With the recent snow all but completely melted, I hope to be back in the actual garden very soon.
It’s been a very wet March so far, over 2.5 inches in the first week, so the soil is completely saturated. Once it’s adequately dried out so I can dig into it, I have plans to plant onion sets, potatoes, and seeds of lettuce mix.
The potatoes wait in baskets in the firewood box, dry and dark.
The trees I had felled in November are still lying there.
The sawmill I arranged to come and mill the logs hasn’t done so yet and I’m getting a little anxious.
The 4 apple trees I bought over the winter are waiting for the timber to be removed so I can plant them in that area.
I heeled them in the ground in the garden, but I’d like to get them in their permanent spot where the trunks are lying before they begin to leaf out. They’re all heirloom varieties I found at Century Farm Orchards. The owner, David Vernon, was extremely helpful in guiding me to the trees that were most likely to survive and most likely to suit my preferences. He helped me pick out trees that would have the best chance of surviving our insect pressure, heat, and humidity. Plus, he found trees to expand the harvest season and be good for cooking and fresh eating. My selections were Kinnaird’s Choice, Aunt Rachel, Mary Reid, and Mollie’s Delicious.
I also have 25 asparagus crowns (Pacific Purple) from Nourse wrapped up and waiting for their spot to be vacated by the trunks. Pacific purple asparagus is supposed to have a very good flavor and be more productive than other purples.
The timber is also in the way of where I plan to put a muscadine arbor.
I planted snow peas and sweet peas and snap peas a couple of weeks ago, but as nothing has peeked out of the ground I’m afraid they’ve drowned. I have some seeds left, so I may try again.
We’re poised and ready for spring planting. Waiting, waiting.
Anybody else busting a gut to get out there in the dirt? What are your spring plans?
I, too, have been gathering things, i.e. seeds, crowns, potatoes, etc…to put in the ground. My dh just bought me a greenhouse which needs a foundation before it goes up. So, I totally get the waiting part. Today I’ll be setting up my incubator for 17 fertile eggs I gathered up from my girls. Last year, something got into my coop and ate every single egg my hen was setting on. What a disappointment that was.
Hopefully, your trees will be moved sortly so that you can get things rolling.
Have a wnderful day,
Debbie…(0;
I’m getting anxious, too! Perhaps it’s the switch from North Carolina’s longer growing season to Colorado’s shorter one, but it seems like I’ve been waiting a long time. I should be able to get my first plants started in about a month.
Yesterday I set up my seed trays, even if I am a few weeks behind. Got 2 kiddy swimming pools just ready for for tomatoes and peppers.
I’m green with envy! I need dirt therapy badly, and all my dirt is still MIA. My Grandfather always said peas should be planted on St. Paddy’s day. I managed to do that 3 years ago…….put some in the flower bed at the back of the house……first and only time I have ever managed to hit St. Paddy’s! If I tried it this year I would first have to shovel at least 3 feet of snow off the garden beds in order to find the dirt! But things are looking up, as we hit 45 yesterday, and are supposed to be ‘warm’ all week, so maybe the snow will diminish some. In the mean time I will just keep dreaming of planting.
Yes! I have brussels sprouts seedlings in my greenhouse window, and sometime this week I need to get the tomatoes started. I find planting seeds to be very therapeutic, especially when there is still snow on the ground. It lifts the spirit to see those little leaves poking through the soil! Definitely itching to get out and dig.
Well, mainly collecting seeds and reading. Found an interesting article about Dates in the Martha Stewart Feb magazine(of all places). Robert Lower started his Flying Disc Ranch southeast of Palm Springs with an edible landscape and then moved into permaculture, no till land and understory planting that provides shade and keeps the soil cool. Anyway, a nice distraction and food for thought from ice and snow.
We are having unseasonably warm weather here in Minnesota (60 degrees!) – normally we would still be under a couple feet of snow right now, but we didn’t have any this year (sorry folks in the South and East Coast who got hammered – we would have loved to have it instead of you, but it didn’t come our way 🙁 …). So I am really anxious to get out in the dirt, but it’s way too early. We usually have frost into mid -May, early Spring or not. I did start some seeds (tomatoes and bell peppers) indoors this weekend – we’ll see how that goes, I’ve never done it before. And my dh built me a salad table for the deck last fall, so if these warm days keep up I’m going to plant some spinach, lettuce, and radish’s very soon!
We are still under 2 feet of snow so I haven’t been planning anything yet. I have been browsing the seed catalogue however. I should start thinking about what I want to plant this year. I do have quite a few heritage seeds left over from last year so I guess I should start organizing my seeds first.
I have some seeds started but, while we have been having an unseasonably warm winter, we could still get some freezing nights! (Last week we would got well above 60 during the day and then it would drop into the 20’s at night!)
We are in a new house so I have been working on the yard–getting the space that used to be the lean-to behind the front garage made into my vegetable garden–a small one this year. I am planning to try raised rows this year as I don’t want to have to build raised beds.
Kathy–I converted from raised beds to raised rows, too, and I like it just fine. More room, less upkeep on the beds. I also like raised beds, but they were taking up too much room, and space is at a premium.
Leslie–I need to organize, too. Everything all mixed up in a giant ziplock isn’t very helpful!
Christy–So you’re the one with our weather! You can have your snow back! Ha! It sounds like you’ve got a keeper of a husband! What a nice idea!
Sallie–Never heard of him, but I’ll look him up and see what he’s doing. I love reading about permaculture.
Meridith–We love brussels sprouts! What’s cuter than tiny cabbages?
Sharon–I cannot imagine. 3 feet of snow. Keep dreaming!
Mattie–The set up is half the job! Good luck!
Ronnica–I’m glad it’s finally time here to get out and plant. I got the onion sets out and some sugar snaps replanted. Best of luck in your short season. It may be the trade–off for the great views!
Debbie–Oh no! Sorry about your egg thieves. If it ever stops raining I think the tree men are ready now. Just have to wait until the ground isn’t so soft. Thanks for your good wishes! Best to you!