess I will learn, Right!

     I planted strawberries and they love the spot! The area by the blackberry bush was quite bare so I thought what better place to put  the strawberries than under the blackberry bush, Now really? Is it a great space? I don't know! It just made since...

      I have found a great location for my grapes! There is a spot in front of the Arcadia door, it's right where I tried to grow Birdhouse Gourds...

     I think that it is a really great spot enough sun and shade and no grass to interfere... I hope to have it planted in the ground this weekend... I will be able to establish a trellis too...

     I am kind of sad though, we found some peach trees... But, one variety so far.. Flora-prince. Remember the idea I wanted to do?

     I wanted to plant three different ones in the same hole so I can have a continuous stream of  peaches until the end of June or July... Well, I don't think I will be able to accomplish that now, if I can't get those varieties at this time.. Unless I wait until spring... That just pushes it back even more to get peaches... and there is no guarantee that I will be able to get them, then either...

      But the GOOD news is I have a Peach Tree and it will be planted in the the spot where I planned in my front yard...

     My lime tree is acting up! I'm not sure why, so we decided to make a berm and  protect the trunk of it... Then have the water penetrate the drip line instead around the base of the trunk....

     The area we are trying to create is slowly coming along...

     We bought a fire pit... and consecrated it last night...
    

      The moon was almost full and the weather was ideal

Almost Full Moon!

Sorry a little blurry!

Autumn Haze or is it?

     Autumn Haze,


   
    Maybe Jimmy Hendrix was in a Purple Haze and it was groovy, but I might be in a Autumn Haze and it's just, Not...

 
     As the week marches on, my seedlings have been doing well enough... but I still have gaps in the rows...

    Gaps...  that's right! Remember when I mentioned it? I can't believe that I have Gaps, ...In .. my .. rows...


     I was supposed to fill in the gaps last weekend... (Right?)

Nope, didn't happen, na uh! Nope,

     Lazy(?)  ummm....

     I wasn't feeling it last weekend...
I, so...was feeling the Autumn Haze...  

    What was it to not excite me?
    Not enough "what" to get myself out there?  Geeze!

     Oh, man.. it was wonderful weather too! Not to hot, a little breeze, just brilliant!... But still... Nothing!


  

     Well, may I say, First... I think, I was lazy! 

    No! I was lazy.
I mean, I should have been weeding and planting and well what else, seeding the rows...

     I guess, we all get those feelings well "the lazies" right! (right?)

     So I go to the local department store (you know, a big chain store that starts with a capital "L")... wandering through the garden center, I was looking for inspiration while on a mission...  at the moment life, was sure and expecting... feeling easy...

     As I kept wandering around and wandering some more, I noticed all the things that made a garden were misplaced and shoved off to the corners, and in their place these huge things of Christmas items were sitting in the middle of the isles standing infinitely tall, and overbearingly in your face with intention of making one buy things that are not needed as of yet



  ...not surprising to be okie dokked for when it's time to buy, and then it's not  there in the time of need, although the next holiday is perpetuated to follow the same process... way ahead of the schedule...

     Realizing it is the holidays, "already"... I know, most of the season stuff comes very early... I must admit that, this time of year, I kind of feel in a grumpy mood. I really don't want to celebrate when the time comes..
     It just seems as if we have been celebrating it for so long that when its here, I want it to be done with..  not that it's fair ... 


   
     But, it finally gets here and I feel so fake, especially when I am with friends and family celebrating... I'm in a holiday overload...
   
     I guess I am a little off track huh? So where was I going with this?

Oh yea!

    I was so disappointed because they already unloaded the seed selections.... How irritating it was!... I was so upset...
    I didn't even get the seeds I wanted...  I still needed carrot seeds and swiss chard...


  
    I was lucky to get spinach, beets, and lettuce... Oh and radish... No onions, no leeks, not anything even remotely interesting either... you know to "experiment" with... I guess that is why most smart people buy their seed from catalogs huh?

    So yea! I'm not in an Autumn Haze! There you have it!

I am lazy...

It won't be long, My cats will be doing this, if I can't stop doing the same thing... hahahaha!

I'm A Sister.. among The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers

      I was honored with an award from a most wonderful Blogger/Author...Great writer, Friend "Why I wake up Every day"  http://unikorna.blogspot.com/ .


 
  
      I don't know how much I earned this type of an award, but honored just the same...  I understand that I need to expel seven facts of myself then Nominated seven others... Well, I don't know what secrets to tell, and really not secrets, just things...

            hmmmmm.... Well!

*I am now on a Tangent of Cooking from Julia Child's' "Mastering the Art of French Cooking"..

*I am drowning of boredom, now that I am on break, But I have a million things to do...

*I have a fancy for very Old Black and white Movies especially Horror flicks... just bought one called "The Blob" with Steve McQueen...

*Halloween Is my favorite Holiday, but I seem to be dragging my feet in decorating what is wrong with me...

*I have been having fun with traditional old cocktails, Yummmm... with good food...

*I have a fantasy of writing a Tangent Gardening, Garden Book, may I say though "A Fantasy!"

* I also have a Family Cookbook in the Works but only "still" in the works... lol

     There all the seedy weird secrets of myself... Okay I know Boring but like I said In a boredom state of mind...


On to Nominations

http://theebullientgardener.blogspot.com/
http://thesagebutterfly.blogspot.com/
http://olderthanvintage.blogspot.com/
http://www.lovelygreens.com
http://ts-casamariposa.blogspot.com/
http://www.tidygardensbyjane.co.uk/

     These Nominees are an inspiration and I love to visit them, so stop by and be inspired..
(I know I only listed six but these are my most favorite, along with my friend whom nominated me)



Garden Row Check-in!

     I have some work to do in the garden, some of the seeds did not take so I have gaps in the rows... errr..

The Radish Row

     Not only gaps in the rows, but the neighbor cat seems to like making little paw prints in them... which irritates me, even though it is kind of cute!

      I will be giving a good feeding session to them soon (fish fertilizer), the neighbors need a good reminder I am alive.,.. hahaha! jk

     I don't even see my carrots emerging so, yes a little worried I wont get them...

     But, Tangent has their favorite visitors Back, The Hummingbird Family.

A LONG LINE OF HUMMERS

     I  just put away huge amount of Bell peppers away, I froze them. I pluck all of them from the plants and prepped them yesterday... I got one  bag, and a quart bag of banana peppers... and Five quart bags of bell peppers

So there it is...


On my way to getting Tangent growing in the gaps...  Let us see what can be done! hahaha!

Congrats to the new Nominees...

"Mock" Spring

Well this is why,

      We endure summer for so long...

Autumn Mix

     Waiting for the feeling of Fall which seems like ages.  I can't even tell you how relaxed one feels, having the morning aromas hit the nose.  One can smell the dirt, the plants, the flowers that have fresh and a revived life forces.

     Okay, Yes, your probably thinking, why would I be describing what seems like Spring? Well,  for the desert it's like spring! Maybe, It should be called more like a "Mock" spring.
Needless to say, I think this is my favorite time of year.
   
     Summer and Winter in these parts, well to start ... Summer to experience it, One will have a similar feel to cabin fever, you are locked up in your home, cringing at the moment you open up the front door, the feel of a blast furnace of which hits your face and singes your eyebrows off. Then Winter, hmmm, describing it in any other way, uhhmmm, well,  I can't, except like this... boring, cold and uneventful.
SO.....
     Spring and "Mock" spring, a.k.a Fall...
     Oh! The joy of seeing everything happy and relaxed, celebrating the goings on...

     Yes, that is the reason, that is the reason for living in the desert...


  
     No, the leaves, well, don't turn to those glorious colors here in the valley, maybe in some parts, and playing in the pile of leaves don't usually happen. That "sting of crisp cold,"  it shows up, but... just to slap you in the face when you least expect it...

     You see, that my friends really is a whole other story...
     

 

     But to be able to enjoy the cool temps without freezing our rumps off, and lounging in the warmth of the sun, not roasting, makes up the difference dont-cha think?

    Although, we haven't reached the potential of a "Mock" Spring yet, it really doesn't come until November 1st ish. The tell-tale signs are here and teasing us at every point of everyday! :)

    Now that is everything about why I live here in the desert... Just so you know, lol...
 And "Mock" Spring


UPDATES - HA HA HA!!!

     What was the joyous phrase, "happy happy joy joy happy happy joy joy"!!!  Yes!
   
     So as of now, the Fall Garden is very active and Happy, I have SPROUTS!

As of this week, The Beets and Swiss Chard have popped up,

Row A.

beets

swiss chard

The lettuce, but not the carrots or
Row B.

lettuce

 then again! What could this be?

possibly a carrot

Look at these radish (break on through), but no green onions yet!
Row C.

radish

feeling a little worried for spinach and leeks...  
Row D.

not sure!  Spinach or a leek

same as above! Ooops!

     There you have it, a glorious "Mock" Spring and the new growth for the fall garden! 

Soon to come...  The Amazing peach trees!!!


Mock Spring Color!

      Here are some fall color beauties from Shazam! ( in place of could be's)

Gorgeous!  Yes?