The tide continues...

Beltane tide -- or whatever you call the beginning of REAL spring -- continues.

While I was not paying attention, the bulbs in my first flower bed -- the one I sorta half dug last fall and into which I threw some "get 'em out of our sight" perennials from the Big Box, a couple of bags of bargain basement bulbs and some Freecycle plants -- went from showing a few sprouting bulbs and a wimpy crocus bloom or two, to a profusion of tulip color (well, more accurately a bunch of them bloomed and they are yellow and red), a couple of daffys in blossom and a couple of grape hyacinths as well. It also looks like the 10 cent mums (yeah, you read right!) are coming back as well.

And one of the lilacs along the drive is showing an inch of very purple budding on many of its branches! The other one looks to be following soon.

In the garden, though, we are still in that time of faith -- between the setting out of transplants and seed, and the moments at which they break ground or begin to take off into growth. My early-seeded peas, spinach and lettuces are up and growing slowly and the transplants are thus far holding their own. But each day when I go into the garen and see no sign of sprouting in the seeded rows, I wonder....

The main planting of petite pois peas and the flowering peas have been put into the ground and the laundry brought in from the line. While I was taking it off, K brought a shovel around and back filled the holes, in preparation to the first mowing of the grass.

I spent part of yesterday beginning to work on the ditch banks. This really needs doing, as I want to clear out around the brush that is there, to try to encourage it -- and some of the trees that I shall plant there as soon as I can find a few moments with the mattock and fork -- and to keep down the goldenrod.

I know fighting the goldenrod and to a lesser extent the milkweed will be ongoing, but I am trying to get enough of a start so I can see where they come up. In the back field, until we can begin to get it plowed and seeded with a cover crop, I am going to suggest that K mow (some times at least) very short, as I have learned in Master Gardener class that is one of the non-chemical ways to control weeds. We will see if I can stand it...

I am also looking to try brewing some dandelion wine -- taking a leaf from a friend's journal. Humm.. I wonder if I can find where she talked about how, as our crop is just coming on and Beltane seems to be the time to start this project.