Dear Gardeners,
Looks like a stretch of incredibly nice weather in store for us this week and for the holiday weekend.  The summer crops will be happy with some sunshine and we'll all have a chance to catch up in the plots.
Happy, happy news!
I had some very good news to share. The crane chick from last year was hit by a car on University Bay Drive but went to a rehabilitation center for the winter. She is fully healed now and flying well and has formed a friendship with a male crane at the center. We are so happy since her injuries prevented her from migrating and now it seems she has recovered and comes and goes from the center at will.

Workday at EH:
This Sunday, we'll have a workday from 8 am to 11 am at Eagle Heights to work on weeding in the fruit trees and paths. Please reply if you would like to work this opportunity and I'll get you more information.
Mexican bean beetles sighted:
I've had one report of bean beetles starting up in the bean plants. We have released insect predators for these pests in the past and may do so again if there are a lot of problems. You can see pictures of the yellow fuzzy larvae and eggs here:
http://www.weekendgardener.net/garden-pests/mexican-bean-beetle-061006.htm
Hand-picking the larvae and destroying the egg masses is the best control, but please let me know if you see these on your beans so we can decide whether to purchase the insect controls. We will only do this if we have a lot of damage since they are expensive and won't be effective unless we have a lot of beetles for them to eat.
Garlic harvest?
A few varieties of garlic are getting ready to harvest. Some early varieties may be ready now but others may be up to a month from now. There is a narrow window if you want to harvest and store garlic for all winter. Too soon and the heads aren't finished growing and won't dry well; too late and they coverings will not prevent spoilage.   Most recommendations are that there are some dry leaves and some green leaves on the plants at harvest and you can read about it here as well as how to cure for storage:
http://awaytogarden.com/the-tricky-matter-of-when-to-harvest-garlic/
I've seen some beans with blossoms and even a few with little beans. The onions are starting to bulb up and the squash plants are really starting their growth spurt and some are starting to produce. Just a wonderful time now in the gardens. Please remember the Food Pantry program (Saturday before 10 am pickup or Wednesday before 8 am) if you have surplus.
Gretel, Garden Registrar