Fruit for Humans

I've planted fruit for humans: cherries, juneberries, and strawberries. But wildlife is eating quite a bit. The cherries are devoured the very moment they turn ripe (see below). The cherries have a smaller seed to fruit ratio compared to those from the store. I've picked a few underripe ones to try them. I didn't cover them with netting this year because there aren't that many. Also, the trees look like they're covered in jewels!

The serviceberries or juneberries (below) are also getting eaten quickly. I saw a bunny reaching up to eat berries from the lower branches. They're mild like blueberries with more seeds. I'm flirting with the idea of making muffins, but they get eaten by wildlife pretty quickly.

This has been a good year for strawberries...and pea pods. How do I get that many berries?

Netting! Even with netting, the clever animals will get some berries. I've seen birds land on top of it, which is why I use rounded bamboo stakes to keep the netting on the ground in the middle. Small critters find any tiny gap. Even ants have joined the berry party. I'm not too worried because I get the majority of them.  At the farmer's market yesterday, they were being sold for $8 a container. I understand why. There's nothing like fresh garden strawberries. 

With all this food for wildlife, the population is pretty healthy. I have mixed feelings because they eat so much of my garden. (bunny nest below) But, dang, are they cute!

Happy First Day of Summer!

Here are some garden pictures to celebrate the first day of summer. Above mock orange. Below peony

Strawberries are ripe!

The pea pods are ready, and the beans are growing well.

Rose dilemma

I'm not sure what to do with this rose. It's called a smooth rose (rosa blanda). The flowers are lightly fragrant, looking delicate but proving surprisingly sturdy.

Here's a close up. The bees like them. The plant is healthy and lush. Those are the pros. These are the cons. You can see from the photo below that the blooming is staggered, which is good for the bees, but no "wow" factor. And, depending on rain and heat, the flowers don't last too long, less than two weeks this year. True, it's a native plant, so the expectations should be different. However, little suckers are coming up through the lawn, especially next to the electric box. When I planted it, the information said it wouldn't spread like this. But maybe it likes its spot. Or the information was wrong. The rose is no longer "smooth," but painfully thorny, making it tough to weed and mow around. The shape is uneven with some tall parts and short parts but no pleasing shape. But I can't bring myself to dig it up! Thus my dilemma. I need some time to think...

Hummingbird Moth and bonus photos

Do you see the blurry russet and gold creature on the Siberian iris? That's a hummingbird moth, a fast flying moth easily mistaken for a hummingbird.

Here is it again on the iris. Yep, you gotta blow it up to see it. My phone takes good photos but not that good. 

Bonus: Bearded iris

Bonus: Peony. I'm so pleased. They took two years to bloom, even though I bought the two plants from a reputable garden center.

Bonus: The long view of the peonies with perennial geraniums

The juneberries are forming, and an early coreopsis is blooming. You're welcome to sit a while and watch the bees in the clover. 

End of May Update

Wow! A lot happens quickly when it warms up. We've been above average for too long. Lately, it seems to be too cold or too warm. That's Minnesota. Above is purple pak choi with Swiss chard seedlings. Below are the blooming strawberry plants. 

Everything is growing...including the weeds. My fenced in veggie garden is below. But I'm too busy getting seeds and plants in the ground and trying to keep up with the mowing.

The Bloomerang lilac smells divine!

The wild lupine blooms a little too close to the driveway.

The native columbine is spectacular this year.

This columbine is leftover from a previous owner, and this is the best it's looked.

The mountain ash tree is covered in flowers.

The chokeberry is blooming. There are shade plants in the pots in the background.

Wild violets are so pretty.

The wild geranium is lush this spring.

I've planted geraniums in the pots for our back deck.

Let's end with a bit of brightness!

New cherries blooming!

The cherry trees I planted last spring have survived the winter and are blooming! It's hard to get an immersive photo because the trees are small (sleep, creep, leap...maybe next year). The photo below shows one them in the backyard landscape. 

Below are the grape hyacinth. The tips of the leaves are brown, probably due to cold snaps.

These late daffodils look great. I suspect the earlier ones have fewer blooms because of the same cold snaps.

The service berries are looking good. 

The bench is for perspective. You might not want to sit on it because the robins perch and leave behind little gifts. 

And here is my nemesis...or one of his many relatives. Eat the grass, bunny, and leave my plants alone.

May Freeze

See the ice cube in the hummingbird cocktail? I estimate we had seven hours below freezing last night. In the background, the white sheet is my attempt to cover my cherry trees, whose buds are getting ready to blossom. They look okay so far. I'll keep you updated!