Afraid of Bugs – Tales from the Homestead of Casa Chihuahua

…very soon…

Ebert was joined by a pal today – but they’re both going to meet up with some butter caper sauce tomorrow!

House sparrows have taken up residence under our deck!

Here’s the nest up close…

There’s all sorts of neat things spiraled together to make the nest -string, grass, bits of plastic and sticks

And whats a day without a shot of Sunbathing Snake…

Bugs, Rot and Veggicide

My garden experiment has been interesting and educational.  I have spent a lot of time reading about “how to plant” and “what to grow” but didn’t really focus too much on the “what can go wrong”.

Well, I’ve had lots of opportunity to now read all about “what can go wrong”.  As strange things came up, the internet and other gardeners have helped me i.d. the problems and quickly correct them (thanks! to everyone who has given me advice, by the way!)

• Pests, check.
• Leaf wilt, check.
• Blossom drop, check, but damn it!
• Blossom rot….well, sorta, check.

My squash and zuccs where growing like mad, but the veggies were stunted and were rotting on the ends…turns out its a calcium issue.  I had to cut off and toss 4 squash and 3 zuccs because of this.  I’m trying to work some amendments (eggshell, crushed rock, etc) into the soil to correct the problem, but it seemed like they might be just a footnote in the “live and learn” section of my garden notebook and never produce anything edible – but all that changed this morning!

I lifted up the leaves to inspect my plant (i have to admit i’m a very invasive gardener and probably touch my plants wayyyyyy too much) and discovered, Ebert! Our very first squash to survive! (and yes i had to name him, so that it would be all the more delicious and wonderful when we ate him this weekend).

Ebert, lounging on the bench, not knowing what fate awaits him….

His close-up.

And a peak at how the heirlooms are coming along….here’s the brown boar.

This is the berkley tie-dye.

And if you’re wondering what i meant by veggicide, well, the very first zucchini to start to grow, fell victim to my touchy-feely ways.  I was so excited to see it grow that i kept poking at it and accidentally lifted it too high and it snapped off before it was even 2″ long.  Oops.

We finally have something to sit on in the living room!

We snagged 2 rough looking ottomans at a neighbors garage sale yesterday. They needed a proper coat of paint and a reupholstering – and they’ll get both these things in the future – but for now I kinda just improvised and we have something totally workable for the time being!

Here’s the vinyl covered ottomans once we dragged them into the courtyard (they’re kinda heavy)

Shirley and Inca helping me prep for the painting…

The top removed, in its original state – you can see the re-covered one in the background..

I have an irrational love of neon pink….

A fine pink dust drifted around the courtyard and coated the bricks and succulent (it brushed right off), but the best was a dense cobweb that really took the color.  I think I’d only be half as afraid of spiders if their webs were hot pink.

Putting the bases back on…

And the completed cheapskate project!

Free fabric, $8 for paint, $12 for rubber feet and $40 for the ottomans.  Garage sales still beat out Ikea – at least for today.