In the Garden: Cucumber blossoms, and foreign invaders

OK, so let's start with the good news...cucumber blossoms! These little golden heralds appeared in the garden this very morning. Soon I'll finally have cuke slices to go with my overflowing supply of lettuce.

And the bad news... japanese beetles. They've been spotted all around the vegetable garden, the trees, and the flowers. They've damaged some of the peas and lettuce already, but I'm not sure when I can spray for them; a number of bees and are sure to get axed in the process too. Will the blossoms still get pollinated?I don't even know what these crazy beetles are doing... mating? battling? circus act?

Craftiness: Boring blue

We'll see how well this "craftiness" segment goes, seeing as my crafty adventures are sporadic in nature. Nonetheless, I'm surprised I've been so quick on this project (and the image taken with similar haste). I started the Aran Cable Scarf free on the LionBrand site just two days ago.
I have to admit I don't really like this color, so I won't be sporting this scarf in my own wardrobe, but it was the only yarn I had enough of to complete a scarf. I always thought that cables were some sort of scary juggling act of knitting, but after a little surfing found out that you don't even need a cable needle. So, the LionBrand pattern became a base for a few of my own tweaks. I used only the first cable pattern throughout the whole scarf, and I've done a left-cross cable instead of a right-cross.

Should be finished tonight, aside from sizing; only one foot left to go!

In the Garden: Indoors

Ok, so it's not -outside- in the garden, but I would hate my dear new friend to feel neglected. Currently undergoing light therapy to revive it's white and green variegation, this plant is an exciting new addition to my home (the basement, until I'm back in the dorm).

Marble Queen Pothos:
This Marble Queen Pothos was propagated from my mother's plant. She has owned it for several years, and I've always admired it. One day, I was bored and decided that everything outside was in order, and turned my attention indoors. Mom's pothos was long and overgrown, and after I pruned it there was a shamefully large pile of plant on the ground at my feet. I've been trying to excercise my green thumb this year, and couldn't bear to just toss the vines out. So, I quickly read up and tossed a few into water to grow roots. A few weeks later I had a glass full of new roots. I couldn't wait to pot the plant but was at a loss for what to use until I again, read up and discovered how to transplant into water. It was perfect! I had a lonely spaghetti jar with no use, bags of pea gravel laying around in the basement, and larger stones littered in the soil waiting to be dug up.
Hydroculture:
I thought I was conducting an experiment in pothos growing, and was excited when I saw the roots branching off in strong numbers in it's new container. The Indoor Garden Book said most plants can be grown using hydroculture, so why not a plant that readily roots in water(without the help of a rhizome powder)? Several articles online warned against it because of root rot and having still water, but I did find one little corner of the web that also has had success growing pothos with hydroculture, here. I think those shunners just didn't know what hydroculture really is. This article is good for identification, and basic tips.

No more Lollygagging

Hope that everyone had a wonderful 4th... and aren't going crazy back in the office.

In the Garden: First pea harvest

The over-abundance of lettuce is almost eaten up, with more leaves growing in the meantime. But the first peapods have finally fattened up to ripe status. There's only a handful of the crop here, and more waiting on the vine. It's such a delight to hear the pods snap open and reveal their tasty little morsels.

But back to work; There's much more to be done before the relatives arrive!

At the Feeder...

House finches visit this feeder in flocks, and the blackbirds rarely bother them, now that I've found out about safflower seeds. Safflower seeds are more bitter, and it seems that the Red-winged blackbirds only like the sweet sunflower.
The American Goldfinch is another regular I'm glad to see back. This one came by himself a few times, but now often brings his lady-friend. Hopefully more will catch on and come in huge flocks now the that the bullies are gone.
Hummingbirds are something newly attracted this year, and to my surprise there are at least four humming around the house regularly. They're cheeky and brave little things too... they don't mind people watering plants near the feeder, and one often sits on the perch for minutes on end, like this one, and chase off the others that come by!

In the Garden...

The storms and power outages have passed and the crops have all survived the beating winds. In fact, the first lettuce harvest went into last night's salad.

Soon there will be peas too. I spotted a few blossoms on the climbing stalks this morning. This year two boxes were planted with peas, but I think there are never enough peas. Thankfully, there are lots of pollinators flying around the garden (this hummingbird sits still longer than a bee).

And the hot-weather loving cucumbers have finally sprouted!