4.25.2013

Small Beginings



After what seems like the longest winter in history, spring is finally here. What a relief, and what a joy! It seems that our Wisconsin climate has become prone to wild fluctuations - one year it's so hot and dry that nothing will grow, the next it's too cold and wet.... let's just hope that after this late start we can pull together a decent growing season.

I'm reading Barbara Kingsolver's new novel, Flight Behavior. She is a delightful writer, and one of my favorites. This book tackles the subject of global climate change in a unique way that I've found very insightful and also very scary. What's in store for us in the years to come? Supporting a local food economy and gaining the skills to grow and preserve my family's food seem more important than ever. 



Here's a small step toward that goal. Newly planted seed beds! Most of the early spring planting is done, and I'm beginning to think the seeds might even come up.


A row of Spinach and a row of Kale (Lacinato and Red Russian). This weekend I'll add a row of lettuce and hopefully in a few weeks we'll have baby greens to make salad. I've also seeded radishes, peas, and cilantro. Nothing has broken ground, but hopefully this weekend we'll see some small beginnings.

We started broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, and parsley indoors in March. Most of it is under lights in the basement, waiting for summer weather. The broccoli is hardening off in the patio and will be planted this weekend.


Have I mentioned that we got new chickens? The old flock went to a new home in order to lessen my load of responsibilities when the baby came. These girls are a year old, already laying. They are two Light Sussex, a Sussex/Rhode Island Red cross, and a Blue Marans. Pretty girls, and so nice to have eggs again!



 Strawberries just beginning to make themselves known. We have yet to get a decent crop from this planting - here's hoping this year is our year. How hungry I am for sun warmed, sweet, soft, fresh picked berries!



and then there's this little guy - a seed that was planted over a year ago, and growing at an unbelievable rate. How I'll be able to handle my gardening tasks this summer with him tagging along is still a mystery.


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