Very nice! We have been enjoying our chives since they come back from year to year. Strawberries are in bloom but no fruit yet. Flowers just coming in on our chokecherry tree. Looking forward to putting in some starts in a couple of weeks.

Been eating lots of greens from the cold frames but those beds are about done for the season as most plants are going to flower. Lettuce, arugula, bok choy, parsley, mustard green, rosemary, Swiss chard etc. Outside the frames lots of red orach and lettuce volunteers. Also mixing in tarragon, garlic greens (from the perennial garlic bed) , garlic chives, chives, green onions, lovage and oregano to the daily salads.

The final two Winter Sweet squash from 2022 went into loaves of pumpkin bread and 2 pumpkin pies.

Amaranthaceae Amaranthus retroflexus and Amaranthaceae Beta vulgaris.

Okay, the B. vulgaris (beets) were planted whereas the A. retroflexus (redroot pigweed) is a self-sowing weed. The thinnings from the beets are the first veggie from outside the temporary hoophouse ... which will come down today. Here, the WS tells us that it was the warmest May in recorded history! It will be the earliest date for taking down the hoop house in it's intermittent 20+ year history of being up for the Spring months. High & Low temperatures were at the almost precise normals for the last day of the month, yesterday at 48° & 72°. Nevertheless, it will be warming up some, again soon.

The weeds are enjoying the warmth, the few thunderstorms, the irrigation, and the cultivated ground in the Big Veggie garden. Many of the redroot were turned under yesterday by the rototiller over the paths. The weed was nearly beyond its prime!

It is tasty but those little beet plants may be my favorite veggie. Crisp bacon and a quick cooking and they were appreciated for last night's dinner.

Steve

Another Amaranth (of a different mother :o)

We will have these ”greens” for dinner.

Cabbage rolls, Tiara variety - from the open garden.

I will stop using that term "open," soon. The plastic film covering for the 2 backyard beds has been off for 2 weeks now. There are veggies started in that temporary structure but some new seed and transplants have gone into those beds. But, these little cabbages ^ are from the big veggie garden and doing fine out there.

Steve

Yesterday, I spent over an hour & a half picking peas!

A few of the potatoes have just started to bloom. It's supposed to be safe to dig "new potatoes," now. Nearly always, I'm reluctant to start early and they are a somewhat past the tiny stage for Creamed Peas & New Potatoes (they still have that special new potato flavor :o).

I was once told by an Idaho potato scientist that it doesn't make a lot of sense to "steal" a few potatoes and leave the plant. The trauma of that partial harvest is supposed to delay much further growth -- so, one may as well dig the entire plant. I should have x-ray vision to see what is going on beneath the surface but then, I'd probably be confused by the multitude of rocks that my so-called "garden soil" is composed of.

Steve

The peas are delicious this year.

First lettuce and spinach

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie!

June/September — why not!?

Steve