A Handful of Berries

I had to travel again this past week but my garden was left in very good hands. Kathy watered, watched, weeded and sampled the garden bounty. The strawberry towers are really producing….the 3″ towers are just loaded up. Due to my shoddy record keeping I don’t remember what variety of berries were planted in the 3″ towers. The 4″ towers have Chandler berries……I do remember that much. The Chandler berries are far behind the other towers, but that’s not a bad thing….it means I can have home grown berries for many, many weeks.Both the berry towers and my wife are keepers!

I am having some good success with the potato cages and barrel. When I went out to the garden this evening, holding my wife’s hand as she took me out to see the “kids” I saw lots of new growth. The plants in the  two cages were up nearly 8 inches. I added leaf mulch right up to the tops and will repeat the process until the plants flower and die back…..I am already looking forward to harvest time. During the next few months I will probably dig down into the leaf mulch and rob some new potatoes before the big harvest.

Tomorrow  –  I will unwrap the tomato cages now that the threat of a freeze is gone. My friend John says that he has some blossoms already….we may have to pluck them off and let the plants get a little growth in before letting the blossoms set. He told me that the carrots and turnips are taking over the new 4X4 bed. In the old one he says the Edamame soy beans are up  several inches so we may need to get the next succession planted this weekend

I do have one concern about my wife and the strawberries – she just wants to eat them fresh and I like to use a good portion of the harvest for jam. She pointed out the fact that I still have 10 or so jars from last year to use up! I may have to give in and let her have her way…..hopefully with some fringe benefits. Whaddya think hun, do we have a deal?

Fresh Berries for Kathy