Today's Garden

Chamomile

Ready for a cup or two ...

Black Raspberries are Ready for Picking

I usually look for the black raspberries to ripen on Memorial Day weekend. That did not hold true this year. The holiday was comparatively early. But here we are, the last weekend of May ... the raspberries are ripe.

Alas, Mother Nature always wins. She and her weedy associates are taking over the berry patch! We have tried to eradicate some of these pesky plants over the past couple of years, but looks like we're overrun this year. Rouse the Spouse took his handy machete to it this morning, just to make a few access paths.

Beets

One crop I do not mind thinning. So many good things to do with those delicious and nutritious beet greens! And I pulled a few baby beet roots, too.

More Radishes

Starting to look like a garden now!

Make no mistake ... this is only part of the story. In addition to what is pictured here, there are bush beans, pole beans, long beans, southern peas, edamame, hot peppers, sweet peppers, cucumbers, blueberries, raspberries, beets, potatoes, the last of the radishes, garlic, parsley, and other miscellaneous herbs.

You may notice that squash is not on the list. Unfortunately, I have been defeated by the squash bugs. Second season with no squash. Still, I killed two squash bugs on my cucumbers yesterday. I hate the way they smell when they're smooshed.

Sweet Basil

Rainbow Chard

Volunteer Dill, with bolting Cilantro and Arugula behind

Okra peeking out between the rows of beets

Snow Peas

Baby Tomato

Handful of Radish

Garlic

First time I've tried growing garlic. A friend gave me a selection of many different varieties (hard- and soft-neck) that she grows in her Seattle garden. In the ground since early November, the leaves are starting to yellow on half the plants. Time to dig! Using a pitchfork I gently loosened the dirt around the plants and lifted the bulbs, tied them into bundles, then hung them in the open garden shed - a shady, airy space.

They will hang there for two weeks, at which time they'll be dry and ready to clean up, trim, and store.

If it weren't for our son, Andrew, I would've missed the garlic scapes! They're the "flower stalks" of the hard-neck garlic plants (although they don't actually produce a flower), and they're edible. If cut when young and tender, they can be sliced into a salad or used as a garnish, much like a scallion. Later, as they mature and toughen, they may be sautéd and served with eggs, or pasta, or greens, or whatever tastes good with garlic.



Here's a recipe for Garlic Scape Pesto that looks interesting.

Disappointing cherry crop, but the herbs are looking good!

I had high hopes for our Nanking Bush Cherries, but after blooming profusely this spring, only one bush produced fruit. Many of the cherries were misshapen. Pollination problem? Cold weather? Too much rain at just the wrong time?


The herb garden is looking nice. The sage is in bloom, and check out the big, healthy leaves of the horseradish plant.

The oregano and chives are lush and ready for cutting.

Bean Trellis

A couple of extra hands sure do come in handy when it comes to certain garden chores. Rouse the Spouse makes life easy when it's time to create the pole bean trellis. He shores up the structures, then we hand the big roll of string back and forth and back and forth, over and around the upper and lower wires.

It's very satisfying to see the neat and tidy lines of the jute twine, ready to support the clinging bean vines.

Goodness is Growing in the Garden

Edamame & Snow Peas

Beets

Blackberries in Bloom