Thankfully I'm Tall Enough

Life is a roller coaster that we’re all so lucky to have been allegorically tall enough to ride on. There are ups and downs but in the end we all are thrilled to be on it – or we should be. The ride stops and some have to get off and new ones come aboard. We can’t keep everyone on the ride forever.

This is the circle of life. The garden is a rapid representation of this ride – the seed, the fruit the dormancy or death. My personal roller coaster has kept me away from my garden although maybe it’s just what I needed. Since I’m direct sowing this year maybe I required something to distract me while I’ve waited for the sun to heat up the earth.

Mother’s day has come and gone and that is usually my cue to plant the summer garden. Spring is calling my name with the rich aroma of orange blossoms and honeysuckle. I made a browned butter syrup for some Meyer lemon ricotta fritters the other day and it was really the best thing in the world when I came home from a walk of smelling the piquant and fragrant scents of spring and then walk into the warm smell of browned butter at home. There’s really nothing better than that.


I watched a video from Peaceful Valley Farm Supply on setting up a more sophisticated irrigation system and it brought back memories of my old days in irrigation class. I love that stuff! I’ll be setting that up sometime this month.

A few weeks ago was the last time I was out at the garden. It’s been dismal since the bees have been gone. The garden was full of weeds again and the cover crops weren’t looking too pretty due to the major storms we had. And yes, it's storming again. I feel as though my city has been picked up and moved to Seattle.



But now I hear there are blueberries on my freshly planted shrubs and I’ve been told that hairy vetch is in full sprawl. The next step is to turn over the new soil that I’ve worked so hard to enrich and then I’m two weeks away from planting.

I took some pictures.

Beet Greens

Crimson Clover cover crop mixed with Winter Rye



Fava Beans



Early picked garlic is called green garlic and it is lovely to eat and cook with.



Lettuce - Can't remember which kind.



I had to add a picture of a ball of onion blossoms because they are one of my favorite things to add to a salad. Sweet, slight onion flavor and a fresh floral essence.



And I've slipped in one picture of the Amgen Tour of California international bicycle race that came through my town yesterday. Wow it was fun! What amazing athletes.

 

Hopefully I'll get my tilling done this Friday night...that's the plan!

Daphne