Never a dull moment

Almost May! Frost this morning, expecting 80s later in the week.

View from kitchen window. Fence has been set back up to regulate doggy's bathroom activities (it's usually there in winter for when the poultry are cleaning up the garden). Also at upper left, extension of poultry moat has returned. Now the ducks and chickens get a ringside seat as things grow -- and get to help interrupt even more slugs migrating toward the goodies. 

In middle ground, center, Lacinato kale going to seed. Foreground, potatoes, knocked back by a freeze but recovering. Upper right, compost drum and the toolboxes (hers and hers, recycled mailboxes). Compost bins have been emptied onto the beds. It is definitely time to weed and mulch under the grapes! In distance, beyond the garlic and leeks, greens are up: lettuce, kale, collards, spinach, chard, cabbage, broccoli, beets, cauliflower, radishes. Carrots have as usual not germinated for us. 

Apples will be skimpy for a change this year, but pears and cherries are coming on. Quince look like they will fruit for the first time. Raspberries very vigorous, blueberries languishing a bit.

So much drama! Never a dull moment in the gardens.

The green gate was found by us twenty years ago, abandoned in the blackberry patch. We spruce it up with paint every five years and it has been in constant use, hither and yon. Tee posts are a variety of sizes and heights because they, too, are salvage. They had been bent by being pulled out by tractors; well, we just bent them right back. Some old things will work well for you if you take care of them.