The garden has really started to take off! We’ve had perfect growing conditions thus far with beautiful, sunny days and a nice amount of rain that has allowed us to not have to haul the hose all around the lawn, garden and field. It’s been a gift!
We’ve had a bumper crop of sugar snap peas this year. They are so delicious that we find ourselves eating them raw, straight off the vine. I have found that in order to have enough at any given time, that I need to plant a lot! I space them much closer in a row then is recommended but it’s worked for us and given us plenty! We’ve also had many delicious salads with the tender lettuces.
The garden roses have also had their first flush of blooms and, as always, they are glorious. In general, I only grow garden roses. While they don’t last but a day or two in the vase, I just adore their beautiful scent and beauty in the garden and in the vase. I think they look just as beautiful in formal arrangements as they do thrown in a mason jar!
The garlic has been going gangbusters and we’ve just taken off the scapes to make pesto with. The leaves are starting to turn yellow, so it will soon be time to pull the garlic and hang to dry.
We’ve also gotten lots of strawberries this season. I’ve two patches planted, one for everbearing and one June bearing. I believe I’m going to pull the everbearing variety as it seems to be not producing enough to warrant the space it’s taking in the garden. This year I didn’t net the patch and while we lost some to the birds, it made it so much easier to pick that I think it was worth the sacrifice. So far, I’ve made strawberry ice cream and hope to can some Strawberry Vanilla jam (our favorite!).
This is the first year that our fruit trees are showing promise and I’m so excited! Unfortunately, we clearly have peach borers and I’m hoping that they don’t destroy all the fruit and/or kill the tree. While I’ve done research on a solution, I haven’t come up with anything really promising or successful. The blackberry patch is also looking good!
I love to wander around the garden in the evenings and see what has come up new, or failed to come up, and to soak up the beauty. I’m so thankful for this spot and love tending it (except for the weed bit) and watching things change as the days roll along.
Tell me, what’s growing in your neck of the woods?
