June 17. Farm and nature preschoolers in the strawberry patch!

The preschool summer kids came up to the garden and picked strawberries.  Yum!

June 15: everything's growing!

Beds 1 and 2: (from left to right): Pumpkins, winter squash, summer squash, zucchini.

Bed 2 planted 2 weeks after bed. 1, so just now sprouting.

Bed 3:  Cucumbers:  First 3 hills planted first, just about to start climbing.  
Last three hills planted two weeks later.   

Beds 4 and 5: Tomatoes---growing so fast, with basil, parsley, peppers, and eggplants planted alongside.  All doing wonderfully, except the eggplant.

Bed 6: Potatoes
Bed 7: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots

Bed 8: Peas and lettuce
Bed 9: Beans.

Beds 10, 11, and 12:   Chard and beets, corn, garlic, and onions!

June 8: lots of garden work today

Bill Hopkins and I worked today to get some major projects done in the garden. We put up a trellis for the cucumbers:

We built a willow stick teepee around each tomato cage because we've found in past years that our windy hill can topple the tomato cages when they are heavy with foliage and fruit.  

Then we began the project of creating a new entrance for the farm garden. Moving the RR ties and laying down the black plastic. Now need to cover with wood chips.  

A super productive morning!  

June 6: beautiful mints

The mints and chamomile are so beautiful. I'm harvesting and drying the chamomile this week for tea. 

June 4: killdeer update

Mother killdeer no longer leaves the nest when I get near.  Not sure why???  Maybe used to people.  Maybe it's cooler out and so more necessary to stay on nest.  Maybe it has to do with being near hatching?  

May 30: strawberries!

Picked all the ripe strawberries.  2 1/4 cups when mashed.   Made 2 half pints and three half cup jars of jam!  Delish!  Yesterday Paul and I picked all that were ripe which was about a dozen.   And son any more were ripe today   Ripe strawberries only last a day.   Tomorrow there will be lots more ripe ones!  Makes me realize that the ones in the stores must be picked far from ripe in order to last.  That's why they are white inside instead of red.  These are red all the way through and oh so sweet!

The new Maple is growing fast.  The very green first bed in this photo is the oldest strawberry bed.  Planted early spring 2012.  And it's still going strong.  I think the reason is that we've used the technique of cutting back the runners to favor the "mother plants."  Strawberry beds are supposed to wane after the second or third year.  

May 29: first pea pods!

Nibbled the first pea pod today.   And the first strawberry!   Oh my!

Cut down most of the lovage to make room for the bergamot to grow.