New raised beds

Have finally got a plan for more vegetable beds. Started putting brick walks on front lawn which will surround new raised beds for vegetables. That is the area that gets full sun all day. These beds will abut the new Blueberry island I created in the fall, which will be bordered by a new potato bed as well.

I found a large bed of Daylilies in the woods, so dug up a bunch for one of our gardeners and proceeded to harvest several tubers for a meal before sending them off to their new home. I cooked them with Wintercress leaves in broth, and enjoyed it as a soup with my dinner. Mia and John did not like the tubers with their skins on. The kids and I do, so I figure they can peel them after they are cooked, but neither one of them was willing to do the work! Oh well, their loss. From now on I will just use them at lunch with the kids.

The other day the kids and I gathered Dandelion flowers, buds and leaves. They picked all the flowers, helping me to locate the plants. I boiled the leaves and buds, then served with butter. The kids did not go for either, but I found them pleasant enough to eat. Another time I would probably put them in with other items in a soup/stew. I have been using the leaves for salads and additions to many dishes so far.

Lots of seedlings are coming up: Radish, lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula, broccoli rabe, for edibles, and lupine, columbine, cleome and many more perennials. A few of you who have been here already have taken home lots of seedlings. They all need thinning, so I am very happy to be able to share them rather than put them into compost.

I'm finding it much easier to not capitalize to get this written. Funny how easy it is to adjust when time is so much more precious. In the gardens I am trying to zero in on the most important things to get done. But then I tend to get side tracked so easily.

Went out to dig the lilies and then saw remnants of groundnut throughout the wild roses. Those roses have gotten so overgrown over the years, but are in a spot edging the woods, so have not been a priority. There was a nest in it from last year, so it has been serving a purpose, but too many thorns in my way of digging the lilies, so I stopped and just pruned it all back, so that I can dig up the ground nut. Last fall I dug a bunch in another area, and found them to be quite tasty.
It is so much fun to locate another source of edibles.

Planning to help a friend thin out bleeding heart today. Did mine (the White ones) last week with Krissy's help. The roots were just amazing. Some were creeping along the soil line, as they had no where else to go. I managed to have enough to give to the seven gardeners who were on my waiting list for it and then had extra which I surprised two people with. You never know what you might find over here!

Started watching the kids as JD started work this week. Thank You, God. Definitely keeping very busy. Such glorious weather!!