Thursday, May 12, 2016

Around the Garden










It's time, my friends, for a first peek around the garden. I honestly can't tell you how happy I am that gardening season has returned, it feels so good to be out there soaking up the sun, planting seeds, tending and nurturing the soil. It's good work, soul filling work, and I am enjoying it immensely.

For the most part, all the beds were ready to go, prepped last fall so they would be all set to go this spring. It took me years to get into this rhythm, and now that it is firmly cemented, it makes me so happy. In the spring I can literally walk out there and start planting seeds in the earth. One bed needs a little tending, the fall/winter garden, and that will get some time this weekend.

Seeds have been planted, and are sprouting already...kale, Swiss chard, spinach, a variety of salad greens, carrots, snow peas and sugar peas. We enjoyed our first harvest from the garden last weekend...nettles. Did you see the patch above, it is amazing, I could just stare at it all day. The garlic is up, the strawberries have been uncovered, the raspberries and blackberries are unfurling, the blueberries have buds and the asparagus is peeking through the ground. It is such an exciting time of year in the garden, and I love watching it all come alive.

The herbs are doing well. Comfrey and motherwort are growing well, yarrow, bee balm, lemon balm, and St John's wort are green and vibrant, and the chives, well they look amazing.

Life will definitely be a little different on our homestead this summer. Not only will I be tending and nurturing all the gardens, but the work of cutting the grass, and keeping up on general yard work now falls to me, and my little Farmer Boy. We worked together last weekend to cut the grass, him using a push reel mower, and me using a self propelled gas mower. It was fun working together, cutting the grass, and tending our land. Let's hope that fun carries us through the summer.

So there you have it, a first peek around the garden. If there is one thing I know for sure about this coming summer, it is that Reece and I will be spending a lot of time out in the yard and gardens, it is how our summers are usually spent, and I can't wait.

How are things around your garden?

36 comments:

  1. I'm having some severe garden envy. So beautiful!

    www.melodramaticadventures.com

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    1. Aw, thanks. It has been a long road to get to this point, but so worth it :)

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  2. Every time I see pictures of your garden, I fall in love with it all over again! It looks like a very happy place to be. :-)

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    1. Thank you Anke. It is a happy place to be, I always feel so alive out there.

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  3. Hello my friend, how fun to have everything sprouting.
    We started planting this week... Nothing has really sprouted but the arugula and the asparagus, but our spinach actually survived winter! Apparently, spinach decided it wanted to be a perennial. LOL! So we have been eating handful of spinach everyday. As of a few days ago, the nights were still dipping under zero, but we should get much closer to normal temps now so I'm hoping all that should be sprouting will start sprouting soon. *fingers crossed*

    Happy gardening my dear!

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    1. It is exciting and fun! I love my daily walks around the garden, noticing what is coming up, and how things change overnight. Such an amazing time of year.

      Happy gardening to you too! Hope all is well in your world. xo

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  4. It sounds like you're all ready for the new growing season. I always enjoy seeing your beds, it looks very organized and neat. Good luck with the season!

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    1. I am ready, although there is always work to be done :) Thank you!

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  5. This was a breath of fresh air. The Earth comes round full circle again. How very different things are this year for the both of us. It's nice to see some things are still the same.

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    1. Aw, thanks my friend. It does that doesn't it, keeps right on turning, even amidst the messiness of life.

      Yes, different indeed, but good too :)

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  6. Everything looks wonderful Kim, those nettles are amazing. I have lots of nettles too but they grow where they like here! In the last few days we have had some warmth and lots of sunshine and everything has sprung into life, I have never known a spring come on so quickly. Some of the seeds I sowed at the weekend are coming up which is so exciting. I love this time of year!

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    1. Thank you! I am so happy with the nettles. I planted one plant three years ago, and it has really taken off. It makes my heart happy to see it growing so well. So glad you are getting some warmth and enjoying the sprouting seeds too. Soak it all up my friend. xo

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  7. Your garden looks like it is springing into life. How wonderful! How wonderful too to be sharing that with your boy; the work involved in tending a garden and also the joy of it all. Meg:)

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    1. It is, in a big way right now. We have had some beautiful sunny days, and some rain mixed in, which is perfect for the garden. It is so lush and green out there right now.

      I am so happy that my little man likes to me out there as much as I do, but honestly, it is all he knows, from the time he was born has been out there with me, tending and nurturing. I must admit he doesn't always help in the garden, he is at times playing, chasing chickens, building a fort or climbing a tree, but he is close by and understands the work and effort that goes into growing our own food.

      Thanks for stopping by Meg.

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  8. It all looks so great! So happy for you! We are already moving on to summer things like tomatoes and zucchini! :)

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    1. Thanks KC! Wow, that is awesome. I always love how different our growing seasons are.

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  9. I love it, isn't it just best time when everything starts coming up? Hopefully Reece will love tending to the yard as much as you do :) I'm still working on my girls! Things around here are crazy. I guess summer started a while ago and we have things bolting due to the heat. Round 2 in May? Crazy. Oh well, I'll take it. Glad you are getting in some good garden time, looking forward to seeing it grow. xoxo :)

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    1. Oh it is, and it makes me so happy. I think he will, although I am sure the excitement of cutting the grass will wear off soon :)

      Bolting already, that is crazy! Enjoy that weather, we have snow in the forecast for tonight :(

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  10. Oh happy day! I love those little green shoots. Just beautiful!

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  11. So nice to start reading garden updates again - spring is such an exciting time eh?
    Sounds like your garden is growing great...and you'll be busy this summer. Looking forward to seeing what treasures you harvest this season.

    We just started working on the garden. Not much yet - http://theplaceunderthepine.blogspot.ca/2016/05/garden-2016-first-update-of-season.html

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    1. It is an exciting time. And I too love seeing all the garden posts start to pop up :) It is growing well so far, and I hope that continues.

      Happy gardening Matt, to you and your family.

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  12. How delightful to see your garden!!! I know the two of you can do anything :)

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    1. Thanks Karen, your vote of confidence makes me smile :)

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  13. Your garden always amazes me. I can't wait to get ours started. We have the first box built but then the weather turned grey and we haven't been able to get anything done out there!

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    1. Aw, thanks. I do love my time out there, it fills me up. That is so exciting. I look forward to seeing your garden grow this summer.

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  14. I so love me also this revival of nature when temperatures begin to warm and life re-emerges from the earth, and it's really so good to read news of your beautiful garden dear friend! xo

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    1. It is such a beautiful and soul filling time of year. So glad you are enjoying it too. xo

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  15. As ever i'm dumfounded by how much you get done!!! You garden is such a wonderful looking place, sounds like Reece loves it as much as you do. We've put in potatoes and some salad greens in the tunnel, and i've started some kale in a jiffy planter indoors. With Tino we have made a small herb spiral around the back of the house. Looking forward to seeing more garden pictures.

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    1. Aw, thanks my friend. We both love being out there. I feel a little behind this year, it was a very long winter, and took forever to warm up. Hopefully this weekend, with sunshine and much warmer temperatures, will allow me to catch up a bit.

      A herb spiral, how exciting, will you share on your blog soon. Would love see it. Happy gardening my friend. xo

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  16. Great great garden! I hope ours will look like that in some years in our new house!!! Love to come back todayon Internet to read your blog my dear friend! We will be back in France next week... And go straight to our new garden!

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    1. Oh my friend, I am sure it will. It will take time, but it will all fall into place, I just know it!

      Back already! Time really does fly. I got your letter a few weeks ago, thank you. It was so nice to hear from you. Travel safe on your journey home. We have a little birthday gift for Issa, so we will get it packaged up and put it in the mail. Much love to all of you. xo

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  17. Hurray for these posts being back again. I love having a tour of your garden, and it's looking wonderful already. Ours is coming more under control each week, but we are still maybe about 20 years away from the point where we'll feel the need to have a lovely, neat bed of nettles! There are nettles galore out there, all over the place! But my veggie beds are doing really well and happily are nettle free. We've had lots of rain and a reasonable amount of sunshine so everything is growing really well. Everything apart from the carrots - I've had 2 attempts at those so far, their little green shoots appear above the surface and then within a couple of days they're gone again. I think I'm going to have to try again but net them. We have a couple of pheasants roaming around which may be the problem, and also at least one rabbit - which worries me hugely, I keep thinking I'll head out there one morning and find there's been a massive rabbit rave all night and everything has been eaten!

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    1. Aw, thanks Sally. It feels so good to be out there again, working and tending the garden. Haha, that bed of nettles will soon be out of control, although it is going to be cut back pretty severely this week as I harvest a lot of to dry for tea :)

      Sorry about your carrots, they can be finicky, fingers crossed the next planting takes. And a rabbit....good luck. You may have to invest in some protective fencing to keep that rabbit at bay :)

      Happy gardening my friend. I can't wait to see your garden grow this summer. xo

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