GREETINGS, GARDENER!

M&M’s

Ahh summer! We’ve phased into one of our favorite stages of summer: the ripening tomatoes. We have breakfast tomatoes, lunch tomatoes, dinner tomatoes (see our stuffed tomato recipe) and of course, the M & M (‘Mater & Mayo) sandwiches. 

While we're enjoying ample harvests, we — and others — are also experiencing some tomato plant diseases. Our notable fungus this year, besides the usual cracking, (in spite of regular watering), is anthracnose fungus.

BEANS!

Also, the beans are coming on strong too. We planted a number of beans (Blauhide and Sunshine pole varieties) so that they’d grow up and over our cattle panel archway. As seen in a recent video, Coleman shared how it’s such a pleasure to pick beans while under the cool shade. Cool beans! 😉

THE HUMMINGBIRD MOTH CATERPILLAR IS NOT THE TOMATO HORNWORM!

If you’re a member of the Gardens All Facebook page or Planting for Retirement group, then you’ve probably already seen this, but if not, we think you’ll enjoy it.

It’s a popular topic, and conversations arise every year that involve a common (and understandable) issue of mistaken identity. We’ve got some great info and visual comparisons, in this article, towards clarity and understanding. There's also a number of video clips of the enchanting clear winged creature.

POISON IVY!

Our son, Nikolai, has been working on a nearby farm, and got into some poison ivy while clearing trees and brush. We know a couple friends who've recently gotten into some as well, so here's an article on natural remedies for poison ivy. Fortunately, there are a number of good options!

Wishing you great gardens and healthy harvests,

Coleman and LeAura Alderson

GardensAll.com