local vegetation

I was outside admiring the ginormous daisies growing next to my patio and decided a garden update was in order.

The daisies are huge, about 4 1/2 feet tall:

And here's the view looking up as they tower over me (well, not really, I'm not that short).

Oh, and this is nothing short of a miracle: my hydrangea has bloomed for the first time in the five years since I planted it!

And speaking of flowers, the strawberries sprouted more blossoms and the makings of another batch of fruit.

That rhubarb we planted in the spring has also taken off! My mother in law says I should harvest it, but the instructions the nursery sent with it said no harvesting in the first year. Any opinions on that? Can I safely steal a few stalks for a pie?

My raspberries are starting to ripen, but I don't think we'll have the deluge that my mom has to deal with. I ate this one:

Lastly, and most disappointingly are the tomatoes. I was so excited for this year. We built new beds specifically sited to work better for the tomatoes. I didn't overcrowd when planting and put in special tomato fertilizer. Then we had oh, let's see, roughly 8 weeks of rain. Needless to say my plants are again suffering from foliar disease brought on by too much moisture. But there are a few fruits on there, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Looks like I'll be able to eat my first two cherry tomatoes in a couple days.