Sunday, May 1, 2011

Spring Has Sprung!

I hope your weather has been as beautiful as it's been here in central Virginia. Yesterday I went to the greenhouse and bought leaf, mushroom, and cow compost, as well as vermiculite and peat moss, and got a couple of batches of Mel's Mix made for the Square Foot Garden we're putting in at my son's elementary school. I also went to the poultry swap at our local TSC. I didn't know there was such a variety of chickens, each and every one beautiful in its own way, not to mention the different sizes. We're planning to get three chickens this year. We have a small coop but we haven't built the pen yet, and after my neighbor lost all but four of her thirty-seven chickens to predators, I'm not willing to risk getting them before we have their enclosure completed. I was really tempted to bring some home with me yesterday, though!

I have lettuce still growing, as well as cilantro that I planted in the fall. I also planted chard and peas, although the peas haven't done very well this year. They're so unpredictable, some years I get a great harvest and some years they don't quite get going before it gets hot. I'll try again in the fall! Fresh peas are so delicious that they're worth it even if we don't get a great harvest.

We have to wait a couple of weeks to buy plants, but the local farmer's market started today and they had a wonderful array of plants to choose from, so I'm sure I'll find what I'm looking for once we're ready.

I planted some herb seeds a few days ago so hopefully I'll have some parcel (parsley that has a celery flavor) and hyssop growing soon. I also got a few herb plants at the Madison Museum's Herb and Plant Sale last weekend, which I finally managed to pot on Friday with my husband's help. My oregano is growing great guns and the thyme is coming back nicely, so I'm looking forward to eating new potatoes with fresh herbs as soon as I can buy them at the farmer's market.

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