The first week of June has been quite busy with lots of weeding, harvesting and even planting new crops for second plantings. By the end of the week, temperatures hit the high 80’s and low 90’s again, helping the summer crops double in size in a few days.

I froze 12 lbs of broccoli, consumed two heads, and gave four heads away. This was a bumper crop for down here, where the bugs can create some real issues. The white netting has been a lifesaver, not only for the broccoli, but also for the collards and cabbage.

I picked my first blueberries of the season from an early Jersey bush. The strawberries are done and I removed 2/3rds of last year’s leftovers to plant cucumbers, pickles and tomatoes. I also planted an additional two rows of tomatoes where I had the broccoli. As soon as I can, I will sow some Blue Lake bush beans, hoping the bugs will not attack them, by using the netting early on.

Weed control is and will continue to be a major issue going forward. The July weed attack is coming soon and I hope I can keep up with cultivating between rows. In the six years down here, I have never gotten through July without the weeds taking over the entire garden. I am thinking that by continuous planting all summer long, I can control the beds a bit better. Time will tell.

Looking ahead, the tomatoes look very good as the Amish and Early Treat are coming on fast. I planted two Campari tomato varieties and I will be interested in seeing how they do growing outside.

I have some staking of tomato plants to do, cleaning out the strawberry beds that have plastic protection (weeds still manage to sneak in) and continue to cultivate and fertilize all the veggies.

On June 12, the temperature got up to 93º, the third day over 90 degrees. I was able to go out and stake my new tomato plantings, do a Florida weave and also staked the new cucumbers, so they can climb.

I picked some nice blueberries as well, as the new netting is holding up very nicely, no birds coming into the patch or getting caught.

Finally, I was able to take one potato (Norland Red) that was good sized (a bit larger than a baseball), as some of the potato leaves are starting to wilt. I hope to be able to cut up potatoes and freeze them as French fries.

Update: June 15, 2026
The heat has subsided a little, which means I should go out and do some good weeding before I have a completely overgrown garden. I picked peas and froze them (2 lbs). I also picked a couple more potatoes, Norland Red and Yukon Gold, eating them for breakfast. I also found four red tomatoes, Early Treat, and a few Tiny Tim cherry tomatoes. I have a few more blueberries to pick, as they are ripening very quickly. My cabbage is also in need of harvesting before the bugs have a grand party.

So, plenty of work to go along with cutting the grass again. I hope the time will be available as there are presently no appointments on the calendar and I can focus on the garden.

In another week (June 22) we will be celebrating our 24th anniversary, an amazing feat as I still clearly remember our first date in Newton, MA at Legal Seafoods restaurant, followed by a walk around the Brookline Reservoir. Ah, such a wonderful memory.