Miracle !

Well we actually have apricots!! I know you don't believe me but here is the photographic proof!
I guess there was a fortunate alignment of the stars or something because this is something truly new.

Rick

Update

Well we are nearing the summer solstice already. And things are starting to happen in the garden. We have had a coolish and wettish June after a hot dry May. As a result the rhubarb is back and going well and the spinach has really taken off. We are starting to get strawberries as well. Probably about a cup a day or so. They taste wonderful straight from the plant. The scarlet runner beans are already showing their buds and I expect flowers this week. We had a lot of rain last week and today we are supposed to see temps in the 80's. It also looks like I may actually manage to grow a carrot or two this year, which would be a pleasant change from previous years. I am however starting to think that I need to find more perennials that I can divide to crop the entire yard with.
Also last night I started two batches of wine. One is a rhubarb and the other is raspberry and rhubarb.

Garden Pictures

Tour De Farm video.

Tour de farm

Last Sunday Jess and I went to Elgin for the first of the Tour De Farm dinners featuring a pork laden menu prepared by the Craftsmans' Mike Philips. All I can say is wow! The dinner was great. All the courses had some amount of pork from the Klein's Hidden Stream Farm. Ther is a link here to a small photo essay put up on the Tour De Farm site.

Rick

Pictures from the tour de farm

Blog

I am afraid things are still just coming along in the garden. We did manage to harvest a few strawberries earlier this week. But for the most part the news from the garden has been kind of slow. May was a very dry month for us. Much drier than we usually see here in the spring. But it looks like a change has come now that we are in June as just yesterday we received over an inch of rain. Once we get the June sun back I predict we should practicaly be able to hear the garden growing at night.
We also added 2 more tomato plants. We picked up a pair of sungold cherry tomatos last weekend at the St Paul Farmers market. I am told that it is perhaps the tastiest of all hte cherry toms.

More to come.
Rick

Cats are up.

Well I thought the seeds might have been too old but it looks like the kittens I planted are starting to sprout.

Pictures

Update

I spent most of the day in the garden the last 2 days and things are looking great. I put down cardboard over more paths and covered them in mulch. I am hoping this will help me slowly push the weeds back from the beds. I also set up my first bean trellis and I like the way it looks. On Friday I planted romano beans for the trellis and also 3 rows of bush dragon tongue beans. Yesterday I planted up a bunch of pots of basil seeds. Mostly old seeds but I figured it would be a good time to use them up. I also planted a handful of cilantro seeds as well. I also planted 2 rows of tom thumb head lettuce and 2 rows of mesclun mix.
I also dragged out the hose and filled all the water butts in the garden and also gave everything a good soaking. It has been a really dry spring this year and the plants really needed it. I do hate to use the well to supply water to the garden, but sometimes you have to. I would love to catch more rain water and use that in the future but for now I will just have to bend my ideal. I have a grand idea of using the pole barn and other roofs to fill a small pond and using the pond as a water supply for the garden.
Lastly I spread aged chicken litter on the garden beds as fertilizer/mulch.

Jess and I also went to Gastro Non Grata last night. The food was good the beer was great and the music was unussual.