that eternal bubbling

A heavy crop of snow.
Once again the blog is the last thing on my mind, but I do want you to know that as I wander and work, my camera is always with me.  I capture this and that with the good intention of turning it into a blog post.  For instance, this pic is from my walk on Saturday morning- after Mother Nature thought it would be cute to dump 14 inches of snow on us as an April Fool's joke.  This poor little guy wasn't laughing-

A mighty little force of nature.

He was on my trail, in a rut as deep as a railroad tie- how something so fragile, so tiny could survive a snow storm in Maine and remain intact is another great mystery I hope I never solve.  I picked him up quite gingerly, my heart sank as I figured he was as good as dead- but apparently the warmth of my hand was all he needed to revive.  I placed him inside my coat and turned around early from my walk- I needed to get this little fellow into my warm seed shack until Spring really came for him.  Just as I rounded the bend on the lane, up and out he fluttered- to an old dead Birch tree near my mailbox- maybe the loosened bark on that tree would serve a cocoon like purpose.  It still amazed me, the whole small experience of finding a butterfly in April in Maine in a foot of snow....

Raised beds in the hoop house- snow bank outside.

And those seeds started in the seed shack in March in Maine are now doing quite well.  We have 31 flats started and are fixing to start about 20 more if I can make more room.  The Asian greens are already to be put into a colder climate as well as some turnips I started- I know, I know but I can't help my self.  I'm a Midwesterner by birth and now is the time to plant this stuff!  Last year at a market I sell at, some folks thought I was a witch or something- bringing greens and radishes to fruit too early for mere mortals- nah, I just don't know any better.   What's a little snow or frost- that's what they make plastic blankets and straw for.                                                                                                                                                           

I haven't had the best of luck recently- on a beautiful perfect day I wrecked my truck.  Blueberry pie went flying, accelerator had a mind of it's own and frost heaves in the road set it all in motion.  I hurt my pride and my shoulder but all else worked out.  Although- take this to heart and heed it from someone who wished they had.- 

If you get a recall on your vehicle- do as it says.  I just received mine in the mail two days prior to the accident- it encouraged me to remove the floor mat- this encouragement I did not read until after the wreck.  If only...

Well, that's just about it in a nutshell- seeds are started, more work to do there.  Snow is covering this lovely land but surely will recede soon when the temps hit the 50 mark, as they are rumored to do come midweek.

Guineas do not like the white stuff.

I hope your Spring is bringing that eternal bubbling about in your veins, may you feel looser, may you be free to wander and wonder at the small things bursting through the earth just at your feet.  Something in that tiny stem excavates a person's soul from the deep, cold trenches of winter- the thaw begins as light reaches in and all is made anew once more.  

Take care-

Hoop-Dee-Do House

Good Spring morning where ever you are!  I had to give the Big Fish a ride to work this A.M, his Toyota being on the blink- and I was able to greet the sun properly.  It seems that buds are ready to burst, birds are building and filling nests and mosquitoes are out lusting for blood already.  No fear, I have a netted type of gear that is supposed to keep them at bay (when I mention this to a true Mainer, they just chuckle and say "wait and see").  In one months time I shall have Guineas on the place, they do keep the bug population down- but from the size of the mosquitoes I've seen, they may need a fork and knife or protective netted gear too.

The man has finished the green/hoophouse, I have christened it the "Hoop Dee Do House",  because every time I'm in it I wonder- why the heck wasn't I having this much fun before?  It is a marvelous device-and right in the ground whether it's rain or shining- seeds are planted, tomatoes are started and should it begin to sprinkle, the soft pelts of the raindrops on top of the plastic are downright mesmerizing- and the soily perfume smell is just plain heaven.
  The farm time clock is running, the numbers just drop away and a sense of flow begins.
  I do believe it is too early to be too hopeful about putting too much in the ground right now- but the hay bale gardens are full with lettuce and radishes, the mini cloche is full of weeds yes, but also chard, radishes and I forget.  Just wanted to get it established in March, so as to show the man that one can grow certain crops in cold weather with a minimum amount of protection.   Today, with this sunshine- my wearied back will get a work out as we have had all gardens tilled but still they need raked and cover crops planted and dill needs to get involved as does broccoli, more beets, more radishes, more lettuce, more arugala, onions, potatoes and soon, I'll be adding perennial horseradish and asparagus to the mix.  Two cherry trees are arriving Wednesday, can't live without my pie cherries...and the herb garden must be put in soon.

Oh!  The butterscotch birds will be here soon as well, Buff Orpingtons- my favorite chicks, hardy, happy built for cold weather poultry.   Now whether the Labs will prove to be better guard dogs of the flock than they were in Illinois remains to be seen...as so much here still remains to be seen.  I know hardly nothing of the foliage of the weeds, even the soil is completely different from what I'm use to- but, I'm willing to learn and every day finds me in the classroom that is my new home.

Take care-

the ever loving wintah garden

"...oh my my, oh hell yes...honey put on that party dress..."



That lyric pretty much sums up what I have been doing with my time and the BF for the last several days. Well, it's not totally accurate... we have been working!



He: painting trim, unable to vacation-artisitic creative type.



Me: working at the cafe, enjoying the sunshine and the good company.



We: Eating! Dating! (Actual dinner dates and musical venue things, and wine tasting...)



Oh, the working part...we have now prepared (for early Spring dining) the ever loving winter garden.

This is what as known as the lazy woman's cold frame. The lazy woman goes to the hardware store to pick up painting supplies for the hard working man. She spies garden seeds that act like a magnet, compelling her to "come and just look at all the new organic seeds..." She is drawn by forces greater than her, like a bee to honey, like a butterfly to milkweed, like a zombie to...not sure exactly what zombies are drawn to, but anyway- I've seen a few, and they look just like I do in the gardening center of any store.

So, naturally- I pick up only a few greens and radish seeds and forget something in particular the man needed for a job he wanted to do on the windows. As I enter the threshhold of the newly almost finished painted door way...the Big Fish senses my glee, he figures I got paint brushes at a discount or something. "Nope!!" I say, "I have some lettuce seeds for the straw bale greenhouse I'm going to build!"

It is then I realize that this man truly loves my free thawing spirit, for he only smiles and says, "Deah, isn't it a bit too cold still for this?"
The second the light of joy starts to lose it's glimmer from my eyes, the luster of hope and possibility- he instantly retracts the last statement, doesn't even say a thing about me forgetting the most needed supplies and instead offers, "well, when do you want to construct this wintah garden?"

When I returned home from work yesterday afternoon, the BF, the sweetest guy I know- tells me to get some wine and glasses, grab my seeds and "let's plant them!"

(please note: we had earlier prepared the ground, strawbales, and covered with window frame to heat up the soil about a week ago.)

I'll let you know if the seeds germinate, and in case you're wondering...I do this every year about this time and I do actually eat greens and radishes round about Easter. But never had I enjoyed the process as much as I did this year...

Take care-

Ruth Stout is my hero

Good morning. I'm thinking this day too much of gardening. I want to put my cloches up, those are like little mini hoop houses. They're easy to install- I just take welded wire, shape it into long caves, insert wire edges into ground and cover with visqueen or whatever random plastic that may be laying around. I'm very technical. Sometimes, before I put the metal "caves" down- I put down black paper or loads of hay, to keep the weeds out and the insects guessing. Mostly I use tons of hay, the Ruth Stout method...she had hay mulch down to an art. She wasted no energy fretting about weed invasion, nope! She'd just plunk a flake of hay on top of an emerging weed and simply walk away, whistling. She is my hero. Her books, if you can find them- are full of common sense and humor. I wished I could have met her- she seems like such a lovely woman, glad to be alive while poking good clean fun at the "experts". She was a sharp old dear, and didn't take any crap from anyone- unless it might help her garden grow. Then she'd just plunk it down, and yep...cover it with hay.
Yes, this day finds me yearning to begin the farming...but, it is cold and solid and frozen outside. Snow is on the ground again. I'd sure like to at least get in a cold frame(again, my technical example:) Take 4-8 bales of straw or hay, make a rectangle with them, make sure the earth within their frame is clean of debris and weeds. Now, go out to the corn crib- find an old storm window, wash it so the glass is clear, not so anciently dusty opaque...lay it atop those straw bales. Wait. In a few days, the sun will have efficiently heated the earth there, now- scatter some seeds like lettuce, arugula(my very favorite!), radish, kohlarabi, etc. Moisten the ground. Place window back over the bales. Come back tomorrow. Where there is no condensation, there is an air leak...pull out a handful of straw and stuff it right around the air leak. Do this for several days. After several days, condensation should take care of your watering needs. If it should snow, leave it atop there- that is a wonderful heat insulator. In 3 weeks +, eat some baby arugula or lettuce- enjoy the winter growth with a homemade vinagrette- remark to the children, "I grew this!" Watch their faces say-"So what!!" Shrug it off and enjoy the peppery arugala, be glad. (Though, vow to make the children sorry some day for not appreciating winter growings. Vow to take their children aside in confidence and share all the horrible growing up stories, shock their children, validate the feelings that their parents are crazy...make them see, that yes! Parents are a mess... rebel! You must rebel! (Grandma is sweet and always right...) and then send them home to their unsuspecting parents. That's my plan, my evil get back at them some day plan...)

 How do I know all of this? I don't. I just try it, see how cheaply, frugally, simply I can get by. Let the sun and the earth and all the elements do most of the work for me. The straw bales just end up as compost later, so it never matters if they get wet and boggy...just throw them on the heap or simply work them into the ground where they're sitting. I'm quite the lazy gardener. I'd rather get it planted and watch. Sit. Be amongst it. Take it all in, nibble or graze while I'm out there. AAhhhh, dreaming my farmer's dreams in February...seed catalogs will have to suffice for now, kind of like the pin up porno stuff of gardening. Stay warm. Take care-