Composted Broccoli

Back in the spring the broccoli plants were set out in their newly prepared bed with their neat little cutworm collars. The best looking plants are always chosen and the straggly ones are set aside and saved in case something happens to the chosen plants. After that it's kind of out of sight out of mind. The extras get watered sometimes, but in the end they look even worse and finally end up in the compost. I'm pathetic when it comes to doing this and in this case I guess I put the plants along the edge and covered their roots with compost.

I clearly misjudged this plant. Now at the end of the season, in spite of the treatment it received, this plant has produced broccoli. You can't keep a good plant down! I will cut it and use it in a stir fry with pride.


This broccoli plant doesn't even have those ordinary green caterpillars. This Banded Tussock Moth caterpillar is working on its leaves. I always love to get a shot of a new caterpillar. He's really doing a number on that broccoli leaf. Yes, I left him there.

The Broccoli Revival

This morning the weather was perfect for gardening. Cool , partly sunny, and breezy enough to blow most of the bugs away. I had to get out there . We have had great broccoli this year. I even put some in the freezer. Left alone those little green buds we like to eat, develop into this mess. It looked like a good place to start.

This morning I trimmed the plants, removed any yucky looking leaves, picked up all the debris under the plants, and pulled the weeds.

One thing I noticed about this year's broccoli was the absence of cabbage worms. Any organic gardener is familiar with those little green worms that turn beige when they are steamed. The other thing I noticed was that the great majority of weeds around the broccoli were catnip. Coincidence...I wonder? There was no shortage of the white butterflies here this year. Next year we plan to plant the broccoli where the catnip is growing.

This broccoli is ready to eat. If the side shoots are kept cut, the broccoli will still be around even after we have had some frost.

The first flock of geese flew over heading south this morning. The yellow shafted flickers are back in the yard. Best of all the Northern Harrier landed and perched right on the ridge of the house roof.