they're the bane of my gardening existence. the nasty little snot-based organisms love more than anything to snack on just-grown sprouts, and they also have quite the uncanny knack for knowing which plants are a little sad and discouraged anyway, and then focusing all their energy on those. and sometimes you step on them by accident. and sometimes you're barefoot. and it is awful.
i used to use this expensive-[it was imported from germany]-but-not-poisonous-to-people slug bait, but then i ran out and didn't get around to getting any more, so the other day i went to one of the many liquor stores in my neighborhood and bought a large bottle of the champagne of beers* (because it was the cheapest) because i've heard from several people that if you put a dish of beer in your garden, the snails and slugs will either drink themselves to death or dissolve themselves by accident in it, and i'd finally become comfortable with the idea of destroying them in that way. but then it kept raining and raining and raining (and raining), and my brilliant plan was foiled again and again. and then finally on saturday, i decided that i was going to put some out because it looked like it was clearing up [apparently that's how the weather works around here lately; during the week it's rainy off and on, and then during the weekend {when you want to go to the beach or at least on a hike or at the very least run around and play frisbee} it rains like it's going out of style] and the next day i went to look at the dish, to see what had happened...but it was dry. not just empty, but dry. it couldn't have all evaporated, and it didn't spill, so i think that i accidentally got someone's cat drunk. i didn't mean to do that, but i'm hoping that, if in fact the feline was inebriated, it resulted in something as cute as the first photo
here. because that is some cute, my friends.
(oh, and it didn't seem to do anything to any of the snotters; they're still going after my plants with abandon. sigh.)
*which, actually, tasted alright to me when i tried some before putting it outside.
the year's first zucchini.
this is what i saw when i decided it was time to pick several carrots that had been growing close together in my garden. i wish i had been able to include the stalks, which were really long. i thought, though, that it might be more interesting to show a closer view of the carrot situation. check it out! i'm not sure what this most closely resembles to me. is it a heartwarming display of carroty affection? or is this one of those times when the phrase "food porn" comes closer to really meaning it? anyway, no matter what it looks like, it's exciting to think that i grew this myself, and now i can eat it. hooray for urban gardening!
this is what a plum tart looks like. sweet, buttery crust, homegrown, just-picked, organic plums sliced and sprinkled with sugar, cinnamon, and freshly grated nutmeg. and nothing else. totally gorgeous.
but that the awesome just continues when the plums are both ripe and delicious?
and these pictures show why. i grew this carrot in my garden, but when i planted it (along with a bunch of others), it was late winter. so it was cold, and really muddy and wet. i didn't pitchfork the soil up the way i should have before putting in the seedlings. oops. but you have to admire the tenacity and commitment of this carrot! even when faced with a challenging soil environment, it tried to grow in several directions. despite physical discouragement, it didn't give up. even though it was straining against compacted earth, it found the energy to grew a beautiful set of greens on top. (the compost says thank you.) it is also important to note that it kind of looks like it's breakdancing or something in those last two pictures (particularly when they are viewed together). furthermore, it has provided an excellent visual reminder of the importance of proper pitchfork action, a reminder that has already informed my further carrot planting. finally, and equally importantly, it tasted good. in conclusion, kids, use your pitchforks. that's what they're for.
