Saturday Farmer's Market - Change

Created by Heather at Capricious Reader, and now hosted by Chris at Stuff as Dreams are Made on.

The garden is in a period of change as we roll into Summer. Spring started early this year, and not all at once. It kind of rolled through the beds and across the yard.

Right now I'm in the process of pruning, pulling up spent blooms, and tending to what ever I can. With my physical limitations it's a slower process than I like, but it keeps me out of trouble.

(At least that's what my husband believes. Shhh ...)

• The Tomatoes are now tied up and growing well. 
• We've eaten all the Peas and the vines are spent, so I pulled them up. More Lettuce took their place. 
• The Squash / Zucchini are still thinking about their next move.
• My pickle plans have been dashed, as something trampled the Cucumber plants. I tried my best to nurse them, but they are beyond saving. Sometimes stray dogs come around, but I haven't seen any in quite a while. Could it be squirrels?

I do have a kitchen table full of Plums that I have to deal with - and quickly!

They filled both of my harvest baskets and a laundry basket. That's about triple last year's harvest

There will be jam, I'm sure. At this point I don't know what else, but I will certainly let you know.

 


My Hens & Chicks have just about filled in the planter. 

I've read that they like to be crowded, and they seem to be pretty happy about it.

A pair of Collared Doves visits regularly. Their cooing is soothing, and they make me smile.

I have a Macro adapter for my camera. It's not as sensitive as an actual macro lens, but it's also not as expensive. I did some playing around with my camera and what flowers are blooming right now. Some are new, others are fading, but they still look pretty good, no?

Fortnight Lily against a background of Coreopsis: a happy sight.

Pansies

Some of them have faded and died already, but a surprising number of them are still thriving.

Yet marked O where the bolt of Cupid fell.
 It fell upon a little western flower,
 Before milk-white, now purple with love's wound,
 And maidens call it love-in-idleness.
                                           - William Shakespeare,
                                    A Midsummer Night's Dream
                                                  (Oberon at II, i)

Shasta Daisy

 (and that's a pink flamingo in the background)

 Yellow Rose

Florabunda

The Lavender and Lantana bed with California Poppies and Agave. In it are some stumps left from the old shade trees we had to cut down. They were mature when we moved into the house more than twenty years ago and we were sorry to lose them. As I've already said, I plan to expand the bed to probably about double the size it is now.

(I didn't build the bed around the stumps.
I moved them into the bed and arranged them artistically so it looks like I built the bed around them.)