Here's what we've been up to all weekend...no wonder it whooooshed right by!! We got all the garden beds manured and turned over and composted and ready to plant. On Friday we went plant shopping for tomatoes. I never start them from seed, although I could. But this time of year it's a joy to visit the farms where people are selling garden plants...to catch up and see how they've survived the winter. One lost their greenhouse in a January windstorm, one had a new baby lamb trailing along behind him, the mother dead from a mysterious viral outbreak in the barns. One man lost all his chickens to a fox over a two week period... New grandbabies, one death, a fire....all this, just life in the country. The circle of life can be brutal, but is always met head on with a brave stoicism that perplexes many.
Anyway, on Saturday I spent all of the morning in the dirt, planting tomatoes and basil and okra and peppers. This morning I put my salad bed in--radishes, onions, spinach, kale, swiss chard and a "chef blend" lettuce. I also transplanted all the squash I started...26 butternuts, 6 zucchinis and 12 yellow crooknecks. Then I mowed the front yard (under the threat of rain). But besides a few sprinkles, there was no rain and the temps soared to 90 degrees.
On Sunday, my son came over at 8:30 AM and cooked me a wonderful breakfast. He stayed until noon and we laughed and walked around looking at stuff and just enjoyed each others company. Then at 1, Patrick and I went to our neighbors, where we had been invited for lunch on the patio. It was a lovely afternoon, all around.
Tomorrow I will put in green beans and corn and edamame. The Irishman put the sugar peas and potatoes in tonight after he got home from work. It will be another week before the sweet potatoes are available. And then, gentle readers...the garden will be IN. lol
It is a busy time of year. Locally the rivers are rising...creeks are full. The weather is seesawing back and forth between hot and reasonable. This is the nature of spring. We've sure had a lot of water. My irises are ready to bloom. The clematis is blooming is huge purple blossoms. There are tiny little nubs of apples and peaches and cherries on the trees. The chives are in full bloom. The Egyptian walking onions are getting heads on them too. We planted a new bed of asparagus, as our original one is being assimilated by blackberries...I planted it too close to the edge. I can still get a few stalks of asparagus out of it, but not much. I noticed the big blossoms on the blackberries today too, while mowing the front yard. Even the rhubarb is in it's glory...all green and red and pretty.
I'm grateful to be feeling that good bone-tired feeling I have from toiling in the yards and garden. I will sleep like a baby tonight. Working the dirt feeds my soul....
Namaste.
