Getting Off The Grid - The Waiting

The homestead, just saying makes some people think about things differently, not me its just where I live. The only difference is that I have a hell of a lot more grass to mow or till under and I grow vegetables anywhere and everywhere. One day I will add chickens and maybe even a fish pond for fresh fish but no time soon.

Last weekend I mowed the fields, getting one ready to plow one and the other I think I will plant just fruit trees, the ground is not rich and it does tend to flood from time to time in the back field.

April is the month of waiting, waiting to put the seed or plants into the earth. This week we will experience what the elders call "Blackberry Winter" is that last cold snap before the weather finally levels out and its good to go on the planting, the blackberries are also about to bloom, well some already have while others are waiting for that announcement :) . Predicted temperatures is for Friday night 39° / 40° F. Yes I will toss a sheet over all the plants on the deck as well as the lemon tree with babies all over it. 

The seed that I sowed inside for the second round of bell peppers have not came up even when I took them outside to the sun and rainwater so I will toss that dirt in a food bed and replant, I am sure I have a couple eggplant but they are tiny so I need to move them to  be better protected. The Jalapeños are finally busting out, it has taken forever. On Tuesday I sowed more seed for both Jalapeños and Bell Peppers, I like to plant so that I can harvest food all the way till freeze in November / December.

The first and second round of tomato plants are doing awesome, I have actually began to feed them, once already with miracle grow. The first round of sweet green bell peppers are getting big also, actually I am hoping after this cold snap to put some of these into the ground for good. I also plan to wait and do another later planting of tomatoes also, for that November "mater" sandwich :)

The Iris are blooming, ya know I never did have any luck with these all the times I tried to grow them at the old home place but I "threw" some on the ground here and BAM! there are flowers. I always was told not to plant them deep or they would not bloom, well! I did nor even plant them and its working out fine. I swear I laid them on the ground at the edge of the yard and they are there blooming, the whites mixed in with the day lilies and daffodils was Tony`s planting not mine.

So its just the waiting game before I get started on the real work here on the homestead. Maybe, just maybe I will cut some brush down and begin my greenhouse, after all who am I waiting on for help? No one. And that food bed that will go around the apple tree, Yes I will work on that, toss some marigolds out as well.

 

Spooky, My Shadow while checking on the blackberry bushes down the long driveway. 

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By Andria Perry

Photos By Andria Perry - 1- Blackberries about to bloom 2 - me mowing grass 3- Up close of blackberry bloom 4 - white iris 5- the field awaiting to be plowed and planted. 6 - Spooky, my shadow.