Junque Yard

Here are pictures of some of the plants growing here at the micro-mini ranch.

These are strawberry blossoms. Last weekend I finally got a chance to week the strawberry patch. it's located up against our garage, and only gets 3/4 sun. But it's enough to keep the strawberries happy. I mostly have the June-bearing variety, with a few ever-bearing. The difference is that the June-bearers produce heavily for about a month (usually June - hence the name), and then spend the rest of the summer producing baby strawberry plants in the form of runners.  The plants have 3 years of production, so the runners, or their offspring of the main plants are great to keep the "family" going.  June-bearers are reputed to have better tasting fruit, and the fact that they produce quantities at more or less all one time make them great for canning jams with.

Ever bearing strawberries produce smaller quantities of fruit, but they do it all summer long. Supposedly, their fruit isn't supposed to be as great tasting as June bearers, but I haven't found that to be the case. Once you try a home grown strawberry, the overpriced pints you can buy at the store just can't compare. Strawberries can also be frozen. We've also tried dehydrating them, with mixed results. My goal has always been to grow enough strawberries in one season to make at least one session of jam purely from my own garden. I can never seem to get enough strawberries at one time to be able to do it. So I supplement what I need from the farmer's market. Someday...

These are the raspberry bushes. They are in their 3rd year, and going strong. Raspberry is a great plant to try if you are new to gardening. You can't kill them! They can be pretty invasive, though, so you need to make sure that where you put them, you want them to stay. Unfortunately, I am not listening to my own advice, and plan to move them after their production cycle this summer. DaMan is constructing a better spot for them to grow, and we will move the bushes into a lesser trafficked area in the yard. And then I will be spending the next few years cursing myself as I pull up unwanted raspberry sproutlings from the old spot.

I took this picture on a windy day. I couldn't get these charming little flowers to stop moving!  These are the blossoms of a horseradish plant. I was gifted with a root cutting from my uncle, who promised me that horseradish would also grow anywhere. As I got it late in the fall last year, I didn't have a spot picked out for it, so I stuck it in a pot, and did not get a chance to give it a permanent home before winter came. I figured it would not survive, as this past winter was very cold, with lots of snow. But it did. it was one of the first plants in the yard to out out leaves. And these adorable little flowers smell really good too! A very light, floral scent with none of the eye-watering you might expect if you knew the power of the root from which it came. I cannot wait to dig out a piece and grind it up to serve with a giant hunk o' beef. I love horseradish!!

This is a mystery flower. It's not something I planted, but it's growing in between my front porch and and ornamental hedge under my living room window. I have no idea what it is. It's probably some weed, but as I also have some lily of the valley growing in that same spot (which came over from the neighbor's yard), I can't say for sure. It's pretty though. There's a quote that says, "the definition of a weed is a plant that's growing in a spot you don't want it to." Makes you think, doesn't it?

This is by no means all tha is growing here at the micro-mini,  but it's a good time to stop and get ready for our weekly trip to the farmer's market. Let's see what kind of damage we can do this week, shall we???