More Thoughts While Weeding: Hardy and prolific, rhubarb shines in late spring

May is giving way to June, a remarkable month in the mountains of New Hampshire, with fields dressed in new green, the air full of swallows and the woods echoing with thrushes’ impossible song. Weeds have yet to encroach on the freshly laid-out garden rows, and summer stretches out before us.

Inhospitable conditions, however, continue on the garden front. After weeks of cold, brutal wind and mixed precipitation, more recently there has been little to none. In late May, a primary focus has been watering, working to support germination and sustain young seedlings. The harvest is just beginning to trickle in, kale and chard ready to pick, a bit of lettuce for the first salads of the season, though the peas are still weeks away.