Our 2004 garden was planted very late due to the cold and wet spring as well as other competing projects. The most we are hoping for this year is beet greens. For those of you who enjoy beet greens, we will share. We think they are a sweeter, prettier but similar tasting version of spinach. We did get about half of the garden into a variant of the “square foot” method of Bartholomew and planted the “three sisters” of corn, beans, and squash together. If, by the grace of God, we have a late Indian Summer, perhaps we will have other produce to share.                                 In the woods, we had to share the raspberries with the bears and soon we’ll do the same for the blackberries. The wild hazels that grow in the sun produced many nuts this year that we hope to share with the squirrels. And, we actually have gooseberries this year!

Perk’s flower garden, pictured in the middle, is a joy to see. When I told her we could eat the lily buds, sautee them in a little butter, she stated quite firmly, “Oh no you won’t”! Despite the cedars that tower around it, the flower garden receives just enough sun from the east and overhead. Perk renovated the garden in memory of Grandpa Ritchie who did the stone work and loved the cedars.

The blueberries are struggling, but they did produce one ripe blueberry that Perk promptly ate.

The White Tail RidgeLine

 Garden Woes & Blessings!