Now that it looks like spring might be around to stay we're starting the evaluation of the garden plot, figuring out what we'll be plating where and which areas need a little extra compost. During my last walk through I was surprised to find a little bok choy, kohlrabi, and a decent amount of kale growing from the roots of last years plants. It's not a lot and what's growing is pretty tough but it's exciting to have usable greens fresh from the garden this early.
Since the weather has turned poor and we can't actually work outside, I've been putting extra time into planning. Last year I lost track of exactly where rows transitioned between plants so I resolved to be more organized this year. I'm trying out some garden markers for the first time. Since we're trying not to make unnecessary purchases I thought I'd reuse something we already had. And one thing we have in abundance is used canning jar lids. A little rubbing alcohol takes the permanent marker labels off of the lids and preps them for reuse.
I relabeled them for garden use with marker and a little paint pen for decoration.
For the past week we have been reveling in warm weather. We've opened up all of the animal barns, cleared out the winter clutter, and started the garden preparations in earnest. And then this happened:
Do you use a greenhouse? We've had a small one for several years now and it's proved invaluable for growing better peppers, tomatoes, and the like. It's also useful in the heat of summer for drying fresh herbs. In fact, we've had our greenhouse long enough that the panels finally broke and fell out of the frames this winter. It might have been possible to replace the panels but without a plan in place and the need to move our seedlings becoming urgent, we decided to put in a new one. Using a kit from Harbor Freight we were able to put this one up in a few days.
It was surprisingly warm this Easter weekend so I spent some time outside doing yard work and getting a sense of what will need to be done to prepare the garden. And to my surprise I found this:
Here's a little tour of our chicken coop. It's not much to look at. One thing you might notice about it (and some of the other buildings we'll be touring in future) is that the windows and doors are perhaps not what you'd expect from sheds and other out-buildings. If it's something that my dad built, like this one, windows and doors were probably either salvaged from an older building or returns that he got at cost from his job at a lumberyard. We try not to waste anything.
Officially, they don't have names since my dad isn't a fan of naming farm animals and technically the banties are his. Personally, I think the rooster, in particular, needs a name. He's a pretty big personality. So if you have any suggestions I'm open to ideas. Feel free to suggest some in the comments.
Last week I told you about the way we start seeds around here. It's a bit janky looking, but it works. And here is the proof:
