Summertime, and the Pickin' is Easy
The raspberries began to ripen before we left for our trip to the south, so we had the kids pick them and take what they harvested.
Since we have returned we have picked them twice. With the heat, we have been getting up at 6:00 AM to go for our walk and then working in the yard until we wear out or it gets too hot. Then it's time for a shower and some relaxing during the heat of the day.
Our raspberry patch is not looking very healthy this year and the berries are small and more sparse than usual. We are also having to spray for the fruit fly Spotted Wing Drosophilia, which lays eggs in ripening soft fruits. The larva, a tiny white worm, hatches out in the berries and turns them to mush. We are considering taking the whole patch out this year, letting the plot rest for a year, and then replanting with a newer variety of raspberry. This patch has been producing for a very long time.
As you can see, we are managing to save some of the crop so far. We are also harvesting zucchini already, way earlier than usual.
We're going to have to check them daily to get them picked before they get this big.
This morning, after out three mile walk, we picked the berries, and then we picked flowers. Here are our first summer bouquets, sweet peas and a mixed bouquet of garden flowers. Yes, the dahlias are starting to bloom already too.
We got a little rain this morning, along with a thunder storm. It cooled things off for a while, so I just stayed out in the rain and continued to weed and clip and groom the garden. It looks like our high will only be about 82 today, but of course the humidity is up. Dry 90's will return this week.
I still have a post or two to come from our travels. I should have another post up tomorrow, nothing scary this time.
Everything is so incredibly early. We've got raspberries ripening in our garden, which technically belong to my neighbor, but he told me this morning he's going to be out of town for several days and asked if I'd water his garden and eat his raspberries. No problem. We haven't gotten any rain but it's threatening. :-)
ReplyDeleteI remember how my maternal grandparents had THE most magnificent sweet peas patch/trellis. So gorgeous and such a lovely scent. Thanks for the memory. :)
ReplyDeleteI am impressed with your harvest! It is almost July and the weather her was cold and damp...feels like a winter day. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful bouquets! :)
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing like food right off the plant.
ReplyDeletehow fun fresh raspberries, we have to walk before 6 am as it's 80 degrees by then and 107 during the day!
ReplyDeleteI am so impressed with your harvest, the courgettes look wonderful. The sweet peas are stunning, the colours are a real delight.
ReplyDeleteHey, they look good to me. So sorry though about your brutal weather. Hope you get a break soon.
ReplyDeleteWe are also busy with berry picking. Our patch had been stupendous, lots of rain. But not so sweet as a result.
ReplyDeletei picked lots of black raspberries yesterday. i have cobblers baking right now! your flowers are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThose displays of yours look gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the heat, but we have it worse.
Air conditioning weather.
Gigi (Glenda) most homes here don't have air conditioning.
ReplyDeleteThat's a whole lot of raspberries. We could never get much from our bushes in Illinois. Your bouquets are gorgeous!
ReplyDelete