Who's the Wise Guy?

Some joker planted a little green snake amid the spinach leaves!  As I worked my way down the row, I gave a little jump when I noticed a snake shape in my peripheral vision.  But something wasn't right.  The snake should've be equally jumpy at the sight of me.  Upon closer inspection I found a toy rubber snake. Good one, Rouse!

Despite the little startle, I managed to harvest the red cardinal spinach and picked lots of red russian kale.  We'll be feasting on greens this week.

Asparagus

It surely must be spring!

"Adding a little moisture to the garden?"

Andrew asked as he entered the house, chuckling.  Yes, indeed, the clothesline strung up as plant support has reverted back to its originally intended function.

We're having some repair and renovation work done on the house.  I thought I'd be smart and get in a load of wash before the guys started working in the laundry area this morning.  But when it was time to transfer the towels from the washing machine to the dryer I realized it was no longer vented to the outside!  New siding had been placed yesterday, but the new dryer vent had not.  So out to the garden I went to hang the wash.

The Bush Cherries are Setting Fruit

The Promise of Figs

Fava Beans

The fava beans have been blooming all winter.  They have a lovely, sweet scent.  I've seen bees and other bugs around the flowers.  Wonder if they've been the right kind of pollinators?  A few beans have formed on the plants in the corner of the bed.  Waiting for more ...

Thanks, Buddy!

Andrew couldn't stand it anymore.  He did me a favor ... thinned out the kale and removed the blooming mustard.  The yellow flowers of the mustard will attract "undesirables" to the garden.  Must keep out the riff-raff!

Potatoes Tucked into Lazy Beds

Collect lots of leaves.

Cut seed potatoes and allow them to dry for several days.

Place seed potatoes cut side down on top of the soil.

Completely cover with 6 - 8 inches of leaf mulch.

Bush Cherries are Blooming!

This is the third season the bush cherries have been in the ground.
It is the first time they've bloomed!

Late Winter Garden

March Forth

It really does feel as if winter is behind us. There was a slight chill in the air as I headed outdoors this morning in my long-sleeved sweatshirt. The sweatshirt provided the perfect amount of protection from the March wind, but I soon discovered that sunglasses would be a necessary accessory. The brilliant sun shone down, making for a very pleasant half-day in the garden.

Occasional clouds blew overhead, creating large temporary shadows.  Alas, by 3:00pm the clouds were overtaking the blue sky.  The afternoon took on a decidedly gray character and 51 degrees in the breeze felt a bit cool. No worries! By then, I was in the house, washing and cooking fresh-cut greens for the coming week.

There were plenty of chores to do in the garden.  It's transition time!

Collards

The arugula bolted long ago. The collards and the tender-green mustard began to bolt this week.

Tender-Green Mustard

I left the mustard and the arugula for now, but harvested all the collards. The leaves were sturdy, yet tender ... a dark green that foretells the nutritious deliciousness that is in store. The worn-out broccoli was next in line. After I had cut the last of the tasty side-shoots, I pulled up the plants.  All the leftovers got thrown into the chicken pen.  I prepared that bed - as well as the one next to it, along the chicken fence - for potatoes. The potatoes will be primed and ready to plant in a day or two.

I moved on to the other greens, cutting the mustard that hasn't bolted yet, plus lots of kale, and spinach.

ALL the beds needed weeding. The chick weed in particular is coming on strong.

The bush cherries are blooming! First time since I planted them in spring of 2010.  I'm looking forward to the promise of "highly productive" plants.

The fava beans have been blooming all winter. It's going to be interesting to see the bean pods form and figure out how to eat those things. They require extra processing ... will they be worth the trouble?

I planted an empty bed in beets ... one row of Forono variety, and two rows of Ruby Queen ...and a half bed (next to lettuces and spinach) in a mix of radishes and tendersweet carrots. A few of the peas Andrew planted a month ago have sprouted, but the germination rate was not good. I started soaking some sugarsnap peas yesterday and planted them today to fill in the rows.

Spinach and Lettuce

We will enjoy the fruits of my labor this week ... a big mess of mixed greens, a pot of collards, the last bit of broccoli ... plus spinach and lettuce.  I love this time of year when the greens are plentiful and the bugs are absent!

Planted Potatoes

Lazy beds are made.  Chunks of seed potatoes are tucked in under a thick layer of leaf mulch ...  three rows in each of two beds.  Varieties planted this year:

• Purple Viking 4#
• Yukon Gold 4#
• German Butterball 2#
• French Fingerling 2#

Chunks of seed potatoes drying

The seed potatoes are chunked up - with a minimum of a couple of eyes per chunk - and curing in the breakfast nook.  They'll be dry and ready to plant in a few days.

Mustard is Bolting

The ever-wintered greens have started to bolt.  The mustard is the first to go.  We're still enjoying the kale.