I Got A "Farmer's Tan"

We worked a lot outdoors yesterday and prepped the vegetable beds and back plot. John tilled all the red clover under along with oak leaves to bulk up the soil. We'll let that rest for a bit before we plant the potatoes for the spring.

I cleaned up the walkpaths in the raised bed area and pulled dying and dead plants away. It's amazing to me that this area can be frigid and dormant one week in February and sprouting with greenery two short, fast weeks later. THe redbuds are blooming out in Mandeville... tulip trees, as well. It's spring.

The peach trees are budding out here. The pear and plum are right behind them and the blueberries, which had me anxious last summer, look to be chockfull of berries.

I am ready to plant some peas and more carrots and beets.... I worried to do this two weeks and now I fret that I waited too long to get anything out of the peas. We received our shipment of seeds from Parks and I will plant them as well today.

We are feasting each night on the rutabagas, carrots and kale. The kohlrabi is delicious and will definitely be in the garden again next fall. All the onion sets and garlic are looking healthy and I am very pleased to report I have (still) 28 leeks out there. Yes, I count. Listen, I have been trying to grow leeks since we lived in Mandeville. It's not as easy as tossing a few seeds out there, let me tell you! I can't understand why they are so expensive in the stores, either. Once they get growing, they look very happy. Perhaps it's because they are so SLOW to begin with. I don't know.

OH! Big news..... a month ago, we planted 14 more artichoke seeds, right? Only 1 of them germinated.... grrrr. ONE? Come on! And the other three I coddled into existence last year and planted out in the fall were down to one thriving and one other clinging desperately to life with the third as dead as it's gonna get? The clinger clung. It's coming back!

Hoorah!