June Garden

Lots of snow and rain amounts to lots of green! What I didn't expect is such a bumper crop of berries and my local sugar house told me, Thursday, he hasn't seen the sap run this well since he's been sugaring! This is music to my ears and, perhaps a warning that we should stock up for another LONG winter. We are going to have enough strawberries this year to enjoy fresh, freeze, and make jam. We harvested our very first last week and they are very sweet!

We are in cycle 3 of our 4 year garden cycle. I use the successive planting technique trying to take advantage of a plant's natural relationship with the soil - what it gives and takes. It requires annual rotation and the use of cover crops. Nothing Grandma didn't already do.

I am conducting another experiment....since this spring rotation of lettuce is harvested young I decided to just sprinkle all the seeds in the bed and did not thin them out. I'm pleased and we've been harvesting for a week with no disappointment. I'll sew the next round in another bed in a few weeks while this bed will hold carrots.
I have a love affair with sage.....I've always had it in my garden no matter where we lived. My favorite use for it is in pumpkin ravioli, but it also is a beautiful tea..especially for a sour tummy. I am taking the advice of a fellow blogger and trying my hand at freezing some to use through winter. I'll be moving this one, again to its permanent location (promise?) this week.

I am expanding my garden again, really it's phase 2 of my original plan. All perennials will be in the fruit garden block, with the exception of the thyme...
I dug up my two year old English Wedgewood Thyme. It was HUGE!! I divided it and hope it will be happy along the foundation by the patio. Nothing else seems to survive this location because of foot traffic. I watched this thyme being stepped on all summer last year so my fingers are crossed.

Hopefully I will have an update later this month.