A robin built her nest in my apple tree!

I am surprised we haven't had more robin nests in our yard - such a perfect place to build - ripe currants and raspberries near by to eat. And my organic garden is a great source of worms. The bird bath provides a nice drink and a place to cool off.

I had no idea that robins built nests this late in the year so I did some research and found out that they build 2 to 3 nests per year - one in the spring and one in the summer here - probably a third one a little further south. They do not reuse the nest - once the young have left the nest, it will be abandoned.

We are all looking forward to watching the young grow once they hatch.

It's looking like it may be a good gardening year after all!

We had a late start and now it is just hot but the garden seems to be weathering it all. And after all, isn't there always something about the weather to complain about? Every year it is too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry or too something.

Mostly my garden is doing great. I had spotty germination on the parsnips and some of my carrots and Andy's sunflower fort has seen better years - but overall it is doing well. We have been eating lettuce and radishes from the garden for some time.

The strawberries were great this year. The currants and raspberries are loaded. The apple tree doesn't have any fruit this year and it looks like I have lost the peach tree - the green that was there has shriveled up and died. But I keep watering the tree hoping beyond hope that there is some life left in there somewhere! LOL! My plum tree has plums for the first time - I can only find 3 - so not a huge harvest but I'll take what I can get and it is still a very young tree.

I snapped a few pics of the garden this morning -



2 views of my raised bed from opposite angles.


Wayahead Tomato


The dead peach tree.

I picked my first raspberry of the season today

I stood in my raspberry patch and ate it. It was so succulent and juicy. Yum. I savored it since it was the only one ripe. What a wonderful taste of the bounty to come. The raspberries are loaded - it will be a good crop this year.

I think it is also a sign that I am feeling better - I didn't go and get Andy to show it to him or even pick it and take it to him - always Andy first and Mom last. I plucked it and savored it all by myself.

I have no regrets.

Rhubarb Cake

Andy asked me yesterday if I could make a rhubarb cake. What a wonderful idea - I've never made a rhubarb cake before. It was so delicious. Even if you are GFCF, you could make this wonderful cake using regular ingredients.

GFCF Rhubarb Cake

Ingredients:

½ cup Margarine (I used Earth Balance Buttery Spread)

1 ½ cups Organic Raw Sugar (you could use brown sugar)

1 Egg, Beaten1 teaspoon Vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt1 cup milk substitute (I used Dari Free)

2 cups GF Flour Blend (I used Bob’s Red Mill GF Mix)

½ teaspoon Xanthan Gum

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

3 cups Rhubarb

½ cup Organic Raw Sugar

½ teaspoon Cinnamon

Procedure:

Slice the rhubarb into 1/4" slices. Cream the margarine and 1 ½ cups sugar; add the egg, vanilla and salt; mix well. Add the milk substitute, flour, xanthan gum and soda; mix well. Stir in the rhubarb. Pour the batter into a well-greased "9x13" cake pan. Mix together ½ cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; distribute this mixture evenly over the unbaked cake batter. Bake for about 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

My garden is thriving!

In spite of the weather and in spite of the fact that I have been depressed and pushing myself to garden - the garden is still doing well.

I just finished planting it this weekend, but lots of stuff is up and doing well.


Just an overall shot of the garden.


And another shot from the opposite corner.


The cabbage plants are really looking nice. They are probably the nicest looking plants in the garden.


The tomatoes are doing well also - they have some transplant shock but are bouncing back and will be growing tall soon.


Two weeks ago I was ready to write the peach tree off as dead - but look it is starting to come to life. Maybe there is hope for it yet.

Reluctant Gardening continues.....

This is just so unnatural for me - to have to push myself to garden. But keep pushing myself I do hoping I will start enjoying it and because it has to get done.

I have never understood people who don't like to garden - but if it feels like this to them, I do get why they don't do it.

Gardening should be enjoyable. Something you can't wait to do and love to lose yourself in.

I just haven't been myself lately. I blame it all on menopause and hope that I get through it quickly.

But I did have a productive morning regardless.


I staked up my tomatoes that are waiting to be transplanted. I have never had to stake them before transplanting them before - but they were such a tangled mess I was afraid they would all die and I would be left with nothing.


I put up my bean towers - I haven't planted the beans yet - but at least the space is reserved for them now and the string is all strung.


I dug up the raspberries that were trying to invade the tomato area, put down black paper and put up 11 tomato cages and 3 tomato towers. So that area is all ready now for the tomatoes. They still need to be hardened off for a couple more days before transplanting - but at least the area is ready.


Here is a picture of the tomato tower. I have always used cages in the past, but by fall they all end up together as a tangled mess as they grow out of the top of the cages. I thought I would try the tower and pruning method - for three of my plants any way. If I like the way they turn out maybe I will buy more towers next year. If I had somewhere to hang them from I would try the growing them upside down.....

Pushing myself to Garden

What is wrong with me? I love to garden but this year I am just not doing it. I pushed myself to get out today for a little while. I don't know if it is just that I have so much else going on or if it is the weather.

But I did have a good gardening day today.

I planted:
Carrots - Scarlet Nantes, Tendersweet, Nelson Hybrid, & Atomic Red
Radishes - Easter Egg Mix
Leaf Lettuce - Lettuce Blend
Parsnips - Hollow Crown
Beets - Red Ace Hybrid

I also set my tomatoes out for a few hours today to get them used to the weather and wind so I can plant them out soon. They have grown so tall that they are touching the lights - the weather needs to cooperate so I can get them out in the ground!

I also took a couple of pictures -


The plum tree is blooming. I am hoping for plums this year - it would be the first year - last year we had a couple of blooms, but no plums.


And strawberry blossoms.