This is Premium Crop broccoli and it is about 3 inches across. Some of the flowers look like they are beginning to swell.
This is Romanesco broccoli. I am not familiar with this variety and was not expecting this when I purchased the transplant. I think the purple tinged flowers are probably getting ready to open. The head is about 4 inches across. Nowhere near the size of this one.
If there are any broccoli experts out there, I welcome your advice.
Around in the front yard, I saw something I have never seen before.
Cedar Waxwings appeared to be eating something off of the bark of my neighbor's pecan tree. Now that they have eaten all of the berries in the neighborhood, they may be getting hungry.
I am not sure if the were eating lichens, insects or the flowers that the rest of the flock was releasing from the canopy of the tree. I wish they would have been still long enough for me to get better pictures.
If I can get my thoughts together, I plan to have a post tomorrow that may leave many shaking their heads in disbelief.
Waxwings are so cool.
ReplyDeletegreggo, I think they are fun to watch, but they do leave a mess down below when the flock is roosting in trees.
DeleteThose waxwings are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI'm not much help with the broccoli.
Shirley, They are beautiful and impossible for me to photograph. They move around so quickly.
DeleteI've only seen waxwings once and unfortunately I was with two people that aren't interested in birds and looked at me like I was crazy for wanting to sit and watch them for a few minutes.
ReplyDeleteKaveh, some people just don't appreciate the simple things, do they?
Deletere: the broccoli. Eat it! My mom in TX grows broccoli as a winter/very early spring crop.
ReplyDeleteI did not eat it yesterday, but I think today is the day. Thanks for the information. I will probably try growing broccoli in the fall this year.
DeleteThe first time I grew broccoli, I was waiting for the head to get larger, and the next thing I knew it was bolting! So eat it now before it bolts on you. I have had better success with growing broccoli in the fall. I actually got a decent size head this fall. In the spring the heads are so much smaller and they bolt quickly, especially in the warm spring we've had this year. Enjoy it. I was absolutely blow away at the taste compared to store bought broccoli. The waxwings are so pretty. If you figure out what they were eating, I'd love to know. Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips, Toni. I am having broccoli for dinner tonight! I think the waxwings in the canopy of the pecan tree were eating the flowers and the ones on the trunk were scavenging for the flowers that fell into the crevasses of the bark. As best I can tell.
DeleteSpring broccoli is really dicey to grow in Texas. That's because we almost have no spring. I had a lot better luck in growing it in the fall. If you protect it - I just drove short pieces of rebar into the ground and then took PVC pipe and made hoops over the crop which I grew in 4'wide beds. Then I just added Remay cloth when needed. This way, you get the first big heads, then little heads in the joints and get a much longer crop. I never tried to grow broccoli in Shreveport, La which is in your zone, so check this out with your county agent. And if you can grow in in pots and move it to the shade on hot days, that helps also.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn, that is some good information. I will plant in the fall this year. I probably could have had a nice crop had I planted last fall since we did not have much of a winter.
ReplyDeleteI grew broccoli this year, and mine is all eaten, bolted, and then pulled up already. Ditto on everything Toni said, including the wonderful taste. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteHolleyGarden, even though I could use the planting space, I am going to keep my plants in the ground a little longer to see if I can get more broccoli. Maybe I will get lucky.
DeleteMe again...I just learned a tip on keeping bugs off the broccoli heads as they form. Slip pantyhose over the head. As the head grows, the hose will stretch! How cool is that?!! I'll have to try that this fall.
ReplyDeleteToni, you are full of helpful information today. I will keep this in mind for the fall. I picked and cooked the broccoli today. It was pretty good and I am not a huge broccoli fan. I eat it because it is good for me.
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