First Apricots

Yesterday and today the first two of four apricots were picked and eaten. One of the four had been tasted by birds a few weeks back, and one remains, ripening on the tree, soon to be eaten.
Peaches are filling out in size and a few, here and there, are starting to show some color. The chard is starting a new cycle, so fresh, baby leaves are ready to eat, and the arugula reseeded itself and is ready to harvest in small quantities. I lost another tomato plant to the gophers today, and of course it waited until fruit was on the plant before severing its roots. I've been tasting the black currants for a week or so now, and they are finally starting to sweeten a bit. The fall gold raspberries are done with their spring crop and have started work on their fall crop. The red raspberries are producing delicious fruit every day. Even the strawberries are putting out a few small fruits. I ate a lovely fig yesterday, from the Mission Improved tree, and all the breba Conadrias are long gone. The Conadria is looking to make an impressive late-summer crop though. One tomato plant, that got in pretty early and wasn't battered by the hail storm, has one fruit on it with a hint of color. I refuse to get my hopes up, but the gopher in the area of that tomato plant seems not to be too interested in tomatoes. Fingers are crossed. Many of the leeks have succumbed to gophers, and the top-setting onions are starting to disappear too. I've been lax in my trapping regimen, and so I pay the price. Much of the popcorn is about 18 inches high now, and some squash plants are finally spreading out. The pumpkins in the front yard have a couple of growing fruits on, and some new ones too. I just planted Alphonse Karr bamboo in the front yard. It is a clumping bamboo with beautiful green stripes on the stems. I am going to try to use the culms (stalks) as stakes once the plant gets established. Around the base of the bamboo I planted seed of popcorn and pumpkins and pole beans. It's a guild! I've started moving the alpine strawberries from the way back yard into the area nearer the house. Back to zone 1 where they thrive and belong. I'll be giving some to my friend who provided the Alphonse Karr bamboo, along with many other plants in the yard. It is very  much a friendship garden.

Well, onto the hummingbird photo.....

The babies are growing up.

View a series of photos of the mother bird arriving to feed these two babies here.