Computers are wonderful, until they are not.

 Welcome back to another episode of Lost In the Farmers Market, A This post is late by a week. Unfortunately the computer I normally use to write these posts and edit the phots for these blog posts and for the youtube channel is currently out of order. It seems the CPU has gone and I need to find another one. In all honestly I might have to upgrade the motherboard and CPU so I don’t have to keep hunting for parts that are getting a bit scarce. AM3 central processing units aren’t exactly new technology and they’re becoming harder to find in any reasonably quality condition. But thankfully I’ve jerry-rigged a solution to the slight delay and today, although late I have a blog post for you with a ton of garden photographs and info so stay tuned for what is to come.

 

 

Here we have a volunteer Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) climbing up a bamboo stake. There are two types of cucumbers that are used in the garden, Bush type and Vine type. The cucumber pictured is a vining type which will climb up just about anything. The bush type has shorter stem internodes and still climbs but doesn’t get as big. Typically varieties like ‘Space master’ are bush type and they’re the best option or containers or limited spaces. They produce cukes as big as the vining types but are better for those who don’t know how the cukes do.  Way back in the mid 2000’s ‘Space master’ was the variety I experimented with to good success.

 

 

This pretty flower which looks a bit spindly is Thin-Leaved Coneflower ‘Prairie Glow’ (Rudbeckia triloba). It took a few years to really get it going but these flowers are totally worth it. For anyone who’s read this blog a while you know I have a bias towards coneflowers in general because they are native flowers that are pretty sturdy and reliable. The downside to this type of rudbeckia is that the rabbits seem to like eating it’s foliage a bit much. Thankfully their eating of it stopped once Caliente the cat showed up.

 

 

Three years later and in consideration for transplanting this Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus sp.) has bloomed. In our climate these hardy perennials can form dense clumps that resist the intrusion of weeds nicely.

 

 

Toad lilies (Tricyrtis formosana ‘Gilt Edge’) have been a long time perennial favorite of mine because they are evergreen in zone 8a and their flowers and foliage resembles Orchids minus all the special care and fuss. The best part is that these beauties spread by stolons so eventually I can give out clumps to friends and they are not invasive.

 

 

 

Four o Clocks (Miribilis japapa ‘Broken Colors’) are an old-time garden perennial that I have a special affinity for. They are named because their flowers never open before four pm, and they are the most well-known member of their family. They are considered a tender perennial in zones 7-10, and can form large tuberous roots that resemble rutabagas over time. Their large seeds are easily collected too so it’s easy enough to pass seeds onto neighbors and friends.

 

 

 

More Four O’clocks here, did you know they are also called ‘Marvel-of-Peru? They can have a sweet scent, and are actually native to the Americas. In the background of this picture are the papery seed husks from Silver dollar plant (Lunaria annua).

 

 

 

Inevitably when you have a garden you attract things. This kitten was found taking a nap in the driveway and was super friendly. Unfortunately Caliente wasn’t too kind about having competition for being fluffy and I had to take this kitten to Cumberland County Animal Control hopefully to be adopted by someone soon. Unfortunately FAPS said they were full and could not take her so CCAC was the best option.

 

 

 

Ah, remember that small Castor Bean (Ricinus communis ‘Zanzibar’)? Well this is how big it is now, there is no doubt those leaves are about the size of a pizza pie pan. Lets see how big it gets before the end of the year!

 

 

 

Now here is a life and death moment on the leaf of an Evening-Scented Flowering Tobacco Plant (Nicotiana syvestris). This spider is a Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans) and it is eating what appears to be a Cicada killer (Sphecius speciosus) of some sort. Green Lynx Spiders are numerous in any given garden setting and due to their unique color they are rarely noticed. They pose no threat to humans so it’s best to just observe and leave them alone.

 

 

 

This is an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus). I get several of these large butterflies in the garden every year; though this is the first time one has stopped to feed on the mint blossoms. I suspect this is a female due to the enlarged abdomen. Typically these butterflies will seek out a member of the Parsley/Carrot family to lay their eggs on. The Resulting caterpillars are those cool looking black and yellow striped ones with the little orange 'antlers' that they poke you with when you disturb them.

 

 

 

While this picture isn’t ideal for identification, this Mantis is probably a Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis). Chinese Mantises were accidentally introduced in 1896 in Mt. Aity Pennsylvania. While they do eat a lot of pest insects they also eat just about anything they can catch which makes them a threat to native insect populations including the Carolina Mantis (Stagomantis Carolina) and the European Mantis (Mantis religeosa). I do not think they are declared an invasive species yet, but they are hard to miss as they are the largest species in the USA as they can get up to five inches long.

 

 

 

Here we have the literal fruit of my labor, three differing types of Fig (Ficus carica). The big green ones are White Ishia, the tan ones in the lower half of the container on the right are Chicago Hardy, and the darker brown figs at the top of the container on the right are Celeste. The scientific humor here is that figs are technically not a fruit, they are called a Syconium. A Syconium is essentially a flower turned inside out, the actual sex bits are those strange filaments inside the fig. Normally a small fig wasp (Agaonidae sp.) does the pollinating. I only know for sure of one species of commercially available Fig that probably has wasp bits in the 'fruit' and that's Calimyrna. Thankfully, Black Mission, Brown Turkey, White Ishcia, Chicago Hardy, Magnolia, Celeste, produce fruit through parthenogenesis. Basically they had a genetic glitch somewhere that made them produce edible fruit without the need for pollination. In short a literal virgin 'birth', and so they were the types that were proliferated by humans because without the need for a wasp, they could go wherever the wasps were not and provide food in exchange for better care. So for all you vegans out there sweating if eating figs breaks your lifestyle and diet, most commercial and homegrown figs are safe.

 

 

At last, we have the Botanical Test Garden’s Mascot Caliente the Cat assaulting some weeds. Really those weeds had it coming for growing so aggressively!

 

 

 

Here are the latest YouTube videos for your garden entertainment:

 

Yucca: Still gonna git you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVo38cxaSkM

 

Ruellia; Ruellia DeVille….wasn’t she in that movie about the dogs?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aImcuHhW5Wo

 

Coleus; Not Coal Industry Approved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cB91RjUVAg

 

 

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 fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, 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.

 

 

It's Tomato and Cuke Season!

 

 

Fresh Food:

Figs, 1 Pound ($8.00)

Tomatoes: 2 for $1.00

Cucumbers: 2 for $1.00

 

Summer Veggies:

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

Pepper, 5” pot: Assorted ($4.00)

 

 

Herbs: ($3.00 each)

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

Comfrey ($4.00)

Oregano

Thyme

 

 

Ornamental Stuff: ($3.00 each)

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

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

 

 

Coming Soon:

Milkweed, Milkmaid White ($4.00, more available soon)

 

 

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 sixteenth LITFM post of 2021; stay tuned the next episode which should be posted on or around the 13th of August. There will be more garden updates and other cool stuff.

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.