A Day on the Farm: Trying To Enjoying Spring

Spring is very fickle it comes then goes....  I wish it would stay!  Tired of the cold and ready to plant.  Some crops don't mind the abrupt weather changes.....a little something sweet, rhubarb, and something healthy, asparagus.  

Despite the less than favorable weather everything is waking up after winter.  So beautiful! I love cleaning up a bed and watching new growth come back. Here's what's happening in my yard in May.

The lawn is greening up and all the landscape trees are leafed out. I got control of dandelions using organic methods.

Organic Lawn Care

Irises are starting to bloom.  This one is my favorite.

Perennial ground covers are taking off and doing their job of carpeting the ground.

Hostas have unfolded their leaves and are gorgeous.  Hosts are grown from rhizomes or stolons.  They are a shade loving favorite.

Raspberries have blossoms.

Brambles: Growing Blackberries and Raspberries

Lamb's ear is coming back strong.  I always have to tame this perennial.  If you let it go to seed it will pop up everywhere.

A garden path that meanders through jostaberries, nanking cherry trees, and elderberries.  Edible landscape plants are worth looking at.

Snow in the summer is filling in around spent daffodils.

This is a jostaberry bush which is a cross between a black currant and gooseberry.  A nice landscape bush with edible berries.

Jostaberries Not "Justaberry."

Baptista has gorgeous rich purple blooms which have been used in dyes. This accounts for the common name of Blue False Indigo. The seed pods are interesting too.  Be aware that the seeds  and young shoots which resemble asparagus are toxic. 

Another garden path to enjoy.

Dead nettle with its silver leaves is a  great ground cover. It has violet flowers that grow on short spikes.

Snow in the summer is another nice silver leafed ground cover.  Its grows in dense mounds and is a great choice to help with weed control.

Monarda, Bee Balm, or Bergamot, a name inspired by the sweet smell of the leaves, will provide early summer blooms. It is a member of the mint family and spreads horizontally.  It's flowers are a favorite of bees and hummingbirds.

Attracting Native Pollinators

 A Blue Spruce showing off its new growth.

A view of my backyard.

A Day on the Farm

This week has been busy.  We have had a cold, windy spring that has delayed some planting, so I feel like I am playing catch up.

 I planted potatoes:  Mountain Rose, Sanguine, and Katahdin.  I still have my favorite Purple Viking coming in the mail this week.

Planting onions

I also made bread  to go with the strawberry rhubarb jam I made the other day.  And finally I made some yogurt with my goat milk.

In the garden, I have direct seeded:  peas, spinach, Swiss chard, carrots, beets, Asian greens, kohlrabi, pac choi, Chinese cabbage, green onions, pickling onions, and radishes.

  Growing Spring Greens

Tips on Growing Onions

Meet the Cool Crops of Spring

I moved some transplants out including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and onions.  And of course I have spent hours weeding.  May is always a busy month but can still be unpredictable so have row covers on hand to cover if there is a hard freeze.

The orchard has been fertilized and I will apply the first spray.  I think only the cherries and pears have not frozen.  Watch for aphids aphids this time of year and spray before the leaves start curling too badly.

Organic Orchard Spray Schedule

I love this time of year.  I enjoy planning and planting and then comes the harvests.