Thoughts and opinions on the life and culture we have and need.
Eupeodes americanus is a hoverfly species with a range from Alaska to Mexico - and maybe beyond and even in Europe. Hoverflies are often mistook for bees - or so I hear. They do have yellow/black or white/black markings, but unlike wasps or bees, they have short antenna, enormous fly-eyes, and only one pair... Continue Reading →
The winterized garden: November, 2019. The rains have come. It was actually a wet September, which for us, is unusual. For the trees and my garden, it was welcomed - besides splitting my tomatoes and abruptly putting an end to the season for some more sensitive crops. October had been relatively nice, and we have... Continue Reading →
Amazing! I had no concrete plans this weekend, so other than a soccer game, dinner out with the family and swimming with the kids, we spent the entire time in the garden. I knew I’d be out there a bit - a long-range trend shows cool, wet weather coming, so it may have been the... Continue Reading →
No one knows how many whitefly species there are, but most of the ones we are concerned about seem to arrive to North America via Florida, and the bad ones stay. If you’re not a total bug-geek like me and you have chosen to read this article it is likely because you are familiar with... Continue Reading →
Harvesting early and managing summer pests
Spring is finished - and what a spring! It’s been sunny, dry, and hot and my garden is loving it (with the occasional sprinkler watering). Also loving this weather is everyone else! It seems like twice a week or more we’re sitting with friends on sun-baked patios. When we’re not, I’m sitting on my own,... Continue Reading →
It’s week 27. My attention to the garden tends to wane into the summer. Sometimes there is less to do, other times it is pure laziness. When it’s sunny and 28 degrees celsius I find it far more relaxing to grab a cool beer and watch my kids play in their little pool than being... Continue Reading →
In some areas, thrips begin to appear in early spring. Most of us become aware of thrips during a large influx late in the spring and throughout the summer. Thrips don't fly, rather, they tumble and in days of atmospheric convection, they (like many mites) use the electro-static conditions to levitate and travel large distances.... Continue Reading →
A Sample Veggie Garden Rotation It’s time to take a closer look at what is growing, now that the heavy work is out of the way. I’ll walk you through what I am growing in each bed - in the order through which they will rotate. But first, I’ll discuss the reasons I am rotating... Continue Reading →
