All dig, no write

Work.  Dig.  Move dirt.  We are turning into ants.  It's hard to find the time, and peace of mind, to write about it.  Ants don't write.  They live in the moment.

In spite of the mild winter passed, we still get frost warnings well into spring.  The seedlings can stay in the greenhouse tonight, but transplanting has to wait until next weekend, when we hope it will be safe.  Most of them look too small to be out in the wide open beds anyway.  They couldn't even survive a sparrow attack.

Annuals:  We have planted lettuce, cress, onion, parsnip, carrot, beet, Swiss chard, peas, bush beans, pole beans, shallots, Brussels sprouts, radishes, corn, potatoes.  Not exactly in that order.  Only the shallots are still hiding.

Biennials:  A small patch of carrots that amounted to barely anything last summer is now growing quickly into adulthood.  I expect they will be forming flowers within a month.  Hope I can figure out what variety they are.  The row of parsnips  biding their time next to shell peas last year was also set to take off, but have been diverted to the compost track.  A patch next to the back alley will be allowed to grow tall, alongside other high achievers like sunflowers and sweet peas.

Perennials:  Rhubarb has survived it's removal to the boulevard, where it shares its quarters with a solitary sun choke that was left behind.  Sun chokes have also emerged where they are expected to, in two back yard beds, starting two or three weeks ago with the plants not harvested.  Tubers that were dug up and replaced in the ground are still sending up shoots.   We've had our very meagre haul of asparagus and are now letting the spears grow into ferns.  Garlic is growing in three different sizes, from cloves, bulbils and teardrops.    I hope some is ready to eat soon, because last year's stock is now gone.  (Maybe garlic shouldn't be classified with the perennials, but it would just keep going if we left it in place.)

Self-seeders:  Cilantro, dill, parsnips, carrots, peas, pak choi, Swiss chard, and borage are all showing  up where they weren't expressly asked to be.  It's fine.  Why should the gate crashing be left to only dandelion, creeping bellflower, quack grass, and sow thistle?

Fruit:  The first ripe haskap berries were spotted on Wednesday.  Some strawberry plants are blooming.  Raspberry canes proliferate and are developing proto-blossoms; fruit is a long way off.  Grape leaves are barely out and we can see flowers (minuscule bunches of grapes) already.    Nanking cherries had very few blossoms.  Apple tree had only one and is again ravaged by pests.  Pear tree blossomed but it's hard to tell yet whether any were pollinated.

In brief, this is how the black thumb's garden stands on a rainy last weekend of May.  As my working hours are reduced in accordance with the academic quiet time, and weekly scheduled activities promise a summer break, I hope to get back to more thoughtful and useful (and frequent) reports.