Fresh fruit

Despite the unseasonably cool spring, our perennials are back in business. The strawberries are coming in strong. In several weeks, we'll be able to pick them for breakfast! Our blueberry bushes are in bloom too. Even the Bluecrop variety that was attacked by nasty white grubs (and which we left for dead last summer) has made a miraculous recovery. Of course, every garden delight comes with a downside. In this case, the blueberries attract mocking birds that wake us up, steal our fruit and attack our tomatoes...Oh well, that won't happen until at least mid-June when the berries begin to ripen.

First flowers of the season will soon turn to fruit

This bush, attacked by white grubs last summer, has made a stunning recovery

Bird feeder: unfortunately local mockingbirds love our blueberry crop

Spring strawberries

We've had lovely strawberries (not an overwhelming amount, but sweet and tasty ones) through June. We bought a terracotta strawberry pot last season and added some plants from Home Depot to the ones we had been growing for a few years in a plastic container. This has has helped the yield...a bit. Though I have to admit that we've had better luck buying farm fresh at the Union Square Green Market. Even better, our friends Harriet and Dave dropped off a gift of fresh berries from Dressel Farms in New Paltz last weekend. Included was a jar of Big House jam! Now, our strawberries are petering out as we head into blueberry season. Too bad they don't come at the same time...