After months of waiting to garden… I’m already a whole month in! This year I’m playing things a little more chill and not updating or tracking as much. Here’s what’s going on:

Big picture

Flower power

This year I invested a little more in planting flowers (and also in not pulling up volunteer flowers), and it has been a lovely way to start the season. I started echinacea (coneflower) from seed last winter, grew it in the plot, and it never bloomed. This year it came back strong and has just started to bloom! It’s so exciting. Other favorites that I did this year: cactus flower zinnias, Kilimanjaro white marigold, calendula zeolights, glorious gleam and Alaska nasturtiums. I also had lots of mixed bachelor buttons and larkspur pop up and provide pollinator party spots and lovely early season color. I’m about ready to remove the volunteers to give my main plants more sun.

Milestones

• Eggplant! I’m growing these for the first time this year and just spotted the first blossom! I have no idea what to expect with these guys.
• Sugar snap peas! I’ve returned to the reliable mammoth melting sugar peas. I’m getting like 10 peas a day at this point. I’m hoping they keep it up before getting too hot and calling it a season.
• Squashes! All of my squash are in the ground- acorn, honey nut, zuchini, and something else I forgot. Zucchini looks happy.
• Luffa! Trying this one again for the second season. Tragically ended early last year, this one is about waist tall and looking good so far.
• Beets, chard – just starting to harvest greens.