What an amazing spring we’ve had. Two successful wine fairs (Raw in London and Radda nel Bicchiere) and lots of special visits from our family, good friends and guests. We’re enjoying the long, warm sunny days of June, dining al fresco most evenings and cool early mornings working in the garden before the heat sets in. Petraia is exceptionally beautiful right now. At this time of year it is easy to be overwhelmed by the glory and incredible bounty of this property. This morning Michael and I made our early morning rounds and here’s a look at what we saw….
- helichrysum
- half of the lower orto
- chioggia (candy-striped) beets
- Our purple potatoes and their light purple flowers
- our flowering biodynamic forage crop enriches alternate quadrants
- shallots
- wild strawberries
- zolfini beans
- beans and corn
- chamomile
- tomatoes
- our second pea crop is almost finished
- the 3 sisters – beans, corn and squash
- nasturzio
- flax starting to flower
- artichokes are coming on now
- more artichokes
- my favorite berry – the black currant
- currants
- white mulberries are so plentiful this year and so sweet. last year we had none, these trees are several hundred years old. They tend to fruit every other year.
- Our hazelnut alley lining the Pesa River. It’s looking like we are going to get a good crop this year. We planted these trees years ago, now they are mature and productive.
- tramonto vineyard early this morning
- sour cherry
- an ancient cherry tree loaded with fruit
- Coriander (cilantro) flowers and asparagus are a match made in heaven…
- potato
- Our desiree red skinned potato plants. Their flowers have a pinkish hue.
- black mulberry
- lovely canopy of our fragolina table grapes over a pergola in the orto
- asparagus
- a table in the dining room