Summer bounty:  a medley of cucumbers and summer squash, basil, parsley, cherry tomatoes, melons, sweet corn, flowers, Mexican sour gherkins, lots of peppers, groundcherries

Fall specials: butternut,pumpkins, decorative corn, sweet potatoes, dry beans

Winter harvests: sunchokes, turmeric, yacon, ashwagandha root, lettuce, kale

Perennials are getting started for future harvests.  Some will take years to fully establish, and others should provide nearly instant gratification.  It will be interesting to see what new ideas come up as I search through seed catalogs and nurseries.

Some of the highlights in the ground so far are:

2 figs, peonies, spring bulbs, saffron, currants, blackberries, capers.  Citrus trees and  avocados are pretty much dead – turns out we have some low winter temperatures and probably didn’t protect them enough.

A lovely row of fruit trees along the far edge of the field is now complete with pomegranate, quince, apple, pear, peach, and apricot.  Agave is guarding the end of the row.  A second row has some plums and will get a few more additions this winter.

Spices and herbs are growing in pots.  The turmeric seems happy in the greenhouse and we also have it in the ground in a couple places, trying to find the perfect spot and best method of propagation.  Lemon verbena plants are growing and smell amazing – I didn’t know that was a real smell before starting these guys.  The small garden area by the house has been remade into an herb bed with tarragon, sorrel, burnett, and mints.

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