Blueberries and Dragonflies

[orangenet]

I just love this time of year. We have about 25 blueberry bushes on our acreage and they have come in a bit earlier then usual so I have been picking like crazy. I think I have enough frozen for winter already!

I also love dragonflies. I do not know much about them but I can sit for hours and watch them fly around eating other insects. DH calls them mosquito hawks which I had never heard before but it is true.

What are some of your favorite things about summer?

Oh and fresh sweet corn from a local vegetable farmer. Far better then what you can get from a store. Yummy

Annette

 

[sparrow13]

I adore dragonflies! Along with owls and cats they are my favorite critters. I'm jealous of your blueberries! We have two little bushes but plan for more.

I'll admit that summer is my least favorite season. However I do love:

- watching my garden grow. Such a satisfaction!
- canning tomatoes and salsa. DH and I have a blast
- dragonflies, bumblebees and butterflies
- all the flowers and trees on my property. The purple globe thistle is my favorite.
- my lilacs! I have four and you can smell them all over the yard!

 

[orangenet]

I agree Sparrow that summer is not my favorite season but right now the nights are still cool here in Virginia Beach and the humidity is still tolerable. Come August I will be watching the the dragonflies from inside my air conditioned home.

I also have a small vegetable garden which I do not mind tending until again August comes around and then I have to force myself to go pull weeds.

I was a little bummed because one of my squash plants just up and died. I have no idea what went wrong. I pulled it immediately and am hoping it is not catching.

And I love watching and listening to the birds at the feeder.

Annette

 

[sparrow13]

Annette, was your squash looking good and then just went kerplunk? If so you probably have squash vine borer, the scourge of the home squash gardener. If you have other squash, look to see if there is a sawdust type material at the base of the vine near where the stem enters the ground. That's a sign that you have them.

I lost many gorgeous winter squash to them last year. This year I have taken preventive action - fingers crossed!

 

[orangenet]

Sparrow
After my workout this morning I plan on going out to my garden and I will take a look. And yes, it was fine one day then as you say went kerplunk.

If so what can I do? The only thing I really use is Sevin. I am so afraid to use anything else. Maybe it is time to pull out my Jerry Baker books.

What preventative measures did you use? Something during the winter?

Thanks,
Annette

 

[bceogirl]

Fresh veggies from the garden. Especially tomatoes !!!!
the sun (not much in Ohio in the winter)
wearing shorts/tank tops & flipflops
hummingbirds
walks outside with my dog
getting ton's of use out of our screened in porch. we eat out there, read on the swing, relax in the evenings, watch TV
farmers market
vacation
lot's more daylight

EVERYTHING ! Summer is my season !!!

 

[sparrow13]

If you do have them I believe the only thing you can do is actually cut them out and remove the worms from the stem. Then you bury the stem to cover the hole so it can regenerate. My sis has had luck with this. You might want to google it for the exact process.

This year I wrapped tinfoil around the base of the stems, covering the dirt around the base as well. The borer lays its eggs in the dirt, so this is supposed to prevent the larvae from emerging and boring in to the stem.

Also this pesky thing can overwinter in your soil, so you may also want to either start with fresh soil if you have raised beds, or turn the soil over well in the fall, so the birds can feast and help you be rid of them.

HTH! let me know how it goes.

 

[BeethovenRocks]

Blueberries were my strawberry substitute

I've been digging into blueberries for weeks now.

Wimbledon recently wrapped up and I was following it on TV, watching the crowds enjoy Pimms, strawberries & cream during breaks. I thought to myself, well I don't have any strawberries and cream, but at least I can take comfort in some blueberries and yogurt :0)

I just love this time of year. We have about 25 blueberry bushes on our acreage and they have come in a bit earlier then usual so I have been picking like crazy. I think I have enough frozen for winter already!

I also love dragonflies. I do not know much about them but I can sit for hours and watch them fly around eating other insects. DH calls them mosquito hawks which I had never heard before but it is true.

What are some of your favorite things about summer?

Oh and fresh sweet corn from a local vegetable farmer. Far better then what you can get from a store. Yummy

Annette

 

[Gayle]

Annette - The stuff you want to get for squash vine borer is diatomaceous earth. You sprinkle it around (like sparrow mentioned) and on the plant. The little buggers don't like to crawl around in the stuff.

I also love dragonflies! We have a pond and I like to sit on the dock and watch 'em buzz around. There are loads of the electric blue ones out right now.

Also:
Being able to take Rascal to restaurants. This is fun!
Hummingbirds
Working in the garden
Fresh tomatoes - if it ever gets warm enough here for them to grow this year.
Beers on the deck (any deck will do)

As for blueberries, there's an area not far from my house in the Green Mountain national forest where wild blueberries cover an entire hillside. It's managed by VT Fish & Wildlife. They should be ripe in a few weeks.

 

[sparrow13]

I didn't realize diatomaceous earth would work as well! We have a bunch for the chickens. If I'd known I'd have gone that root and not the tinfoil. My garden looks like I'm trying to contact aliens.

Did you know humans can take it as well? Human grade only of course!

 

[Gayle]

If I'd known I'd have gone that root and not the tinfoil. My garden looks like I'm trying to contact aliens.

LMAO!!!!

 

[Liann]

My garden looks like I'm trying to contact aliens.

Bwahaha!!! That made me laugh out loud here at work!

 

[sparrow13]

Hah! It should have been "route" not "root." My mind was on gardens.

 

[exer_cited]

My favorited things about summer are going raspberry and blueberry picking (totally envious of Annette's 25 blueberry bushes...).

We also have this butterfly that comes out every summer. We've named her Clementine. We love watching her fly around. And we have a ton of varieties of birds in our backyard that we love watching and listening to.

Oh, and ice cream!!!

 

[Miss Lee]

I adore dragonflies! Along with owls and cats they are my favorite critters. I'm jealous of your blueberries! We have two little bushes but plan for more.

I'll admit that summer is my least favorite season. However I do love:

- watching my garden grow. Such a satisfaction!
- canning tomatoes and salsa. DH and I have a blast
- dragonflies, bumblebees and butterflies
- all the flowers and trees on my property. The purple globe thistle is my favorite.
- my lilacs! I have four and you can smell them all over the yard!

Here's a little something for you, Sparrow! I took this photo on a recent trip to Kelleys Island. DH and I were at a winery having lunch on the porch and Mr. Bee hovered near our table long enough for me to snap a picture.