Cantaloupe and restoration update

Everything that you grow yourself tastes better. A few things, however, are so much better that comparison to the grocery version is not possible. Tomatoes are one. Cantaloupe is another. If you have never tasted a cantaloupe harvested only when it fell off the vine and still warm from the sun, you have not had a true cantaloupe.

A perfect cantaloupe

I made a special treat for the hens with leftover buttermilk, old bread, and carrot peels. As you can see from the video, they loved it. They typically grab and run, often with others in pursuit. I put a little in a bowl for the pullets and turkeys. They didn’t know what to make of it. The turkeys circled, but were really more interested in me. One of the barred rocks took a look and wandered off. I moved the bowl closer to the coop. Eventually the barred rock started eating from the bowl. One of the Americauna was interested, and even pursued the barred rock when she carried off a piece, but she just can’t bring herself to put her head in the bowl. Silly chickens.

I finally got out to the restored wet meadow. I’ve been a little afraid to go. It was flooded for so long in the spring that I had serious doubts about what could have survived. I was goaded into taking the walk by huge plants that I could see from the house. I had to find out what it was. Horseweed? Goldenrod? Giant ragweed? I was afraid I’d have to find time to do major invasive plant removal.

Good news—the giant plant was that mysterious aster that I was never able to identify with any satisfaction.

Giant mystery aster

Better news—I saw one cardinal flower that survived.

Cardinal flower

I kept walking. There were lots of cardinal flowers!

More cardinal flowers

Here is a clump of cardinal flowers with obedient plants.

Cardinal flowers with obedient plants

There were a few scatter yellow cone flowers and swamp milkweeds as well. Still too much reed canary grass. I spent an hour pulling wild cucumber vines and amaranth. Still, all is not lost. We really, really have to get it burned this fall.