Starting My 'Starts'

This week I started my seeds. I was hoping to get the celery and watermelon going, too, but the seed store didn't have celery seed. In the long run it didn't really matter because I ran out of earth before I even got to the watermelons. All I managed to plant were the three types of tomatoes, green and red peppers. Everything I planted came from I saved from last year.

It was nice stopping in at the garden nursery. I don't go so much anymore. I make my own compost, collect most of my own seeds and now I'm taking a shot at seedlings so my visits are down to one or two through the whole season. It was nice chatting with the staff again and catching up on what people had been doing throughout the winter. Of course, the conversation turned to why I was there and I explained about the coldframe idea I was hoping to do. "Oh," they said, "You are are going to do your own starts." I had no idea what they meant, I kind of figured it out, of course; but I have never heard seedlings called 'starts'. I'm wondering if it is an 'island' thing.

I must admit I am a little concerned about doing seeds. I've never had much luck with tomatoes. They get all spindly and then die...or I drown them when they are babies and they die...or I let them dry out too much and then they die. Reoccurring theme here is that they always die. Hopefully this time it will be different. I've done a lot of reading and talked to a lot of people so hopefully some of these seeds actually turn into plants. If not, I'll go visit the nice folks down at the garden place; they say they don't see me enough, anyway.

The Signs are all There....

It might just be my imagination (or deluded state, take your pick), but it sure seems like early (early, early, or even very early, early) Spring has stopped by. Actually, I noticed it at least a week or more ago but just kind of pushed the thought away. Early Spring in mid February!?! Not very likely. A little mid-winter thaw, may-be, but not anything with the word Spring in it.

But I'll tell you, it sure looks like just the bare beginnings of Spring out there. The country roads are the first sign. The snow starts receding from the very edge of the pavement where they have played with travellers all winter; creeping over the road towards the middle then being pushed back by monstrous plows. Now they retreat from the hard pavement exposing soft, mushy red dirt shoulders. And as they pull back, their once pristine white smatters with grey and black slush. The roads are finally giving back as good as they got. Then there's the bare patches of earth all over the place. Like on the path to the chicken coop, or under the bird feeder and near the vegetable garden. The snow gives ground to the ground.
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Not only does it look like early Spring, it sounds like it, too. The birds are calling more and more. Their whistles and chirps gleefully sounding out in the morning when the sun spreads gold and pink over the snow, but now it continues all day long. The water of the DaM becomes louder as it breaks free of the ice. And I dare to dream that soon comes the day the nicest sound is the one I don't hear...no more snowmobiles razing the land at all hours of the day and night.
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I'm not the only one thinking Spring is early this year. Little footy prints abound on the DaM farm now, telling me that the sleep-the-winter away critters are stirring as well. The chickens are increasing the number of eggs laid almost on daily.
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I realize we could have a Winter blast and in a few short hours it will look like the dead of winter again. But I won't be deceived, I know Spring is coming, I have felt her kiss.