Busy Day

Today was a beautiful and busy day. The temperature was warm, yet cool underneath. The Sun was warm but filtered and soft. The Garden Soil was soft, somewhat moist and very easy to work. All that work on the raised beds and Compost is reaping rewards.

Melanie continued cleaning her Garden Beds in preparation for planting. She pushed aside the Straw, then pulled weeds and winter debris. Then she tossed the weeds and winter debris out to the Chickens who were delighted. Since Straw may be in short supply this summer, she carefully placed the Straw back on the beds. We use a lot of straw as Mulch and for Garden Paths.

I tidied up the Flower Bed which is on the way into the big Garden. I noted with delight that Marcia's Mums and the Prairie Sage are thriving. It was like greeting Old Friends. Daffodils are poking up with some Flower Buds emerging. Plus, the Tulips that Aunt Ruthie sent Mother last Spring are poking up through the Soil. I was really tickled about that. I still have a little work in this bed, but it looks a lot better.

Meanwhile, Richard was planting Potatoes (Pontiacs and Kennebecs) and Onions (Candy and Walla Walla). I helped here too. He readied the raised beds for these root crops on this "root day". He planted 16 pounds of Potatoes and put 4 pounds in the refrigerator for fall planting. We love Fall Potatoes. They have been our greatest success in planting Potatoes. We don't want to use them all up in the Spring.

He planted 11 bundles of supposedly 50 Onion Plants. That's 550 Onions. We love Onions. When almost complete, he counted one of the bundles and found 100 in it, instead of 50. So just maybe, he planted 1100 Onions. We love Onions.

Melanie planted Parsnips, Radishes and Kohlrabi in her clean Garden Beds. She checked her notes from last year and concluded that we are a little ahead of the game of Gardening this season. That was a surprise, since we thought we were behind.

She discovered that we were beginning to put the Cabbages outside for little protected excursions at this time last year. I laughed. I forgot we were supposed to do that. Cabbages are my responsibility. Of course, hardening off is essential to their success. I talked with the Cabbages and let them know that they could go outside tomorrow.

I cruised by one of the raised beds and discovered we have lots of Lettuce Seedlings emerging. And I mean lots which also seems like quite a variety. We discovered 2 years ago that letting Lettuce go to seed produces Seedlings and Plants both in the Fall and Spring. It's like letting Nature do the work in the way that She best knows how. We like that.

By the end of the day, we were feeling pretty good about our progress. We got a lot done. I think we were pretty much working like "clockwork". Richard commented that he didn't even feel tired or stretched, which so often happens those 1st excursions into the Garden. I would have to agree. We each one tended to garden tasks, working intently but not wearing ouselves out. That's a good start to Garden Season 2011.