Seeds are started

Well, I got a few seeds in. A couple of tomato varieties and some sweet basil. They are all up too. Now, if I can keep seeds alive on top of taking care of the kids, the dog, and going back to work. Someday the snow will melt and we'll dry out enough to till the garden. Until then I'll just have to sit tight.

Funny weather

Today was nice. Probably close to 50 degrees F. Luckily the little girl decided to sleep for awhile and let me get outside. I didn't do a lot, a neighbor stopped to yak, although I did get the handles of my tools oiled. Finally. Poor handles were very dry.

It sure looks like I have some big time spring cleaning out in the yard. The dog bombs are visible now that our snow is gone. Well, it is gone for the moment. Around here it could be back at any time. Although I wouldn't be suprised if our little valley doesn't get any more snow this year. We never know for sure.

I have the garden tenatively laid out. I do need to get some tomatoes started. Of course in order to do that I should figure out where I'm going to put my seed flats. I might see how they all do starting in the greenhouse this year. I also have a small cold frame that I can start some things. Only problem right now is that the ground is super wet. I'm itching to get out there.

Soon...

A taste of spring

Well the other day I got a chance to spread some mulch in the garden. The garden was even thawed enough to dig up some of the compost and spread it over the cardboard and paper being used for mulch. And now? It is snowing. My mom was up here when we were doing the garden chores and we were working without our coats on. Not going to be something we do today.

I am very happy to see the snow though. Hopefully the ground freezes again too. Then maybe some of our mud will go away. Now I also have a good excuse to hang out inside with the kids and drool over my seed catalogs.

I'm thinking I'm going to have to put the grapes in this year. I found a catalog with three varieties of seedless hardy grapes for a pretty decent price.

I'm being paged for diaper duty. Guess I'll have to put off the garden for awhile.

seed starting time

It is about time to start some of my seeds. Especially some of my tomatoes that take longer to mature. Although with new baby and a 2.5 year old I'm not sure where to put my seed flats. We really haven't been getting enough sun to use my greenhouse. Also I haven't pulled my stuff out of the garage. Somehow I've been a little busy with a new baby and all.

It will be nice to have the garden though. Bear will be a big help this year. He loves being out in the garden. I'm going to plant lots of peas just for him and some cherry tomatoes for him and Tom. I think I'll mix up my tomato varieties too. The first year I did several hybrids, last year I did all heirloom varieties, and this year I think I'll do a mix.

Oops! I have a request to play trains, and a wiggling baby. Guess I'd better put planning the garden off for awhile.

Yes it is winter.

For Thanksgiving we had close to two feet of snow. Then this last week or so we got a bunch of rain and melted it all. :( It is such a bummer to see it all go away so quickly. Last night we got a skiff. At least enough to make the ground white again. It is supposed to snow all week too. Good, we might actually get a white Christmas.

I'm thinking this year's garden planning might not be much planning. I have a feeling I'll be more worried about diapers than seeds this winter. I'm hoping to use cloth diapers more this round. If only disposables weren't so dang convienent. They are sooooo much more expensive. Cloth can be more expensive to set up initially, but much cheaper in the long run. We'll see how ambitious I am once we are in the trenches again. Somehow I don't think it will lead to a well planned garden either way.

Seed catalogs should be showing up here soon though... Then I can at least daydream for a little while.

Winter?

Well, it is almost Thanksgiving. We never got the garden tilled. Pulled and cut all the plants except the brussels sprouts. We'll see if they produce. Everything had to do battle with the slugs this year so nobody did super well. We had some funny weather to boot. It never really did get warm. We only had a few days of the hot summer weather.

We did get my compost moved to the most clay filled section of the garden. I pulled the fence from around the garden as well. I left fence up around the compost. The dog would live in there if I didn't.

Speaking of my compost... I ended up having an avocado pit sprout while it was in the compost pile. So we threw it into a pot and brought it in. Now we have an avocado tree growing in the house. Well, more like seedling still. We'll see how it does as a house plant. I know it won't survive our winters outside.

The seed catalogs have already started to come in. I'm thinking I'll do a lot from seed, but with a new baby and a toddler this upcoming spring I think we'll have to do a few more plants. I really liked mulching my paths with a sawdust meant for animal pens. I think we'll have to do that again.

So basically my plans for next summer:

• Have Tom put a border/raised beds in the garden
• expand the tomato section
• mulch with sawdust
• mulch the strawberries this should really be done about now (maybe Tom will this weekend if I ask really nicely.)
• make sure I sprinkle the slug killer early
• plant lots of peas for Bear
• plant lots of tomatoes for Bear
• lots of onions for us
• try to get cucumbers to grow again (haven't had much luck with 'em but Bear really likes 'em)
• expand the herb section

Of course all of that is on top of the plans for the house. Things like replacing a couple windows and painting the porch.

So now for current weather. We've gotten a little snow. Enough to say we did. It melted after a day and now it is supposed to get really cold. I think predicted is supposed to be somewhere around 10 degrees F. Not much above that for a high during the day. Maybe we are getting into winter? I kinda hope so. I'm ready.

October 16th

Been a month since I posted... We've had our first hard frosts. About 28 degrees F last week. Did in what was left of the tomato plants and the squash plants. I'm hoping I can convince Tom to help me tear up plants and till for the fall. At 6 months pregnant I'm not feeling super up to doing all that needs done.

I didn't get as many tomatoes as I had hoped this year. Heirloom varieties don't seem to have the yields of the hybrids. Of course the hail and blossom rot didn't help this year either. The squash did okay, and I seem to have a couple of ears of corn but haven't tried them yet.

I've moved the compost to the bed that is full of clay and needs some organic material. I'm not done moving the pile, but that is another one that I need Tom's help with. I think the only other major thing to do will be to get some sort of raised beds going. I pulled the fence and we are hoping to make it a little more ascetically appealing. I might have to do some online idea browsing for raised beds and landscaping.