Slow death of Colorado Potato Beetle

The unsuspecting victim--young, naive, and soft-bodied.  Die beetle, die.         

Foundation

Finally!  These guys work fast, this was one day's work.  so awesome.  Hopefully we'll be in here by the spring, but it may be next fall.  There will also be an eight foot porch coming out past the gravel line.  

Event Flowers

MY MISSION:  to create 12 unique arrangements using only flowers from our farm

THE EVENT:  opening of a new green building in durham, whose event coordinator used all local suppliers for festivities

THE OUTCOME:  a neglected patch of weedy lisianthus continues to bemoan its fate; our dog Clover makes friends and trots off with the local groundhog posse; Stuart goes and gets a tattoo of a tasmanian devil pointing to his *#!* with the quotation 'Can't touch this"; I decide to have a diet of strictly wheatgrass juice for a week as I don't like anything to go to waste

For the love of the game

It just won't stop raining around here.  Our berries are taking a hit, with near perfect ones often showing just one little bad spot and we're forced to toss them.  We've had several days of harvesting in the rain---Clover often whispers veiled threats during these times, something about treats and better be dry when we get home, but for the most part she is a trooper.  The rain isn't really too bad, it's just when it's raining and cold that makes it all not so much fun.  
We've recently discovered an infestation of parsleyworms in our carrot patch.  These incredible beauties turn into the lovely black swallowtail butterfly, so we leave them be, but they are definitely doing some serious munching on our carrot tops.  They are one of my favorite finds in the garden as their markings are so vibrant and unmistakable.  

On another note, did anyone catch the NY Times article on eat local mission creep?  What can you do.  I've begun reading Eliot Coleman's new book The Winter Harvest Handbook and it is very exciting.  Stuart and I are both very interested in keeping production going through the winter, so hopefully we'll find some gems of growing tips in the book.  But as for now, it feels we're watching the season fly by so fast.....we're already in week two of CSA, we've already hit the point in time where we can't keep up with our garden, and we've already begun daydreaming of times when we can stay in bed all day without hearing the cries of help from plants being suffocated by weeds.  But have I mentioned we love what we do?  And that the foundation of our house will be going in soon?  Hip hip hooray!  Hip hip hooray!

To all the ladies of the world.....

Our best market yet, thanks to all the mothers.  To all of our customers, we hope you're happy with your produce and flowers.  

eat, drink, and be merry

Yes, we are still alive.  Barely breathing as we've been so busy, but yes, alive.  We've been finding odd vegetables, eating delicious ones, and drinking lots of good wine.  May is a month of speed, a month of blurriness, a month of falling behind in planting, weeding, downtime, and laundry.  We house/kitty-sat for three weeks in April and early May (the sauna-pool-hottub house....we know, life can be so rough) and the house had a few clematis plants around the property.  At the flower growing conference in Portland last fall there was a session on clematis from a grower out in Cali.  I have since been smitten with all the varieties and now when I see one it is like looking at a lover from afar, wanting and needing what the flower could provide for me and I for it.  To see something so beautiful and to know there will be no consummation for years; to know that I must bide my time with mere annuals, watching them come and go so quickly while my heart keeps a perennial rhythm to the cadence of growth of clematis, hydrangea, viburnum, peonies, vitex, etc.  Oh to want......