Mike left yesterday in pursuit of another excellent adventure. But that's another story and not mine to tell.We had developed a list of things we needed from the farm, and we had things to return there -- laundry, groceries, supplies -- and I also wanted to take some breakable family plates and platters for the upcoming century farm celebration. So, I loaded the pick-up with stuff, and Nellie and I headed out.
Our first stop was the Gilbert Cemetery, where I picked up the little dollar store nosegays I had left at the family graves on Memorial Day. Except for my dad's grave (where I leave a bouquet of cut flowers -- whatever I can find) my grandparents, and my great-grandparents, I'm not very methodical about it. The graves are so old that it's just nice to leave something that says, "We remember these people." I save the bouquets from year to year but also add a few new ones each Memorial Day.
From there it was on to the farm. We were there about 10:00 and stayed until 2:00. We're having yet another spell of cool and unsettled weather, but it was warm enough that I traded my sweatshirt for a t-shirt. We watched the clouds build and disperse, and we could hear distant thunder. Nellie doesn't like thunder.I picked lots of spinach from my little raised bed. My second planting of peas is making a showing. And I planted carrots and lettuce. Nellie insists that a rodent has invaded one of my rustic tire gardens, and if I know her, she knows what she's talking about. I put a little bait here and there around the edges. (Don't worry -- Nellie can't get to it.)
Mike loves these poppies that either volunteered or are left from another lifetime. I think they're beautiful with the purple iris. And the iris seem to be lasting so long. 
The old bramble bush has definitely leafed out after its vigorous pruning. Don't know -- can't say -- if it will bloom this year. I fed it with some systemic rose food. I also threw a little fertilizer on the raspberries.
Before lunch I took Nellie for a walk. Here she is on point.
And then we explored the area of the old dump below Dobson Road just as it curves to the lane. I was looking for evidence of Oregon grape -- another wild invasive plant that tends to take over. However, my dad kept a little stand of it at his studio door. At Christmas he sprayed it gold or silver to adorn his decorations, and occasionally he made jelly of the berries. "Jelly -- of the berries," says Hallie. She and Nick are interested in those vintage tastes. Note the old rock piles at the edge of the field.
Here's a photo I cropped in order to bring out the deer grazing in the field -- not a really successful effort. As I was returning to the house, I disturbed a whitetail evidently lounging under the "awesome" apple tree. She hurriedly betook herself out of the gulley, across the lane, up into the north field, and out of sight. Unfortunately I was unable to organize myself to get a picture.
And this last photo is a self-portrait as I attempted to show the new growth on the rhubarb we planted down by the pond. KW
5 comments:
Ooooh the poppies are spectacular. Isn't spring fun? Watching each flower bloom & each bush grow is what spring is all about.
How long does it take rhubarb to go from sprouts to mature ribs?
Everything is so green there. That's a feature of the northwest that made my jaw drop when we moved to Washington State.
Yes! Spring is fun!
Should this rhubarb actually make it in the clay soil, I don't know if it will produce edible stalks next year or not. The stalks are tender in the spring. After June they get tougher, though I've heard that some diehards continue to pull them.
Oh -- I forgot to say that yes, it is green right now. Since farmers have begun to plant more canola (what my mother called rape but Wikipedia refers to as rapeseed), we have that lovely golden yellow contrast.
Some plants fruit best in a tough soil. Grapes are said to be that way--they like a challenge. Do you think your soil s much different than the neighbors who have the rhubarb grove?
That's a good question, Hallie. I couldn't say whether their soil is better than ours, but I wouldn't be surprised. While their property is probably just a couple of miles from us, it's on the other side of the ridge. And her rhubarb literally sat on the edge of the field. They say rhubarb doesn't need fertilizer but both compost and manure, but clearly their grove was benefiting from the fertilizer the field received.
Our property, sitting on the edge of the canyon, was originally trees and rocks. And down by the pond, we have exposed clay and no topsoil, though we did put topsoil around the rhubarb.
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