Last night we taste tested the garlic scapes I fermented a couple of weeks ago. So how were they?
Blech! Awful! Terrible! Inedible!
They had turned into garlicky, green twigs. No matter how much we chewed and chewed, we were left with a fibrous lump that we really didn't want to swallow. (Aren't you glad you asked?)
Might have been my fault in not cutting them soon enough after they appeared on the garlic stems. But I was regularly cutting the scapes, chopping them and sauteing them in various dishes I cooked and they were fine. Back to the drawing board on that one, I guess.
Remember the damage I had on those miscellaneous brassicas I stuck in at one end of a garden bed? Before we got any footage on the trail cam we set up, Papa Pea and I had just about decided it had to be crows.
Every morning just after dawn, we have 3 or 4 big, black crows that have been visiting the garden. This year they've acted like robins, feasting on worms they find in the grass. I suppose all our moisture has brought lots of worms to the surface. We see them (the crows, not the worms) hopping around in various spots in the garden but had never actually seen them go after any vegetable plants.
We never did see them taking a peck on the brassicas, but the trail cam did show them in and around the raised bed. So we're fairly certain they are the culprits. Thus far, no further damage has been done.
However, just this morning we noticed them in the blueberry patch helping themselves to our ripening blueberries! Our bushes are loaded with berries as they never have been before so we're really looking forward to having a bumper crop. Fortunately, we have a good supply of netting that is now spread over all the bushes. Let's hope that will keep the black bandits foiled. If not, the term "eating crow" is gonna take on a new meaning. They just may find themselves baked into a pie yet.
Do you know what I'm missing in the garden this year? Flowers. I've planted my usual mainstays -- Sweet Peas, zinnias and cosmos but not a single one of them is blooming yet. I always keep vases of cut flowers in the house and so far nothing has been available except whatever wildflowers I can find. I'm feeling downright blossom deprived.
8 comments:
It's always nice to find out who the culprit is--hopefully something can be figured out.
I have all my blueberries under "tents" of that agribon--I've finally got more berries than I know what to do with. I'm VERY popular in the neighborhood right now. And dear hubby has turned an odd shade of blue...........
Me thinks his constant snacking on them "paint" a picture --hahahahahaha!
Have a wonderful weekend. I am dealing with green beans this week--a glut--and I'm not complaining after last years disaster .
Hope you and Papa Pea have foiled those dastardly crows! Not sure how to spell that word.... think Bugs Bunny from loooooong ago?! Have a good day Mama Pea!
Ah, I know the feeling about flowers. I sure hope you get some blooms around your homestead, and soon. They do put a smile on one's face. Glad you caught the bandits.
Mama Pea,
Birds can be a real pain at times in our gardens. Thank goodness for bird netting......or bb guns, lol....
I'm not sure Crow's would taste good.
It took a while for my Zinnia's to start growing and I like in Oklahoma.
My raspberries seem to be done for the season, it looks like I'll get about 4 blackberries off the bushes I planted last fall, and my blueberry bushes are doing diddly.
Even the flowers seem a little off this year. The peonies still have the remnants of dead spring blooms and the hosta are just finishing and the mums are just starting but the roses have been meh and my rose of sharon is only just budding. Oh well - what are you going to do ?
Mama Pea,
Last year, the pickled scapes I made had a few tough stems in them , too. I thought it was because I had let them stay too long in the garden. Not sure. This year I picked them small and tender. I'll be trying them in a month or so and let you know.
Crows around here have been known to kill cats and chickens-mostly chicks. They are bold in groups. Maybe that's why they're called a murder of crows??
Exciting about all of the blueberries. Seems to be a good berry year.
I know the feeling about flowers. I hope you get some blooms around your homestead soon.
Crows! We hear them a lot, but so far there no evidence of them getting into my garden. I'll have to check and make sure sending a crow to early grave is ok in Indiana, just in case. Also better be looking over backstops. The neighbors aren't THAT far away.
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