This week, we had our first very hot weather of the year in central Oklahoma with a few days around 90°F already. We also had more rain this week. There were a few short but heavy storms and I took a cool photo of the lightning. I was busy with work this week and I did not go to the farm at all. Instead, I have been trying to start more plants from seed on my apartment balcony. Some of my plants have handled the weather well, but some don’t like the heat or wind. A few of my taller sunflowers have fallen over due to the wind. The chamomile has started to flower but is struggling with the heat and wind. The celosia I started germinated very well and seems to like the heat. I transplanted a small cilantro outside and it lost its leaves in the heat. I have a few radishes and some lettuce in pots as well. They have been drooping a bit when it gets hot. The peppers also seem to dislike it over 85°F and start to sag. My zinnias are getting eaten up by something but I can’t see what it is. While walking around town this week, I saw some beautiful flowering shrubs that I would like to get in the future for the farm. One is called a Virginia sweetspire and the other is a kind of spirea. I have also started a basil and cilantro in my apartment so I can have them year round and not worry about them bolting in the heat. I remembered this week to put my herbs in water to keep them fresh until I use them. I am trying to propagate a thyme cutting in water but it doesn’t have roots yet. My alpine strawberries are starting to grow. My boyfriend got the first tick of the year and we learned a new trick to remove them with a lint roller. I made a lot of dishes with the herbs I harvested last week but the eggs with chervil were my boyfriend’s favorite. There will be more rain tomorrow and next week. I hope this means that it will cool down a little. It has been a very rainy spring and it will be interesting to see how my garden is doing. My boyfriend’s mother said that she had softball sized hail during the storms and her house is near our farm. I hope there’s not too much damage to the garden. I will need to do more clover maintenance when I return to the farm before planting. I want to bbq next time I go to the farm but that depends on the weather. I plan to go to the farm again on June 7th. My boyfriend surprised me by ordering me a new permaculture book to read. I am looking forward to checking it out when it arrives.
Lisa Ledbetter 