Spring is sprung; a song is sung!
The bush, lima and pole beans have peeked through the soil in our garden plot. Seeds are such a miracle; all of that life just sitting around dormant, waiting for the right combination of water, sun and soil to awaken and begin the cycle. These are heirloom seeds that I got from Victory Seed Co. and I've also planted some cucumbers and collard greens in one section of the field. The other side is being prepped for the planting of okra, muskmelon, onions and corn.
We got four tomato plants from Lowe's last fall and after an understandably long initial growing period, they began bearing fruit in early winter and are still kicking out some tremendous growth. It was my first tomato growing experience and some tasty salads and omelets came about as a result. There are a few mammoth fruits on the vine and the plants have thinned out to what looks like the end of the season. This is the shady part of the plot and they struggled to find sunlight, so I know not to replant in that area. Oddly enough, there are no trees on our property, but we are ringed by tall oaks and sycamores, so not only are there scattered opportunities for sunlight, we also have massive leaf and pollen showers that produce great mulch, but a huge headache for the garden and fish pond (literally, in the case of my allergies.)
The long-awaited departure of winter meant beginning the process of re-seeding, re-planting, pruning, trimming and mucking the pond (the fish were oh-so-happy.) Also, learning from my experience, I re-landscaped the planting mound next to the water in order to create a reservoir for overflow and rain. It also backed the mound away from the water's edge to prevent erosion from going right into the pond (the fish appreciated this too.) I leveled out the edge and replaced the old square bricks with some large pavers similar to the ones that lead from our deck. Jae bought a "gazing globe" that reminds me of a psychedelic Spaceship Earth and it looks just perfect rising from the reservoir with our kokopelli and kokopelmana stones embedded in the mound. I've planted some petunias and daisies along the ridge. A few more bags of river rock and we'll be good to go!
Gardening is what I do when I'm not pushing full steam ahead with the music and video - it's a beautiful way to get outside and enjoy what the Creator has given us. Not to mention activity bound to burn off fat gained by sitting on my rump in front of a computer screen so much of the time.