Rain and more rain

The cypress mulch stayed put during a short downpour and a long rain, so that's a bonus.  The hardwood mulch I used in previous years would have been pretty much washed off by now.

But it's a shame deer don't read.  Otherwise, they'd know that my 'Navaho' thornless blackberry label says it's deer resistant.  They didn't resist.  Fortunately, the plants were large enough that they'll recover - when the deer stop coming up to graze.  I would have thought there'd be enough forage in the wooded areas by now that they'd not bother going near houses, but maybe they just like night roaming.

The grapevines finally decided they could leaf out.

I'm having a battle with prostrate knotweed this year.  In fact, I had to remove a huge dead patch (~12'x15') in the yard and reseed.  I don't know why that patch grew so large and then died.  I keep it pulled out of the garden, but I haven't been paying much attention to it in the yard.

 
Environmental conditions didn't lend themselves to me being able to get grass clilppings (too many weeds going to seed), so most of my plantings are now growing without mulch.  They don't need it to retain soil moisture when we're getting as much rain as we are, but everything is dirt splattered.

The peas are really enjoying the rain. 

And the arugula.  The beets are now clearly visible in pictures, but the arugula is well ahead of them.
I must remember to follow my own instructions next year and delay the arugula planting for a couple of weeks after beets and carrots.

This is a great stage for eating arugula.

The lettuce is starting to take off.

Red wing lettuce mix, arrow leaf green lettuce from 

saved seed, and transplanted celtuce

I still have several things to be transplanted into the garden, but they'll have to wait, as the soil is too wet after the 2 inches of rain last night - and more on the way tonight.  It's forecast to be a very small amount.  Hopefully, they're right.

A couple of days ago, I set out some 'Lao' eggplant - a free seed that I got with my Baker Creek seed order.  They always send free seed of something.  I wouldn't have planted any eggplant on my own, but these are pictured as small, white, egg-like fruits, and I figured they'd look pretty even if I don't eat them.  I wonder if this type is the origin of eggplant, hence its name.

I also got some French Charentais melons in the ground: 'Savor' and 'Petit Gris de Rennes'.  I planted 'Savor' last year, and they were delicious.  Looking forward to having lots more this year.  The fruit on each plant was not plentiful, but it was fabulous.  So I've put out three of each variety, and have more in reserve that I'll probably - no, certainly - be adding in when I get the chance.

Purple basil and mini bell peppers are not in any hurry to grow with the cool and cloudy weather we're having.  

What is encouraged is mulch mold.  It won't hurt anything, and I find it quite interesting.  This is a new one for me:

I don't know its name, but I think it might be tapioca slime mold.   Yum, huh?