Despite the return of quasi-normal weather for this time and these parts, I'm still feeling that getup and go when I look out on our garden beds... honestly, not all of them are sleeping like they should be, and because our seasons were so willy-nilly, I didn't winter any of the beds in the hopes that I could squeeze just one more carrot, bunch of chard, or head of lettuce out of 'em. Knowing that they were denied the attention they deserved brings up a little guilt with my longing glances out the kitchen windows, too.
SO, bright and early, we wrapped up in grubby layers and dug in!
Over the weekend, I had procured a half-yard of compost from our most lovely local nursery (our compost bin only produces about enough compost for 1/4 of the garden every six months or so, so we supplement).
There's nothing better than looking out on the dull grayish-brown of a winter garden and seeing rich black piles of compost resting tantalizingly on top. Well, it might be second to the look of a garden that's actually full of growing things... but it's a close second.
Now... what to do with all this good stuff? Why, mix it in and plant stuff in it, of course! In our area, we can start planting things like onion bulbs, beets, and carrots as early as February. I know it seems early, but we moved quickly last year, too, and didn't regret it for a second with how fiercely and intensely summer set upon us!
Aaaaaand that's where the morning found us yesterday- before Henny's early nap was even half over, we were shoveling, hoeing, and poking "littletiny baby onions (as Audrey says)" and beet seeds into the ground. We were also-
- learning about the seasons
- learning about the life cycles of grub worms (sigh)
- listening to and identifying bird calls
- working on following directions and cooperation
- talking about the difference between morning, afternoon, and evening as we watched the sun come up over the hills around our house
Oh, how we love our garden space, and the time spent together in it!
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