What is That!?

It was early morning and I was ambling through the dew laden garden. I noticed the green beans were being eaten by some unknown creature and they were doing quite a number on the plants. Basically only the leaf skeleton remained. Then, on closer inspection, I saw these strange spiky, yellow "things." They kind of looked scary and dangerous with all their spikes.

Were they growths? What were they?

I also noticed a bunch of what looked like yellow lady beetles. Were the yellow "growths" related to the beetles? I have to admit, I had no idea.

So, I kept turning over leaves and observing. Finally I came across a lady beetle that had just emerged from the "growth." A light bulb went off in my head and I realized that those "growths" were actually the pupa stage. How cool! Now I was scanning each leaf with renewed interest and soon discovered the whole life cycle of the beetle.  

A clump of eggs

Look at those spikes!!

A larva happily eating away at the leaf

The pupa stage

A close-up of the pupa (one about to hatch and one that has already hatched)

Since they were not the traditional red lady beetles, I did some research and found out they are actually called the Mexican Bean Beetle, and they were no where near as beneficial as other ladybugs. It was a perfect name for them since they were voraciously eating away at the green beans. I also learned that they are one of the few lady beetles that eat plants instead of eating other insects. It is considered one of the most destructive insect pest of beans in the United States. In other words, the adult form may look harmless, but when it comes to crops it can be devastating.

And so I learned something new!

Incredible Builders

Have you ever wondered how Swallows make their nests? Well, I have and recently I had the opportunity to watch a pair of Barn Swallows as they carefully built theirs. After moving to their new home, my parents had cleared out all the nests that were there from the previous year. However, when the Swallows returned in March after spending the winter in the Southern Hemisphere, they decided to set up residence in the same location and began building once again.

Pausing to survey its work

The mother and father birds work together throughout the day, returning from the fields with beaks full of mud and grass, which they carefully pack down.

One beak full of mud coming up!

Carefully placing the mud "brick"

It amazes me how they know to mix mud and straw/grass to make their nest stronger!

  It has been documented that they may make up to 1,000 trips to collect mud.
 

Notice the forked tail, which is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Barn Swallow

They are great to have around since 99% of their diet consists of flies, wasps and other flying insects.

It took them about a week (when they finally began building in earnest) and once the main structure was finished, they started lining the nest with grass, dog fur, horse hair and other soft materials. Soon there will be 3 to 6 white eggs with reddish brown speckles and about 2 weeks after that, babies!

We could learn much from the cooperation, hard work and dedication of the Swallow. Day after day they labor together, not arguing about who is working more or less, not bickering about where to place the next load of mud, but cheerfully singing as they work, eat and raise their family.

"Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." Colossians 3:23

PS. in case you're curious, check out the Barn swallow calls

First Wild Salad of Spring

Every year, for about the past eight years, I have marked the beginning of spring by foraging for wild edibles from my lawn. I love learning about wild edibles, trying them out, finding recipes, and sharing my experiences with skeptical friends and family. Here is a breakdown of what I collected for my spring salad mix:

Dandelions
-  Edible parts: leaves, roots, and flowers (though some parts are best eaten cooked).
- Nutritional content: calcium, high in vitamin A,  high in vitamin K, iron, vitamin E and more
- It's best to pick the young leaves because as they get older, they taste more bitter.
- Caution: don't eat too many at one time because the leaves are a diuretic
- For recipes check out this link: 16 ways to eat dandelions

Clover
-  Edible parts: leaves, flowers, seeds and root
- Once again it's best to choose the young young leaves when adding them to salads. As they get more mature, it is better to cook them as you would other greens. However, the tastiest part of the clover is the flower.
- Here is a link to various Red clover recipes: 9 Red Clover Recipes

White clover

Wild Violet
- Edible parts: leaves, flowers
- Did you know there are 450 different species of violets in North America and you can eat all of them!
- Here's a link with more information on violets and some recipes: Wild foods and medicines























Plantain
- Edible parts: leaves, seeds, and roots
- It is high in calcium, Vitamin A, C, and K
- Plantains are also great for first aid against mosquito bites and bee or wasp stings. Just chew up the leaf and apply the poultice to the bite to help ease the pain, reduce swelling and help it heal.
- At the bottom of this link there are 4 recipes to get you started: Eat the Weeds





















Bittercress (also known as pepperweed)
- Edible parts: leaves, seed pods
- Here are several recipes: bittercress pesto; wild garlic, nettle and bittercress risotto























Salad 
Finally, here is my salad all put together. I added a little bit of olive oil, lemon juice and salt and I quite enjoyed it.

For more wild edibles check out: Edible Weeds

PS. Always double check the plant(s) you plan on eating with a plant ID book and make sure you are gathering from pesticide free locations. If you are not 100% sure about the plant, don't eat it! Each person should also be aware of the potential side effects if they have any health conditions. So do your research :)

"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Beautiful but Weak

Though part of me feels bad for those who have allergies, I have to admit, spring is my favorite time of year. The baby animals, nesting birds, egg laying ducks, flowering trees, frog eggs, the birds' morning chorus... each is a reminder that spring is here... that life is stirring. There's growth, change, and birth everywhere.

Bagworm moth cocoon

Each year I look forward to the first blossoms of spring. In our area, the most common early flowering tree is the Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana). Snowy white blossoms engulf the tree in spring and these tall bouquets embellish many driveways and yards. The trees grow quickly, are disease resistant, and are able to adapt to a variety of growing conditions. The small fruit of the tree is not poisonous, though they don't taste all that great. However, the seeds are considered mildly poisonous if ingested in large quantities. Despite some of the seemingly positive qualities, the Bradford pear trees are structurally weak, have shallow roots and tend to break in strong winds.

Though there are many lessons that can be learned from trees, to me this tree is a beautiful yet sobering reminder that outward appearances are not what really matter; what matters is the depth and strength of our character which can only come from being deeply rooted in God. When the storms of life come, will we stand tall and strong or will we break and fall?

"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through His spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is." Ephesians 3:16-18

Fruit of the Bradford pear (picture taken in the fall)