Garden Weekend

I like to get the vegetable garden in before June, and May 30 just makes the cut.  Saturday was the first uncommitted day I've had in several weeks.  The weather was hot and sunny, but by moving the garden umbrella around to various spots, I spent the hottest hours of the day working in portable shade.   

Here are a few snapshots of the constant work in progress.....

The red worms always amaze me.  We, or rather they, make much of our soil.  During the fall/winter/early spring I had a steamy pile of leaves and grass clippings cooking by the driveway.   

I'm a little late getting my seeds started.  

The vegetable garden space and my portable shade.  I planted purple bush beans, red celery, white pumpkin, zucchini, Genovese basil, peppers, Scarlet Runner Beans, lettuce, and carrots.  

One section of the garden is thriving with cool weather lettuces, sugar snap peas, cilantro and Walla Walla onions.

The raspberries are just forming.

The kids and I went garden junking last week at the recycling center.  Daniel found a bunch of bricks for his garden area, and Annie found this wash tub and garden gate for her area.  

The campanula 'bell flowers' are in bloom.

This week I am going to have the kids plant their garden areas using a modified 'homestead' agreement.  They get to keep their area if they work and develop it.  If they let it go, I will be the claim jumper and will come in and take over.  :-)  At this point, they have cleared their areas and Daniel has helped top dress his area with crumbly red worm compost.  

It feels like summer!