May Day

May 1,2011

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful May Day. We seized our opportunity to work in the garden as a family. We started out early in the coolness of morning and eventually had to slap on sunscreen as the sun finally decided to come out to play in the garden with us.


The Onions are in... I planted Copra and Ailsa Craig varieties.

Our Cabbage, Broccoli, Kohlrabi, Green Onions & Leeks starts have been hardened off and planted. The Beets are in too!


Garlic is looks amazing!


The Spinach is growing along quite nicely too!


I love the fresh chives that pop up early in the spring...one of the first goodies we enjoy from our garden.


My weeding partner was sleeping on the job...Some help he is!


The boys worked all day on putting in the new 18 x 24 garden bed, removing all the sod, amending and tilling...

We really needed more room for potatoes, corn and pumpkins...We have never had enough room to really grow a good amount of these garden goodies and now we can.



We finally decided on a spot to put in the Asparagus bed. Patience is a virtue here as waiting 2 years to harvest is torture!



LET THE GROWING BEGIN!

Yes we are April Fools in the Garden

April 1: Finished the demolition project. Garden was tilled and added 25 lbs. of bone meal added to the now 25'x 30' garden.

Transplanted Spinach and lettuce to the cold frames with the addition of watermelon radish's and more lettuce seeds.

We also burned more slash piles, since the rainy weather is permitting it.




April 3: Planted Carrots, Turnips, Parsnips and Peas ( the old-timers say it is way to early to plant...we will see how they fair this next month)I am feeling the need to push the limits of cold weather planting. I will keep you updated on my success and failures

(((perhaps someday we will invest in row covers))).



These short rows are 8.5 ft. long. I am anxious to see how many pounds of produce we will be able to harvest from this small space. It is just to hard to break my square foot gardening ways.


Peas planted after inoculant was added.


Levi and Corbin helped round up branches for the peas.


I love the idea of harvesting peas and then pulling the brush fence out...chickens can devour what is left on the branches and then be added to the burn pile. Should be easy peasy :) we will see!

The garlic is growing along quite nicely!

and just in case you ever wondered why I make soap....



These two grub worms may have something to do with it :)

March garden notes

Just trying to keep it all in perspective :-)

March 26 : Added 50 lbs. Alfalfa Pellets and 50 lbs. Beet Pulp to the garden. Weeded and cleaned herb garden. Began tearing square ft. garden beds out

We just needed more room to GROW!

Saturday was absolutely a beautiful spring day...The boys helped rake up logging debris.



after the rain the pellets swelled up, fall apart and are a breeze to incorporate.




Diggin' in and tearing out the old beds



Corbin doing a fine job!

March 30: Troy finished the cold frames and put them in place.



March 31: Cold frames were amended and filled with garden soil.

Spring Fever

I can hardly wait to get out in the garden and play in the DIRT and just couldn't resist a stroll out in the garden at the first sign of exposed earth.


The snow seems to be melting at a rapid rate now and I am so loving it!!!



Looks like I am not the only one excited...my hard workin' girls love to be let out free range. They all wanted their picture taken...Can you tell?





Guard kitty was on duty to make sure no one entered the garden.





Feels so good to get my hands dirty again ;-)



Found a pea sprout...



a couple rogue onions, sprouted garlic...



and some strawberries who are just as antsy for Spring as I am :-)