Summer is Finally Here

Well...
...As foretold by the locals, the 4th of July brings in Summer here. Finally able to go out in the morning without my jacket to work in the garden.

The deck is finally done. For the most part. I still need to finish up painting the HiFive panel and installing the rail inserts.

The chickens are happy and healthy and enjoying foraging.

The huckleberries are starting to ripen up.

My first gardenia flower bloomed! If you know me. I tend to be a horrible indoor gardener. So, this flower blooming and not falling off was a great accomplishment though, I still do not know how it happened.

Garlic is harvested and curing.

I have time and weather to work on the garden. And boy am I feeling it!

I am having to re-design the garden as I learned that slugs love to sleep in rocks. Since my beds were lined with rock piles, I decided to reduce the number of available residences for the critters. The "worry free" "slug & snail bait" seems to be working as I have not seen slugs in the garden on my evening or early morning walks, little to no more slug damage on plants and I only found about a half dozen the other day under the rocks. I also learned that turning the soil in the winter (right before a freeze) will expose the eggs and creatures to the elements and reduce populations. Therfore, I needed to turn up the whole plot to make it easier to cultivate. That is why the tent is there to provide shade while I do some heavy digging, turning, and rock moving.
Long rows should be easier to manage.

Planted shelling peas and bush beans from seed in the new row. Time will prove the battle against the slugs.
The moles are another issue for another post - I bought traps and caught my first mole the other day.

My gardener followers will be pleased to finally be getting some gardening updates this summer (so will I!).