The Garden Is In

Today I worked like a crazy woman planting the garden. Hubby was so much help, setting up the string fence, and getting my hills raked for me. I’d hoped to do the planting over a two day period, since every time I squatted down to put a small seedling into the earth I could feel my leg muscles scream at me, but once we got started I just couldn’t stop.

The first thing we did was set up the string fence. This keeps big and small dogs and little children out of my garden (she says with fingers crossed!). It also provides string trellises for the peas to climb.

This took a bit of time but I think it came out fairly well. To the right is an antique cider press that Hubby has had for years. We haven’t used it since Hubby stopped his “pick your own apples” business years ago, but it is nice to have it gracing our garden.

In the morning we planted the peas and the corn. We have not had much luck with either of them in the past, but we are holding out hope that this year we will have decent corn and more than a handful of peas! Although you cannot see them in the pictures, because we actually planted the seeds in the ground, trust me they are there, planted at the proper depth and length apart!

After lunch Hubby finished raking the soil into hills, and then my work began. All of the seedlings needed to be re-planted to their new homes. The first things in were the cucumbers.

I have both a slicing cucumber and a pickling cucumber planted, and I have plants left over for my neighbors. It was nice this year because the plants were all further along than they were last year, and so they handled the re-planting well.

Next I did the butternut squash, zucchini and summer squash. These plants were all much larger this year. It’s funny but the squash all have done very well. I guess the warm temperatures, and the sunshine helped those plants to get a really good head start.

By the time I put in the last plant my legs, and back were aching and I thought to myself, “Oh geeze, I really am getting old!” Then I laughed and sprayed down the garden. It’s been very dry here and the ground needs moisture. Ah well, they are forecasting light rain for Tuesday/Wednesday.

As I looked back at all we’d accomplished today, I just had to smile. The garden looks so large and so neat today, but still rather barren.

However, by mid summer it will be lush and full of vines, leaves and vegetables.

While I was working in the vegetable garden Hubby was working on the fruit trees. He told me tonight that we now have 40 fruit trees in the yard. He takes such good care of them and this makes our yard one of the prettiest around.

Today while he was working he noticed this great setting. He came and got the camera and took this:

This is our (from the right) lilacs, and Enterprise apple tree and a flowering crab apple tree. He liked the way the various blossoms blended together. I agree. He got a great picture!

Now we are both sitting with our laptops, watching a little TV and unwinding from the day. I’m taking bets on whether or not you all think I will be able to move in the morning? LOL