It's a sunny day but cold day at the farmette. Almost all the snow has melted - at least in the big wide bits. The corners (including my beds) are still buried under about four inches.
The boys were out to take in a little (very) fresh morning air. Usually, they last about five minutes and then want back in again.
The covid-19 mayhem is in full swing. That's it. That's all I'm going to say, because gawd knows there's enough in the news and social media. Time for a bit of respite.
I've been corresponding on Facebook with my niece out in B.C. who was saying she has crocuses, hyacinths and tulips coming up. While it makes me envious, I know she's had a lot of turmoil lately, so wish her the best - I can attest to how restorative it is to roll around in the dirt with plants.
Speaking of which, I've finally actually put in my order for this year's crops - sooo excited.
I'm going full-on with the sunflowers this year. Both big, bold Russians and smaller, but multi-bloomed varieties. They are the bomb - they grow so fast, you can almost hear them stretching up.
I've also ordered more hollyhocks. Last year's crop didn't emerge, so I'm trying one more time to get one of Rob's favourite flowers to bloom in the back yard - the west garden in the picture. It's sunny there most of the day, so here's hoping the Antwerp Mixed variety I ordered comes through.
I'm also planning a full roster of the traditional vegetables - peas, beets, parsnips, carrots, cooking onions, radishes and yummy, yummy lettuce. Vesey's has tonnes of different kinds, but I like their Mild Mix Greens. I just keep reseeding and cutting and reseeding and cutting for most of the summer. Nothing like a homemade salad, I say.
We usually wait until actual planting time to get the potatoes, tomato and pepper plants. The local Co-op has the best, most productive varieties. I'm going to cut back on the Romas. We made so much sauce last year that we still have a dozen jars in the basement!
I've ordered onion sets since I've failed miserably to grow cooking onions from seed. Don't know why that is. I'm fine with green onions - they're like hair when they come up so thinning is a bit of a chore, but they do thrive. Veseys always have waaaaayyyy too many of the sets for my use - 90 bulbs in a pack of each red and yellow. So I split them with sister Sandy, and that seems to work out just great.
It's supposed to be above zero Celsius for most of the week here at the farmette (at least during the day). So hopefully the snow will be gone soon...but I just checked and they're calling for the white stuff next weekend. Here's hoping they're wrong. I don't mind winter, but it would be nice if it went away in March (for once).
Anyhow. I know I said I wasn't going to reference the C-word again, but just one tiny bit more - please stay safe friends and family! Until next week.