cabbage and Lantana

our cabbage is gorgeous - I am fighting the caterpillars for ownership!


Lantanas are still doing wonderfully!

They're heeeeeeeerrrrrr!!

the day I have been dreading since beginning my garden, the day the caterpillars show up!
they are eating my broccoli leaves and my cabbage leaves. I don't really want to put pesticides on my edibles, and if I didn't try something less toxic quick, R would have had them covered in seven dust already. And that could still happen if my homemade insecticide doesn't work.

I have tons of cayenne peppers in the freezer left over from the garden last year, I never got around to making hot sauce. so I made a mixture of cayenne - garlic- veg oil - and soap and water - I sprayed my veggies real good tonight, so tomorrow will tell if it is gonna be a seven dust alternative.

what to believe

Its crazy how many differing "opinions" there are for what is good for you. sure some things are generally accepted - fried food = bad and fast food = bad
but I have seen conflicting articles on Agave (xagave) being just as bad as HFC or the best sweetener you could use. Chocolate is hailed as a super food in a book I just got, and there are ppl on the internet now claiming that raw Cacao is toxic.
Meat = good or bad
dairy and butter = good or bad.
vegetarian,
vegan,
raw
what is the right path?
Then there is the fact that we don't even really know how our food is produced. you have documentaries out there like Food Inc. demonizing businesses and big farmers for their farming methods, which are atrocious, but the gov't subsidizing corn is just as atrocious, it causes the cows to be fed a non natural diet of corn fostering e-coli. which gets spread to organic food.
Soy used to be god of food, now ppl are avoiding it because it is genetically engeneered to be more productive. which feeds more people. Is it bad for you?

then there is ornanic vs non organic. I don't like the idea of introducing chemicals into my body but in growing my own garden I realize how devastating it is to wake up in the morning to your crop eaten overnight.

what is right?
I like that I have a garden and can't wait for it to be productive.

Raw Honey

I have been waiting for SO long (since fall) to get some raw honey. it tastes so much better than the sweet gooey stuff from the market which has been pasteurized and all the enzymes are dead.
So walking downtown at the Azalea Festival this morning there was a local honey seller, he assured me his honey had not been heated at all, and it was from South Carolina - local enough for me.
I can't wait to get home and try some! Every jar you buy has a unique taste depending on the type of flower the bees visit and the time of year. Honey can be exciting!

Update

I really should post pics but I am at work and can't right now.
We recently (about 3 days ago) re-planted our carrots, beets (only 4 came up), and cantaloupe. I hope they sprout this time.
Our Cabbage, Spinach, broccoli, Onion and Lettuce look fabulous, getting big and lush. I hate to report we had to sprinkle with 7 dust already they were beginning to get eat, by something and the ants were beginning to take over! well we spread it and it rained within 24 hours - so it is all wash off now and the bugs are gone for now.
I hate not growing organic, but I also hate putting so much work into something for it to be destroyed overnight! I am gonna plant some marigolds to repel bugs and hopefully keep the pesticide treatments to a minimum! I am not putting pesticide on my herbs, for a couple of reasons, 1- you eat the herb directly (not like carrot where you pesticide the leaves and eat the roots) makes sense in my head anyway) alsoo I really haven't had much issue with my herbs getting eaten by bugs, I don't know why but they just don't bother my herbs.
speaking of which my chives came back with a vengence, they are awesome! My oregano is gonna take over my side garden - literally, they are spreading alot each year! my basil came back really pretty, and my rosemary looks pathetic but did come back - I hope it decides to flourish.
back to garden stuff though, our squash (planted last week) have 4 leaves each now and growing fast! and we have itty bitty tomatoes starting on one of the tomato bushes. Gonna go to the herb farm and get a roma tomato plant tomorrow - haven't been able to find them yet, but shelton was down at the Azalea festival and had some, but I want to get more herbs so tomorrow we shop! My pickled squash from last year is gone - NOOOOOO! I am looking forward to making some more!

garden update

this week we have noticed sprouts in the garden, everything except canteloupe, carrots and (I am not sure about the sugar snaps, something is there but may be weeds) There are alot of weed sprouts and being unable to distinguish between them and some plants I can't pull them. It seems to be taking a long time for actual plants to be out there, but that is probably me just being impatient. It hasn't rained much so we have had to water with the hose. I am gonna start some more canteloupe seeds in the house, my hills keep wearing down exposing the seeds, I have seen two with sprouts.
We did plant tomatoes last week, (its a bit early, but it will be OK if we protect them from any cold nights)

squirrels and no sprouts

I don't understand why we have so many squirrels around this year. I have caught them digging in my mint out front and in the garden. My dog will chase them off but she is so spoiled all she wants to do is be inside so that isn't much use to me.

I haven't seen anything in my garden sprout yet, maybe I am just being impatient but it seems like it has been long enough, and we have been watering everyday. It hasn't been raining, though it is supposed to today, I hope so - too chilly to be out playing anyway, I like mid 70's not low 60's.