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| Seeding in the Rain |
Wednesday
(April 23) was overcast but pleasant. I washed our very dirty wood-getting clothes,
and then I set about my outdoor work. I weeded and fertilized my two rhubarb
plants before lunch. After lunch I weeded and fertilized the raised beds, and
then Mike tilled them with the little electric tiller we inherited. The sky
grew more ominous-looking by the hour, so about 3:00, I put away my garden
tools and took the still damp clothes off the line. A light rain commenced.
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| Rhubarb -- growing rapidly |
At
4:00 this morning, a storm blew in. It poured rain with strong wind gusts. The
storm abated but rain and breeziness continued. Once we were both up and around,
we considered the forecast for unsettled weather and decided to return to town
rather than sit around the farmhouse. Besides, we’re out of milk and bread.
It
was a little disappointing that I didn’t plant the spinach, but on the other
hand, I’ve prepared the beds well, and the rain will provide needed moisture. And
it’s still early.
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| Raised beds ready for planting |
Ducks
(blue bills) and geese are frequenting the pond. I haven’t tried to photograph
them because I don’t want to scare them off. The rooster pheasant is still
here. We saw two garter snakes – a small one and a large one – as we worked the
raised beds. No rattlers yet. Plenty of deer.
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| Seeding |
The
farmers had begun seeding our south fields late in the morning, and they
continued even in the rain. I suppose they left about 6:00. It will be a day or
two before they return, I think.
This
is the time of year when the vegetation changes rapidly – almost before our
eyes. I can hardly wait to see what’s in bloom with our next trip to the farm.
(P.S. In today's mail we found our first 2021 free calendar, from an organization we don't even support.) KW
(P.S. In today's mail we found our first 2021 free calendar, from an organization we don't even support.) KW
3 comments:
Wow! That's an early calendar. We get only a couple in the mail. I love the calendars Lang Graphics makes and Dan gets me one every year for Christmas. My favorite artist for the last few years has been Susan Winget.
I typically do some leafy greens in the raised bed, but by the time I have the motivation to plant the garden, I'm actually getting a late start, which means the spinach bolts in the heat and is floppy if I don't pick it in the morning. But why would I pick it in the morning? I don't eat salads for breakfast. So this year we're doing something different! Nick knew about the Three Sister's method of farming, so we're doing corn, then beans that will grow up the corn stalks and squash to grow at the corners of the bed. We're also trying some peas from seeds that I'm pretty sure I've used two years in a row. It's always a gamble whether the sprouts will even have a chance before the birds get to them. We bought some big pots for a steal at Grocery Outlet and will do tomatoes in one of them. I'd like to grow Roma tomatoes and can our own sauce. I've never really canned anything but preserves.
I love those Lang calendars, too, Chris. I buy myself an engagement calendar for my birthday every year. For years I used Marjoline Bastin. (At first they were published by Hallmark and then by Lang.) But this year I stepped outside the box and bought a strange Disney / Thomas Kinkaide. (I never know when my whimsical side will kick in.) I have quite a stack now, and I hate to get rid of them, but I don't refer to them again.
I can hardly wait to hear how your garden turns out, Hallie. I wonder if you'll need to fertilize rather heavily. I planted corn the year you were married -- 2009. That summer we took a spur of the moment trip to Mississippi, and when we got home, the corn had died. As you know, Daddy grew a patch of corn on the farm, but in his time, the deer didn't run there so freely. If I tried to grow corn unfenced, the deer would obliterate it before it had a chance.
I think spinach will have a chance if I plant it soon, but it's true that it doesn't tolerate the heat.
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