The first blackberry bloom opened on Mother’s day. How cool is that!

It has been getting hot here so I fixed up this shade contraption with some pvc and window screen to hopefully extend the lettuce season. This is an early morning photo. The bulk of the plants are pretty much covered most of the day.

When I seed the lettuce bed I broadcast the seed. The lettuce comes up first then the lambs quarters make an appearance (along with the chickweed in the background (anybody got a use for chickweed?). Since we love steamed lambs quarters they are a welcome volunteer.

The chives are blooming.

This Iris is Indigo Doll. I picked two of these up at a plant swap last year along with a couple of Autumn Circus and Lumicite.

I really don’t have room for a compost pile and generally don’t have enough stuff for a large one any way. I saw a listing in the Mother Earth News archives about an inground composter made out of an old trash can and here is the result. It is located at the corner of the garden. I added the black paint to get the temps up a bit.