Critters On Parade

 Welcome back to another episode of Lost In the Farmers Market, and boy do we have an episode for you. As we all know there’s a bit of a heatwave and somewhat of a dry spell going on. If we’re lucky the upcoming storms will put down enough rain to alleviate some of that and maybe take the heat and humidity down a peg. As with any weather prognostication for rain I will believe it when I see it. In the meanwhile I’m irrigating the test gardens as best I can and in the process snapping photographs of whatever happens to catch my attention which brings us to today’s post which is just a few days late. There are a lot of critters on display this time so grab a seat and maybe some popcorn and check out the summer menagerie.

This is my first go at pickling using a fast mixture and some added seasonings in the form of cloves and ancho peppers. Two gallons of kosher dill-clove-pepper goodness!

Scolia nobilitata – Scolid Wasp

Scolid wasps at a glance can be mistaken for small bees, but they are a fairly docile and are attracted to blooming mint. You can usually tell a wasp from a bee by looking at one feature; bees from a dorsal view point tend to have a nearly circular ‘hump’ on the thorax, they also tend to have a fair amount of fuzz.

 

Here is additional information about these beneficial wasps:

https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/wasps/scoliid_wasps.htm

 

 

 

Pantala flavescens – Wandering Glider

 

I get a lot of dragonflies in the garden but few sit still long enough for me to photograph, this one cooperated and sat so still I wasn’t sure it was alive. A gentle poke proved that it was quite alive.

 

Here is an informative link covering these Dragonflies in more detail:

https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.php?identification=Wandering-Glider-Dragonfly

 

 

Manduca sexta – Tobacco Horn Worm

 

Tobacco hornworms are kind of the price you pay for growing tomatoes and other nightshades, but also evening scented flowers. Tomato Hornworms look different and are from a different type of moth

 

Here is an informative link covering these critters in more detail:

https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/field/tobacco_hornworm.htm

 

Vaccinium virgatum – Rabbiteye Blueberry fruit

 

Yeah blueberry season is in full swing right now and this was the result of a recent harvest from just four bushes.

 

 

Caliente the Cat inspects some blueberries, shortly after this picture was taken she made a face, stuck out her tongue like the berries were disgusting and wandered off.

 

 

First she drinks out of the birdbath like a weirdo and now she’s laying in the driveway like that… I think ‘Felis catus.exe’ has stopped working

 

 

Lasioglossum species – Sweat Bee

It is kind of a miracle I got this shot at all with the camera in my phone. These little bees are loving the Thai Mint flowers alongside the Scolid Wasps. Mint attracts so many interesting pollinators it’s amazing to me that few know of it’s critical role in garden ecology and biodiversity.

 

 

 

Solanum x burbankii  – Wonderberry 

 

I thought a close up for the fruit of Wonderberry was in order. These dark purple-black fruits are fairly small but when they ripen you often will pick them by the dozens. The down side is that they are kind of delicate and will burst if you apply too much pressure while picking. I find it most effective to gently pull them free with the pointer finger and thumb then let them roll across your palm into a cup.

 

 

Leptroclossus phyllopus – Eastern Leaf Footed Bug

While technically considered a agricultural nuisance, I am not a fan of these things. They squirt projectile poop (gross!), and they use their sucking mouth parts to piece plants and fruits to suck out sap. If an infestation is bad enough they can damage your crops. A simple insecticidal soap or a pyrethrum based insecticide can knock down their populations.

 

Here is more info:

https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.php?identification=Eastern-Leaf-Footed-Bug

 

 

Hyla cinerea – Green Tree Frog

I come across a few of these little frogs every year. Their continued presence tells me that I’m handling the biodiversity aspects of the garden just right. Frogs and toads are essential to biodiversity and are beneficial as they eat a lot of insects that might otherwise cause me trouble. Sometimes when we have a stretch of dry weather they will take refuge between my plant pots on the grow trays because it’s dark and moist.

 

 

Stagomantis carolina – Carolina Mantis

            This is likely a female and is quite young. It was perhaps an inch or two long and I did not see evidence of the large wings you’d see on a male of the species. Since it was hanging out in a boxwood which is pretty solid green it’s got camouflage to fit in

 

 

Here are the latest YouTube videos for your garden entertainment:

 

Talking about Tarragon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A9p00q9TrY

 

Feeling the Burn with peppers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWzGjNHFaGc

 

Savoring the Savory:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MwHx6aevNk

 

Horehound; not the way your dog had puppies!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q03PW2pI9bk&t=6s

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but by booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog. Also, as of the start of 2019, my booth can now process credit or debit cards thanks to the acquisition of s a Square reader so your payment options have doubled. With that said, if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic vegetables, herbs and fruiting shrubs come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the Hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

Fresh Food:

Blueberries, Half-pound ($4.00)

Blueberries, Pound ($6.00)

Blueberries, Two –Pounds ($10.00)

 

Summer Veggies:

Pepper: Habanero, Golden Bell, Ghost ($3.00 each or 2 for 5)

Pepper, 6” pot: Scotch Bonnet ($5.00), Cayenne ($5.00)

Pepper, 5” pot: Habanero, Sweet Banana, Ghost ($4.00)

 

Herbs: ($3.00 each)

Basil, Emerald Tower, Dolche Fresca, Rutgers DMR Devotion ($3.00 each or 2 for 5)

Cervesa & Lime Cuban Oregano

Oregano

Thyme

Shiso, Green 6” pot ($5.00)

 

Ornamental Stuff: ($3.00 each)

Cotton, Erlene's Green ($3.00 each or 2 for 5)

Flowering Tobacco 'Saratoga Purple', 'Saratoga Rose' ($3.00 each or 2 for 5)

Marigold 'Antigua Yellow', 'Durango Red', 'Tangerine', 'Hero Bee' ($3.00 each or 2 for 5)

Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm'

Coneflower, ‘Artisan Soft Orange’, ‘Artisan Ombre Red’ ($4.00)

Milkweed, Milkmaid White ($4.00)

 

 

Coming Soon:

Comfrey (Herb, late summer)

 

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

 

Our group’s online presence has migrated to Nextdoor.com. All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.

 

https://nextdoor.com/g/ybvdm226x/?is=nav_bar

 

Meetings are back on track folks! We now meet at LeClairs General Store on the First and third Thursday of every month. Our next meeting is on August 5th between 5:30pm and 7:00pm. We are in the back room so come on in and join us for a fun garden chat.

 

If the two above methods do not work you can always contact me through this blog, PM me through Nextdoor.com and or visit the Fayetteville City Market. This brings to a close the fifteenth LITFM post of 2021; stay tuned the next episode which should be posted on or around the 30^th of July. There will be more garden updates and other cool stuff.