May 5, 2015

early April garden…

early May garden…

What a difference a month makes in springtime!  All the spring crops are in and thriving, though we have Jack Frost still visiting some nights.  Because the tender lettuce can get frost burned, we close the cold frame at night and I have started using floating row covers.  I pull them off in the morning, letting the spring sunshine warm up the broccoli and cauliflower, and then put them to bed in the evening.  I like my little ritual after dinner while the kids get ready for bed…and those row covers are brilliant ~ I’m not sure why I haven’t used them before.

the peas are up!

just thinned the spinach

popping up here, there, and everywhere…little purple explosions of delight

We have had a wonderful spring of nettles this year.  Last summer, I mowed over my fair sized crop, with the intent of moving the patch alongside our creek.  Little did I know that they loved the mow down and sprang up in the hundreds!

Nettles also go so very well with spring morels, too.  We have a little patch of these tasty mushrooms at the top of our property.  It is such fun to go hunting for them after a good rainy spell, followed by a day or two of sunshine.  They are one of the few mushrooms that agree with my belly and we sautee them with garlic and butter…delicious!

Root ~ Onions, leeks, carrots, beets and potatoes have all been planted.  We are eating way less potatoes now since we have gone carb free for dinners, so I abandoned my earlier plans for a large potato bed and instead, planted more carrots and leeks.

Leaf ~ We are eating salads every night now.  Fresh lettuce just tastes so very good!  As I already said, the nettles are plentiful and the beginning of our spinach harvest is not too far away.  I am waiting for our last frost date, usually the end of May, for putting out the cabbages I started indoors.  The bok choy and kale are outside, but there is very little frost burn so far.  All 45 basil plants are thriving indoors, too.  And I finally started my asparagus patch.  I have waited and waited for the right spot, and finally I have it.  Every evening, I go and kneel down in front of the mounds of earth, searching for the emergence of tiny white spears.  I feel such joy if I spot a little tip peeking out, and then I add more compost and soil on top.  Only a gardener might appreciate the thrill I feel as I wait for those spears emerge!

Flower ~ I have lots of flowers started and waiting to be set out (zinnias, calendula, marigolds, straw flowers, nasturtiums, Echinacea, foxglove), though there are some dahlias in the ground already, buried deeply.  The broccoli and cauliflower are under floating row covers at night with the best looking starts I’ve ever begun with vigorous, thick stalks…so excited for them as they are such a mainstay of our dinners.

Fruit ~ My tomatoes and peppers are growing like weeds under the lights inside our house, while I wait as patiently as I can for an opportunity for my husband to begin our new, temporary greenhouse.  Meanwhile, in the next few days I will be starting zucchinis, squashes, and pumpkins indoors.

Every day there is more lushness as the vivacious green of spring spreads.  The grass is growing thick and long, buds are popping out on tree limbs, and the dandelions are abuzz with honey bees from the neighbours hives.  I just love the promise of Life Anew that this time of year brings.