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I'm back at the salt mine today after two weeks of badly needed vacation time. Misery weather has been typical over that time... warm, cool, wet, dry, etc. We got several rounds of rain, most of them <.25", but one nice one at ~2". It came slow and pretty much all soaked in.

I spent most of my first week off getting caught up on chores around the house, not the least of which was getting some work done in the victory garden. I cut back to 16 tomato plants this time. I'm not planning to can any tomatoes this summer as I've got plenty left over from last years efforts. Also cutting back on peppers - I set out 10 sweet bell peppers but not growing any hot ones this time.

Brassicas are doing well. I've already harvested one head of broccoli, with several more and a couple cauliflowers getting close. I've got two napa cabbages that are ready to harvest which means it's time to hit the asian food store and buy a few ingredients to make some kimchi. Kaitlin and Stonehead cabbages are coming along nicely as are the collards/kale planted in the gap between two garlic rows.

Sweet corn is up ~6". I side-dressed it with urea a couple days ago. Pole beans started to show on Saturday. Cukes started to pop up middle of last week. Carrots are rocking it in the new raised beds. Gourds have been set out. Two new rhubarb plants have been set out. Spinach is done thanks to a few days of stupidly hot weather week before last. The last of the mustard greens will come out tomorrow evening. Yukon Gold spuds have started to bloom. Cantaloupe has been seeded but not yet up. Still need to seed the spaghetti squash and okra and probably some other stuff I can't think of right now.

I've been trying to do some stuff that will make make the gardening easier on my aching bones. I put up another cattle panel arbor for vining crops two weeks ago. I bought enough weed cloth to pretty much cover up all the places where I don't want weeds to grow, and every row of plants has its own soaker hose. I also installed 20 gallon watering bags and 3' weed mats on most of my orchard trees. Those few things should seriously reduce the time it takes me to keep things properly maintained.

The last rain we got put the sunflower field into good shape for tilling so I made a single pass over it. It's been a few years since I was able to get it planted due to wet spring weather. I'm looking forward to some color back there again this summer.

The catalpa tree in our front yard is in full bloom now.

“Those few things should seriously reduce the time it takes me to keep things properly maintained.”

Your ideas are all terrific! Your set-up looks fantastic! As I was on my knees planting cucumbers today, I was thinking that very thing; whatever I can do to make it easier on me (short of hiring help!) from here on out is going to be implemented!

God must love us to have invented hog and cattle panels; such useful things! :)

AugieYour garden is looking great! The Garden fabric you put down will make a nice difference in keeping mud from splashing up on your tomatoes. Fewer problems with fungus and mold! Peppers look like they are doing real well. I incautiously left my seedling flat outside the fenced garden area in the sun and some miserable rabbit snuck in and ate all the leaves. Trying to see if I save them. ( Sometime try some small Shishito peppers and see what you think! They grill well, I think they would pickle well too!) I think you will like the Kaitlin cabbage. I did! I see some compost tea in that 5 gallon bucket in the 2nd picture. I made some and drenched everything including those peppers the rabbit munched on.

There was a catalpa tree next to the farmhouse where I grew up. (And an orchard a barn and a cooling shed for the milk!) Dense shade, nice to sit under in hot summer!

How is the pond? Producing perch yet?

Meant to tell you that we have three Northern Catalpa trees in the house yard. Ours are just starting to leaf out - they’re usually the last to do so, along with the Black Walnut trees around here.

They are spectacular when they bloom; each bloom looks like a mini Orchid.

They are messy though - spent blooms and the long pods they drop all over are a pita, but worth it for the show they put on in the late Spring. :)

https://www.thespruce.com/northern-catalp-tree-profile-5072953