June 8 Update

I planted moonflower and morning glory along the alley side of this fence. On this side is some kind of not-very-tasty but very strong tarragon and some mint.

Here's the asparagus patch. Something (rabbits, always rabbits) ate one of the five, and it still hasn't shot up new spears, but I'm still watering it hoping there's life down there.

Here's a closeup of raspberries. Last year I know we were harvesting by June 25th when my son was born because my mom made me divine raspberry sorbet with them. It can't come soon enough.

Pretty scrappy looking rhubarb at this point. There's a rabbit nest in the raspberries on the other side of the fence and Masha has been stomping around this poor rhubarb sniffing the wind. This is the plant's second year. By year 3 you should be able to harvest, but I think I'll have to go easy on this one for another year. I'll try to dress it with compost later this season.

Here's the front of the garden. Not much to see right now but this face should look considerably different in a month or two.

Here's the cover crop patch from Territorial Seed via my sister. It's growing well, although it's supposed to be a winter mix. I'm really, really glad I planted it because I am going to be short on green stuff for the compost or for mulching the beds.

Here's view from the east end of the garden. Canteloupe and squashes and then sugar snaps are along the fence, the cover crop on the left, and the potato bed beyond that. I'll put the lima beans and wax beans in the space between the potato rows later this week.

Here are the two main veggie beds. Both beds start with tomatoes on the far left, then a row of carrots, then space for basil and cilantro, then onions, then peppers and tomatillos. The black landscape cloth is part of a war with weeds. It only makes sense to use it under plants that are well spaced, and it has been helping some, although the grass clipping mulch does as well and is probably better for the soil.

Here's the cut flower garden, still looking like a border of weeds. Although Alyssum has started blooming.

Here's the greens garden. Note the extra foot of added protection on top of the original picket fence. A rabbit actually nested in this garden at which point I nearly lost it. My peas will never recover, and perhaps I now know for sure why I did not succeed with chard or spinach here. But they didn't touch the lettuce. (?!?) And the carrots, outside the fence, haven't been nibbled at all. I have one sweet potato plant waiting for a space in the garden and I think it's going in here. I think the new fortification is holding, and I've heard rabbits like sweet potatoes, so this seems like the best place.

The lettuce patch. Next year I vow to plant in 2 week intervals. This is a ridiculous wealth of lettuce that is divine, but can not be eaten quite fast enough. The garlic is just starting to shoot scapes up, which seems to be in time with everyone else around here, the farmers at the market are selling them. Speaking of which, surprisingly the farmers at the market are only selling spinach, lettuce, spring onions, and garlic scapes right now, which means their gardens aren't really ahead of ours. Cool. But I'm still going to try cold frames next spring.

Scarlet runner beans went in last week. They have the most encouraging and impressive cotyledon stage ever. I love them.

Here are the Amish Paste tomato plants. Already bearing fruit!

Snow peas. Enjoying solid rabbit protection for the first time in their lives.

And producing a few, very few, beautiful pods.

My friend Libby donated two of her favorite saved squash varieties to our garden cause, red kuri and kabocha. They sprung up yesterday.

Beets.

Carrots. My friend Emma planted hers in a sand trench. I believe I'll be trying that approach next year. Our soil isn't terrible, but it's stony and gets pretty dense over time.

Here's the view from the west end.

Foxglove near the shed.