Springing Spring!

If you're here for the pictures, then don't bother scrolling down past this first one--because it's the only one that's "pretty". But the other ones are exciting! and hopeful! and will serve as great time-markers when I am in the thick of it in July and wonder how I and the garden ever got to the jungle that it will be!
Most recent garden activities include: raking, composting, tilling in green manure planted last fall, starting tender annual flower and vegetable seeds indoors, planting cool-tolerant crops directly into the dirt (praise this hill-top soil that is well drained!), organizing, feeling overwhelmed at just how much there is to do, etc etc.














Spring has in fact sprung--pounced like an over-eager lion cub out into the warm grasses of the high-veldt (so cute, yet so dangerous). Already I am avoiding the hoophouse midday because it is hot! in there. The soil is warming up nicely since my father and I unrolled and reattached the plastic, and will welcome the tomatoe and cucumber plants at the end of this month. It is tempting to put them in there now, but I know better ;).














Let's see: a sampling of the hundreds of seedlings that I have started over the last week, each type of seed with it's own soil and moisture and temperature requirements. Why can't we just stick them in the microwave for germination? (has anyone tried that?!?!)





























Not much color on the farm, but I have to remind myself that it is only the 21st of April in these northern parts, and though the thermometer is steadily in the 70s in the daytime and low 40s at night, just a week ago there were significant amounts of snow in a lot of shady places (including a huge glacial mound in front of the tool shed here. And that's Sadie at the edge of the picture, my landlady's shy old pup.

You got two lips?



















The garlic is up and looks great, way better than last year. Am expecting harvest from 3, 75 foot rows. I wonder how a winter with little sub-surface freeze will affect their vigor and performance?



















At the end of the day, I say, "Keep on-comin', Spring!" (and don't be giving us any of that non-sensical may-weather-rollercoaster..... Just steady eddie.)