it is so nice to be able to get back outside
into the gardens.

the ground has thawed out enough and is even
starting to be warm enough in spots to plant a
few of the early crops and to start cleaning up
and getting ready for the coming season.

the bees are out gathering nectar and pollen
from the crocuses. i'm always glad to see the
bees and amazed they get to work so early in
the season. the bunnies are doing a fair job
at eating some of the crocuses too. i have to
keep spreading the flowers around to make sure
there are plenty for everyone to enjoy. the
chipmunks will be along later in the season to
take their fill too.

in the north central garden the ground was
dry enough to plant some rutabagas, onion seeds
and turnips, and while i was there i also put
some peas in a few spots. perhaps the peas will
be able to sprout before we get too cold weather
again. the forecast is looking ok for some nice
warm days here or there, but the night time temps
will be below freezing once in a while. we'll
see what happens...

and while i've been reading along in some
places about what to do with ashes, that they
would kill plants if used too heavily. well
that's not true for chives. i dumped several
buckets of them on the chives last fall hoping
to kill them off (i want to thin that area back
a bit) so i would not have to turn them. i
took a look at them today and the chives are
growing up through the ashes like nothing at
all has happened to them. hahaha... love it!

many of the turnips left last fall as a
cover crop did not make it and that means they
are now giving off this divine smell of rot
that means chow is on the menu for the wormies.
in a few of the more protected spaces where the
snow was deeper there are enough solid turnips
left that i could eat some, but i'm going to
leave as many as possible to get a population
flowering and reseeding themselves. i'm hoping
i can do the same with the rutabagas.

otherwise, plenty more to do yet to get ready
for other plantings. have many buckets of ashes
to use up as either fertilizer or as deeper fill
to raise up low spots. fences to clear of bean
stalks. general puttering about. i've had
to do a bit of walking to get limbered up and
to remind my body that it really needs to move
more than i have been the past few months. when
there are plenty of good books to read i tend to
keep doing that instead of thinking about
exercise -- i've never been one of those sorts
who can just exercise without having something
useful come of it besides the usual.

well i hope other folks are starting to get
out more and are enjoying the warmer weather
too.

oh, if anyone has any experience growing
sweet cicely that would be good to hear. recently
came across a mention of it and it sounds like
a good plant for me to try.


songbird