Valentines day question..."Is it winter or spring?"

Plums in bloom

Even though it is still officially winter, the weather has been so mild, many of our fruit trees are in bloom. It is a bit disconcerting, if we have a hard frost before fruit set we will have a poor crop. Here our plums are putting on quite a show around our market area.

The past week I find my self reading all the latest seed catalogs, getting dirt under my nails planting seeds in trays, potting up cuttings or walking around, clip board in hand, planning garden layouts. These unusually warm days we have been having inspire me to do so. 

I really like these trays that have the high top covers for starting seeds and cuttings, they keep the soil warm and moist and keep the birds and bugs out. I've lost so many seedlings to the little birds that winter-over here, they have a voracious appetite for sweet emerging seedlings, and will peck out every one if they are not excluded. The trays are great for growing fodder also. You can find them for a good price at www.greenhousemegastore.com.

A pleasant walk around the zone one garden reveals the tail ends of last falls crops, carrots, and beets, some Swiss chard and Red kale.

The garlic I planted in fall is doing well and this year's rhubarb is already pushing new growth.

Rhubarb

Yesterday I planted a short row of asparagus in one of the beds, hoping it will do well there... a yummy perennial veggie we really enjoy.

Beautiful afternoon light.

Chris and I bought some bare root fruit trees, an apple, two more plums, and some grape vines and a couple of blueberries. The apple is in the ground, we will be planting the rest tomorrow.

New Braburn apple

Our calves are doing well. Lindy is getting big, and looks to be a good milker, with her sweet disposition.  She is a real cutey, follows Chris around like a pup. 

Lindy

We are going to have openings for a couple of WWOOFers in March, after the 15th, now is the time to apply.

It is going to be a lush spring, (we hope), goat babies will come soon, and calves, there is loads of green grass which will make for lots of super creamy milk, so good for making cheese; new little piggies will be born,  there will be seedlings to tend, gardens to dig and so forth, great! What a life!

Happy Valentine's day!