It's getting to be that time when gardeners start complain-bragging about ALL the WORK involved in HARVESTING, sigh. Well, I picked a pound of blackberries today and in fact my arm IS tired, thanks for asking. I also harvested a bit of lettuce - just enough for my sandwich at lunchtime - and one very attractive zucchini. I'm leaving the second ripe one on for a few more days to see what happens (I know...). Almost all our edibles are in the backyard, but we do have one gooseberry plant in front. Unfortunately I never notice it in its little corner so when it's fruiting, we tend to accumulate a couple pounds on it before picking. That is currently the case. I need to wait for a kid helper before tackling it. They'll pick gooseberries, but not eat them - it's a crop-swapper for sure.
Taking advantage of some kid-free time, I also added some Miracle Gro to most of the vegetable plants. I didn't even know we had any, but my husband confessed it to me last night, with a nervous laugh. Hey, I like success as much as the next gardener. I hadn't fertilized anything, so undoubtedly they will enjoy this boost. I mixed it in a bucket that the kids usually use for their garden playtime, so this truly would not have been possible if they'd been at home. I also tied back most of the berry canes drooping into the walkway, and sowed a new round of cilantro and lettuce seeds in-ground adjacent to the Alliums of Mystery.
I had to bite the bullet and pick a zucchini today. I get nervous when they start stacking up in the crisper with nothing on the menu plan to use 'em up. My husband claims he's going to try Cook's Illustrated latest z-bread recipe. 