Raining! Finally! I

It’s been hot (90+) almost every day, and dryyyyy. We are having cooler rain and thunder today, which worked out well with my berry picking plan (but means I couldn’t get any photos while it was happening.).

Here’s the haul- full colander of blackberries (revenge!), and half one of blueberries (screw you, robins!). I pulled a bunch of tomatoes to save them from rain related explosion. There are still some solal berries out there, but they will have to wait.

I also sprinkled some more arugula seeds. We have a few plants that have come up, and they are delicious in our current favorite way to eat the garden veggies – orzo salad. Yum.

There looks to finally be some action in south c- so maybe I’ll have Brussels sprouts and leeks this winter.

Some garlic

A small portion of my garlic.

I have two more hardneck sets like this, some loose pieces, and a pretty braided soft-neck for last.

Harvest!

It’s been HOT here, and dry, so I’ve been watering things, and today this bounty!

I lightly stir fried it with some onion, basil, and garlic, with some salt, feta, and vinegar over cous cous. Yum!

I planted some more arugula, Brussels sprouts, leeks, cilantro, and cover crops in the bare spots. Hopefully I get more sprouts.

Argula and cilantro sprouting… First yellow bean!

It’s been HOT and I’ve been watering my seed beds everyday. The Brussels sprouts, beets, carrots, and leeks are showing nothing, but I have arugula and cilantro popping up

Arugula

Cilantro in pot. I ran out of packaged seeds, so I pulled out the ones I dried last year for coriander- they are viable! Yay!

There’s also basil popping up inside from seed.

Pulled some more onions to cure, and a hand full of squash and a couple of snap peas (they never make it inside)

Also not inside is this first yellow bean. It’s inside my tummy.

more yellow and green beans on the way, though!

More progress shots. Red ribbon tomato almost ripe- have had a couple of sungold already. Both are happier than this tomato plant growing out of the side of whole foods.

I had a crazy raptor day last week- saw a bald eagle making Red (the redtailed hawk) mad, saw 3 osprey over the studio, and a group of swallows chasing a kestral across the field. One of them left us a little pellet filled with scales and bones on the deck.

Here’s our usual morning soundtrack (plus truck traffic, usually)

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Planting roots and sprouts and arugula

Today I did some fall planting- Brussels sprouts, leeks, green onions in South C (soil well fluffed with amendment), cover crop on South D…

Peas, beets, and carrots in West E.

Arugula and leeks in upper A.

I made up a bowl of future-salad. I also planted some basil seeds with my plant (and spilled dirt on the floor!) and replanted some cat grass for the kitties.

I cooked up a big stir fry up work on this week (Garden: yellow squash, zucchini, garlic, hot peppers from the freezer, beets, beet greens, chard, kale. + beans) This is my favorite way to eat up a bunch of greens, and makes a lot of food (:

oh! And I’m out of cilantro seeds, so I’m trying out some of the ones I harvested last year for coriander while my plants bolt.

Strawberries are still nuts, blueberries are starting but the robins won’t share.

Holy Garlic, Batman!

So the garlic wasn’t as happy as last year, in general. The bulbs are smaller- and I truly think they just got rained out. Poor guys.

Here’s the haul,

Yes- that is 12 linear feet of garlic curing.

The hard neck definitely fared better- duganeski and metechi being the best. I’ll try just one different soft neck next year, and do what I can to ensure the beds don’t get as flooded

First braid.

New Plan

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It seems so early, but I just pulled out the garlic and so it’s time to think about (MINIMAL) fall planting. I’m going to work in an arugula bed that will hopefully be perennial-like, and start some brussel sprouts, leeks, and onions- and start a cover on one bed because lets be honest- it will be time for a break (;