Finally… warm weather and (hopefully) no further chance of frost!  You may have noticed the recipe posts have slowed a bit.  We have been busy getting the garden beds ready for this years crops.   I have what I refer to as “A City Farm”.  I don’t have one large bed, like most folks.  I have a lot of little beds where I sneak edibles in with the landscape wherever I can.  Due to the Western exposure, these beds are all in the front yard.

The early crops are in the raised bed shown here.  Kale, spinach, radishes, leeks, arugula, beets and snow peas.  Mixed in with those just this weekend are a cucumber, zucchini, yellow crook neck squash and patty pan summer squash.  I am growing these upward, in the cages.  There will be plenty of room for them when the early crops have been harvested.

Dave built  a new raised bed for this year.  We are calling it the “Salsa Garden”.  So far it contains Anaheim Chiles, Jalapeno Pepper, Tomatillos and a bell pepper.  I will add cilantro soon.  To the right of this garden are the blueberry bushes.  They are about 8 years old now and are absolutely loaded with baby berries.  Pie, jam, chutney are forthcoming!

We also have raspberries and June bearing strawberries.  Dave just finished reinforcing the raspberry trellis.  The yellow raspberries are amazing.

Under the front window is the tomato bed.  There are also Walla Walla sweet onions here, and will eventually house the basil plants that are currently safe and sound on the kitchen window sill.  There are 9 tomato plants, 8 varieties.  Green Zebra (our favorite), Mr. Stripey, Black Krim, Juane Flamme, Sweet Baby Girl, Gold Nugget, Brandywine, and San Marzano.

With any luck, I will be able to make the heirloom tomato, watermelon, kalamata olive, cucumber, mint and feta salad, again this year for Andrea’s birthday in August!

To the side of the front porch is the herb garden.  That is a bay leaf tree in the center and romaine lettuce toward the back.

The bed below has a few rows of green beans and a couple more squash plants.

My intention is to repost these same shots about every 4 weeks to show our (hopeful) progress.  I have a good feeling about this summer!