Do any of you know what this mammoth winged creature is? It was about two to two and a half inches long, with a wing span of, I guess, maybe four or five inches. We found it hanging inside the row cover on the winter squash plants - the row cover that is there to keep insects out! But maybe this is too big to be considered an insect! Let me know if you have a clue.

It has been insect city in the garden this "spring." I say the season loosely because winter seemed to finally roll into spring and now rapidly right into summer. Our laundry today told the tale - long underwear, fleece nightshirts, shorts, and short-sleeved t-shirts! But our tomatoes are happier now that it is sunny and warm; they seem to be doing well. We planted out eight more tomato seedlings yesterday for a total of 30, I think.

We also planted out all the winter squash and then had an aphid infestation on them. We sprayed them off with water for a few days. Then we washed them off with soap and water. Then we finally resorted to a spray with insecticidal soap, even though we do not like to kill the critters. Our local organic expert suggested keeping them under tight row cover until they are quite large. We have now covered them completely. Also, the weather becoming warmer seems to have turned things around. They are looking quite healthy now. This wet spring/late winter has been hard on local gardens.

Other things we planted out in the last couple of days: two lemon cucumbers, one - only ONE - summer squash (a green scallop), six arugula, and 31 lettuce seedlings (Jericho, Ben Shemen, Amish Speckled, Emerald Oak, Cocarde, and some other variety that is not coming to me at this moment).

We fed the winter squash beds with some just brewed compost tea. We sprayed all other plants with MaxiCrop, a foliar feed available from Peaceful Valley that we try to use once a week but often forget.

The two newest beds are filled and applications of compost tea have been made to them. Probably this weekend they will become home to melon plants - three varieties of watermelon and two kinds of honeydew.

We're still looking for a place to plant out ten onion starts. The garden is now a full house!