Garden report

I meant to take some snaps yesterday morning when I went to the Stony Point Garden to weed and water, but it started heating up more rapidly than I expected, so I left hurriedly, forgetting my goal.

It's tough getting used to a new garden. This one is pretty sterile compared with the Fulton Road garden. Bees and ladybugs, yes, but for birds I've seen mostly crows, a few little brown birds, and one robin. There are gophers around one of my beds, and they have gnoshed on both species of pole beans. I still have seven or eight Christmas lima plants left, and six rattlesnake snap beans, so that's not too bad.

The strawberries I inherited in the bean bed have taken on a new lease on life with weeding, fertilizing, and regular watering. The red basil looks great against a backdrop of bean leaves and the early girl tomato has set quite a few fruit.

I was late getting things in. First the late rains and all the weed growth they stimulated hindered me. And then being gone for nine days in early June meant I needed either to get things in and going a few weeks before that, or wait until I got home. It's not a good idea to have seeds sprouting or recent transplants still finding their feet when someone else will be doing the watering, perhaps irregularly. The beans I transplanted since returning are a little wonky, but the peppers and squash are chugging along. Other gardeners already have zucchini; in fact, it looks like some already have too much. Mine are several weeks away. The great blessing is that in this climate we can usually keep our summer producing plants going well into October, so I will not be deprived. While I'm waiting for them, I have two packages of fava beans in the freezer. I've harvested plenty of radishes, the garlic is finally ready to harvest, and the chard is producing full bore.

Here's the garden in mid-May.