Blackberries

Early last spring I planted two bare root blackberry bushes - Ouachita and Arapaho.  Both have done very well, but the Ouachita tends to aim more towards the ground and make new starts.

They have heavy buds and the first few blooms are starting to appear.

Below is the Ouachita.  It has started three new plants in the ground, and the cane below I rerouted into a pot since the dogs kept yanking it out of the ground.  I think you're actually supposed to do this in the fall, but spring is when I had the extra cane, so we'll see what happens.

My little helpers...

Peaches - YEA!

I am SO EXCITED - for the first time in several years I will have a peach crop!!!!!!!!!!  The last couple of years I have lost them to late freezes.  Amazingly - after all of this year's miserable winter weather - we finally avoided a late freeze, and now I can't wait for summer (although I am definitely enjoying the awesome spring we are having)!!

New tree...

Old tree...

And here's a picture of the wound healing on my older peach tree after this happened.

The first picture is from a tree I planted last February labeled 'Elberta', but I don't think that's what it is.  Either that or the one I originally planted was not an 'Elberta' because the new one bloomed a few weeks earlier.  Anyhow, I am excited to see how the fruit turns out because the peaches from the older tree melt in your mouth.

Strawberries

My strawberries are very happy, and I am so excited!!

 They are planted near my Bur Oak tree where they get dappled sunlight and protection from the blistering summer sun.

I planted them last year from starts purchased at Lowe's.  Last fall they made tons of babies which are easy to dig up and move or share with friends (which I did).  :)

The taller round-leaved plant you see towards the back is red clover from some cover crop I've used the last couple of years.  The strawberries and clover seem to make happy companions!

Cumulonimbus!

Yesterday evening when I finished mowing I looked up and saw this:

WOW!  It became absolutely radiant as the sun went down, reflecting every shade of orange, yellow, and pink your mind can imagine...