Well I’ve got good news and bad news. Let's start with the bad news. Strawberries are just about done, in fact after this weekend our new found summer heat will have just about taken care of the last strawberries. If you still need some for jam or would like just a few more to eat please call or stop by as soon as you can. Now, for the Good News. The Raspberries have started and there are many more berries that are soon to follow. We are anticipating that by next weekend we will have Aurora blackberries, Loganberries, and Tayberries. As for the Marionberries and Boysenberries we are probably still 10 days away from starting to pick. Time will pass fast so make sure you don't forget that they are coming because by the time of our next newsletter they will be done.

Last month I shared with you a story about my daughter Allyson's first trip to the strawberry patch, so I thought it would be only appropriate that I share her first trip to the Raspberry field. It was the beginning of this last week and it was a beautiful day and my son had just gotten done with his swimming lessons and they stopped by to visit with dad. Both of them were starving and as we were standing in the parking lot I saw the field across the road and decided to go see if any were ripe yet. We were very happy to find that there was some ripe but my daughter's reaction was less than enthusiastic. She liked them, don't get me wrong, but all of the berries were way up high and she couldn't pick them herself. So she determined that it was way more fun to play in the dirt in her new dress than to pay attention to dad picking the berries. Needless to say by the time her mother arrived she was covered in dirt and dad was in trouble. I felt bad but there is just something about seeing her sitting underneath the shade of the berry canes and playing in the dirt that brings back good memories of my childhood.

In the nursery this next week we have a great sale on Nicotiana, Buy 2 – Get 3 Free. No that doesn't mean you get the third one free, it means if you buy 2 you will get 3 more plants free. I told you it was a great deal. Nicotiana is a wonderful summer annual that does exceptionally well in a multitude of locations. Use them in a planter for long lasting color that will go well with a number of different annuals and perennials, plant them in the flower bed for additional color during the summer, or plant them in a mass planting for a stunning display. Luckily, with a price like this you can afford to plant a whole bunch of them and not break the pocket book.

Also of interest in the nursery is the arrival of Hardy Hibiscus. Many of you have been waiting for these wonderful plants to arrive and the wait is finally over. We have them in three different colors (red, pink, and white) and all of them are spectacular. One thing that is important to remember is that when planted in the ground they will not emerge from their winter dormancy until early summer. The ground has to warm up before they will begin to grow and many of you who have purchased them in the past came to us this year wondering why they haven't come up yet. Unfortunately, these plants do take some time and it may be the middle to end of June before they come up.

During the month of July we will have some great classes offered throughout the month. The first class is July 12th and that's our next cooking class. This class will feature pork tenderloin that will be stuffed with Bauman Vegetables and glazed with a spicy mandarian orange sauce that you can find in our store. Don't worry its not too spicy, my mom would not go for that at all. To find out more about the class and a complete menu please go to our website http://baumanfarms.com/cookingclasses.html. Unfortunately there are only 5 spots left in the class so if you would like to attend please call as soon as you can or send us an e-mail.

The next class on our schedule is a pickle class. I cannot tell you how many people ask us for the secret to making the perfect batch of pickles. In order to answer all these questions we thought we would tap into the best resource we have found, our customers. One of our customers in particular makes some of the best pickles we have ever tasted and he has agreed to share his secrets with all of us. If you are interested the class, it will be on July 19th and I know it will be a lot of fun. Again, give us a call or drop us an e-mail to sign up.

Last but not least is our next container class. We have included a photo which will serve as inspiration for this next class. Succulents have been in very high demand recently because of their low water needs and amazing colors. Much of what was old is now new again, but with all these different varieties, how do you know which are hardy and which are not? How do you know which ones can be paired together and which ones shouldn't you put together? This class will answer all those questions and more. The class will be on July 26th and we will be serving wine and beverages throughout the class along with some great treats from the bakery. Our first class was a huge success and we can't wait for this one. Check out some of the testimonies of those who attended at http://baumanfarms.com/containerparties.html. We hope to see you there.

Brian Bauman and The Bauman Family