Spring gardening is fast-paced and a bit erratic at Plant Exchange blog. There are lots of surprises. Most are fun.
What a surprise! Out the computer window, a favorite peony is in bloom. It dances in the breeze this mild spring day. Long-lived perennial peonies are bursts of color in spring.

Below is a versatile produce cover we installed in early April. Details are found in the early April post: “Would You Like to Try a Garden Cover?” April was surprisingly cool and windy. Several more bricks kept the cover from setting sail. Radishes, carrots, beets, and turnips are growing in the raised bed under the cover.

Today we harvested more radishes. They are Hybrid Round Radish ‘Rover F1’ from Johnnies Seed Company. Packet information includes a reminder to harvest the roots when they are the size of a large marble. The oversized radish on the left illustrated a bit less positive surprise when I left it too long before harvest. The longer radishes are a form of French Breakfast called ‘Fire ‘N Ice’ from Burpees Seed Company. A favorite spring radish treat is in salads or rice vinegar and radish slices for a side dish.

Continuing the bit less positive surprise, I saw that I need to weed and thin the growing carrots, beets, and turnips that will grow under the cover the whole season.

Another surprise was stopping to look at this container of violas. These annuals have bloomed continuously from frosty March to this warm mid-May day! Another reminder that plants are amazing.

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