The August Babies! (Baby Chicks...)

New Chicks! This is from my accumulated material from early August that I haven't had time to post. They arrived on the 8th of August as day old chicks. The good news is that three weeks later, they are all still with us. Only bigger, and now in the gangly teenager stage, so let's stick with the cute pics for now!

The black ones are Black Australorps. I think a glossy black chicken walking around on green grass is lovely to look at (I feel the same about black cows on a green hillside...but we don't have that much room!) The yellow ones will grow up to be deep red-brown. They are Buckeyes, a rare heritage breed - and the only American chicken developed by a woman back in the late 1800s, in Ohio as you may have guessed. (And these are my new farm project -- more about that later...)

Press the play button to see just how cute these little gals are just walking around in their warm box.

July walk around Larrapin (Video)

Back in late July I did a walk-around video of the garden for two friends who were supposed to visit that week, but couldn't, due to illness. The video turned out to be kind of fun, a way to keep track of how things look, where various things were planted this season, etc. I think I'd like to do a walk-around video every month to see how it all changes... So here's what it looks like in mid/late July 2008:

A little something hopeful...

I finally finished work for the weekend and wanted to post some pics I've saved for the blog, but it's hard to be lighthearted when so many Gulf Coast folks are away from their homes (again) and don't know if tomorrow will bring devastation or blessed false alarm. My thoughts and prayers are with all those who had to evacuate.

One September years ago in Yancey County, NC we had sudden and unexpected flooding the night of my birthday. We'd been having dinner with friends in Asheville and were driving the hour back home late at night in the driving rain. About two miles from our mountainside cabin above the South Toe River there were volunteer firemen and flashing lights blocking the country road. Past that point the river had flooded the highway and no one could pass. It was awful: midnight in the pouring rain, unable to get to our home and waiting dogs. I called a nurse friend who I knew worked 2nd shift and would still be up. Sure we could come stay with them. (Ahhh, there's where real hospitality and friendship are pure grace...) So we spent a restless and distraught night wondering how high the river would be, would the house be ok, were the dogs ok, etc.

It was mid-day the next day when the river went down enough to drive home. I was so stir crazy with worry that I would have hiked the overland mountain route if if meant getting home. And that was just one night, all the while knowing that our house was pretty far up the hill from the river and very unlikely to flood. So I can only imagine what the Gulf Coast/New Orleans folks are going through, again.

Our home stayed safe and dry that time. So many others haven't been that lucky. When the horror of Hurricane Katrina was going on, I heard a song on NPR that affected me so deeply I tracked down the CD. Singer Eliza Gilkyson wrote "Requiem" after the Asian tsunami. It is one of the most moving songs I've ever heard -- a lament, a prayer. (You can hear the song and/or the interview here.) NPR played the song and the interview after Katrina. I remember tears just flowing down my face when I heard it. I got out the CD played it last night again, thinking of New Orleans -- a place that stuck in my heart after just one visit there. I can see how people love it so much they will keep going back...

So here's another prayer, a story of baby birds in the shed that houses our well pump:

Earlier this summer I knew something was going on in the shed when I saw a wren coming and going through the wide gap under the shed door. She'd flit back and forth, various insects in her beak, then back again. A little investigation revealed loud peeping coming from within the old grass-catcher bag of an old mower.

A couple of weeks later, I opened the shed to find baby birds about to take on their biggest adventure -- flight! And in this case, life outside the well-pump shed! One little guy was up on the edge of the bag:



Others had already tumbled out of the nest and were huddled behind the axe....



Yet another had flown up to the window. This one seemed to be saying, "Hey, how does one get out of here!?" This is the pic from outside the shed:



I opened the shed door because mama and papa wren were outside cheeping wildly. One by one they fluttered out into the big world. Till one, the littlest was left:



I watched and waited, worried sick he'd be left behind. Then he fluttered bravely out like a big bird and kind of motored across the yard barely inches off the ground till he found some bushes to land in.

That night I kept thinking about those babies out in the big, sometimes bad world. I wished them safety, safe travel and blessed happy life. Tonight I'm sending out a wish for the same to the people who are suffering tonight: folks along the Gulf Coast, the folks flooded out in India, and to all who need one extra prayer tonight. Godspeed through the night, and the nights to come, for all of you, for all of us.

Larrapin Mid August

We've been creating the Larrapin landscape for three years now and it was only when I looked back at the pics we took when we purchased the house did I realize how far we've come in three fast years. When I add in the facts of our one to two inches of topsoil over a gravel/clay mix, then I realize that these gardening methods I've learned from my many teachers really, really work!

Here's the front of the house the day we bought it:


And three years later:


Here's the side yard the day we bought it:

The dirt gash you see in these pics is where the owner had just installed county water in addition to the (very deep and productive, but slightly-sulphur-smelling) well we use for the garden now.

Here's the side yard now:


Here's the front yard, future site of Larrapin Garden in August 2005:


And Larrapin garden in August 2008:


Now I can't claim credit for *all* the increase in green, because this year we had already reached the year's average total rainfall by mid June...while in 2005 the area was in a drought...

Am I ever glad we took those "before" pics just so I can see our progress! I can see a productive, mostly edible, naturally grown, wildlife & bird friendly landscape inspired by many garden teachers and (recently) the ideas of permaculture, starting to take shape!

Thanks for visiting the Larrapin Garden Blog. I'd be delighted and honored if you would leave a comment by clicking the comment link below this post so I'd know you stopped by!

Back at the Blog!

I took July off from blogging and then August was busier than I expected. But I'm back. We've been doing a lot of good eating around here! The meal above was the first one we had that was completely from the garden: green beans, red potatoes, fresh corn, and purple hull peas!

This summer we've had green beans by the bag, purple hull peas -- our favorite, feta-chard quiche, some delicious tomatoes (though not as many as usual due to all the rain), the amazing Ambrosia cantaloupe, more bell peppers than we can eat so many are going to the freezer for winter cooking, loads of onions from the spring still in storage, and corn (pictured here as an Indian inspired spicy corn -- I'll share the recipe -- if anyone would like it just leave a comment).

Glad to be back!

Post Garden-Tour Recovery!

Whew!! I was one tired gardener after weeks of prep for a charity garden tour that took place June 7th. The Omni Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology has a fundraiser every year that features gardens in the Peace Garden Network. It's a fun day and we had upwards of 50 visitors over the day. Many were our old friends who came to hang out and socialize -- what a great day!

However, most other projects in my life were on hold during these weeks, as you can tell from the lack of posts on my part! So I'm back again to share glimpses of Larrapin Garden over the summer season, which is just getting started. We've had so much rain -- I think we're nearly 20 inches ahead of normal rainfall for the year -- that everything is lush, green and happy. A beautiful time to be out in the beauty!

Roadrunner Courts our Dachshunds...

If you've visited Larrapin Garden's blog, you've probably met Randy, Ricky and Rhonda, the three road runners that have visited our land at different times. Randy (a big male) hasn't been seen in a long time. Rhonda is kind of shy. Ricky, on the other hand, is kind of like an odd pet that lives in the yard and has a lizard/snake fetish.

We've told folks that Ricky has a huge crush on our weiner dogs, and regularly brings them courtship offering -- in various stages of deathly disarray -- of lizards or small snakes or large bugs. Or if pickings are slim, Ricky will settle for sticks, chunks of grass or cherry blossoms. Anyway, this is hard to believe till you see it. Since Ricky usually courts through the glass sliding doors, at first we thought he might just be seeing his reflection and be unaware of the two weenie dogs slathering on the other side. (Okay, only Buster the part jack-russell slathers, Blue is far to lazy to slather...)

But this video proves Ricky the Roadrunner has it bad for the dogs because he's flirting through a fence and can see them plainly. (And is perfectly aware they can't get to him...I know the inspiration for the roadrunner/coyote cartoon watching this bird!) So here it goes:

(NOTE: turn your volume way DOWN to eliminate the mowing going on during this video and the incessant yapping...I don't know enough about doing video to decrease it... It's 2 minutes long.)

For 2008: More Milkweed!

Maybe the milkweed has made me crazy, but the experience of watching the dozens of butterflies zoom around it and the dozens of monarch caterpillars happily munching away, has me committing more area to butterfly habitat next year. Here's another visiting lovely -- a swallowtail? -- pictured above. I'm searching through the catalogs looking for the magic words in the description: Attracts Butterflies. In particular, I hope to add a Paw Paw tree to draw Zebra Swallowtails.

I haven't had the chance to post due to dealing with a family illness. After being out of state for nearly a week, it was such a healing experience to drive back home and see the garden. Even though it's starting to fade as the heat is releasing it's grip a bit and the light begins to look like Fall, it looked like paradise after a week in hospital waiting rooms.

I'll start watching for the Monarch butterflies to be traveling by soon. One of my clearest memories from when we lived in North Carolina (and along a major Monarch flyway) was looking up into a stunningly blue September sky and seeing butterflies high above, so high they looked like pieces of distant confetti, tumbling southward. It's amazing they travel so far with that up and down rolling flight. This time, I'll be hoping that some of the butterflies traveling will be the offspring of some of the fat caterpillars that munched on this milkweed at Larrapin Garden.

Hershel's Tomato

Hershel is my wonderful gardening neighbor. (I misspelled his name in my sign above. Note the Sharpie pen for size comparison....) He's been gardening in our neighborhood for about twenty years and his garden is fabulous. We often benefit from his ability to produce enormous quantities of the best green beans ever -- Kentucky Wonders. The tomato pictured is Hershel's own development and the one I photographed is not the prettiest or the largest he's ever shown me. I believe the parent tomato is a German Pink type. Hershel's tomato produces a slice for a sandwich that will overhang the bread! Really great flavor, nice firmness. To the left is one of the Cherokee Purple heirloom I grew from a transplant I bought at Old Soul Organics in Fayetteville. It is, hands down, the healthiest, lushest plant I've ever grown, incredibly productive and with a *perfect* tomato flavor in my opinion. Needless to say I'm saving the seeds on that one. It has a near potato type leaf. Here's a sliced one:


The other tomato tip I'll do again next year involves composted cotton burr compost. The bed where I was planting the tomato was too clayey so I added a half bag of the compost right in the end of the bed where the tomato was to go. I guess they LOVE this compost! I'll do this again for each tomato plant next year.

Here's a parting pic of Hershel's wonderfully huge tomato -- this one not completely ripe. I knew I'd lucked out when I moved to the neighborhood and after meeting Hershel he pulled a giant whole tomato out of the freezer to show me! This is my kind of neighbor! The tomato had been so huge and perfect -- indeed, it seemed half as big as my head -- that he'd frozen it so that folks would believe him when he told the story! Because we know that gardening stories and fishing stories can be similar in some ways...

Finally today some RAIN!! It smelled exquisite.

Black Swallowtail Larva on Parsley

This is how gardening with the wild creatures in mind (in addition to the gardeners) can be a little tricky. I planted a whole row of parsley so that there would be plenty for us and for butterflies. But the stand was covered with SO MANY black swallowtail caterpillars that I couldn't bring myself to cut any -- even when I needed a bunch for a special recipe. To Mendy's dismay, I brought storebought parsley home to spare ours for the butterflies. Next year I may have a row of parsley and a dill plant in every raised bed in hopes of having enough for us all.

I heard a country story I like:
A visitor to an old farmer's garden noted that a groundhog was living nearby.
"You gonna shoot that groundhog?"
"Nah," the farmer replied.
"Well maybe you ought too. He'll eat your garden up," the visitor warned.
"Mister," the farmer explained, "If I can't grow enough to feed myself and one little groundhog, I wouldn't be much of a farmer."

Mostly I feel the same. But if you change the critter to a raccoon....hmmmm, all bets are off!

I'm thinking this is why it's called milkweed!

This is one of the Milkweed seedheads as it opens and releases the seeds with their little flyaway equipment. The fluff feels like silk -- no wonder it's called Silky Butterfly weed!

What butterfly is this?

I'm not sure which kind of butterfly this is, but what great colors! Another milkweed fan..

The Tropical Butterfly Weed

This is the tropical milkweed I've mentioned in several posts. Milkweed is the preferred caterpillar food for Monarch butterflies as well as a great nectar source for everything that flies. It was recommended by our wonderful local Monarch garden supporter, Cindi C.

I got the seed from Swallowtail Garden Seeds online. It's called Silky Butterfly Weed (Asclepias curassavica) and comes in red and gold (yellow). The Red has produced more seeds but the yellow was the initial preference of the Monarchs in my yard. Since then, both kinds are popular, with a handful of Monarch caterpillars on every plant.

Apple Tree Eater

Our apple tree eater wasn't too happy to find those little (super
strong) hotel soaps tied in her favorite snack branches! So far it's
working well. This was over a month ago, back when we had green
grass. Not a drop of rain in August so far. First clouds I've seen
all month are in the sky today, but only a 20% chance of rain. Come
on rain!

It's hot, even for roadrunners

Here at Larrapin, we have three roadrunners who visit: Randy a large male, Rhonda a reclusive female, and Ricky, pictured here. This was yesterday and it was about 99 degrees, so even the roadrunner was panting a bit.

Ricky is a small male and not the least bit shy. He tags along, no kidding, when we walk with the dogs down the drive to the mailbox. Our neighbor thinks this is pretty funny. Ricky brings sticks, deadheaded flowers, dead lizards and even the occasional mole to the window and taps to get our (or the dogs) attention. He's like a winged, two legged cat that way.

When I go out to the garden I often hear a little "whirr" sound from the hedgerow -- as if Ricky is saying, "Hey, I'm over here." He is also nosy. Just this morning I was weeding and tossing the pulled up plants in a garden cart. I went inside for a glass of water and when I returned, Ricky was on the side of the cart, making sure I wasn't stealing any of his lizards I guess. He loves the weiner dogs, especially Buster. Blue could care less. (If I can figure out how to put a video on this blog, I'll put up a typical Roadrunner/Weinter dog interaction...)

And yes, he's very very fast. One day Buster (the dachshund/jack russell cross) bolted out the front door when I opened it and Ricky happened to be standing on the patio. (Neither event is too unusual.) I was terrified for a moment that Buster would catch him. Not to worry. Ricky sprinted down the lawn with Buster close behind. Then suddenly Ricky zagged about six foot to the right -- so fast I could barely see what happened -- and hit the ground. Buster tore merrily on past, barking like mad, never realized he'd passed his prey. Ricky got up an strolled away. All in a roadrunner's day... Since he is so fast, I have many photos of Ricky just like this one:

Beautiful, But Not a Buckeye!

Caught this lovely on one of the butterfly bushes. This has been an amazing butterfly year now that I'm planting butterfly bushes, parsley, dill and milkweed. More on that later...

I'd originally called this one a buckeye, but Tina alerted me that it's an American Painted Lady instead. We have so many in the garden this year and prior to 2007, the one butterfly I felt certain about was a Monarch. I have purchased the wonderful Arkansas butterfly book. I'll post that later too. Thanks Tina!

Susanna's lovely garden tour

I visited my friend Susanna's lovely garden a few weeks ago and took these photos. What a lovely backyard to stroll around! I was part of a group getting a tour of her rainwater catch system, part of which is pictured below, which she uses for her vegetable gardens, trees and flower beds.

Susanna has a great gardening shed. I particularly loved her story of the mother fox who raised several litters of kits over the years in the crawlspace of this backyard gardening shed. The kits must have been wonderful to see.




How wonderful to have friends who garden wonderfully. And it never hurts if, like Susanna, those friends happen to be fabulous cooks! I've never liked Chard, but Susanna has a great recipe that involves ginger. Yum. I'll ask her if I can post it later...


Everyone needs a garden cart. How much better to have one that is personalized!

Susanna explained that her tiny vegetable garden has three layers of fence protection from critters -- the high bamboo with tape for deer, small low chicken wire for rabbits, and a decorative wire for armadillo. Seems to work. This vegetable bed is just behind the white shed. She gets lots of produce from a very small space.


Here's her rainwater roof catch system. I'd like one of these! The woman who built the system for Susanna is named Kaz and she is the one with her hand up, explaining the plumbing fittings...

Thanks for opening your garden to your pals Susanna!

More Okra Tales

Like Connie, who responded to the "Do you know this flower?" post, I had no idea that okra has such lovely, if very brief, flowers. The Hill Country Red Okra from Baker Creek Heirloom seeds in the previous post continues to produce a good amount of BIG pods -- best eaten fried Southern style because it gets big so fast. Next year I'd like to try another variety in the Baker Creek catalog that has red stems, pods and leaves!

This photo is from 2006. I had leftover okra transplants and no room in the garden, so I put a few in various spots in flower beds around the house. I thought it was great. Plus, you could pick okra from the patio... This variety is Clemson Spineless and is great tasting and very productive. And all green.

Know this flower?

Know this flower?
Originally uploaded by larrapin67.

Did you know an okra bloom was so lovely? This is an Alabama heritage red okra with gorgeous red stems and leaf veins...

Melons and Future Monarchs

Here's one of the ripening "Charentais" French melons as well as on of Larrapin Garden's most honored guests -- a monarch butterfly caterpillar who wandered over on the melons from the tropical milkweed growing in the same garden bed.