Cherries

Plenty of sour cherries, despite the fact that rain kept us from picking on what turned out to be the last two days of viable harvest. The photo is from July 6, the cherry-picking peak.

raspberry harvest

A great harvest this year, despite some light picking as I work around the needs of the cardinal family that built a nest in the raspberry canes. ♥♥♥

July Blooms

Elecampane is finally blooming in its second summer... 

Culver's root and bee balm (a favorite of the hummingbirds)... 

Self-sown yarrow near the rain garden...

Volunteer astilbe from the neighbor's yard...

Blue vervain in the front beds...

... along with mallow...

Lots of happy daylilies with a smattering of self-sown pink malva...

Past-its-prime-but-still-blooming hyssop...

Yarrow in the front bed (with self-sown common milkweed)...

Butterfly weed is self-propagating and (second photo below) blooming...

Pruning Raspberries - Note for Next Year

Someday I hope to learn this art. I never prune enough and end up with overcrowding...

canes that die at the top...

but a pretty nice harvest, nevertheless.

And an opportunity to go Japanese Beetle hunting. (Knock 'em into a container of soapy water - it won't completely solve the problem, but it helps.)

Next year, follow the advice of Fine Gardening (https://www.finegardening.com/article/pruning-red-raspberries):

1. Prune the spent floricanes in late winter/early spring (not late fall because the dying canes send nutrients into the crown and roots that support them over winter).

2. Prune any new canes that are growing outside of the row perimeter. Ideal rows are only 1.5' - 2' wide.

3. Cut out weaker looking canes and keep pruning until there are 3-5 canes per linear foot. "This should look drastically thin to you," says Fine Gardening.

4. In early spring (May-ish) add composted manure.