We saw an oriole nest last time. High in the treetop, one of the parents brought dinner to the kids. There was much excitement and chirpage.

There's a new plant at the 'Possum Valley Arboretum. Rattlesnake Master is a member of the carrot family (oddly enough). It's a tallgrass prairie plant with a number of pollinators including bees, wasps, flies, butterflies and moths. Dried seed heads were used as rattles by Native Americans and the roots were erroneously thought to be an antidote to rattlesnake bites.

The leaves are stiff, clasping and have soft spines along the edges. The Latin species name, yuccifolium, refers to the yucca-like leaves.

Here's a unique yucca now. Spike the Wonder Dog passed away in 1987 and was buried in the yard with a rock and yucca to mark his grave. The yucca died over 5 years ago and left no trace. This spring, the plant somehow came back to life.

The garden got off to a very slow start this year due to the cold and ceaseless rains. A few early spring days in the 90s took their toll on the radishes, but the weather has moderated and things are starting to grow.
Clockwise from lower left are Early Girl and Big Boy tomatoes, edamames, cukes and zukes, zinnias and other cutting flowers, turnips on their last legs, carrots and green onions, lettuce, spinach, basil, 6 different heirloom tomatoes, snowpeas, and a variety of herbs.

Early Girls will ripen soon.

But not soon enough.

Golden Eggs

The first snowpea

started as this.

Cucumber flower

Zinnias

Nasturtium with bugs, the intricacy of the inner petals is pretty amazing.