Iris Burning Update
In the first Rites of Spring post, I showed Bill torching the iris bed to control iris leaf spot, a fungal disease that over-winters on the dead leaves. Here is a picture of dead leaves with iris leaf spot.
Little Plastic Garden House Update
The plastic was removed a couple of weeks ago.
We got one cutting of salad greens and spinach before the late freeze. Unfortunately, the plants were damaged but they’ll come back.
Asparagus!
Yum!—the first asparagus stalk. Yes, it is purple! The variety is called “Purple Passion.” How appropriate—we are passionate about purple and asparagus!
Preparing the Rest of the Garden for Planting
Early in the spring, Bill brought several loads of dirt mixed with cow manure—inexpensive fertilizer and abundant here!—from the pasture to spread on the garden. Then, he leveled the ground. This is a multi-tractor task!
A couple of weeks ago he planted broccoli and cauliflower. Then he covered the tender, young plants with straw to keep them from freezing.
Spring Flower Bouquet
Hyacinth, daffodils and tulips are in bloom! Anyone remember these old “Squirt” bottles? They make cute retro vases!
Bill’s Harrowing Experience
No, it wasn’t a frightening experience; it was a cow pie-busting experience! A harrow is a farm implement with spikes, teeth or discs used to level ground by breaking up clods of dirt or uprooting weeds. In this case, Bill was using a harrow to bust up dried cow pies and distribute the natural fertilizer over that pasture area. He only harrowed ground around feeders and other areas where the cattle congregated for lengths of time, creating a build-up of cow pies.
Before harrowing
After harrowing
Anyone need a nice, cold drink of water from the hydrant?
RSS Feed