We’ve had an unusually long, cold, wet winter around here. It’s put a delay on our gardening, which has made me grumpy and anxious for the last several weeks. But at last we had a nice day, and my mom and I got to work.
(My and Ben’s property isn’t suited to growing things — our back yard is surrounded by tall trees which block out the sun and suck up all the nutrients and water from the soil. So I garden with my mom. My family lives on a 5-acre farm, eight minutes away from where we live. I help pay for seeds and help with the gardening toil in exchange for unlimited fresh produce throughout the growing season. Yeah: it’s a pretty sweet deal.)
That’s why I’ve been a little quiet on the blog. Here’s what I’ve been up to.
We planted some cool-weather seeds.
We butchered a few chickens.
We covered the strawberries with straw.
We looked at the new kitties. (That was HARD WORK.)
Built a new raised bed . . .
And added some — ahem — fertilizer.
And here are some other pictures I couldn’t resist including:
The tractor, stuck in the mud. (Too much rain!)
One of the bulls. As my sister put it, “I love their stoic gaze.”
Narnia enjoying farm life.
Lydia on the trampoline (in her rubber boots, of course. Always the rubber boots.)
What have you been up to? Any gardening?
This looks like SO MUCH fun!!! I cannot think of a better way to spend a day – working hard doing your part, waiting for God to grow the food, and then getting to harvest the goodness. Yummy!
Bare Feet in DIRT!!! *So Jealous* Here in mid-Michigan, it’s still the crud… but I have my eye on this weekend and will be out in our plot even if I sink to my knees in the MUD! So far, just have most of my seeds started and have moved the straw away from the garlic and will week it, the rhubarb and asparagus this weekend (if it needs it), and rake out the beds, etc. Can’t Wait For Spring to get Sprung!
I love your enthusiasm, PepperReed! My kind of farmgirl. :)
I don’t think that was dirt…. ;)
Also, straw for the strawberries?!? Is that why mine aren’t growing. About to go google the “dirt” out of that…!
alison recently posted..The Compassion Property
Well, that manure pile is several years old, so it’s practically dirt by now. :)
I’m also wondering about the straw on the strawberries! My family has always had a big garden including strawberries but I’ve never heard of that. Spring is coming to Germany finally too and although unfortunately I’m not able to have a garden (because I’m leaving to spend the rest of pregnancy in WA soon, while Brian is gone for his job), it’s gloooooorious!
Honestly, I don’t know too much about the strawberries. My Mom has always done it, so I just do as I’m told! :) I don’t think it’s necessary, but I think it’s really beneficial. From what I understand, straw makes a great mulch, retaining warmth and moisture; but it also keeps off slugs, keeps down weeds, and keeps the berries off of the mud/sand so they don’t get dirty or mushy. Some farms around here plant them in beds covered in plastic to do the same thing. We tend to like the traditional method. Straw = strawberries. Makes sense to me!
It’s been a long cold winter here too. We don’t have a garden, just a long thin balcony on the south side of our flat. Last year we grew cherry tomatoes and chillies with great success (the lettuce and radishes not so much). I want to add green beans this year – things that can grow UP helps on our wee little terrace :) But right now the seeds are in little pots all over my study floor by the french window – so exciting watching the little shoots come up! I swear I can almost see them grow…!
Fiona Lynne recently posted..with bare feet
I love this post! Everything is looking great! xo =D
Kimberly recently posted..Terry playing in the Sunshine
So lovely. The life you are making is the life that I want in the foreseeable future.
Kittens, they are really super-cute. I’ve raised eight cats and now I see Cats almost every day, you know, one of the famous musical shows in the world. Hope you have happy life with your family.