Trying to catch up

[The Cook]

Things are going very slowly this year. Partly the weather and partly my back. I think some old seeds may be part of the problem. I started onion and spinach seeds in the middle of January. Just got the onions set out yesterday and hope to get the spinach done today. This morning DH tilled a strip along one of the wire fences and I got about 140 Petit Pois seeds planted. DH just came home with a bag of sugar snap seeds to use up the rest of the space along the fence.

If I can still walk tomorrow and the rain doesn't start too early I will get the weeds out of the rhubarb and divide some of the plants. I also need to thin a few of the plants and fill in a couple that do not appear to still be alive. I also have a friend who would like a few more when I get them separated.

After that I plan to stay in the house and recuperate.

[George Shirley]

Sounds familiar to me Susan, wife planted the spring garden yesterday under a nice, warm sun and almost 80F. Tomatoes, eggplant, sweet chiles, green beans, etc. She's picking up one zucchini plant today while she's out running errands. I slept most of the day yesterday and have no idea what's going on in this old worn out body recently. Doctors having me do multiple blood pressure and blood glucose readings and they're all over the scale. I've had high blood pressure for years and now, all of a sudden, the BP is dropping radically off and on.

It's a PITA as I have things to do in the garden that she can't do alone and many other chores are going undone. At any rate the new seedlings and plantings in general are looking good. The flower beds are blooming like crazy. We have one bed by the porch that has Louisiana iris, Dutch Iris, and California Poppies in it and now they've all started blooming. The pear tree has calendula planted around the base and they're in full bloom. Even the coral honeysuckle on the back fence is setting blooms. It may be a beautiful spring after all, in spite of the rain we've been getting. There's a slow drizzle falling right now.

Sounds like you and hubby are like we are, trying to keep up with everything that needs doing. Luckily my wife is very healthy and would rather be digging in the dirt than anything else.

[songbird]

that's a lot of doing for someone with a sore back. glad you can still move. :)

it's a pretty hardy crop...

walking is our exercise for the off season and some times during the gardening season we'll still walk. helps keep my lower back happy, but if i overdo it i pay for a few days after. stretching also has helped, but i have to do it very carefully.

it's been cold still at night and the ground is still frozen, but there are a few of the early flowers making exploratory pokes above the ground. might have some flowers soon. we didn't have any spring flooding and the snow is mostly gone. all the snow/rain has been going south or north of us again. ok with me for a few more weeks. i got tons of puttering about i can do.

songbird

[The Cook]

Last year was the real looser. I was waiting for back surgery. When I finally got to see the Neurosurgeon he mentioned physical therapy or Epidual Steroid shots. I told him that I had already "been there, done that" to both. Had the surgery and am much better but still have to be careful about bending and lifting. Mostly I am trying to regain strength since I was pretty much flat on my back from May to September. Water exercise is really helping.

[The Cook]

Thanks for the encouragement. Rhubarb all done, at least the weeds have been removed. Took 2 days. Now just waiting for the tomato and pepper seeds to finish germinating and will then move them to larger quarters. They are taking their own sweet time. I think that the middle of April is average last frost here but do not plan to set these out until the first part May. The weather has been so crazy this year that I don't want to take a chance. I probably should start the squash and cucumbers seed before too long. I am sure that I will think of something else I should or want to plant.

[George Shirley]

Green beans are just breaking the surface here. We remembered to put the stuff on them that helps speed things up. Radishes are up also. No sign of cukes as yet but we have lots of lettuce, spinach, chard, etc. up and growing. I have visions of big salads in the near future. The dawg doesn't understand why we eat weeds when we have meat handy. Just looks at what we're eating and quits begging. I think I hear a nap calling me or is that just the dawg snoring?