Well, at least those who could come. Sons, Bill and his family and David and his family, joined us for Easter dinner. We not only sat down to a table full of good food but lots of great visiting too. We’re always so glad to have the folks around us, especially grandkids, Mason (who is planning on becoming a helicopter pilot), Ava (who has her first paid job, cleaning out horse stalls), Delilah and Melanie (who always astound us with their fun and games. Okay, so I do have to re-sort our beans after they’ve been here to help us. But even that makes me laugh! Ava took Delilah around the homestead on our solar-powered golf cart and even let Delilah drive, with close supervision, of course.
Today I’m back at it, transplanting tomatoes like crazy. Ugh, the greenhouse is getting full, and I still have a lot of tomatoes to go yet. We’re going to have to use the plastic greenhouse’s shelves, without the covers, to stack flats up on the benches. (Yep, I also have to plant melons, squash, pumpkins, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage somewhere!) Will razzes me saying when he asked me if he should make it bigger, I replied “No, that’s big enough.” Of course I don’t remember saying that.
Then, tomorrow, I have to get some more beef canned up. I can also do the leftover ham too. And squeeze in time to transplant more tomatoes. Today was a beautiful spring day. I took a few minutes and drove around with the golf cart, going out to the North Garden with Will. It actually looks great. I’d forgotten we’d tilled most of it up last fall. Will has the manure spreader all ready to go but our big cow-poop compost piles are still frozen — he checked. But soon! I did take time to chop the weeds and grass in the asparagus beds and most of the corn stalks in the main garden with the riding lawn mower. It’s my mini-brush hog. But uh oh, mid row it started making a clunking sound. Will checked it out and the spline is worn out so that’s a no-go until we order and get it installed. Bummer! But that’s the way it goes around here; you win some, you lose some. I hope you all had a very wonderful Easter!
— Jackie
Harvested enough spears of asparagus to give to my dad. My late mother loved daffodils but could never get them to grow at the house. Ours are in full bloom so dad and I took some and placed on her grave. Weather is nice to might be more to take out again.
Still a little early to put out any plants (tomatoes etc). I know a few who have and I think they are pushing their luck – one is a bit north of me.
Glad you had a good Easter meal and gathering. Equipment maintenance, weeds, sticks, and trees (keepers and invasive) never end.
Going to take a token look for morels in the usual “early” spots. But still a bit early, we need more moisture which appears to be coming.
I’m dying to taste our first asparagus. The rhubarb noses are up but the asparagus will be a few weeks on down the month. So nice you could take daffodils to your mother’s grave. I’m sure she’s smiling down on you.
It always seems some folks go ahead and plant frost-sensitive crops very early. A few succeed but most end up losing their plants to frost. That’s always sad. I’d rather wait, myself. Although I will admit to getting ants in my pants too.
Great pictures of your family. You have the cutest grandkids 😊
Of course we think they’re awful cute too, even the older ones!!
Hi, Jackie, it looks like you and yours had a wonderful Easter! We’ve had good weather for the past 3 days and am trying to get tomatoes in the ground before another round of rain Thursday night into Friday. Hope you and Will have a good gardening season! Believe we will all need the blessings of the good Lord this year! Take care!
Yes, I agree that we’ll need those blessings even more this year. We totally believe God is our gardening partner. And, here in Northern Minnesota, we sure need Him. It’ll be weeks before we dare set out any frost-sensitive crops. Even those that will take frost, we leave until later than most as they seem to grow much faster when the weather warms up.
Jackie, the seeds I ordered from you are the strongest and healthiest I started! The pictures of your garden look amazing, and your helpful blog has taught me much. Gardening is a bit behind here due to storm cleanup and fence fixing (again!) But it will get done little by little.
Our Easter was a good one too, with beautiful and meaningful church services and a great meal at our daughter’s visiting with family. The only sadness was hearing of our beloved Pope Francis going to be with our Lord. May he rest in peace.
May you & Will and all have a good gardening year!
Vicki
Thank you, Vicki! We wish the very best for your garden too. Even not being Catholic, we were very saddened to hear of the Pope’s death. He was a great man.
I’m so glad our seeds are doing great for you. They’re kind of like our little children, sent out into the world. We always send our good wishes with them, hoping they do well for others’ gardens.
Hi Jackie- I watched the episode on PBS with you and Will and it was so lovely to see you in “real life”! Your Easter looked blessed with your family and delicious food. Beautifull weather here and I up potted tomatoes today. They’ll stay in the greenhouse until the nights warm up a little more. Happy that the peas and onions have sprouted! Spring has definitely sprung after a very grey and wet winter. Hope you continue to get warm days!
Hi Jackie. I love the pictures of the Easter gathering with your family.
From what you’ve shared it was such a wonderful and blessed time.
I just came in from rearranging grow lights in outdoor building so
can get tomatoes and peppers transplanted.
Also got some seed corn and a few sweet potato slips planted in containers
outdoors. Also moved the grapevine start outside. Lots to do but I enjoy
being able to be outside doing all this stuff. I hope to get the greenhouse
worked on as I can.
Sounds like you and Will enjoy working outside with this nice weather. I pray no more cold weather and frost now.
Hope your part for riding lawn mower won’t be long to come.
I have some mowing to do myself. I held off some and let all the
dandelions and violets alone for the sake of pollinators for awhile.
We did have an awesome Easter with family. Right now, we’re very busy, transplanting, fixing up and canning a whole bunch of older frozen meats to make room for the new. We get a little crazy at times but still feel so blessed. Some of the old meat was getting a bit freezer burned so I’m canning that up with some squash (which we seeded out and ate some) for pet food. I hate to waste anything!
Our mower’s part is supposed to arrive by Monday so I’m happy. Our lawn is far from needing mowing, but I do need to chop more cornstalks and debris in several gardens before they get manured and tilled. I love those sunny days and getting outside. I practically begged Will to let me help him split up some wood we have blocked up from last fall. I sure love having lots of good firewood under cover!
I enjoy seeing all those genuine, happy smiles. Nothing compares to these family times. I too enjoyed Easter with family.
My gardening efforts were slow to get going and now I have a bum knee and am hobbling around in the house with a cane. Frustrating, as you know. It’s beautiful weather here and I want to be outside. Oh well, this too shall pass. I can only do what I can.
That’s so true, Sheryl. There’s lot I want to do every day but just can’t for physical reasons. I just keep plugging along, working until I can’t, taking a break, then hitting it again for a while. Just know that like the tortoise, slow gets it done. Not as fast as we want, but it does get there.
I know some folks do lots more than I do. But, hey, I do the best I can, even though it’s not the best someone else does. Yes, it gets frustrating at times, but I know this.
Delilah such a cute smile! Melanie’s is hidden in grandpas hands the whole family such happiness! Happy Easter ! uhoh no one likes to hear’ that sound” :( hope parts in soon! our 80 day disappeared back into the 40’s. Spring. in all her wonderfulness. at least tulips an lilacs are staying longer with the chill down.my greenhouse is also stuffed! got tomatoes n peppers all transplanted an doing good. now to find space for the squash, melons, cukes seed pots! (one never recalls the ‘its big enough’ statements :) )
Happy gardening your way!
We did have such a happy Easter! Our spring flowers are slowly shoving up through the soil but they have a long time before blooming. But that gives us time to anticipate their arrival. I’m doubling up on our greenhouse benches with those left-over little greenhouse shelves. So far, so good. But I doubt the melons, brassicas and squash will make it in there; just not enough room! I told everyone we were planting bigger gardens this year so this is what I get, right??? : )