Today in the orchard
Valerian at Super Chilly June 29, 2025
The sun returned, the farm dried out, and we got to spend time outside. Big news: Cammy picked a lot of peas, and we ate our first peas yesterday and more today. Peas before the Fourth! Despite the lack of rain (except on Saturdays) the growth in the orchards has been impressive. Today I got out the sickle and scythe and reclaimed some of the paths in the “BRC” orchard that had all but disappeared. They’re still there.
Another of my favorite plants is now blooming, Valerian (Valeriana officinalis). I still remember digging one clump in a ditch by the roadside in Lincolnville in about 1979 and transplanting it here on the farm. My girlfriend back then said to me, “You have to have this plant.” I’d never heard of it. I must have a had a shovel with me (like any respectable plant explorer). It liked it here and has never left. I found, however, that it doesn’t move far and it’s a bit picky about where it establishes itself. But it also transplants fairly easily, and it spreads by seed. It’s a great plant.
