Anyone else ready for spring?? ;)

14 years ago

Either due to the incredibly bad winter or despite it, I am more than ready to get things up and rolling here. If the snow would just melt, things would look a lot better ;)

I have already ordered 20 more layers (various breeds) and 20 meat birds. I didn't go with the CCs so we'll see how it all works. They will be delivered the last of Mar, first of April. DH is going to revise the coop and make me a few new runs so we can alternate and the girls will (hopefully) always have grass to eat if we can't actually range them each day.

I've ordered all my gardening supplies to include raspberries, grapes, a few more strawberries for my existing bed. Seeds, ornamentals, seed-starting supplies, sweet potatoes. I've measured out my garden spot and started planning for that. It is kind of a sweet torture, LOL!

We will definitely be getting a few more pigs this year and I'm toying with the idea of either moving their hog panel fence around or semi-pasturing them in an area where the bind weed has taken over. It is the same place I tried my first garden here and it was useless, a lot of work for nothing. A vet guy I spoke with said that the pigs may not get rid of it entirely but would definitely beat it back some. Like I said, I have to study this a bit but it is an idea floating around. DH also wants a beef critter so we may have a lot going on once the weather warms.

Still toying with the idea of getting some fruit trees and some other fowl but for now that is where I'm at. Anyone else have Spring Fever? Lori

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

acer
14 years ago
So far I've been enjoying the first real winter I can remember. Believe it or not I'm hoping for one more good snow! The others we had here were heavy and wet, so just one good deep powder will leave me satisfied. But yes, I predict an intense bought of spring fever soon. Our plans aren't nearly as involved as yours: maybe a few baby ducks that we hatch ourselves, plus new strawberry plants and a couple of Surefire cherry trees. Uh oh, it's starting...
gardengalrn
Original Author
14 years ago
Acer, I will send any more snow slated for our area on to you. I've just had it with the cold and snow/ice. My MIL has some ducks so I may try again with a few of those as well. I took in a few of her hatchlings last year but they didn't last long, flew out of their enclosure never to be seen again. Well, aside from some feathers I found in the pasture :( So building them a better place to live would be a priority as well. Lori
Related Discussions
Anyone else with good spring sprouting?
Q
Comments (4)
After damp nights and sunny days I'm seeing plenty of flower buds and new leaves. In the veggie garden all the peas are up - as are the sweet peas (which are poisonous by the way, but mine always bloom after the edible peas die from the heat). The first of the rhubarbs has got its nose above ground along with rows of radishes. The highlights in the flower garden are the lilacs which after many many years have finally emerged covered in buds. These are the solid white kind, I dug these up from my parents yard in Oklahoma before we sold the house. I was about to give up completely but someone told me to change the soil ph to alkaline which seems to have done the trick. I'm happy see the large redbud tree covered with flower buds, they are notorious for being hard to transplant but I just couldn't leave it at the old house. It lived for one year in a pot before finally getting planted. It seems to be handling the transition just fine. For the first time ever the loquat tree is making fruit! whether these will fill out and avoid being eaten by squirrels remains to be seen. Last year I planted an olive tree that had just gotten too big to overwinter inside anymore. Due to the mild weather this winter it has survived and is covered with flower buds. It made ONE olive way back when I first bought it as a tiny twig of a tree, hopefully this year will be different.
...See More
Anyone else ready to call it quits for the year?
Q
Comments (15)
Not calling it quits, but definitely entering the autumn mode. Have been moving around a few perennials. At first I worried that it was too hot, but then I reasoned that I canÂt leave everything until the last minute. Then I finished planting my potted stuff. Clematis, kiwi, and a mugo pine. Still have to take cuttings, dig out some plants, decide which I want to save seeds from. Then there will be the general cleanup and starting to winter protect. I am feeling a bit weary of watering hanging baskets, etc, havenÂt been as devoted. But, I guess I am a person who enjoys his yard. To each his own, but some yards in my neighborhood are pretty basic with just grass and a couple of shrubs. Not that my yard is fabulous, but I guess somewhere down the line I decided that I wanted to have more than just the basics so I guess the extra work goes with the territory. But, even a hobby can feel overwhelming at times but I think you guys have a great idea to make a "to do" list. I usually enjoy later fall (October) more than early fall. Maybe itÂs because earlier in fall my mind is still trying to hold onto summer. By October, the annuals are mostly frost bitten and I have come to accept it. Plus, in a way itÂs neat to finally clear out that overcrowded flower bed and see bare soil, to see the branch outline of trees, etc. Hunnerbun, I read on our local weather channel that for the period of Apr 1st to Aug 31st, Thompson has had double their average rainfall. Something like 600 mm when normal is approx 300. Be careful with your tomato plants. I found that slugs were actually crawling onto the ripening fruit that was fairly close to the ground and making little indentations. Vine ripened tomatoes are so precious but I couldn't bring myself to eat that tomato. Glen
...See More
Is anyone else planting Spring bulbs now?
Q
Comments (7)
Vicki, do they survive the weather and soil, and keep blooming following years? I did buy most of them at 50-75% off, before Christmas, and could not resist, though most people around here do not plant them, and say they don't come back. i have made alot of of soil amendments, so hoping they will. After scouring all my books for a yes or no, I planted them w/o any, confident, giving them a good water soluble 10-110 fertilizer when the poke out of the ground. Some were already growing, close to 300, 30 holes, daffodils, tulips, muscari, and some lily of the valley in the part shade areas. It was a lot of work for just one shot, hoping to be WoWed by them for several years, at least.. The last ones were tucked in about 9:30pm tues, just before the tornadic weather came through and hit our little town, they are well watered in. I will let you know how they do, for futere reference for anyone else planting them last minute.
...See More
update:mid-time call for anyone else who wants to join Spring RR
Q
Comments (2)
heres the info from the original posting: ------------------------------------------------------------ hey, i'm hosting a new round robin. heres the deal: 1. sign up here 2. send any perrenial/ annual/ vine/ bush/ tree etc... seeds. 3. include postage for your end of the deal to get back to you. I will provide the envelopes. 4. i will sort the seeds and send you something different. if you sent morning glories, you wont get morning glories back. if you send five seed packages, you'll get five back plus one extra. so depending on how much you send, you'll get the same number of seed packages back plus a bonus. 5. get ready to recieve a surprise! anyone interested may post here and i will send you my addy. hurry, the deadline to sign up is February 28, 2005. you will be getting your seeds the second week of March. thanks jdiaz31089
...See More
johanna_h
14 years ago
I am SO ready for spring! The past week has been really hard, leading up to yesterday evening which was chaos. You can read about it on my blog.

I've got my seeds ready, just holding back on starting as long as I can. We tend to be really wet in the spring and so our plant-out date is later than other nearby areas. But as Farmer Karl tells me, "we might be two weeks later, but we always have bigger yields!"

--Johanna

Here is a link that might be useful: A chaotic evening
gardengalrn
Original Author
14 years ago
Johanna, sorry about your hen, hopefully she will heal up just fine. Several of my girls have taken a beating because I have my older roo, Rocky, and kept his son that I hatched out. I knew I would be getting more layers and since Rocky has made such a wonderful roo, I wanted to keep his son. He's a nice bird as well, but like you said, young and "eager." Rocky is an Iowa Blue so is handsome but not too big. He has a very good temperament.

I am only going to start my tomato seeds inside this year and always sow them on my birthday, Mar 30. My little present to myself, LOL. I usually do a variety of things but decided to just buy pepper plants locally and winter sow my flowers and other veggies. I take 2 liter bottles and basically make tiny greenhouses out of them, complete with soil. Toss the seeds in there and put them outside, either in a box or somewhere where they won't tip. It can freeze, snow, blow and those seeds will pop up just beautifully when it is time. It has saved me a lot of time and space inside and the plants are vigorous because they are already hardened off. Lori
pamghatten
14 years ago
Just got my seed starter mix yesterday, so I can start my daylily seeds. We had 5 to 6 inches of snow on Sunday, but yesterday was really bright and sunny. I was actually hot hauling in wood.

So we're on the downward slope towards Spring ... the temps are creeping up a degree or so, and the days are getting longer minute by minute.
doninalaska
14 years ago
Yep, even here it is getting warmer. The snow is melting rapidly, but I expect we will get a few more heavy snows before "break up". The lakes are still well frozen, but I have onions and celery started in the garage under lights. I try to start almost all my own stuff to avoid pest problems brought in from commercial greenhouses and nurseries. I can buy enough seeds to last several years for the price of a few plants as well, although it does require time, space and electricity to keep them going. We also have several greenhouses, but don't heat them as it is too expensive in the depths of winter here.

I am definitely ready for warmer weather. I am feeling better the last few weeks just with the longer days and milder temps, though, so a few more snows won't bother me much.

Anyone else ready for spring?? ;)

Comments (6)

acer

gardengalrn
Original Author

Related Discussions

johanna_h

gardengalrn
Original Author

pamghatten

doninalaska

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Anyone else ready for spring?? ;)

Comments (6)

acer

gardengalrnOriginal Author

Related Discussions

johanna_h

gardengalrnOriginal Author

pamghatten

doninalaska

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

gardengalrn
Original Author

gardengalrn
Original Author