Bee Balm and My (Wily) Pirate

Today, I finally capitulated to a seven year battle between me and My Pirate in the garden.  After digging out plants to make room for my 96 (according to My Pirate)new acquisitions, I kneeled down and dug out the three new Bee Balms and added it to the big box for my friend, The Plant Rescuer, to take home.  They will live on, which felt good, but a bit sad for me.  Every year, I plant Bee Balm with high hopes and the next spring, My (wily) Pirate 'weeds' them out.

He now knows from my expression what he's done and simply says, "Time to hit the nursery?"

I've edited other plants out of my garden for being susceptible to pests.  I could bait:  Slugs like beer and pirates like rum, but it's all about the effort involved.  And it's high time for me to try a pirate resistant plant.  Any suggestions?

Barnaby and a Foggy Morning

This morning, the dog park at Pacific Park was enshrouded in a thick gauzy fog. The ordinary was suddenly transformed into a mysterious new landscape.  I paused to take in the moment and Barnaby faded into the cloud.  

I called out to him. "Barnabyyyy!"

And he emerged from the fog

at a run.  He skidded to a stop and nuzzled my left jacket pocket, begging for a treat.  

"Sit.  Good boy!"

The sun started burning through the fog as we drove off.  Barnaby with his head sticking out the passenger side window and his hind quarters leaning on my shoulder. 

"Sit.  Good boy!" 

Late Season Tomato Blight

Every year, when the rains return and the temperature drops at night to around 50 degrees, Late Season Blight strikes the tomato patch.  Now, a nominally intelligent gardener would think to themselves, 'Hmm the forecast says that the remnants of a Japanese typhoon is about to hit the area...I should rip out the tomatoes.'  But, I'm brightly optimistic and see the weather forecast and think, 'The garden does need a good soaking.'

The Crony Brothers saw it all coming and kept asking concerned questions about the remaining tomatoes hanging on the vine, especially the big ones.  They didn't have good crop this year and thought that my optimism bordered on delusional thinking.  They were right.

The last time that Late Season Blight hit, I cried, because it took out all of my late season heirlooms before they ripened in the middle of August.  But, this time, I had already had my fill of tomatoes.  So, I merely dramatically complained about it on my blog and then drank a glass of red wine.

Late Season Blight is a fungus, the same fungus that wiped out the potato crops in The Irish Potato Famine in 1847.  Late Season Blight can wipe out an entire crop in a couple of days, so it's best to keep a close eye on your plants.  The fungus works its way up from the base of the plants, so look at the stems for black patches.  Remove all of the infected foliage and dispose of it in the trash, bury it 2 feet deep, or add it to a hot burning compost heap.  Don't bother trying to ripen the infected tomatoes because they will merely rot and slump on your window sill.  The fungus is always present in our soil and it merely takes the right conditions to help it thrive.

I disposed of all of our tomato plants and did share some left over ripe tomatoes and several massive green tomatoes with The Crony Brothers.  My Victory Garden looks better and is ready for me to plant something new.  So, did you rip your tomatoes out before the storm?  If not, how did they do?

Nostrana's Arugula Salad

Here's a link to my Inspiration at Nostrana post on Victory Garden Menus.  I'm looking 

forward to my arugula crop.  Enjoy!

My Bored Barnaby

This weekend, during the two storm warnings of 50 mile per hour wind gusts and heavy rain, while our community huddled inside around the fire sipping hot cocoa, I was outside walking the dog park with Barnaby.  I kept an eye on the power lines as we passed near the towers and watched the fir trees blow in the wind and I laughed that I was far more afraid of being inside with my crazed lunatic of a puppy than being electrocuted or squashed under a tree branch.  We both returned home soaked and in good spirits.  I won't even repeat what My Pirate said when he joined us at the park.  

Barnaby at 7 months old and 111 pounds.

Barnaby is going through an 'active' phase.  Whenever I try to do something that doesn't involve him, he gets bored and chews on the trim, grabs a 'fun' object (Barnaby, put down the kitchen knife...), or destroys something I value.  His growth spurt of a pound a day has ended and now he's filled with exuberant energy. He's adorable and destructive.

Last night, I found him on our bed with my shorts hanging around his neck. How did he manage that?  Today, while I was getting ready to head out for errands, he was in my office chewing the wire on my computer charger into one inch pieces.  I carefully placed him in his crate for his safety.  From me.  Then researched computer chargers.  Only to realize that my bank card had expired and I had put the new one in a 'safe' place.  Safe as in, safe from me ever finding it!    

And as I pulled out of my driveway with my new bank card, I noticed that all fifteen of my tomato plants were black with their leaves curled up and I knew that late season blight had arrived when I wasn't looking.  Rats! 

On a positive note,  I found my new computer charger, bought four new toys for Barnaby, and a bottle of red for me. Then I exercised Barnaby at the dog park.  I get to start tomorrow by ripping out tomato plants and throwing them in the trash.  But right now, Barnaby is chewing on his new elephant toy and I'm here red whining it.  Cheers!