We had our first salad from our garden last night. I planted tons of lettuce back in March, with hopes of using the thinnings for early summer salads. So far this year, we’ve eaten herbs, spinach, and now this lettuce out of the garden. Are you picking anything yet?
Filed under Food, Gardening, Living from Scratch, Sustainable Living
This week, we staked the peony buds.
This is our first rose this summer.
The sunflowers are starting to pop up.
Not sure why, but the chives are blooming.
I finally set up the birdbath that my aunt and uncle gave us last summer.
The tomatoes on a plant I got from the farm market. These will tide me over until my little plants kick in.
All of the lettuces need to be thinned, and I’m going to use the thinnings for a mixed baby salad.
Here are the experimental potatoes. I had some that were sprouting, so I decided to try growing them. I guess they look good so far.
Finally, here’s Eddie. He’s an Old English Sheepdog, and he’s about 12 years old. He recently got a hair cut for the summer, which is why he doesn’t look like a big, shaggy mess. My parents and brothers are away for the long weekend, so Ed and I are stopping by to take care of Eddie, which really only means we have to let him in and out, and check his water and food. He sleeps for most of the day, but we thought he must have been lonely because he was in a playful mood this morning when we let him out. He bounced around, chasing a squirrel, and ran over to us to get pet. I’m sure he’s alseep now after that little burst of energy.
To see who else is strolling today, visit the Quiet Country House.
Filed under Food, Gardening, Home, Living from Scratch, Outside, Sustainable Living
So many leaves have popped since the last time I had a chance to post a Sunday Stroll, so this is a long one! While I’ve got a few flowers, there are many more buds yet to open and I’m impatiently awaiting the show they’ll put on in June.
The bleeding hearts are taking over the partially shaded back garden, even after I pruned them back and picked a bunch of the flowers yesterday. Believe it or not, this is only their second year in bloom.
Buds on the blue lace-cap hydrangea in the back garden. This will be the first of my many hydrangeas to bloom.
The peony in the front flower garden has a bunch of buds, and I can’t wait to see those big pink blooms.
Our one and only apple blossom. I’m surprised that the Jonathan tree got a blossom so soon after we planted it, but I’m happy to report that all six trees are alive. I don’t expect an apple this year because there’s no other flower to pollinate it. Unless, of course, a bee makes her way from my parent’s orchard a few minutes away.
The mixed baby lettuce is doing well.
The spinach that overwintered is ready to pick.
The peas have started to climb up their wire supports.
One of the heritage red raspberries in our brand new berry patch.
Some wildflowers in the neighboring hayfield.
Our two sugar maples that we planted last fall survived the winter and are full of bright green leaves.
To see who else is strolling today, visit the Quiet Country House.
Filed under Sustainable Living
This week is spring break and I’m planning to enjoy the time off on my vacation. The sunny location I’m visiting is right in my own yard. I spent today outside in the gardens, cleaning up and getting ready for the growing season. When all the work was done, I grabbed my camera so I could post an update.
I started the day by planting more raspberries, this time Royalty Purple, and some Chester blackberries. The photo above shows leaves on the Heritage Red raspberries we planted about a month ago.
In the vegetable garden, the mixed baby lettuce is starting to emerge, which is the first among the many different lettuce varieties I planted.
The peas are up and stretching toward the sun. I hope to see their tendrils wrapping around the wires before long.
I weeded and cleaned out the front and back flower gardens, as the hydrangeas, bleeding hearts and peonies are coming out of dormancy. But the flowers already in bloom stole the show.
The daffodils are still beautiful, as more and more of them open each day. I’m already scheming to plant more of these bulbs up around our mailbox in the fall. The one day of planting is well worth the show in spring.
The potted pansies are still showing off, thriving with the chilly evening temperatures.
What’s going on in your gardens?
Filed under Food, Gardening, Home, Living from Scratch, Outside, Sustainable Living
Walking around this morning, I couldn’t help but notice that we’re in transition. While some views show a bountiful summer, others make me realize that we’re leaving summer and heading to fall.
The roses are more abundant than ever before.
Clear blue skies and a bright yellow sunflower.
Prolific sunflowers.
Morning glories blooming on top of each other.
Frilly red lettuce.
Bright green and blue-green lichen.
Warmth for the winter.
An old antler that appeared on the edge of the woods.
To see who else is strolling today, visit The Quiet Country House.
Farmer's Daughter 