stumpy is basking in almost early spring temperatures..and, while winter is winding down the forecast says we are not clear yet and we will elaborate on that directly...
the winter rye and wheat beds are nicely green...
the rye has actually come through the past two winters ( in a small patch rather than a full bed...that is, however, where the seed for this came from ) just fine and this winter seems no exception...
it was the wheat that suffered a catastrophe winter before last...not so far this year although there are lows in the lower teen forecast for the coming week so we aren't exactly home free just yet...hopes are higher than past years though...we may have ears in june yet...
the new york imports and the local variety that are out in and around the east bed ( actually the locals are all over the yard ) are green and happily photosynthesizing out in the sunshine today...cold hardy little plants....
and down in the shadows the aerial bulbs the egyptian walking onions deposited last autumn are defiant of the cold as well...
it's not all sweetness and light out there though...i am thinking something has been browsing the onion shoots...
the on again off again cold has potholed the roads and allowed something to burrow into the jerusalem artichoke bed in search of inulin...the assumption is, whatever the culprit, it will be back...
that bare spot in the south bed used to be two healthy and upright new york wild strawberry plants...the second photo is what's left after some fairly serious predation..which does not please me...i am fingering bunnies here...it's been something of a tough winter...still...
the good news is there are a multiplicity of daughter plants which will send out more stolons soon enough...the berry patch will carry on...the onions will put out new and more pungent, less attractive shoots...and the jerusalem artichokes just don't care...it will take more than a few marauding raccoons to do them in...they are natives and this is just as much their turf and any predators...there will be yellow blooms in august.
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