Valerian

Valerian

Valeriana officinalis

 

Perennial herb with white or pink umbrellous flowers.  Blooms in late Spring into early Summer.  Dies back to the ground in hot weather.  Thrives in full sun, rich well drained soil.

Form:

up to 6' tall

4' around herbaceous shrub

Growing:

 Can be cut back several times a year.  This is often done to encourage larger roots.

Seed saving:

Tiny seeds fall when the flowers dry.  Use a fine mesh or paper bag tied over the mature flower to collect them.

Permaculture uses:

Attracts beneficial insects

Herbal medicine, sedative

Understory fruit guild plant

Dynamic accumulator for Silicon

Needs:

Sunlight

Water

Soil

Products:

Leaves
      Chop and drop mulch

Flowers

Pollen

Seeds

Roots

      Used as sedative

 Link to Wikipedia- Valerian

Cucumber Beetle, Spotted

Spotted Cucumber Beetle

Diabrotica undecimpunctata

     Shown here along with the damage they do to plants, leaving large ragged holes.  A 1/4 inch beetle having a yellow body with three rows of four black spots and a shiny black head. 

Garden Pest:

Damages leaves by chewing large ragged holes

Can spread bacterial wilt and mosaic diseases

Both Spotted and Striped Cucumber beetles will visit squash and cucumbers to obtain cucurbitacin, the most bitter substance around, to protect themselves from predation.

Permaculture uses:

Chicken food



Hummingbird Moth

Hummingbird Moth

Hemaris thysbe

Garden Pest:  Tomato Hornworm as larvae, eats tomato plants.

Permaculture Uses:

Adult moth is pollinator

Entertaining to watch, adds a bit of magic to the garden



Japanese Beetle

Japanese Beetle

Popillia japonica

 

 

     Easy to recognize by it's shiny metallic green and copper color, the Japanese Beetle can be a real pest in the garden.  They are just over 1/2" long and just under 1/2" wide.  It eats leaves and flowers and if left unchecked, can defoliate many species.  Eggs are layed in the soil and hatch into white grubs.  The adult beetles emerge in late Summer and begin feeding.

     Many people trap them with lure traps commonly available in garden centers.  This is not generally advized as the pheremone lures tend to attract many more beetles to the area than can be trapped.



     We have found that our chickens love to eat them, and regularly clean out the garden using a homemade bug trap (basically a funnel on a jar). 

Predators:

Flower Spider

Prey:

Most flowers, fruit trees, and vegetables

Observation 9/7/12: While collecting Japanese beetles for the chickens today, I noticed that the ones on the Rose of Sharon Hibiscus were very lethargic, I wonder if it has a narcotic effect on them?



Link to Wikipedia - Japanese Beetle



P

Cherry Tomato, Gardeners Delight

Gardener's Delight

Cherry Tomato 

Lycopersicon lycopersicum

65 Days to maturity

A small but sweet heirloom cherry tomato that grows in clusters of 6-12.  Produces round bright red fruit throughout the Summer.

Sew indoors 6-8 weeks before last average frost or when soil is 60°F.  Plant in full sun in rich, well drained soil.





My seed was first purchased in 2011 from Botanical Interests.

2011 grew and saved seed from origional packet.

2012 grew and saved seed from origional packet.

Seeds available for 2013 season.  $3 first packed $2 each additional. paypal  wholeviewfarm@gmail.com  be sure to identify variety in subject line.  or email for more info.