Blueberries. They were good.
“Harvest” is a relative term around here. We have herbs and potatoes most of the year, and citrus over the winter (and spring). But each year’s harvest really starts when we get blueberries and strawberries. To us, these are the signals of a new year in the garden.
And so it begins again. Use whatever cheesy metaphor you want about springtime, it still rings true. Life continues, life starts again. It is a worth an extra moment to take a step back and enjoy the miracle of life, and tending a garden (preferably with the ones you love) is a very good place to do it.
And the work also starts again. We will cop to getting some help this year with netting and (organically) spraying the orchard. The trees are too big to do it ourselves, and the varmints will take everything if we don’t have the nets. But we are back to thinning, planting, spreading compost, acidifying soil and generally schlepping around the garden. But a few early blueberries and strawberries are a very welcome reward. A big heat snap got the berries going and (along with the artichokes, herbs and roses) they are off and running, with no end in sight.
We also have hints of what’s to come. The Van cherries are a week or two out, the Bings probably a few weeks later. Golden raspberries will get sweet with the next stretch of warm weather. Peaches, nectarines, apples, pears and figs are all maturing on the tree, but have months to go. The lavender is sending up canes, and when they flower the bees will be here from dawn to dusk. And we have our first tomato blossoms. Nice. Slugs ate our young eggplant. Not so nice.
Tomatoes are coming…just not soon enough.
The next step is planting the lettuces, radishes, carrots, cukes and squash. The lettuces and radishes are so fast we hold off until we are ready to spend a lot of time in the garden. Well, we are ready. Spring is in full swing. Summer is on the way. Tomatoes and peaches are just around the corner….
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Putney Farm 
Reblogged this on My Meals are on Wheels.
The blueberry photos are especially nice!
Thanks…most appreciated.
Oh how I love to gaze at beautiful garden photos! Thank you thank you! Those blueberries …….
Thank you…always happy to “share”…
Thanks…happy to share…
How big is Putney Farms—1000 acres?
From: Putney Farm <comment-reply@wordpress.com> Reply-To: Putney Farm <comment+pwou7nj21z_w7tbtw884zez@comment.wordpress.com> Date: Tuesday, May 7, 2013 2:30 PM To: “William H. Davidow” <bdavidow@mdv.com> Subject: [New post] First Harvest And A Farm Update
putneyfarm posted: ” “Harvest” is a relative term around here. We have herbs and potatoes most of the year, and citrus over the winter (and spring). But each year’s harvest really starts when we get blueberries and strawberries. To us, these are the signals of a new year “
Closer to 1000 square feet!
That single strawberry is just breathtaking. Oh you are lucky 🙂 My inlaws have a pick-your-own strawberry patch in northern Minnesota and it’s fun to be a part of that (only occasionally, though, as I don’t like the mosquitos). Fresh produce is a wonder to behold and I am ever so grateful to farmers such as yourself who make it happen and put it out there for those who appreciate it but don’t necessarily DO it. Curious about who you are (can check out more on fb, I know)–do you do CSA etc? Off to google Putney Farms…
No CSA yet (unless you count what we force our friends to take)…
What a gorgeous garden! Love that artichoke! You have such a tremendous variety of beautiful offerings. I enjoy just looking at the photos! They inspire me to work a little harder at my own harvest. 🙂
Thanks…most of the credit goes to California weather (and having caged the beds)….
Good to see so much action in the garden
Thanks- looks like you are getting going on the allotment as well…
You will have your hands full .. from now on. Can’t believe that your strawberries are ready – they haven’t even bloomed over here. Same with the cherries.
Stunning photos and I’m envy in one way … all those goodies on your doorstep … but not envy on all the hard work, but this is your rewards. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks. We can grow strawberries all year in NorCal if we want- the winter varieties just aren’t that tasty. But these are already pretty good, they will be even sweeter in a few weeks..
Okay, I didn’t know that – somebody has said that we have the best strawberries in the world because of the cold climate the rape slower and becomes sweeter that way. I don’t know if it’s true, but our strawberries have a fantastic flavor. You have a garden of Eden, so envy of your harvest.
I bet yours are better. Ours are fast and grow easily, but the flavor suffers if you grow the varieties that let you “cheat” the weather…
Yes, that is what the experts say … that strawberries the ripe slowly become much sweeter, they will be late this year – haven’t even bloomed yet, so they are going to be extremely expensive for our Midsummer Festival.
When do you have time for all you do? The gardening, the cooking, the drinking?
It is pretty much all we do and they all go together…we have to cook all the stuff we grow.
And we take advantage of child labor….;-)
Your garden is so beautiful! Love, love, love spring time 🙂
Thanks- so do we!
I’ve seen gorgeous blueberries like that on my plants, but never the ripe ones. They magically disappear. I’m starting to think it’s because we put up the Certified WIldlife Habitat sign in the back yard, so all the Certified WIldlife think that they get to eat the fruits of my labors . . . though I’m training the puppy to protect us as best I can.
We grow the berries in a caged area of the garden, if we didn’t we would be feeding the varmints (more than we already do).
Those blueberries are gorgeous! Fresh picked berries are the best!
Indeed!
Oh my gosh, your farm has everything– blueberries?! My favorite fruit of all time, only overtaken by peaches one week a year when they are at the peak.
Mmmm! Those blueberries look so sweet and juicy. Thanks for sharing these beautiful photos.
Thanks for the visit…cherries coming (very) soon…
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I’m so glad! Do let me know how it turns out for you.organic beef