good things in the gardens

i love being able to just step outside and find so many good things in the gardens.

fixin's for tonight's salad

5+ varieties of lettuce, arugula, green onion tops, cilantro, snow peas, calendula petals, and borage blossoms

mulberries

fava beans

strawberries

artichokes

got quite a few cherries from the old cherry tree this year

we've got red and yellow raspberries coming on

very nice crop of blackberries coming on

the cool wet spring has been great for the berries and lettuces and other greens but it's been a little rough for the  heat loving veggies.  the beans, tomatoes and squashes have been suffering and sulking for weeks but with the consistent warm weather we've had recently they're starting to green up and put on some growth.  

beans beginning to find their way

along with all the berries, herbs, and vegetables we've also been enjoying an abundance of duck eggs.  egg production has declined a little bit in the last couple of weeks and i'm starting to find feathers here and there so the ducks may be starting to molt.  with the decline in production has been a increase in random egg placement.  during peak egg production the ducks were generally done laying by about 9am and i would find an egg for every duck in a nest in the shed.  lately the laying schedule has been a little irregular and i've been finding eggs in interesting places...

duck egg in one of the blackberry patches

fished this one out of the pool late this afternoon

a few days ago one of the ducks (harpo) went broody and i decided to let her set a nest.  she's got nine eggs under her.  runners are pretty small ducks and nine eggs is probably about the limit of what she can keep covered and warm.   i'm hoping she sticks with it.  it would be nice to have a few ducklings around again.  

i think it's going to be an interesting summer.