The weather last week was just about what you’d expect this time of year in the North Country. Sometimes sunny, sometimes cloudy and sometimes rainy. But for the entire week it was windy, and at times significantly so.

And wouldn’t you know it, after I was all impressed and preening over the shape of the brassica in the last Garden 2022 post, exactly those plants took the hit from the wind. One DePurple Cauliflower has died, and the entire bed of broccoli suffered due to the constant westerly breezes. Unsure at this time what the final losses will be, but I’ll be surprised if all of the broccoli plants stage a comeback. There are many flopped over and somewhat limp plants.

The Brussels sprouts and cabbage came through unscathed, as did everything else busily getting established in the beds. The tomatoes have staged their usual recovery, now all bright green and fuzzy. The Waltham Butternut squash have sprouted true leaves and are off the obsession list. 

Each year has its ups and downs. If this year’s surprise is the loss of some broccoli, I’m good with that, and have already started the management and mitigation process- Sunday I started the second crop seedlings for broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage. Fifty-three new seedlings, I think.

On a brighter note, the strawberry bed is becoming very green, very flowery and overall very promising. I put this bed in last year, dedicating it to everbearing strawberry plants for at least the next three or four years. Although last year the plants spent most of their energy getting established, there was some berry production and we had fresh strawberries right through September. By the looks of things right now, I think we’re in for much more this year. These are Albion Strawberry plants, sourced from FEDCO over in Maine.

In related fruit news, on the other side of the house I discovered a nice surprise. Several of the blueberry bushes are starting to show promise of a yield this year. The raspberries also look promising. The photo below shows the little raspberry cane plot. The tall shoots should generate berries this year, while all of that lower growth will constitute next season’s production.

That’s the news from the garden over the past week. Everything is running as it should, with the worries and obsessions varying from week to week. Although I wouldn’t want to deprive myself of the little dramas, it’s funny how most issues take care of themselves, isn’t it?

Many critter sightings around the pond and neighborhood. I saw many deer out and about, and Sunday afternoon George was out in the freshly-mowed hayfield snacking. We have the resident loons teaching their new loon how to swim- I’ll try to get some photos of them soon. Of note was an eagle seen flying north that afternoon. We were alerted by the loons “emergency call”. I managed to get the photo below with the cell phone. Another eagle (or the same one?) flew by later, and was being hectored by a pair of kingbirds. I did not have the camera handy for that encounter.

That’s it for the week that was in the Garden 2022. Thanks for stopping by!