A Garden Year ~ April ~

....And all things Farmy

 Life returning the Sage

I just sort of bungled thru April. As usual impatiently waiting for the garden to dry out only to blow the motor on the tiller (long story about boys learning how to use farm equipment). Fortunately a few days later, after it rained cats and dogs again, the parts came in and the tiller became whole once more. 

It's these times that I realize that I am not an intuitive gardener. I do this because I love to and it is good for me to do.

 Garlic Patch (1 of 2). All the garlic from both patches came up! What a encouraging site to see all that planted greenery. Not sure about the yellow leaves tho.

 Peas are up several inches!

   Poor pathetic cabbages - first I let then freeze (which simply could have been avoided by covering with a piece of plastic) now the new leaves are getting bite up by something. I briefly read somewhere about flea beetles and coffee grounds. So the cabbages got the coffee ground treatment. I'm sure that it is too early for flea beetles but maybe the ''whatevers'' will be discouraged.

   It is still very cold at night and the temp did not get above 55 this week after the rain so I decided not to be too anxious in getting the rest of the garden out.

 Now, next week looks wonderful!

 Tomatoes, flowers and herbs impatiently waiting for next week! Here is where our hoop house would be very helpful, but I decided to leave that project for now. I left the peppers and eggplant inside, as well as the celery and asparagus - they got a late start anyhow.

 I did get the strawberries thinned and untangled. Some under black plastic and most in the straw.
We set a guide fence for the raspberries and mulched them as well.
 A few weeks ago it looked like my grapevines made it, but I have yet to see any budding except on one vine.

Spinach, Kale, and Lettuce are up and running!

 The apple trees are blooming even the two that dumb goat broke down last fall (I duct taped them back together)! Now what are those brown spots? I am completely ignorant about fruit trees. In West Virginia they were just there, in every old farm site there were always fruit trees. We never sprayed them or pruned them we just ate from them. I just need to read Holistic Orchard an get edicted.

 The lone plum bloom.

 I love my comfrey. I am just about out of last year's salve making infusion.

Meet Lamby and Peep!

 We found a secret setting spot behind the feed bin in the milk room. I love finding these setting hens going about their own business increasing our flock!

Speaking of milk room: I have milked Daisy twice now. Her teats are small but manageable. We'll set up the dog cage in the barn and separate them from their mama for regular milkings this week end.

This duck is setting on well over a dozen eggs! We lost a few ducks over the winter so I will be glad to get their numbers back up again.

This is actually the real first sign of Spring and good weather!