Backyard Late Springtime Nature in New Jersey.
A yellow flower on the cucumber plant, a Blue Jay at the bird feeder, a male Northern Cardinal below the bird feeder.
Tuesday (19-June-2018) — New Jersey
Category: Food
Views of food from around the world
Saturday (16-June-2018) — New Jersey
Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.
Afternoon walkabout. The zucchini plants were getting too big in the Garden Towers because they were using too much water, and their leaves were blocking sunlight from the other plants. I attempted to transplant the zucchini plants. After a day they still seemed to be alive and still flowering. The Garden tower (level 1 (top) — tomatoes and carrots; level 2 — various lettuce; level 3 — various herbs; level 4 — peppers and peas; level 5 — zucchini (now gone) and swiss chard; level 6 — broccoli and cauliflower. The blue jays have become the dominant bird at the bird feeder, even though they are too big. It is funny to watch as they have to take the sunflower seed away and find somewhere hard to break it open, whereas the cardinals and house finches are able to open and eat the seed just with their beak. The only wildflower for the day is a daisy.
Saturday (16-June-2018) — New Jersey
Backyard Nighttime Nature in New Jersey.
I heard that a neighbor recently trapped 8 raccoons. But apparently, not the ones getting into my Garden Tower. I refilled the composting tube with kitchen scraps, and last night the raccoon tried to get up on the Garden Tower to check for a free meal. Instead it found that the electric fence was on. Infrared Video recorded by an Arlo Security camera.
Thursday (14-June-2018) — New Jersey
Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.
I did a walkabout in my yard this afternoon to check if any wildflowers have appeared. Something different from the firefly trails. An ant on a daisy flower, some small cactus flowers, a larger yellow prickly pear cactus flower, a yucca plant about to bloom (kept behind a wire mesh to keep the deer away), an icelandic poppy flower, a flowering beardtongue plant, and honeysuckle flowers.
Monday (04-June-2018) — New Jersey
Backyard Springtime Nature in New Jersey.
Lots going on. When the Blue Jay is at the bird feeder, all the other birds stay away. I noticed some White Clematis flowers across the street. Then I noticed some new wildflowers in my yard. So far this year it has been pretty sparse compared with last spring at this time. I don’t know the identity of the small white/pink/purple flowers. The plants in the Garden Tower are growing very fast. I am starting to eat some of the lettuce. The summer squash and cucumber plants are getting too big as their leaves are blocking light to the smaller plants in the tower. Some of the pepper plants are starting to bloom. The mile-a-minute vine is getting way out of control. In one section I used a propane torch to burn the vine. In another section I tried a chemical approach. I will compare the two sections in a week. While working the back section I found a couple of May Apple fruits. I have been told the Box Turtles eat, and then spread the seeds of the May Apple.
