May is probably my favorite month in the garden.  The weather has warmed up but I'm not a sweaty mess after being outside.  Everything has started blooming into amazing bursts of color!  These are blossoms from our pomegranate tree which will turn into swollen globes of antioxidants in the fall. 
    You can literally see the fruits of your labor!

    Behind those blossoms you will start to see fruit growing! I have heard that it is good to water the fruit trees a lot at this point to help the fruit swell up, but that could be a wives' tale.  
    It is the time of year that you should turn back on the sprinklers.  Also, adjust everything to make sure that water is getting to the new season's plants and not the ghost of what was growing last year. 
    

    There are even some plants in May that have graced us with a harvest!     
    The artichoke plant is starting to make up for all the garden real-estate it's claimed! We have been enjoying about an artichoke a week.  I have to say, I love having a whole side dish in the backyard! It makes dinner much easier. 
   Even my most scraggly, slug eaten potato plants are throwing food my way!

Planting: 
    As everything begins to grow in and thicken, it is tempting to slip into the hammock and take a snooze.  Definitely do this, but also try and plant one new plant a week.  This way you will continue to have a harvest late into summer an fall.  You will thank me later!!!
    May is a great time to put things like peppers and eggplant in the ground.  My peppers are blossoming and starting to push out tiny little peppers.  Peppers generally like consistent watering.  Be careful not to have soggy soil or the won't thrive.  
May is also when cucumber plants and tomatoes will start to look alive.  Corn, sweet potatoes, snap peas, cantaloupe, and leaks can also be planted in May. 
    If you are planning on putting in squash or gourds for a fall harvest, you should start these seeds indoors in May or June. 

Weeding:
    We all hate it.  There really isn't anything fun about it, but it must be done.  My husband and I were busy or out of town every weekend in April and the weeds completely took over my garden.  I have spent all of May trying to dig deep in this nasty grass that grows and rescue the struggling plants underneath.  Luckily I have found good things growing! 
   Try and get the weeds up whenever you have a few minutes here and there. This way your new seedlings aren't struggling for sunlight and the weeds aren't sucking up all the nutrients in the soil.
    Some of the winter plants and lettuces may have gone to seeds.  When these plants bolt, like you see in the picture of my chard, rip them out.  They use a lot of the plant's energy to do this and they will taste bitter and gross. Chop them, compost them, and wait for the to serve you next year as dirt! Let me know how your garden is growing! I love comments!

     Quinoa: You know you've heard the word.   But you always kind of wonder how it is pronounced, well it is /keenwuah/.  This seems to be the new superfood, the thing you hear everyone talking about, the food people are trying to incorporate into their diets.  Well there is a reason why! 
     Quinoa has over 9 grams of protein per cup, and it is high in fiber so it fills you up fast and you stay that way.  It is also known to be a detoxifier, bone builder, and a brain food. 
   Besides the great health benefits, it is easy to cook and has a creamy, rich, nutty flavor.  
      My teaching partner Miranda gave me this recipe.  She got it from her friend when she was trying to find tasty, diet friendly foods for her and her husband.  I then made it for my husband and I and we loved it.  So... quinoa has made it through the gauntlet and been approved. 
     I think this would be a great salad to bring to a summer barbecue. It has a light delicious flavor with diverse pops of creaminess and acidity depending on what morsel ends up in your mouth.  I added a cup of garbanzo beans and we had it as a meal all by itself.  I am now on the hunt for other good quinoa recipes.  If you've got them, try this, and then send me over your recipes!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups quinoa (dry)
1 avocado sliced
1 cup walnuts (the original recipe called for 1/2 C but we kept hunting around for the walnuts, so add more)
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 1/2 cups chopped baby spinach
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 cup garbanzo beans

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Cook quinoa according to directions. Rinse it under cold water and put it in the fridge to chill.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the chilled quinoa, walnuts, feta cheese, onions, spinach, avocado (save some slices to set on top to look pretty), tomatoes, and garbanzo beans. 
3. In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, and mustard.  Pour the dressing over salad and toss to combine,  Season with salt and pepper to taste.