Tiny flowers on Irish moss, ruby radishes ready to eat and a gift of homemade chicken soup all make life lovely, even when stomach flu has us sluggish, shivering and sleep-deprived.
A heat wave hit our city two days ago and my radishes bolted. I read on-line that once they do this they become bitter, woody and peppery, so it’s time to harvest any that are marble-sized or bigger.
While I’m on the topic of gardening, do you have any idea what could be nibbling at my cabbage and cauliflower? Should I be worried, and aggressively look for a culprit and a solution… or will the crop be okay in spite of holes in the foliage?
I promised an update on the Goodbye Bees Garden. It’s coming along. Definitely less appealing to pollinators. Any time a chive or iris blooms, I pick it. I’ve never had so many bouquets in the house!
[foogallery id=”721″]
A neighbour found out we’ve been sick with stomach flu. He sent a message, asking if I wanted him to make us chicken soup. My first instinct was to decline – No, thanks – so kind, but you don’t need to. And then I remembered my last post… about letting others help us when we’re weak. So I told him, YES – I would love some chicken soup!
He made us a big pot and brought it over the next day. When the lid came off the pot, I nearly cried. It smelled like the soups of my childhood, made by Dutch relatives. That broth kept us happy for days. To thank our neighbour, I picked a bouquet of irises and left them on his back porch. I hope he likes the flowers as much as we liked his soup (although it seems doubtful – his soup was amazing.)
Without flowers, the back garden is simpler than before, and I find my eyes drawn to less obvious delights. Like the moss, and its miniscule white flowers. I also like watching chipmunks run along the dry river bed – as though it’s a short cut from here to there. These critters have discovered that if they hop on a decorative rock next to our bird bath, one more big jump takes them to a clean water source. (How do they manage NOT to crash into the water, but to fling themselves up, landing just on the bird bath rim?)
[foogallery id=”734″]
That’s all for now… if you have any suggestions about how to deter veggie-eating insects, please let me know!
[foogallery id=”740″]
