Spring and Summer

As spring gives way to summer and we enjoy lovely warm sunny days intermingled with impressive thunderstorms, the garden continues to grow nicely. The potatoes are growing at an almost visible pace...

 

I am only half-joking when I comment to Nick that one of these days I expect to wake up to find the potato plants knocking on the window, asking to come in.

The eggplant transplants were a bust - after two weeks they had not visibly grown. That is two years running with no luck growing eggplants - I think our soil is simply not nutritious enough for them. I pulled them out and seeded broccoli in their place. Broccoli elsewhere in the garden, on the other hand, is growing nicely...

The pea plants, as seen in the background of the above photo, are growing like gangbusters. Last weekend there were perhaps two or three of them flowering, and the plants were about halfway up the trellis. This weekend the plants are 2/3 to 3/4 of the way up the trellis, there are flowers everywhere, and in some places there are tiny little pea pods growing. It's actually kind of adorable.

Our strawberry plants, which a coworker gave me last year, are flowering and fruiting nicely this year. I have them encased in chicken wire to keep the squirrels out, which is working thus far. The fruits are not super-sweet, but they do have a nice depth of flavor. I don't know if it's possible to add things to the soil to make them sweeter?

The kale is looking good as well. Much better than last year, I think in part due to weather and in part due to my obsessive use of Sluggo to keep the slugs off (thanks for the tip, Claire). I am especially excited about the Lacinato kale, as it's my favorite.

Of course, a springtime post would not be complete without a photo of one of the gorgeous peonies that graced the yard. I'm usually not one for bright pink but these are just amazing. Alas, I cannot bring cut blooms inside because my older cat eats them, so outside they will stay. Enjoy!