It is springtime here on the 172. This means campfires, meat cookies with frosting (hamburgers with cheese) cooked on the open fire, hula hooping, beer drinking, sun shining, and things starting to grow.
Eric and I had our first campfire a few weeks ago. The sunshine felt great. Fire smelled wonderful, as did our clothes afterwards, and our coats smelled like the fire for a few days. We cooked brats over the open fire and had a few beers, I did some hula hooping. It was a great time.
Our second fire a week later with friends and family. We had ribs cooked on the grill and some drinks and stayed up way too late. A good time was had by all. Sunday, not much was done here on the 172. Recovery day.
Springtime Flowers
The tulips are coming up and our currant bushes have blooms. It is an exciting time on the 172, things come alive again. (Black dirt live again!)
Garlic is growing great, and we should have a bunch at harvest time (July or August). No scapes yet. But when we do, they will be really good with eggs. I also make scape infused vinegar, so good…
Seedlings
The seeds for peppers and tomatoes are planted and on heat pads and under lights in the basement. One nice thing about starting from seed is there is more variety available to you and you are able to save your non-hybrid seed from last years produce. There is also lettuce growing in our small basement tent. Absolutely love this time of year when things come alive and start growing.
Blueberries
Blueberry bushes outside. Man are they covered with little white flowers. But they had to move them back into the garage due to the cold. I cannot wait for the berries. Hopefully we get a lot. This is our 4th year with the blueberries (I think) and last year was the first year we got berries.
New Pear Trees
Eric bought two dwarf bartlett pear trees and removed one of our oldest garden beds and planted them in their place. Right now, they look like sticks. Cannot wait till we get pears. It will be a few years but well worth the wait. (Side note, if I say Dude, that’s Eric)
New Flowers
Dude bought some Iris, Daylilies, and Phlox to plant with the pear trees and I bought some Daylilies, Peonies, and OT Lilies to plant in my side garden under the window and well they got switched. I got his and he got mine. It will happen. The flowers will look beautiful no matter where they are planted anyway.
Currant Bushes
We also got another currant bush. Currently we have six and are going to get one more. They come from Jung’s Garden Center, https://www.jungseed.com/. There will be some currant jam and syrup making for sure and maybe some brandy and vodka infusing as well. I might even make a Shrub (concentrated fruit, sugar, and vinegar drink) out of it. You can drink it with still water, soda, or mixed drinks. Shrubs are so good. See how to make Black Currant Syrup at DIY Black Currant Syrup.
Rhubarb
Rhubarb is finally taking off. I like to just pick it and eat it. Jam and syrup will be made out of it for sure. Maybe even a rhubarb pie (no strawberries).
Speaking of strawberries (nasty), Dude dug up his strawberry bed and is transplanting them into hanging baskets. It is always a fight between him and the birds. I think the birds win.
A Robin’s Nest
Springtime brings our robins back. A pair of robins built a nest on our back porch light a couple years ago. The first year they had chicks. Last year we thought they were going to but they did not and they moved to the work in progress. (The television antenna off the house when we had the roof done. The trumpet vine grows there.) This year we have seen the robins going in and out of the nest, so we will see. They had three eggs and only two hatched. Eric took the other one out and the robins had a second clutch with I think only one baby.
Hops
The hops on the side of the house by the porch are doing great. Dude needs to give them some new string. They are trying to grow into the wood pile, all they want to do is climb. When they do they look cool and make a nice curtain for the side porch.
Unknown Bushes
We have two bushes we planted several years back by our shed, that we have gotten one berry off them like 2 years ago maybe three, this year they are both full of blooms. Here is to hoping. Early next springtime, I am going to move them. I wanted to this year but now they are blooming. No berries again. (darn black walnut).
We have some crazy raspberry bushes growing, some in the bottom part of a fifty-gallon plastic drum and some just in a pot and they grow across the walkway so this year we are going to try to make a trellis out of some old display things we have. Wish us luck. Maybe next springtime we will get the arch up.
Serviceberry Bush
Springtime has our Serviceberry bush in full of blooms and starting to grow leaves. The birds are crazy about the berries, so it is a race to see who gets them first. Us or them, people vs birds! We only had three berries and the birds got them.
Transplanting and Getting the Garden Beds Ready
Soon it will be time to transplant the tomatoes and peppers into 4-inch pots and then the fun begins, keeping them alive until time to plant them on Memorial Day weekend. You cannot beat home grown veggies.
Until then there is still lots to do. We have to prepare the garden beds, weed, amend the soil and get everything ready. Gardening is a labor of love. It makes the mind and the body feel good.
Not only do we have to get our veggie gardens ready we also have to go flower shopping and get our flower beds ready. We are going to make our own hanging baskets this year. They cost so much to buy just to last only one year. I am hoping that the cigar plant from last year does good again this year. I over wintered it and the mint in the house. They both did good with it.
Owen
Here is Owen showing off his new hat he got at Goodwill. He is looking like a cowboy.
Springtime on the 172 is a busy time but it is all coming together. It always seems like we are never going to get it all done and sometimes we do not. But that is alright because we have fresh veggies, beautiful flowers, lots of bumbles and mostly we have a good time.
I will keep you updated as spring moves on and summer comes around. So, stay tuned.
Life is short, so do what you love.
Remember in a world where you can be anything, be kind.
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