Early summer is when the garden really starts to show off. Many of the perennials I planted our first spring here (now 4 years ago), have established themselves and gotten a little bossy. I plant herbs for their beauty and usefulness, but really, how would I ever use this many chives? French Tarragon, Sage and Thyme all come back with vigor. The thyme, which I planted by seed, is truly an out-of-control invasive now, but I weed it as I can, cut it back, and love the smell those activities leave lingering.
The lavender, unlike in Idaho, has had to be replanted every year. I'm not sure why I keep it, since the smell makes me think of old ladies (!), but the idea of lavender shortbread is calling me, and I have the space. The rosemary, of course, has had to be replanted yearly every place I've ever lived (except for that brief stay in California), but It is not an herb I want to live without. I was able to overwinter 2 plants inside, so at least I didn't have to buy them this year.
The Cranesbill, or wild geranium, is in full flower now, and will offer some beauty for the remaining summer and fall. Even when not flowering, the leaves are interesting, and green is my favorite color.
The white bleeding heart plant is continuing to bloom for longer than the pink ones, though the smaller dicentras will bloom for at least
And the primroses self-seeded this year, so they've put on a show that is new to me. another month.
Tomato plants are coming along nicely, in spite of some scary cold night temperatures. No frost, though. I've gotten used to not expecting tomato fruit until August, but it's still a long wait, and I'm always hopeful that maybe THIS year they'll come sooner.
The star of the Green show, though, is the rhubarb. I love how it looks so much like some crazy tropical plant. I've made rhubarb cake (thanks, Rika!), rhubarb pie, and John made a new recipe call Rhubarb bars. They are wonderful. They are a shortbread with a fruit layer.
I also made my first leaf embossed vessel (clay) yesterday, using a smaller rhubarb leaf. Some of these leaves are too big to fit into my kiln, so I have to chose wisely. More on that in a later post.
I know this looks like a weedy bed, but it is a cover crop in the south vegetable bed. It's coming along nicely. My plan is to grow it, cut it before it goes to seed, and then work the organic matter back into the soil. This is often called a Green Manure Crop. Our soil here is a sandy loam, and it can always benefit from increasing the organic matter.
Once again, the Forget-me-nots are showing up everywhere. I mostly love them, especially because they were a gift from a friend (Thanks, Mary!). But like buttercups, they are a plant that you underestimate at your peril. Violets are like that too. Tend them, and discourage them where they'll displace other most favored plants.
Last in this show are our asparagus. We've had a couple of meals from them, but now they're starting their lovely vegetative show that will last until a heavy frost.
A lot of other plants are Beginning. And I have treated my Copper Beech with a trunk spray that the Forest Pathologist recommends to reduce the infestation of the air-born nematode that causes Beech Leaf Disease, which is killing our local Beech trees. There are always new challenges in the growing of things. Climate change may speed up certain pests and their movement, but change is all but certain in this world. In every aspect of it.
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