6 posts tagged “spring”

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Spring Cleaning, Farm-Style

Farmgirls rule!
Farmgirls rule!
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The BF and I spent Sunday doing spring clean-up at his place. It was only fair, since he helped me spruce up my garden, move the grill, turn the compost, etc. So I put on my trusty overalls, my '50s rhinestone shades, and a pair of work gloves to commence cleanup. See photo at left of me on the 4-wheeler. (I couldn't get the tiara to stay on.) 


Real farm clean up is completely different than here at the Fraudulent Farmstead. Here I bag trash, chop up brush for my mini-brush pile, toss weeds into the compost heap, and mow the yard in about 6 minutes flat. There, we began by picking up deadfall from the trees, throwing them into a trailer hooked to the 4-wheeler. We disassembled a rotting firewood pile, also chucking that stuff into the trailer. Then we drove the 4-wheeler to a spot about 2 miles away, where we dumped all that debris into a gully. The theory is that it will all rot down, and in the process, it helps control erosion in the wash. 

The BF's mom got out the most amazing riding lawn mower I've  ever seen to cut the nearly 4-acre lawn. We dug weeds and unproductive brambles out of the bed we're going to plant with raspberries, in part so that the BF could get to some old pipes sticking out of the pole barn. They ran to the hog waterer (hog waterer!) when the pole barn was a hog house. Then the BF used a torch to cut the pipes off. We also used the 4-wheeler to pull down an old fence and haul that wood to the gully.

Let's review, shall we? 4-wheelers, riding lawn mowers, and acetylene torches. Farm clean up is WAY cooler than here in the city.

With farm dog Dutch
With farm dog Dutch
After a considerable amount of labor, I crashed, leaving the BF to his last job: screwing the tin roof back down to the pole barn in a couple of spots. Fortunately, he didn't fall during this process, as I was not conscious enough to dial 911 had he rolled off the roof.  

Throughly caked in dirt and pollen, we headed inside for showers. (The BF informs me that according to farmer tradition, I should not wash my overalls until they can practically walk by themselves.) We rode the 4-wheeler over to the BF's mom and step-dad's place for steaks on the grill. It was a hugely productive and shockingly fun day. The BF says that if I keep up this way, I might have to drop "fraudulent" from my screen name.

Above, I bond with the BF's cattle dog, Dutch.

2 comments Tags: spring, farm

Ready, Set, Garden!

First tulip!
First tulip!
Spring has officially sprung here at the fraudulent farmstead, even though the weathermen say we're going to have snow this weekend. I say they told us we were going to have blizzards that never happened on three separate occasions, so I'm choosing to believe they don't know what they're talking about.

No doubt about it, spring is here. The grass is greeening up nicely, and the first tulip of the season has arrived. I planted loads of cheap bulbs from Lowes last year. Every fall I think I don't need to plant so many, but every spring I'm glad I did. Especially since the tulips peter out after a year or two.

But not the daffodils! These clumps get larger every year. Plus, they're toxic, so the squirrels don't eat them. The squirrel mafia in my neighborhood love tulip and crocus bulbs almost as much as they love cat food. 
Cat house landscape
Cat house landscape

Another sign of spring: Lou's cat house has moved to the back garden. When the weather warms up, the cat house starts to smell, shall we say, a little ripe. Don't feel too bad for Lou, though. The BF helped me move all the outside furniture out of the garage, so Lou can now lounge on the cushioned wicker furniture on the front porch.

Last Sunday was absolutely gorgeous. The BF and I worked for several hours.  When he asked me where the grill was supposed to go, I said, " Well, it usually goes right where that composter is." In order to place the grill, we had to find a new home for the Biostack. 

We broke down my old heap, including the pallets, which are now in the garage waiting for inspiration to strike. The heap was half-full, which I was thrilled about. The BF figured I had more compost than I knew what to do with, which any gardener will tell you is impossible.

 We spread that compost all over the back garden beds, then raked the huge leaf mould pile out to cover the shade bed. And then we moved the Biostack to where the old heap had been, a task that involved loading the garden cart and two trash cans full of compost-in-progress, disassembling the bin, reassembling the bin in the new spot, and forking all the compost-in-progress back in.

Then the BF did something brilliant with some old brick that ensured the grill did not sink directly into the soil when we moved it into its spot. We topped off the day with kebabs on the grill (the BF does a mean marinade) and dining amid the fruits (and flowers) of our labors. It was a damn near perfect day. Above, Miss Kitty checks the placement of the grill.


It was supposed to storm this afternoon, but instead we had a beautiful, breezy day with passing clouds. After a morning spent beating my income tax forms into submission, I rewarded myself with an hour in the garden. I saw the first bee of the season. He was sleeping in the hyacinth at left.

I transplanted the strawberry plants out of one of the raised beds into a border. I'm going to try my hand at some potatoes in that bed. I bought seed potatoes and onion sets at the Rural King in Monticello, which might just edge out Lowes as my new favorite store. I also got a fantastic pair of Carhartt overalls, which I love with an unreasoning passion. And yes, they are the boys' version.

In other news from the potager, the tomato seedlings have their first set of leaves, although not their true leaves yet. The peppers and eggplant are slower to break through, but I'm checking every day.


The hostas in hosta alley are just starting to crown. I'll be moving some of them to the shade border to make room for my enormous potting bench. You can see at left the watering cans, trash cans, and hoses that already reside there, as well as Miss Kitty checking things out.
Post a comment Tags: spring, bulbs, compost, rural king

Finally! The first daffodil!

First daffodil of spring
First daffodil of spring
I was starting to think I'd never see it. The bulbs in my garden are telling me that we're about three weeks behind. Normally I'd have had at least a few daffodils in mid-March. Anyway, for all my friends who scored "daffodil" on the flower quiz, here you go. We snapdragons will have to wait until summer.

In other news, I spent last Friday planting the peas, lettuce, radish, and carrots in the potager. One of the nice things about raised beds is that the soil warms up more quickly than in the ground. I was able to plant with minimum mess (as those who know me well can testify, I can't do anything without making a mess). Big Lou sat by my side and supervised, occasionally trying to sashay into the raised bed to get a closer look. 

Next up, plant those tomato seeds I've been talking about for several weeks. 
Post a comment Tags: spring, potager, bulbs

Unacceptable!

The first day of spring was Thursday, and yesterday was Easter. Easter always brings to mind for me sunshine, blue skies, soft green grass, and tiny buds on the trees under which little girls in pretty dresses and party shoes hunt for easter eggs and chocolate. Yes, maybe my imagination owes a lot to Technicolor movies, but that's my mental image. So what was this year's Easter like?


We had snow. Snow! It was a pretty snow, granted. Beautiful large Hollywood flakes that just dusted the ground. If this were early February, I might have found it charming. But according to the calendar, it is spring. I don't expect 60 degree temps and a loamy soil dried to the perfect consistency for planting (not anywhere in Indiana, anyway), but it's not too much to expect that Mother Nature refrain from coating everything in white.

Snow! Hmph.

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First day of spring (plus one)

First Crocus
First Crocus

Yesterday was the first day of spring, and we had some glorious weather. Brisk, sure, but blue skies and sunshine. After so much rain, the sunshine nearly made me giddy.

Today skies were grayer, but the temperatures were in the low 60s. I took advantage of this short break in our regularly scheduled spring storms to do a walkabout in the garden. And I discovered the first crocus bud of spring! 

I was starting to think the bulbs were permanently confused. My tulips, daffodils, and crocus shoots all came up at the same time. Normally, I would have seen crocus before now, and the daffodils would be starting. Tulips are usually an April flower for me. But for whatever reason, the tulip shoots are growing like weeds. 

It is awfully nice to see green in that sea of brown and gray. I planted daffodils in a sort of an S-shape in my perennial shade border. Now that the blades are up, it looks like a little creek of green running through the brown landscape.

Spring Fling
Spring Fling

I cut the lavender back to shape it up. You're supposed to prune lavender after the "hard frost," which means after the last time the ground freezes. So I am choosing to believe that mud season is here to stay and the ground is not going to return to its previous tundra-like state. I cut the lavender back by a third, being careful not to cut into the woody part. As long as I prune only the recent growth, the plants shouldn't have any trouble greening up as the temperatures rise. 

At left: Big Lou enjoys himself in the remains of the lavender prunings.


Post a comment Tags: spring, bulbs

Signs of Spring

Huzzah! Spring is nearly here! Here's how I know:


1.  I saw the first shoots of crocus and daffodils today! They may well have been hiding under the snow for a while, but today's thaw let me actually see them. I've been forcing crocus inside too. Those shoots also thrilled me, but not as much as the ones outside that indicate winter's days are numbered!

AND

2. The Indiana Flower and Patio Show is in town from March 8 to March 16. And after the winter, there's nothing like that first flush of inspiration I get from seeing all those flowers in one place. Who cares if they're nearly all hyacinth, tulips, and azaleas? They're flowers! In March! 

Come on, spring!

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