What’s been going on!

It is that time of year when we make multiple daily passes by the early tomato tunnels looking for the first ripe tomato.  For us, it is always the last week of May when we eat the first one.  Yesterday, during the morning inspection tour, I see a yellow tomato outside on the grass, and then inside I find several mostly ripe Cherokee Purples on the ground, partly eaten by some critter.  Damn them!  We annually have possums or coons eat the first ripe melons but never really the tomatoes now, for the first time ever, we will have to deploy the electric net turkey fencing around the tomato tunnel. Having the fence up is such a nuisance for us to deal with but after a few weeks it usually deters them enough that we can take it down.

Blueberry picking done for the season and as we thought we might do, we made a last pass through the field on Monday and picked about 12 pints which we will freeze for us.  With the peas gone as well, we are now freed up to get some other jobs done.  More planting of summer flowers, late cucumbers and lettuce.  Summer cover crops were seeded on the field the over wintered flowers were in and the now harvested and uncovered tunnel ends just before the rains came last night, perfect.  Cultivating young crops and getting the irrigation set up in them, lots of trellis built over tall flowers under the Big Tops.  Plenty to do but comfortably under control.

 Picture of the Week

On a gray day, the radiant Dianthus glow flanked by the first Celosia, Campanula and Carthamus

What’s going to be at the market?

For sure the bottom of the valley between spring vegetable crops and tomatoes.  Next week look for carrots and a few tomatoes.

Tender spring Leeks are back for the next month.  Nice sweet Cucumbers.  Beautiful Escarole for soups, grilling or salads.  Still a good supply of Lettuce with the crispy and sweet Summer Crisp in Red and Green, some Green and Red Oakleaf.  Round red Radicchio and tall green Sugarloaf Radicchio, great for grilling.  The end of the Beets with mostly just the striped and sweet Chioggia.  The very first of the Basil, just in time for tomatoes!

Campanula (Canterbury Bells) is back in pinks and blues.  Tall orange tufted Carthamus or Safflower.  It is Hydrangea season big time!  More beautiful Delphiniums this week.  The fragrant Oriental lilies in yellow and pink.  Snapdragons in great colors.  Brilliant long lasting Dianthus.  Sunflowers and amazing tall Larkspur.  Beautiful Bouquets!

As a reminder if there is anything that you would like for us to hold for you at market just let us know by e-mail, by the evening before, and we will be glad to put it aside for you.

Hope to see you all at the market!

Alex and Betsy

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