Home for the weekend

Since the days are still warm, I’m bringing the basil and peppers and sometimes if I have time, the tomatoes (but I was rushing this morning) out for maximum sunshine.
Another tiny spider on the outside work bench!

Moving and chopping the woodpile yesterday

The Chef very kindly moved and chopped the woodpile yesterday away from the bean trellis so I can keep it weeded. He found many creatures which I have documented.

Ant nest
Young beetle
Angry larval thing waving its head around
Pupal something
Long-horned beetle (family Cerambycidae). Many like it were inside the logs.
Big beautiful beetle living under the bottom log. I moved it over to new log pile.
A small caterpillar alternatively playing dead and thrashing its head threateningly around.
While we were outside, I noticed the basils and Salvia coccinea (tropical sage) sprouting.

Basil and oregano pizza

Basil on top of cheese and oregano is hiding below cheese. Salad is the big Boston lettuce that is heading right now.
Basil outside hasn’t come up yet so I’m still nursing along the window basil. I’m hoping this harvesting will encourage them to get bushier and more leaves. The red rubin in particular are spindly. The mammolo basil (the green ones) have bigger leaves but not very many.

Baby basil and mature greens

Lettuce, spinach, and corn salad greens for salad. Thinned the window basil and used that on pizza.

Dinner
We noticed water welling up from the cut basil stems after dinner. Thank you to Wes for the photo.

Everything is growing!

Spring is really springing today. It’s very humid and warm too though no substantial rain yet despite forecast.

Widow sedum is growing a lot since I put seedlings here in fall.
Possibly dill seedlings.
Blackberry is leafing out.
Red lake currant is budding.
Pink champagne currant budding too. 
Native “Crandall” currant budding.  I just got it this winter.
Native field violet or “johnny jump up” (Viola bicolor I think) is blooming in front yard near non-native chickweed (white flower) and non-native henbit (between the chickweed and the violet).
Spinach is a bit chewed on.
I don’t know when the lettuce grew this size but it feels sudden.
“Rhubarb” Swiss chard (named for red stems).
New Kuroda carrot.  The other two carrot varieties are also up.  I put jars over these first few in case bunnies like them like they like the mizuna and bok choy.  Mustard greens untouched.
Radishes getting adult leaves.
Collard greens from Judy sprouting.
In the plant window, mammolo (green ones) and red rubin (red ones) basil have been up a few days now.