We finally had a break in the weather and also had enough rain to nearly fill both of our rain barrels! We really needed the rain, the garden looks much happier now 
Today I worked in our tiny berry patch, we’ve got raspberries, gooseberries and black currants, all of which are just beginning to ripen. I hadn’t set up a trellis for them yet and so that’s what I did today, a bit late but better late than never. The one I set up today is only temporary, next year I want to set up a more permanent wire and pole trellis.
On a slightly embarrassing note, I found a corner of the yard today, near the bee hives, which is just crawling with ladybug larvae…Doh!! Since I bought some a few weeks ago, I see them literally everywhere now…Peer calls this whole misadventure my 14 Euro lesson in the life-cycle of the ladybug…
One other project that we are working on this summer is the preperation of an herb garden. I’m not talking about some dinky kitchen garden I’m talking a big and intricate garden 
Here is where the garden will go, Peer is still working on turning the soil…
And here is roughly what I want it to look like…
The black outlines show where there will be a brick border. The brown area is a walkway, it will either be gravel or bark, I would love to use crushed hazel nut shells like I saw on the foot paths of the Bellevue Botanical Gardens, but I don’t think I will find them available here. In the very center will be a bird bath. I’m not sure exactly how the herbs will be arranged just yet, but that’s the basic design. I eventually want to have a good supply of kitchen as well as medicinal herbs, many will go in the garden and others will be planted on the slopes.
Teresa, I’m sorry the weather is too hot for torching, but you must know that I am glad to see you doing the farm blog while you can’t torch! I look at what you guys are doing and dream sweet dreams about learning more and being prepared to do more when we have our own house and don’t have to work around the landlord’s preference for wide open lawns. There is a pattern floating around somewhere on the web that show an herb garden planted in the form of a raised spiral. . .your herb garden plan made me think of it. I like the center with the birdbath or fountain. Looks like your herb garden will be a nice meditating spot, as well as a useful source of herbs
Hi Angie, well I gotta admit that, now the no torching thing is more a lack of motivation and has less to do with the weather. We’re getting some nice mild days finally
But summers are always so busy with other things that I find I get into the studio a lot less frequently! I bet you can relate since you’ve got your kids home on summer vacation 
I hope you guys can get your own home soon, I really hate the “well manicured lawn” look. I think it’s a huge waste of space.
I like the idea of a spiral herb bed, I love spirals, why didn’t I think of that?