Spring???

It's Easter Sunday. It is alternating between hard rain, sleet, and hail the size of marbles out there. We didn't even let the chickens out this morning because they are better off in the coop. Inside the house, I have turned up the heat. It feels like February and if I were more ambitious, I would build a fire in the stove.

I have started plants on the window sill with a vision of a large garden in July. Small tomatoes, peppers, basil, and chamomile plants are in small pots hoping to grow up into a productive garden. I have high hopes for this years garden and I want to use every space and pot to grow something edible. Onions are planted and I should get some carrots, parsnips, spinach, and chard out there this week. I want squash and pumpkin vines to fill in odd spots. I want cucumbers enough to bottle pickles. At least in my head, it will be grand. In July, it gets a little weedy and out of control, but that is a long way off.

All of the fruit trees we planted last spring are just about to pop out of bud. They all made it through the winter. They may not produce anything this year, but they certainly will be mature enough for fruiting next spring. We have two eight week old chicks out there in the small coop to keep down the weeds. In a few more weeks, the three that are in the garage brooder will join them in the sectioned off part of the pasture that we hope becomes a small home orchard. At the moment, the raspberries are starting to leaf out but I wonder if they will grow in this cold.

I found some interesting reading out there. Google 1919 War Gardens. In the period 1918-1920, the federal government published materials to encourage people to produce their own food in back yard gardens to support the post war effort. Imagine what would happen today if everyone had even a few plants producing food on their patio or porch. We have always had a garden as a hobby and out of necessity. With the price of gas and food increasing every week, a few tomatoes or peaches in jars in the storage room make all the difference to my peace of mind.