ladybird and carrots

I came home recently after dining out and walked around the garden with the bike light to see what was around, and saw a ladybird -

Thats a sign of a healthy garden. May she can eat the grey aphids that have returned...

Here's some info on ladybirds -

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1920251.htm


On Catholic history and ladybirds -

http://allthingscatholic.tumblr.com/post/36406984556/the-name-ladybird-originated-in-the-middle-ages

On Sunday I grabbed some carrots to make carrot and pumpkin soup. (And fat hen, tomato etc etc beef stew, but that's another recipe). The carrots were from a neglected who-cares pot in the garden and I didnt expect them to flourish and have grown as well as they did. (that was a good source of kale, potatoes, poor for corn).

These are the healthiest collection of baby purple carrots I've grown. (they aren't authentic 'black' purple carrots that I wanted to grow but the fake-lifestyle 'purple haze' variety that I bought years ago and got rid of last planting when I discovered they aren't really purple all through, but actually orange inside, and their gimmicky name annoyed me).

I decided, having taken the carrots, to leave the potato in the pot, chop down the corn that wasn't going to make it through February, and the kale that had become infected with grey aphids. So I mulched the lot (rubbing each kale chunk in my hands to kill the aphids). I might just put some daikons in there, but I think I'll let it rest and wait on the potatoes, and replant it at mid March, after the hot season is finished.

I had something to post about the Mass, and a few other bits and pieces.

And some mulch-athon pictures to follow.