Friday, March 5, 2010

Spelling and bugs

This was our broccoli 2 weeks ago, just before the recent warm spell. For over a month it was in a holding pattern, not growing at all and we kept thinking we should wait for the heads to get a little bit bigger before picking. Now they are all on the verge of flowering, so after holding out for so long we have broccoli at least 2 meals a day (I would try broccoli bread, but L is allergic, so our breakfast is still spinach bread). Does anyone else have a really hard time spelling broccoli? I never seem to get it right. Perhaps if I keep writing about it, it will eventually sink in. My husband could never remember which was broccoli and which was cauliflower, but after 2 years of gardening he never gets them wrong. He still can't keep his left and right straight though :)
Last of the hakusai (nappa). The few that are left are ready to bolt. The bugs really got to them, even in the dead of winter (though this Connecticutie can't REALLY say that winter in Gifu gets dead, even this year which is the coldest since I've been here). I don't know what horrible chemicals they must use on the hakusai in the stores and farmers' market to have them looking so perfect. The bugs think they are the yummiest thing in the garden.

4 comments:

Vicky said...

I can't tell you how jealous I am of your spring! We had 20cm of snow again this morning.

shinshu life said...

wow. You wintered broccoli? I'm impressed! We winter green leafy things (and of course hakusai and daikon) but nothing else winters here. Must be great not to have that month where you're out of winter veggies but still waiting for spring ones!

And I sympathise with your DH. The greens here still confuse me- always getting my chingensai, komatsuna, touna etc etc mixed up!

Xana said...

Yes, here in balmy Gifu we have broccoli and lettuce in Feb/March. As well as all the confusing veggies ending in -na, spinach, daikon and hakusai. I refuse to let dh plant cabbage. Of course, I refused to let him plant daikon and boy do we have a lot of diakon this year. So, I have told him that I refuse to cook, prepare or eat cabbage (except what we get from his dad), if he plants it he's on his own.

Dd1 is very jealous of your snow, Vicky. Any snow, really. She dreams about living in Bastish's town. She loves his snow photos. Is that near you, H?

shinshu life said...

Tell Dd1 it's about 2 hours north of us. We were there today- still about 1.6m of snow around. We had a blast but I ache....