Aug 10, 2003

Just when everything is going peacefully, along comes another enslaught
of creatures from hell, just wating to have a gourmet feast at the
expense of all your labors.

As we were doing our weekend morning rounds today, we discovered that
those awful squash borers had made a home in our Raven zucchinis which
only recently started producing really well. Caught without any
syringes, we had to do the plant surgery and bury-the-stem-thing. An
ugly problem.

We have a difference of opinion going here on the worsening Japanese
beetle problem. My DH is catching gazillions of them with lures but it
seems to me that we have way, way more than we did last year WITHOUT the
darn lures. Now they have invaded the raspberries and one of the pole
beans. Three acres is a lot to cover with milky spore but even if we
did some of it each year, it seems like it would have to be better than
the infestation we have now.

On the more humorous side, just as it was starting to turn dark last
evening, I reached down to pluck what I thought was a raspberry, as we
walked in the garden. When I felt fuzz, I backed off. Yes, it was a
gigantic bumblebee! In fact, a whole gaggle of them were sleeping in
the raspberries. Do bumblebees sting? Today, once buzzed me
incessantly for a half hour off and on until I finally had to come in
the house. No perfume. DH though it was my bright pink shirt--- yes he
thought I looked like one big flower. lol Then later, I thought maybe
it was the one I nearly pinched last night!!!

Happy gardening.

Phae