The Chinese believe that everything in life has Yin and Yang aspects, and I’ve certainly found this to be true of gardening. Sometimes the garden can give you bountiful gifts, like a whole colander full of green beans you find hiding under the leaves.
But for every bountiful harvest, there seems to be an equal numbers of garden heartbreaks. This year I planted four rows of swiss chard, and every bit has been eaten down to the stalks. (I have no idea what is eating my chard like this; would love to hear from anyone who has thoughts about what it might be.)
Of course, if you look hard enough you can find a kind of savage beauty even in garden destruction.
Some plants bring more pleasure than you ever imagined, like these Flying Saucer Squash that turned out to be beautifully multi-colored. (I can imagine they’ll make a lovely Raw Summer Squash Salad.)
It is heartbreaking when plants don’t flourish, and there’s no apparent reason. (This is one of two Celebrity tomatoes side-by-side and the other one is about three times the size.)
Sometimes the plants give it their all and manage to produce good things, even if they aren’t 100% healthy!
If you look for it, you can see the future in your garden, and when I look at this Roma Tomato plant, I’m seeing Slow Roasted Tomatoes.
And when you look at your plants and see that Green Zebra Tomatoes are well on the way to ripeness, you forget all the garden heartbreak and only think of the pleasure to come.
What kind of uplifting and heartbreaking things are happening in your garden this year?
Share This:
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Kalyn–don't give up on the chard you have already–although it does look devoured. It is a resilient plant and might just yet produce for you, once you get rid of the pest.
My suggestion for getting rid of pests organically is to use neem oil. This not only eliminates buggies, but it messes up their live cycles, molting, and egg development, but it also acts as an insect repellant when sprayed on your plants (like Off for chard, lol). I like BT for some things, but neem works as well (keeping the japanese beetles off of things this year–hurray!).
So far, the garden has been doing great–I have had a bumper crop of ground cherries that I have had to resort to selling some to a local farm store (lol). I need a low glycemic jam recipe pronto!
I can't say I've had the swiss chard problem, but that would be because Seattle hasn't had the best weather for gardening this year. It's been disappointing to say the least. Still, it is a labor of love, and anything I get this year I'll be thankful for. I hope you figure out what's eating your chard. 🙂
Put me in the bird camp. The quail and other birds who frequent my feeders can't get enough of my young chard, spinach, kale, and lettuces. In future, all tender greens will be grown at the other end of the garden to make it less accessible.
Tanna, that's interesting about the fennel. I have some fennel growing, but I haven't noticed any pests bothering it. The Green Zebra tomatoes are fabulous!
Katelyn, thanks! Sorry you're having your own pest issues. Maybe I should put out some beer just to see what I get!
On the Swiss Chard: looks like slugs and or Japanese beetles (they resemble our cauliflower that was destroyed by the two pests), they both love to drown in beer at night, too. =)
All 4 varieties of our squash were destroyed by squash borer, and our corn is becoming the home to European squash borer.
Such is a garden. Usually we have terrific fennel in a beautiful balance with the caterpillars. This year … not in balance. But one thing I've learned is the natural way fennel grows is really very effective. The caterpillars strip them bare … and when the caterpillars are gone, next day we find the fennel sprouting in the middle again. Don't think I'll get any fennel bulbs but we do enjoy the anise swallow tail butterflies. Love that zebra tomato.
I love all the garden photos that you share, Kalyn, but I know it's hard when things don't thrive or get eaten. Sounds like you are on the right path for figuring out your offender. I like Debbie's idea of the nighttime patrol, but, of course, I don't have a garden, so I don't know if I'd like that in practice. 😉
Kalyn, my chard isn't affected to the extent yours is, but has a worse case than usual of what looks like someone riddled the leaves with bullet holes. For me, I know it's earwigs and I can get rid of them temporarily (until next hatching) by sprinkling Sevin powder on the ground. Our local gardening guru "Joy in the Garden" is the one who told me what to use. It's not organic but the best I could find. They will do a number on basil too, so now the basil is in pots on the front porch and no more problems. My kale is fine, they must not like it. I'll guarantee it's not birds or something bigger. I just may go out with the flashlight to make sure nothing else.
This may be too much trouble for most, but I go into my garden at 10:00 with a flashlight and pick off the asiatic beetles that are eating my basil,peppers and sunflowers. It takes about a half hour to do my whole garden and it relaxes me to spend time in my garden before bedtime. Then again, I may be weird. Or obsessed.
This has been a hard year for vegetable gardeners. Plants are under stress because of the heat and drought. Insects know this and they are chewing everything in sight. Plant Swiss chard again when it gets cooler. It also likes a little shade.
45 Comments on “Friday Night Photos: The Yin and Yang of Gardening (2010 Garden Update #7)”
Kalyn–don't give up on the chard you have already–although it does look devoured. It is a resilient plant and might just yet produce for you, once you get rid of the pest.
My suggestion for getting rid of pests organically is to use neem oil. This not only eliminates buggies, but it messes up their live cycles, molting, and egg development, but it also acts as an insect repellant when sprayed on your plants (like Off for chard, lol). I like BT for some things, but neem works as well (keeping the japanese beetles off of things this year–hurray!).
So far, the garden has been doing great–I have had a bumper crop of ground cherries that I have had to resort to selling some to a local farm store (lol). I need a low glycemic jam recipe pronto!
I can't say I've had the swiss chard problem, but that would be because Seattle hasn't had the best weather for gardening this year. It's been disappointing to say the least. Still, it is a labor of love, and anything I get this year I'll be thankful for. I hope you figure out what's eating your chard. 🙂
Put me in the bird camp. The quail and other birds who frequent my feeders can't get enough of my young chard, spinach, kale, and lettuces. In future, all tender greens will be grown at the other end of the garden to make it less accessible.
TW, so glad you're not having the tomato problems you had last year!
The garden is just like life, is it not? Knock on wood, it's been a good season in the Northeast so far.
Tanna, that's interesting about the fennel. I have some fennel growing, but I haven't noticed any pests bothering it. The Green Zebra tomatoes are fabulous!
Katelyn, thanks! Sorry you're having your own pest issues. Maybe I should put out some beer just to see what I get!
Beautiful garden!
On the Swiss Chard: looks like slugs and or Japanese beetles (they resemble our cauliflower that was destroyed by the two pests), they both love to drown in beer at night, too. =)
All 4 varieties of our squash were destroyed by squash borer, and our corn is becoming the home to European squash borer.
Such is a garden.
Usually we have terrific fennel in a beautiful balance with the caterpillars. This year … not in balance. But one thing I've learned is the natural way fennel grows is really very effective. The caterpillars strip them bare … and when the caterpillars are gone, next day we find the fennel sprouting in the middle again. Don't think I'll get any fennel bulbs but we do enjoy the anise swallow tail butterflies.
Love that zebra tomato.
Shirley, we were cross-commenting! Not sure I am up for picking bugs off the plants by hand!! But I will get it taken care of somehow.
Renee, haven't heard of dehydrating swiss chard, very interesting. I'm ok, my friend has been giving me some; just sad that mine all got devoured.
I love all the garden photos that you share, Kalyn, but I know it's hard when things don't thrive or get eaten. Sounds like you are on the right path for figuring out your offender. I like Debbie's idea of the nighttime patrol, but, of course, I don't have a garden, so I don't know if I'd like that in practice. 😉
Good luck!
Shirley
My swiss chard is going crazy, I'm in Ogden wish you had some of it. I've been dehydrating it.
Renee
Maureen, I think the organic pest killer Elise recommended (BT) will also work on earwigs, so I think I'll try that.
Kalyn, my chard isn't affected to the extent yours is, but has a worse case than usual of what looks like someone riddled the leaves with bullet holes. For me, I know it's earwigs and I can get rid of them temporarily (until next hatching) by sprinkling Sevin powder on the ground. Our local gardening guru "Joy in the Garden" is the one who told me what to use. It's not organic but the best I could find. They will do a number on basil too, so now the basil is in pots on the front porch and no more problems.
My kale is fine, they must not like it. I'll guarantee it's not birds or something bigger. I just may go out with the flashlight to make sure nothing else.
Debbie, interesting! Not sure I can get myself to do that though, so I may have to use organic pest killer.
This may be too much trouble for most, but I go into my garden at 10:00 with a flashlight and pick off the asiatic beetles that are eating my basil,peppers and sunflowers. It takes about a half hour to do my whole garden and it relaxes me to spend time in my garden before bedtime.
Then again, I may be weird. Or obsessed.
I'm really hoping it's not birds; that sounds like so much trouble I'd probably just decide to buy swiss chard at the Farmer's Market!
This is for the birds……Ha..ha
There are nets you can set over your garden so they can't get to the seeds or plants.
Good luck
Anonymous, I'm definitely going to try again with the swiss chard.
This has been a hard year for vegetable gardeners. Plants are under stress because of the heat and drought. Insects know this and they are chewing everything in sight. Plant Swiss chard again when it gets cooler. It also likes a little shade.