June Hymn

The strawberries are winding down quick but the raspberries are picking up their slack in a big way.  I'm getting a lot more of the black ones this year than last but I think the red ones will pick up mainly next month and go until fall.  I'm not really working on preserving any raspberries in jam or such because honestly, they just don't make it that far.  In fact, many of them never make it to the house even.  I can't help it!  They make a wonderful breakfast.  Besides, I put up about 8 half pints of strawberry jam and it looks like we'll have figs this year after all, plus peaches and all that.

The asparagus has gone sort of wild!  It got so out of control I finally had to rope it in with some baling twine and tie it off to the fence, just to be able to walk unhindered anywhere around the bed.  I need to remulch it and fertilize it I guess.  I want to have a real good crop next year!

The rest of the garden is doing pretty well although we got a late start this year due to the extended cool spring.  I kept waiting about setting the tomatoes out and even then we got a frost the night after I finally put them out.  Figures!  So, everything is a little small but we should have a good long season and still harvest plenty.  Actually, I'm glad the maters are not ready right now as it gives me a little more time to try to churn out some pottery before the canning season really begins.
.  Now I must finish the weed barrier and mulch everything good before the grass has a chance to come back.  It's been stormy here all afternoon or I guess I'd have to be out there now instead of on this 'puter.  Well, we kinda needed the rain anyway.  I think we've had to water the garden maybe twice so far this year.  I don't like to do that unless it is really, really needed.  I think too much watering makes the plants weak and dependent on such.

This is a new (for me) variety called Golden Jubilee.  I can't wait to taste it.  I love yellow tomatoes.

We may even have a few grapes this year!  This poor vine had been neglected for a couple of years and might have already produced if I had taken better care of it, so I am trying to work on it and get it and it's companion going strong.  They both got a good does of fertilizer last year and this spring, plus a good bit of chicken poop!  I think this is a seedless white or pink.  I can't quite remember.

I harvested all the broccoli heads and am just about to harvest all the side shoots that popped out afterwards.  You can get a good many even after you cut the main part.  I will probably then pull these up and I am debating now what to put in their place.  I also have a few cabbage that need to be cut and that area cleared for another crop.  Possibly an acorn squash that Daddy Rabbit shared seeds from.

The iris and peonies have all gone but the lilies have taken their place and are putting on quite a show, along with the chamomile and a few other miscellaneous flowers.

This is some native bee balm that I transplanted down here to the driveway bed.   I've never seen bee balm get much taller than 2 feet out in the wild.  It's one of my favorite wildflowers but I really wish I had that dark red variety in addition to this one.

The daylilies are doing well, as usual.  Not much gets them down.

Hopefully I'll have some house pictures to share with ya'll in the next few days.  In between the garden and pottery and all I'm trying to really get started on tiling the fireplace wall and completing that part of the living room.  Then I can have those bookcases made and start on the kitchen tile.