Hello, June! The Latest News from Farm & Larder and Bella Luna Farms

From the baby birds leaving their nests to the abundance of beautiful blooms, it sure feels like summer is near—and the recent weather (with the exception of that wet and stormy Saturday) suggests that just might be true.

Like many of you, we have spent lots of time in the garden in the last few months and now the arrival of June means those are all nearly planted, lettuces and other greens all thriving in addition to the Romano beans inching their way up the trellises (tempting the pesky rabbits) and the fragrant herbs growing in the Walled Garden. Over a thousand dahlias and other perennials have gone into our cutting field for summer color and future flower arrangements.

Warm weather plants such as tomatoes and peppers are ready to go in the hoop house, with the eggplant and summer squash starts to follow. We’ve begun checking the strawberries to see if any are ripening, but we will have to be patient as those look to still be a week or two out. In the meantime, we will enjoy the peonies as they start their vibrant season as well as the first flush of English roses in bloom.

Around the rest of Bella Luna, the animals are enjoying a ‘spa day’ to brush out the last of their thick winter undercoats, and the donkey (aka Stinky) will get a much needed bath! Dave and Beth Richards of JohnnyAppleBeez will soon come to retrieve their orchard mason bee houses from the garden, which will be filled with the cocoons of baby bees; the Richards will help these bees become next year’s crop pollinators.

Enjoy this most pleasant start to June and we hope you and yours continue to be well!