March's Garden (2020)

March has been rainy, miserable, gloomy and depressing - just like my mood. We watched the weather report constantly looking for a dry moment. In desperation, I hand-cleared the raised areas beside the shed (in the rain) and planted some lettuce. At least something got planted.

The stuff piled up and sticking out from behind the shed are the pieces from Reese's aquaponics greenhouse.  He will probably never live here again so we have disassembled it and have it almost ready to move.  I refuse to let his dream of owning his own aquaponics business die.  We have it ready so he can set it up again someday when the time is right.

It has been a relief to be able to harvest fresh salads and not visit the grocery store. The Chinese Coronavirus has arrived in my neighborhood and it has affected my family and friends. Bill, Dustin, and I saw the trainwreck coming, self-isolated early and have not had any problems.

This row is all that is left from the first hoop house.  Even though the sun hasn't shone, it has been warm enough to remove the covers.  Most of the winter vegetables are gone but what is left has thankfully burst to life.  There has been food for us to eat, not all we wanted, but enough since we are not wasting a single leaf.

Sugar Beets and Afina Cutting Celery were small plants last fall crowded under the fast-growing vegetables but now there is room for them to grow.

Below is what is left of the second hoop house: garlic, onions, Scarlet Kale and an ample supply of weeds.  All will be harvested soon so there is no need to waste my time weeding...it's not like we are stuck at home with anywhere fun to go.

The middle of the garden is still under leaves and will be planted soon.

Three days ago we had a day and a half without rain. Bill rushed out and managed to plow part of the garden (before the rain returned that night.) There was enough time to broadcast seeds from my bag of assorted unknowns.

This was the first time lettuce plants have survived all the way through the winter under a hoop house.  I discovered the secret - planting extra.

When we dismantled the greenhouse, we moved its railroad ties to the back corner of the garden to create a large mulch pile.  My property is full of huge boulders and there is an odd-shaped rock in the back corner of the garden.  It has kept us from plowing or mowing this area so it often grows into a wild mess.  The left side has ditch daylilies and the far right has dormant Four O'Clocks.

The daylilies are sprouting.

We named the rock "the dinosaur bone" because it looks just like a fossilized bone.  Doesn't everybody name the rocks in their yard?

At present, everything here is uncertain. As the death angel passes over we are sheltering in place and preparing for the days of darkness ahead.  Plans are to make the garden larger since we don't know how many friends, family members, and neighbors we might be feeding. Forgive me for not posting more often, but my heart is just too heavy.

Last Month's February's Garden (2020)
Last Year's March Garden (2019)
March's Garden (2018)
March's Garden (2017)
Aquaponics Dreams
Through the Garden Gate