Saturday, July 15, 2006

Bees like lavender

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Hardy Chicago Cutting with "SquirrelGuard"

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The "Squirrel Guard" works quite well but can be noisy at times. Also, it frequently emits a foul odor.

Three are 2 tiny figs on the lower nodes. Maybe ripe by October? The leaves at the top are big enough to make into fig leaf aprons (ie, Garden of Eden).

Liberty Apple (with kitty) and Jonagold (with Ning)


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Canadice and Interlaken

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grape arbor

Might get some grapes this year! Posted by Picasa

Monday, July 10, 2006

Main Crop Figs


Growing fast in the July heat. Brebas not ripe yet though. They are just hanging on to torment me. Posted by Picasa

All of a sudden




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Tuesday, July 04, 2006

The Ginkgo



The young one is in our back yard. Posted by Picasa

GErmans like ginkgos and have a museum devoted to them.

Monday, July 03, 2006

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Chinese Chives

No photo today (Ning has the camera in China) but this is what Chinese chives look like. Yesterday I made Chinese dumplings for honored guests. The filling is a mixture of finely chopped Chinese Chives (garlic chives, also called Chinese leek), some finely chopped tofu, and some finely chopped scrambled egg. These are combined with some soy sauce, and packed into wrappers made from flour and oil, then boiled. This is not exactly the same recipe, but amazingly similar, considering that it it is from a Thai recipe.

The Chinese chives grow easily. They are perrenial and once established, grow rapidly after cutting each crop. We have them in two half-barrels, which makes them accessable for cutting, and allows for close management (especially keeping weeds out, since young chives and grass look so much alike). This is about the 3rd cutting this year. They will get a dose of fish emulsion to speed the next crop. There are several varieties in China. The better ones here came from a packet of seeds that Ning brought from China. They are a Winter Dormant variety.

As a onion/garlic family plant, the flowers should attract beneficial insects, and the plants may keep away some harmful insects. They are supposed to be pest free, but there was a problem last year with a tiny black aphid. Some soap spray solved that problem but it took a couple of tries.