Peeking out from under the covers

The weather has swung around again to gorgeous, and the bit of wind is keeping the black flies hunkered down. 

Williams Roofing has finished putting a new roof on the hay barn, as well as on the "front" of the house.

When we turn the garden beds again in a few days, I can start planting.

Today, I bought the seed potatoes for the family garden from Park's Hardware in Orono.   They had several varieties, and all that I looked at were nice and clean.   I got mostly Kennebec's, with a few red Norland's, and a little bag of an heirloom variety called "Cobbler".

I've been reading on-line about ways to grow potatoes using hay mulch.   I may try a combination approach this year:  use a shallow trench rather than my usual deep one, and add hay mulch.

George and I have been trading insults with a virus for about four weeks.   I feel like if I try to dig my usual deep potato trenches, I'll fall into one.

"Hay Makes A Great Mulch".   Interesting article.  I used to do something like this in a little garden years ago, with a lot less hay.    Always nice to get a little pumped up on another person's enthusiasm before not doing something the usual way.

Spring into Summer: Changes

It has been a very busy spring.   George and I became a "licensed foster home".

Two kids who were with us for almost two months just went home, and we miss them.    We miss their energy, their bright minds, and their way of looking at things; we miss having someone ask us to check under the beds for aliens and monsters.   They missed their parents and were happy to go home, and that is good.

It has been an unusually dry spring, and some bush hogging got done yesterday.   I don't think I've been able to get the tractor out back
this early in five years.   The crab apple blossoms were out.

George and I are planning to turn over all the garden beds this afternoon with the cultivator.    We'll turn them over a second time in about two weeks, then plant.   I'd like not to disturb the soil this much, but given the weed explosion last year, after I pulled my back, it is probably the best course now.   I may put the third bed into a green manure, but don't have to decide that yet.

We are also thinking about adding a new, little vegetable bed in the front lawn area.   The plan had been to do that for the kids who just left, for their pumpkin seedlings.   Might be nice to still do that, and add some lettuce too.