The Good and the Bad

This post has NOTHING to do with pregnancy...but I may work it in, we'll see.

First - The bad....

We will not have a raspberry crop this year.  I am very sad about this turn of events.  Earlier this spring, just as the raspberries started putting on growth and blooms, the weather turned two shades of nasty and froze.  Dave and I watched with baited breath hoping the plants would recover, but there was no hope for them.  There is some green, but not enough to save the fruit. 

This means no raspberry jam or liqueur.  Raspberries are my favorite summer fruit.  I refuse to buy a 1/2 pint at the grocery store for $5 too when I've been picking them free from my own yard. 

And now the Good news....

Two years ago one of Dave's "Friends" gave him some marionberry plants.  I wasn't too hip on planting them because they grow like weeds in Western Oregon.  Dave literally dug a hole and threw them in the ground.  We neglected the plants and I even tried to kill them.  Guess what - they are blooming prolific.  They started growing a little bit later in the spring so avoided that late big freeze.

We WILL be having Marionberry jam and liqueur this year!  The plants are a little more prickly and tend to bite, but I like the berries just fine and will be happy eating them this summer.

Oh - AND we planted the garden this weekend.  Well, I should say, Dave planted and I "supervised".  Wait a minute - let me get some credit.  I helped the kids plant the beans and corn, since those seeds were big enough to drop into the row while standing.   Anything that involves bending over is too much for me right now.  (See, I did manage to include pregnancy tummy in this post).

As you can see from the picture, our pea plants are doing well and really starting to grow.  (celery is the other plant growing.  It wintered over from last year).

Comments

[Heather Goodman]

Impressive. I'd love to be able to do all that. Alas, I'd have to redirt my backyard. Texas clay is not exactly conducive for growing.

[Desert Songbird]

Yes, but you won't be partaking of any homemade liqueur for a while, right? Ah well, it'll keep. I doubt you will for much longer though, eh? *grin*

[Tracey]

I am so jealous...I don't have a vegie garden and I live in farm country! It is not worth the effort because I am the only one in the family who would eat the crop! So I just beg off my neighbors!

BTW, I got your postcard today! I love it! Thanks so much (((hugs))). The kids were thrilled when we were able to put a star on Oregon!

[Anglophile Football Fanatic]

I guess I need to do my 2nd guess now. Ugh. All the nearest dates are taken. I guess the 22nd at 9:34 am.

[angela]

Your garden is always amazing! I'm so jealous. I added a new raised bed, since the swing set is now gone. I'm happy with it. I'll have to take a picture and send it to you.... would you have that baby already:!:!:!:!:

[Karimsa]

Your garden looks lovely, ours is a bit neglected at the moment. Apart from my herbs of course, they are well looked after but the vegie patch is down to a few lettuces, some leek and Egg plants. I hope to be kind to again soon.

[Pamela]

Amanda will be happy about the marion berries for sure.

the garden sure looks great.

[claudia]

I love fresh raspberries too!! mmm...I'm so sorry about the poor raspberries, but at least you'll have the others-I'd never heard of marionberries until I visited Oregon!

[Kila]

I hadn't heard of marionberries. You'll have to share ;)

Garden looks great. (No planting here yet, still too cold at night.)

[chrisb]

Your vegetable garden is fantastic~ I had to google 'marionberries' and see they are blackberries! We actually grow some thornless blackberries from a pot. We also grow loganberries but I prefer raspberries if I'm honest as they are much sweeter.

[Jenn FL]

Wow ... the garden is huge ... I am jealous. I haven't even attempted to garden in Florida. I don't know if I would know how!

[nikki]

Oh, how I wish I had the land to plant a garden like that! Wonderful!

[Heather]

Sounds like you need the planting tool my father-in-law invented so that he can still garden despite his advancing age and bad knees. It's basically a piece of plastic tubing that's about waist height with a funnel on top. You just put the bottom of the tube in the row and drop in the seed. I was using it this weekend after my back got tired from planting corn. (Yeah, okay, so I'm getting old!)

Aren't you having that baby TODAY??!!

[Beckie]

You have a huge garden!

Too bad about the raspberries - I love them!

[Amanda]

Mom is right. I AM happy about marionberries! Yay! I hope I get marionberry liquour. That sounds awesome. Congrats on the yard, it looks awesome.