What a Wonderful Weekend!!!!

Yesterday had to have been one of the most beautiful days I've experienced this spring!! I know spring hasn't come close to passing, but this is the best spring I've experienced in my life! I usually hate spring because my spring fever gets way out of control. But not this year! Yesterday I enjoyed singing in praise team, church was fantastic, the brunch after church was delicious and Chris' preaching at the Hume Home was great! Then we went home. Lily still hasn't had her baby(ies) yet. Poor kid. But beyond that, Chris grilled venison tenderloins. We also had baked potatoes and asparagus ... OUTSIDE!!!! we ate at the picnic table. I think that is the first time we've eaten there since we got it. We usually eat on the deck, but we haven't put the deck furniture out yet because it needs staining. Then we did a little work on my rototiller, which is just not working. But I decided I'd get some hoe-ing done anyway. Kellie and I worked up 1/3 of the garden and planted peas, onions, spinach and romaine. Then she and I went and walked around the property to peruse stuff we planted last year that. The apple trees are sprouting leave. I think the deer pruned them well. I'm not touching them. The grapes haven't started yet, but I don't think I've seen anybody's started yet. My hostas haven't pushed thru yet, and I'm a bit concerned. We'll see in a couple of weeks. The butterfly bush also doesn't look like much of anything yet. The raspberries and blackberries all have sprouts of greenery - YUM! And then up front, all of the new shrubs are getting ready to put forth leaves. The Black Lace Elderberry bush is going to be pretty!!! The leaves are so dark! And I was ready to get Kellie braced for her hydrangea bush because I hadn't seen any buds on it yet ... until last night!!! It's going to be fine! Yesterday was an absolutely fantastic day!

Spring's Arrival

Spring officially arrived on Saturday at 1pm, and we had snow on the ground. Again. The robins woke up and said BLEEP! No matter ... I just received my newsletter from the Home Depot and found I can plant cool-season vegetable seeds outdoors, including beets, carrots, radishes, parsnips and turnips, as well as leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach, chard, mustard and kale. I do believe I'm planting nearly all of these over spring break, including sugar snap peas. My plans are to go to Menards for seeds (the Alpine one has a huge selection! and they are usually around half price!) after work today.

Naomi had her kid last Monday. A beautiful mostly black baby girl! Lily is next!

Chris informed me that he'd like to see chickens in the garden within two weeks. Wow! He's going to finish up the chicken coop tomorrow.

Hanging Baskets

Kellie has a sports banquet tonight and I'm hoping it gets done a little earlier than 7:30. I have to stop by Aldi's to pick up ingredients for some venison chili I plan to make tomorrow night for our church's 2nd annual chili cook-off on Saturday. Mmm! Then, I'm stopping by Menards (their seeds are all 25% off) for impatiens seeds so I can get my hanging baskets started in the house. Impatiens make such beautiful hanging baskets. I had a little trouble with moisture last year. I'd also like to find a couple of vinca vine or hanging seeds as well to join in with the impatiens. But I really want to save as much money this year as possible. I really don't want to buy a lot of plants if I can get them going with seeds and really have them take root!

More Snow!!! GGGrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

So we got more snow. Now I even more want to start some seeds. My sister-in-law has. I stopped by last night and she has about 9 tomato plants in styrofoam cups and either a broccoli or a cauliflower plant in another. She's real hard core - she starts seeds in egg cartons!!! I'm just looking forward to having a moment to start some seeds!!!! Especially since we just got dumped on with some fluffy lake effect snow. We were only supposed to get 5 inches. I'm sure there is more out by my house. There is 11 inches in Ludington and 7 inches in Grand Haven as of noon, today. At least it will melt fast. This is the time of year to start seeing snow melt and snow fall ... It really kind of sucks! All the snow that's underneath the new fluffy stuff is filthy and everything turns into a muddy mess all over!!

Must ... Start ... Some ... Seeds ... Tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!

To start or not to start ... that is the question

I think I'm going to seed-start my herbs and flowers. I bought several I didn't think I was going to, but I haven't found Winter Savory yet. I also just ordered Joe Pye Weed from the net because I wasn't able to find it where I looked - probably because it is a wildflower. Anyway, I picked up Tarragon, Oregano, Rosemary, Bee Balm, Lavender and Poppies. I'm going to seed start them all, then sell the extra plants. I've got enough pots from stuff I've purchased over the past year, so when they get big I can transplant. Flowerland had all their seeds at 30% off, and if you bought ten, you got a big bag of seed starter soil (originally $20) for $5. I limited my seed purchases to 20 and got two bags for $5. The soil offer was on Saturday only. I'm so glad I listened to the Flowerland show!!! Gotta Love Rick Vuyst!!!

I picked up three new and interesting vegetable choices: Japanese extra long cucumber, a lemon cucumber and chocolate cherry tomatoes! We loved the purple beans so much that we just have to try a few new options.

I also have plans to build a small greenhouse.

Oh, the excitement is building!!! 2 weeks to the home & garden show!!! I'm breaking out with spring fever ... oh boy!

The Vegetables

Kellie and I looked at our backyard space and kind of made a decision as to where we are going to expand our garden. It looks like we'll be making it nearly twice as big.

The vegetables we're going to put in are: purple beans, green beans, wax beans, zucchini, bush cucumbers, bell peppers (assorted colors), snap peas, tomatoes - several varieties, potatoes, carrots, turnips, onions, cauliflower, kale, eggplant, cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, sunflowers and spinach. In the back garden, planted among the weeds, will be pumpkins, gourds, buttercup squash, spaghetti squash, watermelon and cantaloupe.

It's almost time. Almost time to start seed-starting in the house. I'm going to have to buy a bunch more trays and dirt. Kellie and I are working on the shed to get that ready for the chickens, but the shed also doubles as a gardening storage area. It's central to my garden. There is so much to do! Speaking of so much to do, I have to get the tile in my kitchen finished. The 2nd thing I wanted to get done on my day off from work!

February 13 - yee-ha

I am getting excited for winter to be over. My husband bought fresh spinach for me instead of the frozen I thought he would buy. We have been really enjoying it! I made a dish today that I just love - it has spinach, chicken, tomatoes and rice as the basic ingredients, but I think it is the spinach that really pulls the dish together. Anyway, as I was making it, and the later eating it, I was thinking that it would be nice to try the dish with turnip greens. Then I go to thinking about how great a turnip is! You eat the turnip, the bottom part, but you also can eat the leaves that grow out of it! I'm excited to try this come spring. I also think I'll plant spinach in my garden because it is so very good when it is fresh.

I think I'm going to have to expand my main garden to include the blueberry bushes and give me more room to plant other vegetables. I may have to re-plant a couple of my blueberry bushes so they don't come as far as they do; we'll see. I've got a bit of time before I do any of that MAJOR work.

Only a few more weeks and I should be able to see my crocuses peeking through the snow. I'm so glad I planted them. I might have to do a few more this fall. After the crocuses pop up, it will only be a matter of weeks before the tulips and the hyacinths show their pretty green buds.