First Monday Trade Days

I took a little time away from the garden and went visit Canton's First Monday Trade Days last weekend.

Bluebird Babies

The bluebird eggs have hatched. We are not sure how many babies exactly there are because they're all piled up in the small bird box, and we don't want to disturb them too much.

The five eggs were all laid by May 10th (related posting click here).

Curlicues

A lady bug on white string curled up by sugar snap pea plant.

Curlicues of giant pumpkin.

Beetle Scale

There's a beetle on each leaf if you look real close and maybe you can compare the size of those leaves based on "beetle scale".

Potato leaf.

Zucchini leaf.

Giant pumpkin leaf.

Tomatillo

Tomatillo or husk-tomato (physalis Philadelphica) is in the same family as tomato but different genus. It is commonly cultivated in Mexico and Guatemala. The ripe fruit is like green tomato. We like tomatillo in cold soup, salsa, and sometimes fry it like fried green tomatoes.

Interesting facts about tomatilo (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomatillo):

- Other parts of the plant, besides fruit, are toxic and should not be eaten.

-  The plant is highly self-incompatible, two or more plants are needed to pollinate properly.

Other source of information: 

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/1492/tomatillo.html

Sugar Snap Peas

Sunlit peas.

Ready to be picked.

They are also a climber.

A pink pea flower among white flowers.

Butter Bean

We have different stages of butter bean plants.

The ones that have just popped out of the ground

and ones that has already been climbing the cage.

That is because some of the seeds we first planted didn't make it

and we filled in the gap with new seeds.

Glam Evening

May 24th, 2009.
The sky and light were gorgeous after rain. We took our 4-wheeler and went round and round the pasture and stopped by the pond before going back to the house. Although the sun was already too low and we missed its golden light, the water drops on lotus leaves were still gleaming and pond surface reflected colors of the sky. So glamorous!

Mushrooms

We've been having quite a bit of rain recently thus the soil stays moist in some spots of the garden it spurs the sprouting of mushrooms. Last year I took pictures of several kinds of mushrooms and watched as they developed to different shapes. This year, I've noted two kinds so far, this colony and another one posted HERE, last picture. 

The colony.


They have thimble shape when started.

Lotus Buds

American Lotus is going to bloom soon! We purchased the bulb (about 10 inches / 25 cm long) last year and didn't bloom in the first year. This will be its first bloom. Noted about 6 buds has emerged from the water.

Wild Blackberries

They are good!

Wild Roses

Wild roses in the wood are in bloom. These photos are taken in different spots of the wood around the edges of a pasture.

Abundant rose buds to bloom.

Garden through Macro Lens

Hibiscus' stigmas.

Parts of blossoms are described in the following link:

http://www.backyardnature.net/fl_stan_.htm

Daylily's stamens.

Parts of Daylily are described very clearly in this site:

http://www.daylilies.org/ahs_dictionary/ImageMap.html

Castor BEAM.

This has got nothing to do with parts of blossoms.

A wet castor bean leaf reflects morning sunlight.

Hidden Eyes on Hairy Back

A moth perching on the grass.

Then it flew away to an abandoned pot 

and showed a pair of hidden eyes on its hairy back.

Promising Buds

Sunflower flower buds are imminent, 

promising excitement in the coming week.

Started from Renee's Garden's seeds sown in March 

(bought in stores in East Bay, California).

Pink calla lily flower bud emerged today. 

Started from store-bought rhizomes.

Some of This Week's Blooms

Lily of the Nile / Agapanthus - purchased last year (BM). Division from a bigger plant.

Daylily (need to learn its specific name) - purchased recently (BM). Still in a pot.

Hollyhock - has been coming back 3 years in a row. Not sure how it started.

Gaura / Siskiyou Pink - purchased this year (BM).

Lantana underneath sunflowers - purchased last year (BM).

First blooms of chrysanthemum - Purchased 2 years ago.

First zinnia bloom - grows back from the seed of last year's plant.