The Garden in May

Once the ground has thawed, there is no real good time for a gardener to take a vacation. I knew that with an almost two week vacation in mid-May, I would be faced with a lot of work upon our return. Especially, since time and weather did not allow me to do much prep work before we left. I also suspected that we would be missing out on some of the early fruits of spring. First, the asparagus. I was able to pick a few shoots before we left, but very few sprouts had grown by May 12th.

When we returned, however, most of the plants had gone to seed and the asparagus beetles were having a feast.

Asparagus Beetles

All was not completely lost. After several days of removing beetles and eggs, most of the plants recovered and new shoots have emerged. As long as the weather stays cool, we should be able to serve asparagus for several more meals.

This spring plant had already flowered by the time we got back. Fortunately, rhubarb is very hardy and can take just about any amount of neglect. 

Even after flowering, the stalks can still be harvested and new, younger branches are always growing. To be on the safe side, I did collect a bunch of stalks before we left, blanched them in boiling water, then placed in the freezer. I figure they will make a great dessert this week.

Finally, even though not much is growing in the garden yet, the best surprise upon our return was waiting for me outside our front door.

These Morels did not mind that there was no one around to take care of them. There is really no mistaking them for any other mushroom. They typical appear in May and will return in the same spot year after year. Their flavor is exquisite and I served them that night sauteed in a little garlic and butter.