Spring is a crazy time. It is like taking off from the starting blocks after the "spring" gun has been fired. Nature has it down pat - knows the order of things that need to be done and does them well. Myself....well, ...not so much. I have to make myself a list of specific things that need to get done during my days off or I will simply stand around outside and marvel at all the amazing things that have popped up in the last four days. That, or I get so overwhelmed that I start scampering around like a squirrel from project to project without ever really accomplishing anything at all.
Planting - that is the typical "to do" project at this point, especially for cool season crops - those that do best when the weather is cool and rainy, and lately, it has been very cool and rainy.
Thus far I have managed to get the following planted in between rainy days:
- Peas - always the first in the ground as they will grow when it is miserably cold and rainy
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Peas - Spinach - I started this one really early mainly because I was curious as to whether or not my seeds would germinate - I am happy to say that they did.
- Lettuce - of course this gets planted about every 3 weeks so that we will have a constant supply of it during the summer.
- Carrots - again, one of many plantings
- Potatoes - most of them are planted, still waiting on a few to sprout before dropping them in the ground.
- Onions - they like the cold weather as well and I need them to be ready for making marinara as soon as the tomatoes are ready.
- Leeks - Potato soup wouldn't be the same without leeks
- Arugula - a friend of mine had too much planted so she handed some off to me
- Fennel - same friend planted too much fennel
Fennel - Broccoli - this I had planted in-doors weeks ago and it needed to go outside because it was becoming to "leggy" in the house
- Cabbage - also outgrowing its pots in the house. Needed room to grow.
- Corn - my 6-year-old corn fanatic helped me drop in the first round of corn
- Garlic - this has actually been planted since last November and has been growing since March, but for the sake of completeness I include it here.
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| Spinach |
Making a list like this always makes me feel better on cold, rainy days such as this when I find myself pacing around the house thinking that I should be outside doing something - I can look at it and feel as though maybe I can take a little time off to enjoy a few of my other favorite things such as reading, writing and puttering in the flower garden. Planting, I always have to remind myself, is the easy part. Planning where things will go, tilling up the soil, raking and planting is relatively straight forward and there will be a small lull in the action as everything germinates and takes hold, but then the weeding and mulching begins.
So, crazy as it is, I am trying to enjoy this chaotic time of planning and planting because it really is one of the easier times during the course of the growing season. Soon the days wills will stretch late into the evenings and my squirrel like scampering will become a daily activity as the weeds all outdo themselves to be the tallest and deepest rooted in the garden and threaten to bury my vegetables alive, and then the crops of fruits and vegetables start rolling in and need to be jellied, pickled, frozen, dried, and canned. There will come a time sometime in deep August where I will long for frost if only to catch my breath, but for now I will sprint on and try to keep pace with Mother Nature if only for a while before she leaves me in the dust.
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