zea

the fact that it is june seems not to have impressed the rain...we received another .35" this morning bringing themonth's total to half an inch so far this month...

unlike conditions in the local fields, the rain has not prevented me from planting...i have tomatoes and peppers in and i have seeded bush beans and zucchini...there is maize up and running out back as well...the squirrels will get the grain...the stalks will be decorative in fall...win win to some degree...

soon it will outpace its more deliberate "wild and weedy" ancestor teocintli...there are two varieties starting their season in earnest out there...morphological comparisons are inevitable...

the ramps have not had a stellar season...i am uncertain as to whether the rain had a negative impact or something ( one?) is gnawing on them or if neither of those hypotheses holds water...what i do know is that i find only three trying to bloom...which is half of last year's if i remember correctly...i have ample seed from last season and it needs a cycle of both heat and cold to germinate so there will be some spread around the bed a bit later this summer...

many berries are ripening...

both the winter wheat and rye are flowering...

the rye somewhat more extravagantly...

than the wheat...it is all fine..it serves the same purpose...and there will be gain for flour and for reseeding the beds soon enough.