That sums up my goals lately. When there are the few sunny, dry days I try to mow down the lushly grown grass, grub out the lusty weeds, make places for the new plantings and soak my tired bones at the end of the day. But then the rains come….and come….
On weeding: the ground after rain and when the sun first warms everything is usually nice and soft and good for quick weeding. I still bring my whole weeding regalia along for those which don’t pull out easily. Grass weeding is best to work on at this time, when the weather heats up and the ground dries the grass roots get entrenched. The wetness of the ground is not as good for removing Canadian thistle or dandelions, however, but they can be pried out- and the sooner the better. The dandelions here have already gone to seed and spread forth their flying tufted seeds.
My broccoli and flowering kale don’t seem to mind the cool damp conditions, so it is good they are in the ground growing, but the tomatoes? This is not good weather for them. I’ve put off purchasing anything until I can get that back garden tilled again, but I believe I will have to make an area by hand and just get those plants in! Some people are eating their lettuces already, but mine are just starting to show leaf. I am a slacker in the garden again this year!
Corn fields around here are not nearly all in, but the ones growing have little three inch sprouts in neat little rows, that go for miles and miles. Some farmers seem to have gotten their Jersey herd again- or pasture them here instead of somewhere else.
My fruit trees are forming fruit- the cherries are little green olive shaped berries all over the trees, both the sweet and sour. This is one year that they seemed to have escaped the frosts and cold winter fingers that Ohio likes to send forth for April foolery. It was a wonderful season for spring blooming trees, and a bumper crop for maples to set seed as well! My gutters are glutted with buckets of maple whirlybirds. My walks are covered in them, and they are in every outside pot promising me much more tree seedling weeding this year. I just got through getting rid of many of those overlooked from last year!!!! (and maybe the year before, from the looks of their size).
I managed to get some spring photos. Next post.
Tags: garden work,