Garden Update: inspector & hedgehogs

_{First, right by the tiny (herb) garden, we see these smelly things she calls the peppermint, guess this year they are not doing as well as other years for some reason or perhaps it is still too early to tell, but somehow the leaves develop slower and don’t look too well, strange!}

_{These are no weeds! According to the human, these are borage and chamomile.}

_{Now this smells lovely! How did it get here? A long time ago, the lands around the village were used to cultivate the industrial hemp. So now and then, around the village, the sneaky hemp plants just pop up by themselves. The compost pile over the neighbor’s side of the fence was full with hemp, some seeds must have landed in the tiny garden.}

_{Salad leaves vs weeds! Which one do you think would win?}

_{Eww, spring onions! I mean they look nice blooming purple, but not the nicest scent for my kitty nose!}

_{More variations of salad leaves and spinach. So much green! Wonder if she is planning to turn into the plant-eater only?}

_{How come radish leaves always look so beaten up and like something is nomming holes in them?}

_{Lavender seems to have taken a hit this last winter as two plants appear to have some sort of damage. Frost perhaps? Even though this winter was on the milder side with almost no snow. The human was upset about it since they are her favorite.}

_{Years being under elements the wooden planks that the planter box is made of are getting deformed. They are lovely to exercise my claws at though. And look at it? Isn’t it just a perfect spot to go to the bathroom? But the human still hisses at me when I come near it or my buddies from the neighborhood. There is the one with the long fur, the orange one, the blacky, and of course the lion. Best kitty buds ever! From a safe distance, of course.}

_{This she says is a cucumber bed on the right. As you can tell from the footprints, I have been patrolling here regularly while trying to see if any cucumber seedlings are beginning to sprout. So far, no luck. But I will keep my eye on it!}

_{Oh, the bell peppers! I am so happy that these and tomatoes are now moved to the greenhouses as they have been occupying every window in the house and you know how important the windows are when you try to surveil your neighboring kitties from entering your territory, right?}

_{Asparagus keeping company to the bell peppers}

_{The new spot for strawberries who happen to be friendly with spinach. You can also find some hyssop plants, beetroots, arugula, beans, and more salad leaves here.}

_{Arugula always smells a bit funky, if I was a plant-eater I bet it would taste funky too. And before you say anything, I nom on grass only when my tummy hurts or I need to get the furball out of my throat!}

_{How many salad variations are out there?}

_{Hyssop plants looking lush and green}

_{How cute are these tiny beetroots?}

_{The human was very amused with this particular spinach as they are named Andromeda}

_{Looks like the strawberries are enjoying their new home in full bloom!}

_{Aaand welcome to the big greenhouse!}

_{The new residence of tomato plants!}

_{Marigold seedlings}

_{Timing is everything. It is important to get your seedlings transplanted before they begin to bloom. That way there is less stress to the plant that could reflect on the harvest.}

_{Now, follow me along to the big field and there are some pretty and nice smelling flowers on the way!}

_Bluebells

_Lilacs

_{Blooming chestnut trees}

_{Raspberry bushes}

_{Say hello to the buzzing bee buddies! They are so happy about all the flower food available to them now.}

_{Here we are! The big field or the fourteen-row beauty, where my human has been working away, cleaning out the weeds and roots, and planting and sowing as follows: peas, beans, carrots, garlic, onions, cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, beetroots, cucumbers, squash, pattypan squash, turnips, radishes, dill, basil, melon, more arugula, spinach, and a leafy salad.}

_{Did you know that cabbages can get stressed out? That is what happened. As they were transplanted, a few days later their leaves began turning purple and some even slightly brownish which is one of the signs of the plants being in distress. About a week later they were back to normal as they adjusted to the soil and the weather. But they sure did give a bit of scare there.}

_{No, no! This cabbage is not distressed, it is the purple/red kind, don’t worry!}

_{Nature always claims back what’s hers. The first three rows are taken over by the weeds. Guess what the human will be doing for the rest of the summer?}

_Peas

_{Blueberries blooming}

_{Gooseberry bushes}

_{The young apple trees}

_{And that’s the whole garden tour/ update this time around! Time to go home, but before let’s admire the view of a typical Latvian meadow!}

_{Thank you for joining me today! And please, tell my human to take it a bit easier on herself!}

_{Stay safe and don’t forget to wash your paws!}

_{Wait! What is this spiky creature?}

_{Why is my human calling her Lily and cheerfully repeating hedgies are back? Oh, there are two of them she says!}

_{I would not want to hurt my paws on that?}

_{She looks a bit grumpy, don’t you think?}