First post for 2014

Happy spring! With the new growing season up and going (well, right now mainly in the seed-starting greenhouse), I needed to get writing again. With every new season, it seems I kinda take account of some things I'd like to do better "this year", such as keep up better on succession-plantings, get at the weeds earlier, do more seed-saving, etc. Well, one of the things I'm gonna take a stab at doing better this year is this blog. Maybe not a big article every time, but something, and some pics. There, saying I'm gonna do better makes me feel better. :)

After a very cold, snowy winter, I'm chewing at the bit to get growing again. As mentioned, the main action is in the seed-starting greenhouse right now. Such as this.....

Blue Scotch Kale

which will start landing on dinner plates hopefully early-mid June. Blue Scotch Kale is a different variety than I marketed last year; an open-pollinated variety, rather than the hybrid Winterbor, which is a good kale, but a variety which was not readily available when I was ordering, apparently due to a seed crop failure. Ah! The Achilles' heel of market gardening, going back to the seed companies every year, expecting them to have everything you need. That's one of the reasons I want to grow out more seed this year. Also, this lettuce,

though of diminutive size now, should be ready for a good salad early June, maybe even late May. I'm trying some new lettuce varieties this year. My workhorse remains Nevada lettuce, but I'm gonna give Muir and Teide (from Johnny's Seeds) and Kweik (from Wild Garden Seeds) a whirl this season. Hopefully Teide will be a good red replacement for Magenta, which I was not really happy with last season. And, these zucchini

Partenon Zucchini

are, I hope, gonna start producing early June. If the weather cooperates. And I get them settled into the tunnel in time, and care for them as well as I hope to. And we get enough sun. That's what I'm hoping for, anyhow.

We got a kind of hybrid hugel/raised bed in the seed starting greenhouse finished today. Planning to make 5 more. The method behind my madness is to use the sides of the raised bed (logs) as the lower tier for my seedling flats to rest on. Then, when the seedlings go out into the open gardens, hopefully late May, I can transplant in a few tomatos and other warm loving crops into the beds, and let them grow all summer. Hopefully can have a few fresh maters, cukes, and zukes quite late into the fall, to keep my better half happy in the kitchen. Round about mid-September, I can clear out some of the lower foliage, transplant in some late started lettuce, spinach, and other greens, and when the warm-weather crops stall out, cut them off at the ground, and let the cool-weather loving greens keep on growing, keeping them from freezing too badly with the use of this beast

The Barrel Stove

which has been keeping the new seedlings mostly happy since the beginning of April. It burns a stored solid form of solar energy, which we have in abundance in the woodlot. :)

And I would be remiss if I didn't share a shot if this with y'all.

Kiddo seed-starting

One of the best aspects of growing is seeing the kids latching onto the concept. They love to help out in the greenhouse, making soil blocks, putting seeds in, etc. And, they like starting their own seeds, sometimes in soil blocks they made, more often in cut-off milk jugs and little patted out mud-pies with seeds in them. And the excitement when the seeds make an appearance! Makes the modern Ipads/pods, cell phones, and other (often idiotic) gadgets pale in comparison. :)

Well, I better get scooting along, throw some more wood in the greenhouse stove, and wind things down for the evening. Before ending, here's a quick snap of the first flowers of spring

Snow crocuses

in the lovely and gracious Janice's flower garden area alongside the house. They are a bit unhappy, with the gray weather and having had inches of wet snow dumped on them after coming up, but should be feeling better when the sun comes again. :)

In closing, here's a couple "good thoughts", sent to me by an esteemed co-worker/friend. After reading them in my inbox, I hastily dubbed her Madam Doctor of Philosophy. :)

In life, there are 4 things you can’t get back…

The stone
after the throw...

The word
after it's said...

The action
after it's done...

And, the time
after it has passed...

 And, this one.

A teacher walks into a classroom and sets a glass jar on the table. He silently places 2-inch rocks in the jar until no more can fit. He asks the class if the jar is full and they agree it is. He says, “Really,” and pulls out a pile of small pebbles, adding them to the jar, shaking it slightly until they fill the spaces between the rocks. He asks again, “Is the jar full?” They agree. So next, he adds a scoop of sand to the jar, filling the space between the pebbles and asks the question again. This time, the class is divided, some feeling that the jar is obviously full, but others are wary of another trick. So he grabs a pitcher of water and fills the jar to the brim, saying, “If this jar is your life, what does this experiment show you?” A bold student replies, “No matter how busy you think you are, you can always take on more.” “That is one view,” he replies. Then he looks out at the class making eye contact with everyone, “The rocks represent the BIG things in your life – what you will value at the end of your life – your family, your partner, your health, fulfilling your hopes and dreams. The pebbles are the other things in your life that give it meaning, like your job, your house, your hobbies, your friendships. The sand and water represent the ‘small stuff’ that fills our time, like watching TV or running errands.” Looking out at the class again, he asks, “Can you see what would happen if I started with the sand or the pebbles?”

<Thanks again for sharing the above thoughts, R. You made my day. :)>

That's it for today, y'all take care now. :)