June Update - Part 1

Once again a few weeks have gone by and I find myself with lots of garden updates. This is part 1, soon to be followed by part 2. Things have been growing okay this year -- except the weather has now decided to be tough as you will see...

The walking onions have grown are are starting to form little springy tops - new bulblets ready to jump out and walk...perhaps a sunny location will aid the spread of these plants.


I have continued to sample some of the wild edibles in our back-yard. I have sampled wild violets. Below, yellow wood sorrel makes a nice addition to a salad, or an interesting tea....though sources warn to use in moderation due to high amounts of oxalic acid.


Oh yes, the weather...well the past number of days in June have had highs in the 50's F. That's like the average low or something. I don't know the effect this will have on things like broccoli and cauliflower, but it is taxing some plants and looks to have killed others....below is the before and after of a zucchini that was doing well until a night of near frost.


We also lost a pumpkin plant or two, but some did okay. The tomatoes are next to the house and looking fine. Tonight will be cold, so I will cover what has so far survived.


Cool season plants are doing well, the kohlrabi I transplanted looks healthy.


The stems are beginning to swell, so a harvest is soon to come.


Pop-corn looks to be surviving, though I worry what the next nights low temperatures will do.


Cabbages are one of the crops I think is perfectly happy at the moment.


Peas seem to be ahead of last year, even though they got a later start. These early bush shelling and snaps are flowering.


Carrots are in need of thinning...I have a couple varieties here and one that was just sown a few days ago.


Potato plants are getting huge and bush beans are popping up -- I hope the cold doesn't hurt them too much.


Leaf lettuces and radishes are coming up nice. We have harvested some radish, though we tend to just let them flower. The lettuce could probably stand to be thinned. The brick keeps rain gutter water from digging a deep hole in the bed.


Spinach is ready to really produce and the kales are liking this weather I think.


Well that's it for this half. Hopefully I can get the rest up later tonight. [Here is Part 2]

Funny Flower

I said funny flower, but maybe it's funny flowers -- these baby's breath got tangled under the nasturtium flower.... Things have been pretty busy lately at least as far as work and other things go. Today is a nice Saturday...a little cooler than it has been. If the wind ever dies down down it will be perfect.

I can't summarize all the things going on in the garden since last time, so I will just do a walk through of what the highlights are now...

These rose-mallow flowers have started to bloom. They are so pretty and have an interesting star in the spaces at the base of the petals.


Not quite so showy, the potatoes have flowers...I suppose that must be a good thing.


I just love this clump of asiatic lilies...it is so tall, I almost think I should move it further back in the bed when fall comes (to allow some shorter plants a better display). However, it is doing so well I hesitate to change the conditions.


Here's a close-up of one of the blooms.


A shot of the purple-blue flowers in a barrel...I have procrastinated looking them up in a book still. (Update: Okay I think it's a purple tansy.)


Other developments...the Black-eyed Susans have started to flower.