From My Garden

Blueberries. zucchini, a very large cucumber and the first bell pepper.  I even took two larger sized zucchini to work and they were snapped up, happily, by two young girls.  There was some envy of course.  "These are from your garden?"  The biggest one was hidden under a leaf and I also missed it while watering this morning before going to work.  Six more large zukes to add to the six I already picked.  Yikes.

G surprised me tonight.  He had the grill going and had purchased steaks and mixed peppers, onion and eggplant to grill.  Things I can eat.  He even purchased strawberries for my dessert.  I got to shower while he grilled and then we shared a healthy delicious dinner.  Best of all--- I didn't have to do any cooking.  The food was perfect.  I just need to finish my water.  I am not drinking enough liquids in the hot weather.  And no chocolate tonight.  Kept me awake last night.  I always forget it has caffeine.

Work was slow.  Everyone was either at the beach, on vacation or at home drinking beer and cooking something on the grill.   Not buying shrubs or petunias.  Well, a few people WERE buying petunias and the one dollar each geraniums.  A guy bought thirty geraniums at 5 pm.

Another cautionary tale regarding a Bayer product.  This one was a spray for roses.  The customer used it on her vegetables.  I asked her to call the 800 number on the bottle.  She did anne was told to pull up and discard her vegetable plants.  All of them.  And to remove the soil from the garden and not grow any vegetables in that area for a year or two.  It was a "dual action" product and the product tech said the "two chemicals together" were very dangerous to humans.  I think this should be in very large letters on the bottles.  Not the SMALL print inside the peel back label.

I felt so bad.  Pulling up your "just big enough to produce vegetables" plants and then have to look at the bare garden for the remainder of the summer is heartbreaking.  And it is an accidental thing that could happen to anyone.

Then, a second bad luck story (another customer) of using the wrong product to kill squash bugs and the result completely wilted plant leaves.  Neem Oil.  Coated the leaves and they suffocated.  I would never recommend Neem Oil for anything.

If you are reading this:  A DUST insecticide for bugs and beetles.  Bt for caterpillars and worms.  Period.

On that note, I am going to get my water, a bowl of strawberries and find my book.  Tomorrow is my day off and I have NO PLANS to do anything besides work in the garden, walk my dog and sit on the deck sipping iced coffee.  Dinner is going to be tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.