Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Still Slogging Away

I'm talking about the push to get the garden in, shaped up and ready for the growing season.  But I love the work.  Even though my body thinks I'm torturing it way beyond the limits of sensibility.  No worry.  I'm fine.  As long as once I stop for the day I don't try to bend over.  Or lift anything.  Or sit down.  Or try to get up.

My main reason for this little post is to show you this picture.


A really, really nice guy presented us with eight big bags of wood shavings that are so much appreciated and are joyfully being used to mulch my strawberries and blueberries.  I had given up hope of finding shavings to use this year, so you can imagine what a wonderful gift this was.  (Strange things excite a gardener, no?)  This picture is kinda weird in that it makes the bags look like loaves of bread, don't you think?  In reality, the bags are about three feet high and eighteen inches across and packed solid.  I can lift one but wouldn't want to haul it much farther than my waiting wheelbarrow.

Our temperatures are still way, way too cool for this time of year.  All the transplants I've put out in the garden look stressed and unhealthy.  I've got some seeds emerging from the soil; let's keep our fingers crossed for them.  Night before last we got down to the mid-30s and I'm sincerely hoping that will be the last frost scare until long into this coming fall.

Okay, off now to an early bedtime so I can get up with the chickens in the morning and have another fun-filled day.  I seriously don't know of anything I'd rather work so hard at than creating a garden that will (we hope, hope, hope) produce loads and loads of luscious homegrown fruits and vegetables.

But, criminy, I sure do wish Missing-in-Action-Agnes would get here to take care of the cooking and cleaning that so desperately needs to be done inside these days.

8 comments:

Carolyn said...

Man, I'm so sorry to hear your weather is still major suck-ie. Even having a year's worth of food in the pantry isn't a guarantee....I'm always amazed how our ancestors managed to survive.

Homesteading wife said...

I'm in South Dakota and my transplantes look horrible too. I think if they had some time to aclimate before all the cold and rain they would have been fine. I'm wishing I had a greenhouse.

Anonymous said...

We actually have gotten our garden in earlier than normal this year. We had a lot of warm weather. Your shavings are beautiful. What type are they? I get myrtlewood shavings for free, but I hesitate to mulch with them because they have a lot of oil in them.

Sue said...

Be glad you have something planted. I'm STILL not there. But I hold out hope that today I can get tomatoes in. But, do they need sweaters? You bet!!
:D

And THE RULE states---housework is on HOLD until the garden is DONE and freezer meals are the Main Course. So there---Agnes has appeared!

Anonymous said...

That stinks that the weather is off this year for growing...sure hope you have some success! What a wonderful gift those shavings are!! And yep, when I first saw the picture as I got to your blog, I thought you were going into the bread business lol.

Tombstone Livestock said...

Sure wish there were ways to put a thermostat on nature, and a faucet on the clouds...... enjoy you time outside.

Susan said...

Agnes is missing in action here, as well. Darn girl. I am surprised anything put in the ground can make a go of it. The temps are up/down/left/right. Too much water, followed by drought. Geez. But I so agree with you - I can spend the entire day digging, pulling, lifting, etc. and just love it. Just squint your eyes when you come inside. Believe me - that is the only way to view the interior of your house!

Lisa said...

What a great friend you have! I used to take our trailer to a nearby mill for an annual fill-up of shavings, but lately have been buying a (very large) bag at our local feed-n-seed for @$5.00. You are right, in that when it's packed tight, it's a LOT! Hope things warm up and dry out your way soon.