Cool Weather. Rain. Rascally Rabbits.

I cannot believe the weather we are having!  Last week the weather stayed in the upper 80s for several days only to be followed by freeze warnings for the weekend!  Lucky for me that we have spent most of our time planting in the high tunnels instead of outside so that we didn’t have as much to cover.

Speaking of high tunnels, I think, we are finished planting in the big one.  We have tomatoes: heirloom, beefsteak, roma, cherry, grape, slicers, juicers, and in a variety of colors.  To accompany those beautiful tomatoes we have also planted a variety of peppers, and in the smaller high tunnel we have basil, oregano, cilantro, and more.  Just what you need for fresh sauces, salsas, gazpacho, and margarita pizzas.  Yum! We also planted onions, cucumbers, lettuce, beets, swiss chard, spinach, zucchini, and acorn squash inside this year.  Outside we have onions, cabbages, kale, collard greens, and strawberries.  Tomorrow I’m putting out watermelons, cucumbers, squash, and beets, lettuce, carrots, swiss chard, and spinach. It really won’t end until, well, I’m not sure when it will end this year!  Oh and did I mention that we are hoping to have cut flowers this year too?  They are in the ground so fingers crossed on some beautiful blooms!

We spent the rainy morning working in the small high tunnel.  Weeding the herbs is an almost every other day chore, but as they grow and fill out the number of weeds diminishes. The kids helped all morning, and if there is one thing that I have learned about working alongside your children it is that they will remind you that work should be fun.  This morning that fun came in the hunt for a garter snake who has taken up residence among our spinach and broccoli plants.  What better way to encourage kids to pull weeds than to say that if they do they’ll more than likely find a snake!  Great fun for them, but the very thought gave me the willies.  I won’t kill a snake on sight, but I will squeal and jump.  In the high tunnel though a garter snake might come in handy preying on the very things that are preying on our plants.

 

Speaking of things preying on our plants, this year I have a new nemesis.  A rascally rabbit has decided that our plants are just as enticing as we think they are.  I’m open to any and all suggestions on dealing with rabbits!  I had never encountered this issue in my garden at our house, probably because it was so close to our house and the dogs and children were on nearly constant patrol.  Send your thoughts, experiences, and anecdotes my way.

In closing, we hope that you are enjoying this Memorial Day and have had the chance to thank a veteran today for their service.  We are happy to have our cousin back in the states after his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.  Many members of our families and our friends have served this country to preserve our freedoms, and we cannot thank them enough.

 

 

Cool Weather. Rain. Rascally Rabbits.