Winter around here has been strange weather-wise. We have had our share of snow and freezing cold days, but then we get a break from cold and the warm sun thaws everything out, if only for a day or two. On these days, the boys and I spend every minute of daylight outdoors. Every ounce of bad mood is erased within minutes (and I mean for me as much as for them!).
We spent one such day out in our muddy garden, digging for worms and more productive work for me- I took down the shabby makeshift fence surrounding our vegetable garden with dreams to expand in the spring, then edged out a space in our yard to double the size of last year’s garden and build a proper fence. Removing the grass will be the next big job, especially if we plan to do that all by hand rather than buying or renting a tiller. Little by little, it will get done!
Don’t let the grumpy face fool you- he was having a blast, but I caught him mid-story, feeling empathetic toward a poor earthworm he had accidentally sliced in half when trying to dig… poor little guy.
Dreams about spring are what I have right now… our new CSA farm share starting up, the opening of the spring farmer’s market, early planting of greens in our veggie garden, fence-building and composting, long walks and daffodils, snowdrops, and tulips blooming (if the neighborhood cats didn’t kill all of our bulbs with their nasty pee). It is around this time of the year that I often struggle. The end of February and beginning of March seem to signal I’ve had all I can take of winter. Let’s hope spring is right around the corner!
Have a happy weekend!
I can’t imagine that you guys are actually making garden headway in the dead of winter! You’ve definately had a much more mild winter. I really love the snow, but I am realizing that it’s more of a hassle with children… plus whenever we get out of the house and socialize with other kids W catches something from one of them so we can’t win. I am looking forward to some days at the park ahead (hopefully in the near future!), but I think I will return to my winter love when I’m not pregnant… maybe 🙂
For now I’m luxuriating in two sunny 40 degree days in a row and crossing my fingers that I’ll be digging in the dirt like you guys soon.
p.s. those are the most fashionable little dirt diggers around, I’m not surprised!
For Valentine’s Day, my husband is buying me a couple fruit trees and some blueberry bushes for our yard. It makes me dream of spring too.
(Also, we have a lot of neighborhood cats and what keeps them away from our garden is when my husband sprinkles his, um…pee around the garden borders. This may be a little TMI, but we’re internet friends, so it’s okay. Right? Right?)
This post is so exciting!! I want to be doing all of that myself! And talk of CSAs and farmers’ markets? I waaaaaant spriiiiiing! February can suck it.
Ha, ha! Ami, never TMI– in fact, we’ll try anything at this point!
Like Ami, I have also heard that pee repels cats. Julian was thrilled to learn of this and can’t wait to pee all over our garden perimeter this Spring.
Coming out of the heat of summer and I feel the same about autumn. Our garden hasn’t been as fruitful as we would have liked this season, we had to pull all of our tomatoes due to bugs- boohoo.
A new season- always exciting!
xo em
Oh, sweet little Oliver! I love it when my boys show compassion towards living things – it makes up for all the violence they usually indulge in! Haha!
Good work in the garden!
xo
cortnie