For some of you, summer weather has been in evidence for quite a while already. Not for us though.
Yep, although we've had a couple of days when we've felt the heat of mid-day as the (infrequently appearing) sun was shining down on us, our weather has remained on the cool side. Still, and yet. Sigh.
The garden isn't doing much while waiting for warm weather to give it a needed boost. (Funny how the weeds don't seem to care what kind of weather is prevalent; they always sprout and grow like . . . well, like weeds regardless.
I think I told someone recently that we got our first strawberries last year on June 27th. My mind is slipping because I just looked at the calendar and saw a notation that the first berries last year were picked on the 21st. Yes, that was early compared to the usual time of right around the 4th of July. This year it looks like the harvest won't begin until at least a week or two later than the first week in July.
Nary a berry showing yet, just blossoms. And I have a suspicion the harvest is not going to be great. Just not as many blossoms as usual.
Considering the radical pruning I had to do on our blueberry bushes this spring in an effort to get rid of the very invasive Witches' Broom fungus, we do seem to have a lot of blossoms on the remaining bushes. (I ended up digging two -- of our best producing bushes, of course -- out completely.)
You may remember I wrote of the girdling some nasty little rodents did this winter on several of the new dwarf fruit trees we started a couple of years ago. We decided to leave them in the ground for this season to see if they might possibly live. Two of them are deader than a door nail, but the remaining ones (both girdled and non-girdled) are loaded with blossoms right now. Late, for sure, and we might not stand a chance of getting ripe apples if we don't have a l-o-n-g fall season, but they currently have so many blossoms on them that we'll have to do some thinning once the apples begin to form.
Our asparagus patch has been going gangbusters. We eat it fresh at least every other day (we had it twice today!) and I've now got more in the freezer than I did for the whole season last year. The season isn't over yet so I know there will be still more for this winter. Yay for the asparagus plants!
That's all there is to report right now. Next post I'll show a couple of new quilted pieces I made for 4th of July decorations.
26 comments:
Growing food is always ebb and flow; glad your asparagus is flowing!
So, so true! When I look at the asparagus patch, I always think there's not that much out there. But then when I harvest it, it's more than I thought! Can't beat that.
Your blooms look very promising! Our blueberries did a very poor job this year, but our nearly dead peach tree is loaded with peaches! Go figure!
Indeed, weeds never care about the weather! That's the worst part of living in a mild climate. Each garden planting season starts with a host of weeds already thriving.
It sounds, though, like you are going to get a good harvest. Shame about losing those fruit trees. Critters can be so infuriating.
We've had a ridiculous amount of rain, and cool weather as well. I do have strawberries forming - quite a lot in fact, but they will also be later than usual. That's good that some of your fruit trees survived the little rodentia. -Jenn
The first day of summer is always sort of bittersweet. We know that warmer days are sure to arrive but we're over the top and beginning the long descent into shorter days. Those apple blossoms look pretty promising. I hope you get good pollination. Mine was a bit iffy.
Happy Summer!!! WE have sunshine today! Our strawberries have been producing, but now are under water again so this has been a short season and hopefully the plants will survive. But Hooray a day of sunshine and those misplaced plants (weeds) will be welcomed by the chickens. Hope your trees can recover and keep on growing.
Lucy
It's slow getting started but when it starts coming in...it's glorious! Cockeyed Jo
wyomingheart - Had to laugh at your description of your "nearly dead peach tree!" Can we ever figure out Mother Nature? We're keeping our fingers crossed for at least a decent blueberry crop as we use them year 'round for their antioxidant properties.
Leigh - Yes, obviously your hardy weeds never have the period when they "die out." Regarding the girdled fruit trees, we've always protected them with wound around screening from ground level up for about a foot. This was the first year those nasty rodents stood on top of the snow and chewed on them. Yep, so frustrating!
Jenn - Good to know we have a late strawberry season in common! (Misery loves company??) Many of our readers have been enjoying them for weeks now. This is the very first time we've had any problem with our fruit trees being gnawed upon. Wonder what was different about this past winter?
SmartAlex - Yes, I actually felt a little depressed yesterday when my husband reminded me that today was the longest day of the year . . . and that from here on out, darkness starts its descent! Ugh. :o(
Anonymous (Lucy) - I just don't know how you (and so many others like you) are surviving with all the rain you've had . . . and are still getting. That has got to be so depressing. You seem to keep an upbeat attitude, though, and you're to be given a lot of credit for that!
Cockeyed Jo - Of course, you're right. But do you ever have the gardening years when you think it will never start producing?? That may be just my extreme impatience coming to the forefront! I want lettuce! I want radishes! Arrrgh.
I will have to admit that I'm not half as excited about today being the first day of summer/midsummer as I usually am. Must be those 45 degree nights. As with all things weather lately, we will most likely plunge from early spring weather (think March) into hot and humid. Blech. The bugs have been awful this year and make doing anything a challenge. My tomatoes are giving me a baleful eye. So glad the asparagus is going gangbusters - I love asparagus! How do you usually cook your frozen asparagus? Mine always goes completely limp and I always over cook it.
Susan - How do I cook my frozen asparagus? Very carefully. I bring a small amount of water in a small saucepan to boil. Dump in the frozen asparagus and bring back to a boil. Turn off and drain. Add butter and let sit with cover on pan for several minutes. Let's face it, it's never as good as that fresh out of the garden, but most of the time, it's not limp or over cooked that way. When you figure out how to make frozen asparagus come out like fresh does, you will be a millionaire! (Millionaire-ess?) Hugs to you, my friend.
Oh my! My grandson next door, has strawberries, already! :-) He being 9, he is pretty proud of them.
He is home schooled, and one of the many perks of that, is that after doing his work for a while, he can get up and do something different, for a bit. And one those things he can do, is go out and check on his strawberries. :-)
Doesn't that sound wonderful???!!!???? That a home schooled child, can get up and stretch his legs and run outside, to check the garden? Then come back refreshed, for more school learning? Can you imagine being able to do that, in regular _school_?
OT, but .... You know I do go OT, often. :-)
Happy Summer!!!!
Hi Mama Pea :)) Happy First Day Of Summer!!! Please tell Mother Nature that she's been oversleeping lately, she's forgotten the date I think. :( My spinach loves this weather, in fact, this is the first year I've had a successful spinach crop. Oh...my mint died, chalk full of some kind of powdery mildew...I'm having second thoughts about that nursery where I got it. I'm glad some of your blueberries are showing promise! Do you blanch the asparagus before freezing? Mine always comes out soggy!
Your apple trees look really full of blooms. Hopefully they will produce a lot of apples. I'll say a prayer and cross my fingers. Maybe that will help? I don't think this is going to be the best of summers Glad your asparagus is doing good. XO
I'm hoping the apples, despite the girdling, might do ok. They look good! Phil
wisps of words - I think that's such a wonderful thing when young children are involved in growing (and harvesting!) the food they eat. And even the whole thing of growing food can be turned into a home schooling lesson: The importance of good water, soil, air quality, and learning about chlorophyll, photosynthesis, etc., etc. And let's not forget insects, both the good and the bad! A lucky boy.
Rain - Yes, I do blanch the asparagus. I separate the cut pieces of spears into big and small (and heads) cut pieces. The book I usually follow says to blanch the bigger pieces for 3 minutes and the smaller ones for 2. I do the bigger for 2 and the smaller for 1 minute and 30 seconds. That seems to work for me.
Lynne - We never know what kind of a gardening season we're going to get, do we? Can't get upset (or our knickers in a twist, as they say) but just learn to flow with it. We still can't control the weather . . . and I hope we never can! ;o)
Phil - From what we've read, when trees are girdled completely around (as several of ours were), they will die. Maybe they have enough life left in them that they'll do okay this year yet? Or maybe ours will be tough enough to survive in spite of all they've been through. We have our fingers crossed. Even if they only give us all those apples this year, we'll be grateful.
I got about 4 strawberries but my peas did great. Your blooming trees and bushes look great with all the blossoms....promises of fruit to come!
what is girdled and non-girdled? Support? So sad about your fruit trees and your blueberry bushes. We have voles here that tunnel in the ground and then pop up and eat the roots of plants. I'm hoping to avoid it with my "pool" garden beds. Asparagus....oh how I love thee! I had a big bed on the farm and it was so good. My daughter has a bed of asparagus but she's too far away to get any of it. Enjoy the "fruits" of your labor when they finally come around....you deserve it!
Nice garden report! I am pleased to announce that my little garden (2 small raised beds I was gifted) is producing well. Radishes,sunburst tomatoes,squash,lemon cucumbers are producing. Blue Berries doing well strawberries also.
Glad you are feeling closer to normal again.
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