Well.. it is officially Spring
since I refilled and plugged in the fountain in the garden.
I had some hopes that a tree frog
would decide it would be a great place for eggs,
but no such luck.

And Spring decided to appear around February 10th.
That was the first really warm day
and it never really got cold again.
I find the whole thing terribly freaky.
We have been over 90* already. That was last Friday
and it was HOT.



And we have expanded the garden further into
the trees.
Some of you may recognize the area
as the previous home of the pot bellied pigs
We had such success last year growing
under shade that we are putting it all under shade
this year.
It is the only way to garden really with the
new weather that seems to mean
screeching hot summers with searing sun.
I think I will let the beans vines
go up the trees. I will harvest what
I can reach and the rest can become
dried shelly beans for the winter
and seeds for next summer.
I think...
I haven't laid it out or anything yet.
I have refused to plant out anything but peas,
onions and chard.
I was afraid the ground was too hot for
the peas to sprout, but they finally made it.

See that wall to the left?
That was a wall of honeysuckle last year,
but I cleared it all and the peas are
planted all along it.
Though I have decided to cover that area
with spreading blooming things like
catnip, lemon balm and bee balm.
I have put the transplants in already
and am willing them to spread and
fill that whole wall.
I think it will be nice to have
fragrant and blooming things there to draw the
pollinators in.
The wall will end up outside the fence in the end as well,
so no use trying to plant anything I care about too much.






My horehound overwintered great and stayed green.
I was able to make a few teas out of it.
Horehound tea with honey is delicious!
It tastes just like horehound candy.
(that is..if you are one of the few,
the proud that like horehound candy)




And there is a small grove of redbud trees in the new garden area.
I have moved the costmary there and it is thriving.
The next tree has oregano - regular and hot and spicy varieties.
And I had this weird geranium come up in the tomato patch last year.
It got big, but the leaves were a bit smaller and I swear I don't remember it blooming, but..
I found teeny, tiny, teeny, tiny little weird geranium seedlings
and I have put them along the back edge of the copse of redbuds.
I have more to move, but they are too small yet.
I will have to post pics of this weird plant
when it gets big this year.
You need to help me figure out what in the world..





And here is the footing for the new kitchen extension.
My baking life will be so much easier with a shiny, new kitchen!

I have missed you and the only explanation I have
is a comparison ; it's like an aunt.
You know you should go see the aunt,
but it gets put on the back burner
for so long that you feel guilt whenever
you think of your aunt.
You feel to guilty to show your face.
You know that once you do go see her,
everything will be just fine and like it used to be,
you are just too ashamed to make that first move.
And so it was with me and thee..
But I am here now. I took the plunge.
Now I can come here all the time again.
And I have lots to fill you in on.
There have been changes over the winter...
(cliffhangar, ya'll!)