A whole lot of stuff going on

The first ripe Mara de Bois strawberry

Sowing seeds, potting up, taking cuttings, weeding, transplanting starts, feeding, fertilizing, putting up protection on cold nights, digging holes and even drilling holes - May is always such a busy month!

Until I get everything into the ground and the irrigation system up and running, the most that I'm able to show is all in these pictures taken a week ago. Fortunately the weather has been cooperative with nights in the mid-teens and days in the low 20°s (celsius). Sunny to partially sunny days and light winds maintain these cool conditions, so I haven't seen a big growth spurt in the more heat-loving plants.

Mercado de Paris carrots (small, round, sweet variety) grown in an 18-inch container. Netting to keep out cabbage moths.

In the greenhouse: pattypan squash, Yellow Cutie and Piccolina watermelon, okra, pak choi, cucamelon (Mexican sour gherkin), and echinacea seedlings.

Like I said, I also drill holes! In 5-gallon buckets that is. There's something liberating about going into my husband's workspace and pawing through his carpentry tools. One day I will learn how to use the table saw, or better yet, chainsaw!

Cracked open a dried up passion fruit, threw it in some dirt and this happens.

Started way too many physalis peruviana (poha berry) from seed and hope they'll take to our mountain climate. I'd say the germination was 100% with all of the little seedlings that popped up.

This is Bartzella, my first Itoh peony grown from rootstock. Only in its 2nd year but it produced 3 blooms (last year I got only leaves). Now I understand why all the fuss over peonies; they're beautiful, elegant, and just breathtaking. This one has a lemony scent; I'll be potting up to a larger, permanent container as there is no space to put it into the ground.

Lastly, zephyr bi-color summer squash and Red Kuri seedlings. Waiting for them to fill out a bit before transplanting into the ground. I'll be staking and growing the zephyrs vertically to allow space for the Red Kuri to develop and sprawl underneath.

Next month: putting the last of the seedlings out and hopefully, the first harvest of fall-sown broadbeans.