June 4, 2012

Peas on the fence in the foreground, followed by sweet corn, and the main vegetable garden.
Cinder blocks to the top left mark where our lofted barn will be built.

A volunteer sunflower growing
in the pumpkin patch.

We're just sixteen days away from the Summer Solstice, which usually marks the beginning of peak harvest in our back yard "hobby farm market;" right on schedule, green beans and cucumbers are flowering and will produce this week.  We added zucchini to our list of vegetables in harvest.  Broccoli, peas and berries continue to fill our buckets.  Tomatoes and peppers are loading up with fruit that should ripen before the end of this month.  Melon vines have started to spread, and pumpkin sprouts are putting out their first true leaves.

A gladiolus flower framed by green beans.

June first's planting of sweet corn and sunflowers marked the end of planting until July (when we start brussels sprouts and cabbage indoors for fall).  We're trying to be vigilant with weeding, but for the moment we are preoccupied with the soon arrival and construction of a lofted barn on the property that will give us comparatively unlimited space to dry herbs, cure garlic and onions, and store winter squash.  Speaking of, dill weed was at its peak this week, so we cut and dried enough to last a few years.

Cooler weekend mornings were the perfect opportunity to cook up a country breakfast featuring blueberries and raspberries.  Anybody up to home-churned blueberry waffle cone ice cream?

The vegetable garden in June.