The verdict is in!

Well, I tried radishes boiled today. Surprisingly, they were very good. The flavor was very similar to cooked rutabaga or kohlrabi. Next time I will have to cook up a bunch and try them out on the family. If I chop the radishes up or mash them, Big Sprout might not even realise what she is eating.

In rabbit news, I have noticed a marked decline in the number of bunnies nibbling on my father's lawn. This radical decrease in the population has coincided with the return of a couple of cats that used to hang out around our place. Hehe, those cats looked mighty scruffy the first time I saw them this year but they look much better now. The rabbits I see now are much skinnier and more nervous than those of late last year and early this spring. Some of those other bunnies were so fat and sleek you would have thought they were "hutch bunnies". They were also very slow.

It looks like we will be having plenty of apples and plums this year. I am excited about the apples, as I like applesauce and pie. The plums don't make me quite as happy, since they aren't my favorite fruit. I have been looking up some recipes, though, and think I will have to try them again. Maybe if I just find the right recipe for them I will like them.

My wonderful dad bought me more cabbage plants and broccoli plants today. I am trying out a sun-shade for the broccoli to see if I can keep them cool enough in the heat of the summer. Last year the side shoots from our spring crop got very bitter, and I have been told that this is either because of heat or lack of water. So I am going to try some stuff out and see what works.

I found my first snap pea today. It is about ------- that long. So cute! It was all I could do not to snatch it off the vine and eat it right there. I managed to restrain myself, though.

It is so nice to be gardening again, but the heat seems really oppressive this year. I will have to do a lot of my gardening in the early morning and late evening, I think. If I do things that way, I will be able to be out there without the kids, too. I love my Sprouts, but sometimes I have to get away. Besides, I really like the peace and quiet when I am in the gardens all alone and the world is sleeping. Even the bugs don't bother me so much then. It all just seems totally natural.

Anyway, I am sure there are chores I should be doing....