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Evidence today that Grant may be winning his battle against bugs and beasts and invasive weeds!
A first squash appeared on one of the plants that was devastated early on by Asian beetles that materialise out of the ground.
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Each flower represents a potential squash, so we have our fingers crossed that no other dire circumstance occurs.
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They will certainly be a most appreciated meal.
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Grant having given me the good news, I had to get the photograph and wanted to take a look at the lower field which is left to grow wild for whoever wishes to live or graze there.
It was warm and buggy, so I didn’t venture down. The purple flowers are field thistle.
The field is an absolute tangle of brambles and Japanese knot-weed, golden rod and numerous unidentified plants. I am 5 ft 6 and the shrubbery more than equals my height.
Despite my many sensitivities, I don’t appear to be allergic to the golden rod.
Perhaps I remember incorrectly, but I believe when I was a child golden rod was considered a flower worthy of a vase. But perhaps it is a different species.
Queen Anne’s lace always makes a pretty picture.
The intricacies and variations of Nature are astonishing.
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One of the most damaging of invasive species is this vine which grows rapidly and in all directions, throttling bushes and trees, quickly encasing human structures as well.
It is very tough and hard to remove. I’ve given up the battle and even Grant struggles with it.
For all of that, it is not unattractive when sunlight catches the leaves and elegant drape.
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Contemplating it all, I thought that maybe the invasives might cancel each other out.
Which is rather what I hope for members of our current government.
🙂
Thank you, Carolyn, for the update on your struggle with invasive species, and I mean those in the field! I hope you will succeed!
Joanna
There is something quite wonderful about leaving large areas to nature, though around Beetley the thorned Brambles tend to emerge victorious. Their thorns are as sharp as scalpel blades, and can open up a deep cut instantly if you are not careful. I have even know them to slice through thick wellington boots as if they were made of paper. You have a break from Trump while he is in Scotland, so now we have him on our news 24/7.
Best wishes, Pete.
Yes. I saw the headline and some of the signs that welcomed him. Scandalous the cost of his security.
Your closing sentence is just perfect!
Hmm…my squash (pumpkin) I’m growing from throwing seeds from another pumpkin in the ground, has lots of flowers, but nothing else. Some flowers have died off. Ask Grant what I’m doing wrong?
The squashes develop out of the flowers. If you get that far, you should be successful.
Yes, my snow peas have been prolific and it’s interesting to see them grow also. Most veggies start as a flower and grow from it.
I was going to ask, do you receive weekly emails that I’ve published? I’ve been troubleshooting my site and see that all my subscribers’ weekly emails have been paused, so no one receives anything. As I’ve never done this, WP support is trying to work out why. Never upgrade to a business plan, as since doing this in 2023, I’ve had nothing but issues and less support!
Sadly – no. I have problems on WP but have given up trying to understand or solve them.
Grant tells me that the first flowers on his squashes fell off and it was the second lot that produced the squash, so I hope you have the same experience!
Ah, I’ll keep hoping then as I’ve noticed a bunch of flowers that did fall off. Thanks for the tip!
I’m still learning this veggie patch thing. 😉
I keep my fingers crossed that Grant’s squash will end up on your plates and not in the bellies of other little garden beasts! I had to laugh at your closing sentence – that’s pretty much how I feel about our own government too!