Kicking Into High Gear......And.....A Little Bit of History!

This is the start of a very busy time for us now!  So much to do!  The weather forecast  looks like all the freezing temps are going to be over, and so we can begin yard work and tilling and gardening.  Besides yard clean-up and continuing to finish outside work on the house, we need to get the gardens cleaned and tilled and get stuff planted.
     The other day I planted leeks in the greenhouse and put a bunch of plants in there to harden up, as the plants need to toughen up after being in my warm living room for the past 2 months.   I put some broccoli plants in there - my best ones - and this is what I saw this morning:

Some critter already ATE my broccoli plants!!!!   I suspect slugs ate some of the leaves of about half of my plants.   The internet says to put wood ashes or sawdust down around the plants to deter slugs.   I'll try it, but I don't have much faith in "natural" methods.   Luckily I have more plants than these, but it's a shame that my best ones were eaten.

Remember the garlic that was coming up, in the photo I posted in a previous article?  Well, check out what it looks like now:

There are 70 garlic plants growing nicely!

In addition to all the work needed right now, I can add dirt hauling to the list!  I need to add more dirt to the boxes in my greenhouse, and also to low spots around the yard.  Harold took the tractor/loader and got a nice pile of rich black dirt for this purpose.   So I'll be busy!

I'll be hauling big buckets of dirt via wheelbarrow into the boxes in the greenhouse, and also around the yard.  Think I'll use up any calories doing this?  Hope so!

Harold has been busy tilling up the pasture again, as spring weeds were beginning to show.  We will be planting corn there, as well as spreading crops like melons and pumpkins.

Harold just finished plowing up the pasture again, and is putting the tractor out of the way right here.

This year, when we plant corn Harold is going to use a vintage 2-row corn planter from the late 1940's!  He really enjoys using vintage farm machinery and getting those old equipment pieces going!  Like the true country boy that he is, old time tractors and old time farm machinery hold a special thrill for him.  The 2-row planter that he will use is an old International Harvester.  He and his Dad bought this item at an auction back in the 80's, and used it to plant corn here on the farm as late as 1989.  In fact, the land that our house is built on was once planted up in corn by the vintage IH planter that Harold just resurrected from the "farm graveyard".  Using the old vintage machinery is a link to the past - going back in time to a simpler, less hectic world.   Old timers like us just love this kind of thing!!

Harold had to dig this one out of the 'farm graveyard', where it has sat since it was put there in 1989.

He carried it down the road with the loader.

Almost to the yard with this thing!

We are not exactly sure of the vintage of this old International Harvester 2-row corn planter, but Harold is guessing it is a late 1940's vintage.   To most folks, stuff like this is a "nostalgic yard ornament", but to Harold it is something to get running and use!

When we opened up one of the bins, there was still corn in there from the late 80's!

Another view of this old timer!

It needs tires, though.....can't go anywhere with these!

Well, Harold will certainly have fun getting his old planter going.  It's been about 27 or 28 years since it was last used.
     I looked at our apple tree tonight - there are buds ready to blossom out! 

Plenty of blossoms ready to bud out on the apple tree!

And now, for some "cute".   I haven't taken any photos of my cats for a while, so here's some cuteness:

One of our beautiful tom cats.  This is Tommywhite.

One of our female cats, BobbiSox

Four of our 9 farm cats.  They are patiently waiting for dinner.  L to Rt, FlufferDuff, Maggie, Tommywhite, and BigTail

The Living Room Nursery

I have plants in various stages of growth in the living room....my indoor nursery.   But I an now finished starting everything that I start seeds indoors for.  Now as everything  grows and needs transplanting, I will put them in other flats and put them in the greenhouse to grow bigger, and also to harden off.  There are 19 trays of plants here in the living room.  Retail-wise, there are probably a couple hundred  dollars worth of plants here, but I started things from about $20 worth of seed.   Some plants were started from seed saved last year, so the cost was zero.  Starting your own plants is definitely the thrifty way to do things!
     Here's what everything looks like as of today:

The older plants are on this side of the table, and newly planted trays are on the top board.   When the seeds sprout, I will take off the plastic dome covers.

Another view.  I planted some seeds in peat pots for things like watermelon, as they do not like being transferred.   With peat pots you plant the whole thing in the ground. Up here in the north, watermelon must be started early indoors in order to have fruit matured before frost!

The green peppers are doing great!   This is a variety called King Arthur, a very large pepper variety.

This year I have 5 different varieties of tomatoes to grow.   They, too, are growing nicely, and have been transplanted twice already.  They are 10 inches tall right now!  Some of them will be planted in the greenhouse in a few weeks, and others will go in the regular outside garden.

There are 4 flats of petunias I need to transplant and thin out - mixed varieties, and also colors of red, white, blue, and purple wave.  Plenty to give away and plenty to plant in all of my various planters!

Here's what it looks like with the grow lights on in the evening!

Here's a photo that's a bit off the topic, but I had a nice surprise visit from a small herd of deer today!  They were munching away at new grass in the yard.  The deer are such beautiful and gentle animals, and so graceful.   Cute, too!  Well, that is............they are "cute" until they start eating my gardens  up!!  Then I get mad at them and put up an electric fence to zap their 'cute' butts!  I love the deer, but not in my veggie gardens!!

Five young deer came to the yard to eat tender fresh grass today.  This was taken from the front porch.  They didn't even budge when I walked out onto the porch and snapped the photo.  When I finally started talking to them, then they ran off.