Spring update

April is when things just start to happen in the garden, even though some wintry weather can still muddle up your gardening plans.  You can't help but begin to notice the lilac buds swelling and the birds singing.  I think it's old Mother Nature's way of letting us know that winter is just about over.  Now I can really get excited about the trays of seedlings that have taken over just about every sill in my house.  At least it's this way around here. 

I'm a month behind schedule getting these hands in the dirt but these old fingers will go just so far into still frozen earth, so I've had to bide my time this month.  Instead we rebuilt and added more raised beds in the interim.  We've hauled so much llama, chicken and cow manure-- You know you just gotta make hay when the sun shines, even if the ground is still a bit frozen.

Around the fifteen I was finally able to get my fork into the ground and just went to town.   So far the chards, kale, turnips, red and yellow onions and beets have been sown. The chives have been split and transplanted and already I'm finding the buds forming.

The rhubarb patch is finally crowning and coming alive, and the grapevines, raspberries have been trimmed back.  I'm adding four new varieties of grapes to the garden this year. I can't wait to see how they do.

   I was able to get my peas in around the sixth of this month and they are happily popping out of the ground now.  I took a gamble and planted two rows of red potatoes.

               What a sweet surprise to shovel off all that snow from the cold frame to find this!

Salad greens that I sowed last October--lush and healthy..I just love that first salad of the season.  Let the real gardening begin now! Today I'll be sowing carrots, more potatoes and finally the cabbage, broccoli and brussel sprouts will go in. Til next thyme.