Hi friends! Did the weekend treat you well?
The Viper Pilot had Friday off so we made the best of our three day weekend by doing some much needed yard work.
This time last year, we were just getting around to building the garden before he deployed. (The linked post was written a week after we learned Owen was on his way, hence the enormous smiles despite the fact he was about to go off to war.) Spring was in the air but the stubborn winter chill was lingering.
This year is a completely different story. The Viper Pilot grew up on a farm and I figure he knows a thing or two about growing things. 😉 He told me his dad always said it would be time to plant when the trees started to bud. Not the bushes or fruit trees, they sometimes miss. But the trees know when spring is here, they never miss the onset of spring. There is no arguing that the fruit trees are budding and the other trees are beginning to get the green glow.
Our backyard:
Birds have built a nest on the patio like they did last year. The tulips are declaring that spring is here, also.
The signs of spring are everywhere, you can’t argue with any of it. We decided to go for it and plant the garden, hopeful that Mother Nature doesn’t let us down. I have a feeling she won’t.
This photo was taken on Friday and… |
…this was taken today (Monday). Same flower. HELLO spring! |
We started by weeding and tilling up the dirt in the vegetable garden. It hasn’t rained in a while (we are still in Germany, right?!) so the ground was dry and tough. Owen napped in the Boba carrier while I raked and broke up dirt chunks. I’ve done yard work at 37 weeks pregnant and with a 4 month old baby strapped to me. In case you’re wondering, it was easier when he was in my belly. Workout for the day? Um yeah, check.
When the baby woke up, we went to our local greenhouse to get the goods.
Several of my herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano) survived the winter or rather, “winter” since we didn’t even see snow this year. Parsley is just starting to peek out of the ground, which I didn’t expect after digging it up last fall.
My rhubarb grew back also, and it is almost ready to harvest. The garden already has a good start, and I’m really excited about what we added to it.
What we planted:
dill
cilantro
basil
tomatoes
broccoli
cauliflower
butternut squash
zucchini
celery
green beans
peas
sweet corn
spinach
radishes
carrots
red potatoes
sweet potatoes
Owen and Elle supervised while we planted.
We also added a few more strawberry plants to the patch. Last year was the first year of strawberries so the produce wasn’t spectacular, but the patch looks good and we expect a better crop this year. We filled in the blank spots with a few new plants.
I’m going to chop up and freeze the rhubarb for a strawberry rhubarb pie when the strawberries come in. If you have never had a strawberry rhubarb pie, please contact me for my grandma’s incredible recipe. Where I grew up, it was a summer staple but in my years living all over, I’ve met several people who look at me like I have a third eye when I talk about it and some people don’t even know what rhubarb is. The horror. You can’t live without strawberry rhubarb pie, people. You just can’t.
I plan to make Owen’s food from the garden when he starts on solids in a few months so I’m hoping for a good production this year from the garden. My garden last year was kind of a flop, but now that Farmer Viper Pilot is here to help and teach me, I expect it will go better. The only thing we are unsure about are the potatoes – they’re an experiment.
Vegetable garden completed, we moved on to the flowerbeds. Weeds grow so fast, it’s hard to keep the big flower bed clean once it gets out of control. We’re going to plant wildflowers to fill it in once the tulips are done. Things didn’t start growing until after the Viper Pilot deployed and I had little to no energy to clean it out last spring. Yard work just isn’t the same without my partner in crime – we really enjoy working in the yard together. Needless to say, it got out of control and I just let it go. With him home this year, it will be easier to keep things neat, tidy, and pretty.
I also didn’t see the point in planting many flowers last summer (what a depressing summer that was, fortunately I was growing a small human to keep things exciting) but we intend to have a few get-togethers with friends in our backyard soon (it begs to be used for entertaining) and we want to keep it spruced up. We’re also going to put in an outdoor fireplace. But for now, I’ve planted flowers in the window planters and filled in the smaller flower beds. I just love ranunculus and hydrangeas. Gah, those colors!!
And petunias in the kitchen window. Purple petunias. My favorite color is purple. 🙂
I love gardening. It’s so rewarding to cultivate a garden: hands in the dirt, nugget in the sun, heart with nature. I do it not just to feed the body, but the soul. Flowers always make people happier. Gardening may require labor and attention but it is a great way to relax. I view it as another form of creating and playing with colors. I am still working on my green thumb and I tell myself a good garden may have some weeds. It was once said that children, marriages, and flower gardens reflect the kind of care they get. Well crap. We’ll just have to see about that… 🙂
After a full day of yard work and fresh air, we were all tuckered out. Once the baby was in bed, we built a fire in the fire pit and grabbed a bottle of vino we brought back from Italy last year. It was the perfect way to end the day.
I’ll be back later with the rest of our weekend adventures.
Hey, have any of you gotten your first Stitch Fix yet? Do tell!!
PROST!