Cherries and Strawberries

About 4 years ago we purchased a nice Montmorency cherry tree from a nursery that was going out of business. Every year it has bloomed beautifully but no cherries. We were beginning to wonder if it was labeled wrong and not a self fertile tree meaning I would need two instead of one. Today, as I was watering I looked up in the tree and saw something shiny and red. What could that be? Closer investigation revealed not one but three perfect red cherries! I know three seems pretty lame but, nonetheless they were awesome. Unfortunately I inhaled them before I took a picture! The strawberries are also in full fruit. Last year I moved them from the garden to a raised bet dedicated to their care. As a result we did not eat many last year but I am happy to say I see some strawberry deserts coming my way this year! What is your favorite thing to do with fresh summer strawberries?

Creative Gardening

Gardening is not a static endeavor. It is a creative adventure. One must constantly think up new ways to attack the weeds, organize the layout and come up with new ideas to make it better. Well maybe not always new ideas but creative versions of old ideas. Take for example my hog panel trellis. I have planted gourds on both sides. I plan to train the vines up and over in an effort to save some garden space. Trellising is not a new idea and using hog panels is probably not either but, it is a new creative option for my garden to help me get more into my small urban lot. I hope it works well for me! I am even more excited about the fact that they are scraps from someone's yard. All I had to do was ask. They were happy to let them go, and I was happy to have them! I am all about ease and minimal effort. These were cut to size(approxx 3'x5') using a dremel. Anchored in the ground and wired at the top it took about two minutes to put them up and will take about the same to store for winter. They probably will not win any awards for attractiveness but I don't think anyone will be the wiser when they are covered in vines!

Rain Rain Rain

It has been raining here for two days solid. I am starting to get cabin fever and need to see the sun. Even the plants are feeling it.

I have a dear friend who does crop insurance. She is telling me her farmers are calling with multiple failures. First from the wicked hail that proceeded this storm and second from the four inches of rain that have fallen. I am trying not to think about it so I have been perusing Mini Farming (Brett Markham), The Backyard Homestead(Storey Publishing), and Cultivating Life(Sean Conway).
As I result I huddled into the garage to build this bamboo trellis:

I think it will look great covered in sweet peas and morning glories. I also have dreams of rain barrels and clothes lines dancing in my head. I should probably just head down to sew the wedding gift and baby gift that I am behind on but I need to get my craft room back in order from the furnace replacement. Somehow gloomy basement work is even less appealing today than it normally is. What do you like to do on a rainy day?