Late Starts

Until recently, the weather has been less than hospitable for gardeners. I've kept my plants under weak artificial light in the garage, rather than subjecting them to the dangers of nightly low temperatures or persistent precipitation. My ground cherry starts are rare and special. I wasn't taking any chances.



There they are. All the little ones I was at last confident enough to commit to dirt. My delusional hope is that not only will the straw keep the soil warm and moist, it will magically repel weeds. It also makes the worms safer from death from above. Plus it gives the entire plot this rather manger-like glow.




While I have the process of being patient and waiting for Summer's vegetable wonders, the neighboring garden has a planting combination that is an aesthetic delight. The tissue-like delicateness of the poppy petal, combined with the rugged texture of the artichoke foliage.




Not usually a rose person, I've unexpectedly enjoyed this lovely white, shared by a friend.

I Spy Weekend

It sounded so simple. "We're going to go pick asparagus in the orchard. There's tons of it".





This of course takes a practiced eye, of which I did not immediately possess. Suddenly the orchard looked very large, and the asparagus...not at all. After randomly stumbling upon some green stalks, I then understood its nature, and the asparagus showed itself to me.





Once I got warmed up, I sure my harvest could have been more abundant, but my shoes were so muddy they were the weights tied to my feet.



After Dave let us pick the asparagus, he was kind enough to show us his real passion - his cows. They were all talkative and greeted us with exuberant lowing. I'd have shown you the two impressive styles of bulls, but they were too busy giving us the "what for" while rounding up the girls.




The next day I went on a morel hike with some experienced mushroom guides. Again, a big forest, and the mushrooms, very shy. Although I found only four, it's hard to complain about spending a temperate day in the woods with impassioned mushroom identifiers.




Hello little morel...I see you. I Spy with my little eye!