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Hi Everyone,

               It is officially after March 17—which means that it is high time to plant the garden! Florida’s early spring weather can really fool people making them think that the cold winter freezes are past and that it is safe to plant the spring garden. While potatoes are officially started around Valentine’s Day here in North Florida, they still have to be covered and protected from frosts and freezes—but they do survive. Beans, squashes, tomatoes, and cucumbers don’t like cold at all and it is not safe to start them too early because you never know when that last frost or late freeze will arrive—but we are usually home free after March 17. All my garden beds are not exactly ready for seeds to be planted in them, so I spent a few days last week starting seeds in the greenhouse. I started pickling cucumbers, slicing tomatoes and cherry tomatoes—and some cinnamon basil to grow alongside them. Then there was a tray with watermelon and another with three kinds of pumpkins. There are three species of squash: pepo, maxima, and moschata. In those species is an endless list of varieties. When you grow pumpkins or squash from the same species you get cross pollination—but when you grow a variety from different species they do not cross pollinate. So I am growing three varieties of pumpkins this year in the same garden space—each from a different species. There is Long Island Cheese pumpkin (moschata—a pumpkin that stores well), Red Kuri (maxima—a Japanese winter squash that is good for eating), and Sweetnut Acorn Squash (pepo—an acorn squash that has naked seeds, pepitas). I also planted some zinnias and Tithonia’s (Mexican Sunflowers). In the East Garden I planted some sugar snap peas—on a trial basis because you are supposed to plant them in January (and I did, but they didn’t sprout and the winter was too cold). My planting calendar said that I could plant sweet peas in March—and since they only take 64 days to maturity I decided to give them a second chance. I also planted some borage on a trial basis too. I transplanted some lettuce into the Market Garden, and I also started more lettuce in the greenhouse. Micah helped me get some rows weeded, composted and broadforked so that I could tilth them and plant some zucchini in one Market Garden tunnel and Lemon squash in the other Market Garden tunnel. I also started some zucchini and lemon squash seeds in the greenhouse as a backup if the seeds I planted in the ground don’t sprout for some reason. To my delight a lot of the seeds that I planted the first of the week in the greenhouse have started to sprout all ready.

               I feel a little lost on the farm this year—things just are not flowing in season like usual. It is hard to comprehend that we need to bring in next winters egg laying chickens next month. We should have processed the first batch of meat chickens last week—but the first batch of chicks actually arrived last Tuesday instead of the end of January or the beginning of February. Milk production was low during the winter which meant we didn’t have the money to buy feed for the meat chicks. Then our old brooder house is demolished, and the new one didn’t have a front door on it to keep out the cold. The builder promised the door a few weeks ago—after being absent for about six months—but we still do not have the door. Our chicken supply in the freezer is starting to get pretty low and I was starting to get concerned. I knew that once the doors finally arrived, it would still be a few weeks to a month before the hatchery would have chicks available for me—then of course it would be eight more weeks before they would be ready to harvest. Then God stepped in! Last week at church a friend (and fellow farmer) asked if we were still getting chicks from the same hatchery, and we told her that we had not been able to order any yet this year. She mentioned that she had ordered 80 chicks over the phone, and the owner told her that she needed to order on-line—so she did. Then she found out a few days before pick up that both orders were being filled. Mama and I gladly jumped on the chance to help her out and get us our first batch of chicks. So on Tuesday Papa picked up 80 little broiler chicks. The new brooder works really nice, and since we only have a screen door on the front of the room we hung a tarp over it to help keep out the cold. Thankfully though, it hasn’t been that cold this week. So I guess we will be processing our first batch of chickens this year around the end of May.

               Wednesday afternoons are set aside for relaxing—and that is just what I was doing when Mama came in to talk with me about what the tree trimmer man said about trimming up the holly and the crabapple trees. The holly tree has been a touchy subject of late as Mama swears it was too big, and I defend it as being perfect for it created the “wall” that encased the courtyard—gave the courtyard its privacy. Yes, it was growing over the carport. Yes, it was growing over some of the rose bushes. No, you could not walk around it because it grew too close to the rock border. My solution was to just trim it up to look like a Christmas tree—like remove 1/3 of the growth, just trim it back a little. Mama wanted to totally remove it—but I love that tree and the Mockingbirds make nests in it and the birds eat their breakfast, lunch, dinner and bedtime snacks at the Holly Berry Café. We use the festive branches to decorate with during the winter—and yes, it is always GREEN. Mama called the tree trimmer and he came out. We agreed to shape the tree to a bell shape—but I did not agree to wait a year before you could see the bell shape of the holly tree. When Mama told me the plans for the tree, I protested and finally told her to leave (not in an ugly way, but because I didn’t want to talk about her plans for my perfect tree and the tears were starting to pour). The next day the tree trimmer arrived and I got before and after pictures—but better yet I got a video. So why don’t you click here and judge for yourself—are you like Mama who can see into the future and see just how beautiful our holly will be one year from now, or are you like me and all you see is a ruined tree that will house no mockingbirds this year and it only has a few more snacks left for passing birds before the café is closed. Leave a comment on the video I would love to know what you think.

               I got to harvest my first batch of mullein leaves yesterday—and it looks like we will have a nice crop this year. I hope that you are enjoying this spring season and that you are taking the time to grow something—even if it is an herb in your kitchen window.

Serving you with Gladness,

Tiare