I have been really working on the fruit trees this year both at home and at the vacant land.  I have battled disease and pests in them. I have been using Bonide Orchard spray, Neem oil, Copper Fungicide and fertilizing with manure teas and amendments.  They are looking much happier this year.

These snowball bushes took a beating several years ago when heavy snow broke a lot of the top branches down and then the mice had a hay day all winter. They are finally back to their splendor.  I love when they are blooming.

Last fall we decided to put a berm up by the road to combat the dust and gravel that gets tossed into the yard.  The mound is full of many things, all of them are quite hardy.  Daisy, Lilly of the Valley, Black Eyed Susan, Day Lily, Spider Wort and more.  It turned out so much nicer than we thought it would.

Beets!  I love beets and greens…so yummy.

The first pepper!

Let the jungle begin! These are only two weeks apart!

A vacant land update.  This area was overtaken by raspberries.  You couldn’t even walk and they were as tall as me.  We brush hogged them and planted rye.  The rye has done a really good job at holding back the wild blackberry and raspberry.  Don’t worry I still have plenty for wild foraging!

The fruit trees at the vacant land are struggling due to drought so I have had to go back to hand watering them. You can see the signs of stress.

A little raspberry patch we have left.  I will also grow some cultivated breeds in a patch.