Murder on the Back Forty
Gardening in Central Virginia:
This morning I committed murder - multiple times - before my first cup of coffee.
Our "back forty" is actually about 1/10 of an acre and it is our vegetable garden. I love it and am very proud of it. We've built a series of raised beds for everything from asparagus to squash to several types of berries. This year, I am raising eight varieties of peppers! But it's the squash that gets me out of the house before coffee....
In an effort to thwart squash bugs, which if left unattended, will completely decimate your squash and cucumber plants, I have developed a morning routine. Included is a methodical inspection of each leaf of each plants, in search of squash bug eggs.
This morning, I moved to my second squash plant, lifted a large rear leaf and was greeted with one of these guys...
Cicadas -- we've not had them in our trees the way others have, but a few have wandered onto the property, and this one was hiding under a squash leaf and scared the living daylights out of me. He's now dead.
As I worked my way through my plants, I found and murdered five squash bugs and a multitude of cucumber beetles, which we seem to have in far greater numbers than
usual... and I'm not one bit happy about it.
This weekend, I'll be replacing a few plants that are already showing signs of stress from the beetle, and I'll continue my morning routine of murder and mayhem.
Please visit the following for more related information:
Deer and What to do about them in Your Garden
End of Season Gardening in Charlottesville
If you are considering purchasing or selling a home in the Charlottesville area, rely on me to help you put the pieces together. Virginia Gardner, Roy Wheeler Realty Co., (434) 981-0871 Email Virginia