Here at the farm, Memorial Day weekend is all about planting. With shovels and planting charts, wheelbarrows and baby plants we celebrate that its finally the moment when it is safe to plant out the frost sensitive plants.

We started late last week by putting in the more cold tolerant brassicas, leeks, and parsley.

Then Emily and Katherine, a friend of Emily who has come to spend her summer here, spent yesterday morning weeding in preparation for planting out the more frost sensitive plants like tomato and basil. Note garden assistant Riley has gotten his summer clip. MayMay seems to have decided to forgo the trim. Maybe another heat wave like last week will change her mind.

While right now the transplants occupy a weed free zone, weeding is going to be a serious preoccupation here this summer. The Angels asked us to forgo our deep mulch system this summer. This is something we’ve used to enrich the soil and keep down the weeds for the last twenty seasons. While there are many reasons for this direction, one reason for the different approach is to lessen our slug population. You may recall that the slug situation was so bad last year we had to protect each Red Shiso plant with its own plastic cup. Without the mulch, our hoes are going to become our steady companions!

Yesterday afternoon saw us transplanting those tender vegetables as well as many Flowers that have been waiting in the cold frames and greenhouse. The transplants always look a bit limp and scraggly when first planted. It doesn’t help that its been very dry. We’ve had to work hard to keep the transplants watered, but today a wonderful rain is falling on all that we planted and this job is being done for us!

Tomorrow we will plant the Red Shiso then plant more Flowers and vegetables. The greenhouse is completely empty, but the cold frames still hold a lot of babies waiting for our attention.

Amidst all this, we still visit with Agnes Rose. In the last few days many more Roses, Peonies and Iris have joined her in the gardens. Next time it’s sunny, I will take more photos to post of all the blooming beauties. Such a magic, beautiful and BUSY time of year!