June in the Garden

During the first few weeks of June we harvested our garlic. This year's crop seems to have grown quite well, despite having planted it later this year, (in the beginning of November). Some of the varieties we grew were Spanish roja, Chinese Hardneck, Music, Chesnok Red, Germidor and Oregon Blue. I cleaned some of the first garlic that was pulled and dried, and some is for sale now in the fruit stand.

Our garlic is grown in wire-lined raised beds in the garden to prevent gophers from getting in. After pulling out the garlic, I planted pumpkins in the beds. The pumpkins should be ready for harvest in September or October, and then the wire-lined beds can be planted again. We also planted winter squash and gourds in the gardens for the Fall.

Some of the tomato plants have gotten as tall as us or taller, so it was time to help support their cages by connecting them together with rope and tying them to T-posts. Only a few tomatoes have gotten ripe so far, but the vines are full of green tomatoes on the edge of turning pink. Since the weather has become hot and the tomatoes are ripening, we have had to hang sheets or agribon on the side of the plants that faces the hot afternoon sun. This helps protect the tomatoes from sun scald. Hopefully during the first week of July we'll have enough ripe tomatoes to begin selling them at the fruit stand. The tomatoes are ready later than usual this year, maybe because of the cool weather and late rain that came in the beginning of the month.

During June the zucchini and summer squash started producing (much more than we needed), and cucumbers have been producing well, too. Yellow string beans are probably going to be finished by the end of the month, but green string beans are just beginning. Right now blooming catnip, bee balm, lemon balm, lavander, borage and buckwheat are attracting many kinds of bees to the gardens. Bees are also visiting squash, tomato and cucumber and other vegetable flowers. Since this spring we've continued to have cotton tail rabbits around the orchard, too. When I walk out to the garden lately, sometimes I see one running out of the garden and into the black berry bushes. A rabbit has tried to make burrows in the cucumbers and squash, but as far as I can tell it hasn't eaten much yet. Maybe it just wants a cool place to be out of the sun.

Above is a photo of a wheelbarrow full of garlic just pulled out from the garden.

Santa Rosa Plums & Peaches

Santa Rosa plums are now ready at the orchard. Santa Rosas are very fragrant, sweet and tart, with yellow flesh and dark red to purple skin. They are an old variety, and a lot of people's favorite. We now also have a good supply of peaches. Earlier we had to limit the number that could be bought, but the limit is off now. If you want apricots, try to get to the fruit stand soon, because we have now picked almost all of them.

Here's what we have now at the fruit stand:

• Plums--Santa Rosa, Frontier, Black Amber, Satsuma
  
• Peaches--May Crest, June Crest, Bon Jour, Red Haven
  
• Nectarines--Jade white nectarine
  
• Apricots--almost finished
  
• Cherries--Bing
• Grapefruit--white variety
• Vegetables--zucchini (green, yellow, striped cocozelle, crookneck, scallopini), string beans (yellow), cucumbers, eggplant (Japanese), herbs (basil, rosemary, oregano, onions (large red and white), garlic
  
• Honey--bigger sizes now, (from bees living at our orchard)
• Organic vegetable seedlings--from Peas and Harmony

First Peaches, Zucchini & Herbs

The first peaches and vegetables are ready! We now have Spring Crest and May Crest peaches at the fruit stand. The first varieties of peaches are not usually as sweet as the later varieties, and not quite as large. We also have a lot of zucchini growing, both the striped cocozelle and dark green zucchini. Herbs are ready to pick, too. We have basil, rosemary, oregano, and other herbs like lemon balm and cat nip. If you come to the fruit stand, just ask and we can go pick a bunch of herbs from the gardens.

The weather has been unusually cool in the past few weeks for this time of year. We even had rain a few times last week, and a thunder showers. This week so far has been cool and actually foggy in the mornings. It's nice weather to work in, but we're waiting to see how it will affect the fruits and the vegetables.

In the fruit stand now we have:

• Peaches--Spring Crest and May Crest
• Apricots--seconds
• Cherries--Bing, Royal Ann
• Loquat--also called biwa
• Grapefruit--white variety
• Lemons--Eureka
• Vegetables--zucchini (dark green, cocozelle), string beans (green and yellow), herbs (basil, rosemary, oregano)
• Honey--bigger sizes now, (from bees living at our orchard)
• Organic vegetable seedlings--from Peas and Harmony

Loquat & Cherries

The first summer fruits have ripened! Along with the grapefruit and lemons we have had since winter, we now have loquat (or biwa) and cherries. We had a light crop of cherries this year though, so they probably won't last very long.

At the fruit stand we now have:
Cherries--Bing, Royal Ann, Black Tartarian
Loquat--also called biwa, a juicy, sweet yellow-orange fruit (not related to kumquats) that grows in clusters. Inside in the middle are two large brown seeds.
Grapefruit--white variety
Lemons--Eureka
Honey--from bees living at our orchard
Organic vegetable seedlings--from Peas and Harmony

Above is a photo of the biwa tree at the orchard.

How to Make Tomato Cages

At the orchard we have really sturdy and strong tomato cages for our gardens that we make ourselves out of concrete reinforcing wire (or mesh). The cages last for many seasons and are tall enough to support even the bushiest indeterminate tomato plants. Last year Toshio made some new ones and we took photos so we could better share how to make them. Click here to go to a photos and detailed instructions on how to make your own tomato cages from a roll of concrete reinforcing wire.

Above is a photo of one of the gardens this year, showing tomato cages we made.

Persimmon Flowers and the Fruit Stand

Persimmon trees are in bloom, and buzzing with bees. At left is a photo of a bee visiting persimmon flowers.

For sale at the fruit stand now we have grapefruit, lemons, honey from our bees, eggs from our chickens and organic vegetable seedlings from Peas and Harmony. Right now is the time of year we have the least amount of produce in season. By the end of the month we expect to have the first fruits of Spring, such as cherries, apricots, loquat and the first plums.

At the Fruit Stand Now

Lots of healthy organic vegetable seedlings from Peas and Harmony are available for sale at the orchard. As you can see in the photo above, Peas and Harmony has built a new display area for plants across from the fruit stand. They have many different varieties of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, squash and other seedlings. For a complete list, or to order ahead to pick up plants, see their web site at www.peasandharmony.net.

Here's what we have for sale at the fruit stand now:

• Grapefruit
• Lemons--Eureka
  
• Kiwi
• Honey--From bees at our orchard
  
• Organic Seedlings--From Peas and Harmony
  

What's Going on at the Orchard

In the past few weeks we have been busy getting the vegetable gardens planted. We transplanted tomato, pepper and eggplant seedlings, and planted cucumber, zucchini, beans, okra and other vegetables by seed.

At left is a photo of Helen watering plants in the orchard's "greenhouse", which also serves as a hoshigaki drying room in the Fall.

Fruit and Flowers

At the orchard right now only the apple and pear trees are left flowering. Peaches and plums have leafed out and are beginning new fruits. There's not that much fruit in season, but Peas and Harmony has a lot of organic seedlings for sale at the fruit stand. Here's what we have:

At the Fruit Stand:

• Grapefruit--sweet white variety
• Oranges--Valencia
• Lemons--Eureka
• Kiwi
• Honey--from bees at our orchard
• Eggs--from chickens at our orchard
• Organic Seedlings--from Peas and Harmony-tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and more
  

Above is a photo of a peach growing from a peach blossom.

Come Take a Walk

Come take a walk in the orchard and see all the blossoming trees. The plum and peach trees are all in full bloom. The persimmon, Asian pear, apple, and cherry trees are budding and about to leaf out or bloom.

We have been busy preparing garden beds for planting, planting new trees and pruning, and trying to finish putting in the new irrigation system.

Above is Viviano standing in a peach tree.

Gardening Classes

Peas and Harmony is an all-organic nursery and design center that has a demonstration garden at the orchard. People are welcome to visit the garden, and they sell organic plants at the fruit stand.

Peas and Harmony is having a series of gardening classes take place at the orchard. Here's what they're doing in March:

"Jump Start the Growing Season"--Saturday, March 28th, 9:30-12 PM

"The Dirt on Soil & Seeds"--Saturday, March 28th, 1PM-3:30 PM

For more information, and to register, go to their website at www.peasandharmony.net .

Orchard in Bloom

Most of the trees in the orchard are now in bloom. It's a nice time to come take a walk, if you can find a break in the rain. This coming weekend is supposed to be sunny.

In the photo above you can see peach trees with pink blossoms and plum trees with white.