March Forward

One reason I haven't blogged much lately is that it is difficult to get excited about taking photos outside this time of year.  The snow is so dirty, and even the fact that there is still snow at the end of March is rather dismaying.  It snowed again yesterday.

Even the cows seemed cranky about the snow.

But inside there are significant signs of spring!  My office is now a nursery, with three sets of metal shelves set up, shop lights suspended from the shelves, filled with flats of  vegetable, herb and flower seeds and seedlings just starting to sprout.

Cherokee purple tomatoes...

Genovese basil....

Alyssum...

and Hyacinth runner beans, to mention just a few.

I thought I had fond the perfect copper watering can at a thrift store for  watering al these seedlings (holds plenty of water, but has a fine spout for accurate directing of the water) but it turned out that water leaked out of the bottom seam and spilled annoyingly everywhere. Last night Rog taught me how to solder and I repaired it! I am so happy to learn this skill in my old age.

 I am experimenting with starting some bulbs right in bags of potting soil. Calla lilies. (See my repaired watering can in the background.)

Beautiful huge dahlia bulbs. We are hosting a couple of weddings at our farm this summer, so I have added incentive to splurge on flowers bulbs and seeds.  Must spruce up the place!

On Sunday I tilled the beds in the high tunnel greenhouse.  It is all ready to start planting peas, onions, spinach and other early veggies this week.  I am worried that we may go from freezing cold to too warm for the cool season crops, but it’s my best guess.

The sunset glowing through the fish gazebo last evening after working in the greenhouse.

Although I haven't written much about it, we have been working  industriously on the commercial kitchen all winter - designs, quotes,  meetings with plumbers, contractors, electricians, well diggers, inspectors, bankers, and searching out good used equipment and building materials. Here is a drawing of the plan for the front of the barn. The garage door on the south end will be replaced with three French doors, the middle door will be replaced by a bank of windows over the 3-compartment sink, and the huge wood-fired oven will go on the north end where the other garage door currently is. It is going to be so pretty!

Thanks to Craiglist, we have already acquired 5 lovely French doors perfect for our design.

This weekend, all the contents of our good old summer kitchen will begin to be cleared out in preparation for building the commercial kitchen! So scary and exciting!