Geraldo, yes, squash were $1.99 a LB at the local Kroger's here in the suburbs of Detroit last weekend -- easily making an average butternut $5 to $8. Food prices are REALLY rising here -- a whole chicken that might have been $0.59 a lb a few years ago is now $1.29 to $1.89 a lb unless on sale. So, that is one reason I grow a lot of stuff. There are many more reasons -- enjoyment/fulfillment, hobby/something to do, etc. What is really sad is that so much good food is STILL being thrown out, as you mentioned with the less-than-perfect squash. Alas, when will we, as a society or as a species, learn no to waste? Allenwrench, you asked about my land, and about what I do with all of the things I grow. I have about 2.1 acres, in an "L" shaped lot that is largely flat, but it does have a bit of a gentle slope in the back, and a low spot at one edge that floods a bit a few times a year for a day or two. Soils -- well, I have everything from very heavy clay to sandy loam, and it changes very abruptly in places. I can, freeze, and dry produce. I've gone extra heavy into it this year because of my concerns over the economy, the "global food crisis," peak oil/energy, etc. Since I can do it, why not? I am feeding not only my immediate household, but putting up a lot for my two sisters and their husbands, my niece with 3 kids, and giving a lot away to friends and other family. I'm trying to be as self-sufficient as possible, because I CAN be. I figure everything that I don't have to buy from the store is that much less oil that was burnt shipping food thousands of miles. My limitation here is that I'm not legally allowed to have animals -- so, this means that protein is harder to do -- I'm trying to grow a lot of beans, quinoa, etc., that are vegetable protein sources. I'll try to post some other garden photos tomorrow. Dennis SE Michigan

I'm nearly certain that's an (accursed) caragana. They are hardier than I can believe. Those are the yellow flowers in the picture, right? Some of them are more invasive than others, some have spines and some don't. I think the older plants were mostly planted to hold soil in place, which they're very good at. Do the seed pods make an audible "pop" when they are ripe, flinging seeds everywhere? Afterwards they would look like . . . this From Mystery plants or sometimes more spiralled. If it hasn't yet taken over the entire surrounding area, I suppose it might just be safe there. I'm currently trying to get rid of mine, and have read all sorts of discouraging things about how impossible it is to eradicate! It does have one winning feature (besides its hardiness). If I'm right, one can eat the flowers, and they are quite tasty - or at least the nectar in them is. Don't eat the seeds, though, they're very poisonous. Anyway, don't eat the flowers either, just in case I'm wrong!

can you take a closer photo? from afar it kind of resembles a japanese maple but that doesn't seem right. Also where are you located so we can eliminate higher zone plants.

Yep, we had a long coolish spring and the daffodils lasted forever - long enough to overlap with the early tulips for quite a while. Then May hit, with torrential rains so far, and WHOOSH all the tulips disappeared almost overnight, even the ones that are usually May bloomers. We counted a dismally awful 12 inches of rain starting at 8 pm and lasting all night. I was up all night wet-vacuuming the basement (my husband had to call it quits at 1 am), and the news has said at least half the basements in town are flooded, even ones that don't usually get anything. Sure wish we could send some of this rain to California - particularly with more rain expected this weekend. Cynthia