I’ve been looking carefully at the empty bed that we have devoted solely to asparagus and wondering if the whole patch met a mysterious subterranean demise over the winter. But just yesterday, I finally saw the first signs of life from them – two purple heads poking up through the ground. Now at least I can breathe easy and assume that the rest will soon follow.
Signs of life returning to the garden in the form of the first asparagus to emerge from winter's deep slumber.
We planted beets right before our big family vacation last June, and they straggled and struggled along all summer. I never got around to using them in the fall, and actively began ignoring them come winter. They survived some significant week-long freezes, and a couple good snows to boot.
I finally decided to pull them up and see if there was anything worth saving, and it turns out that beets are pretty darn tough in the ground. We cooked up a batch of golden beets for a salad a few weeks ago, and today I pulled out the fancy candy-cane striped Chioggos to roast for Robbie’s 3rd birthday party. After paring off the gnarly skin from the tops, they look as good as new.
Turns out maybe that little portable greenhouse I started some seeds in was maybe a little too portable. We’ll see what can be salvaged. Hannah was morose about the situation: “I guess I’ll have to plant my chives again.”
Alicia texted me this morning while I was out saying “2 eggs in the coop today”, which is exciting because they haven’t laid since October or so. Maybe it was that huge full moon last night. When I got home Robbie and I went out to collect the bounty and pose for this picture. By that time there was a third egg, so spring has officially arrived.
(Note: Right after snapping this photo, Robbie decided to drop the eggs on the ground, and one broke, so we’re back down to 2 eggs.)
I always cruise the clearance bins of whatever stores I happen to be in… you have to know which dark back hallway leading to a break room they stick it in at most grocery stores, and the selection is usually just a dented can of peas and carrots and a whole box of some dubious-sounding product that didn’t fly off the shelves the way the marketing department had hoped (Ginger-Mango Habañero Ketchup! Vegan Mayonnaise!)
Lowes is clearing out the stuff that didn’t sell very well this year, and one thing they had that I fell for was a rain gauge. It was only 98 cents, and ever since I’ve installed it the kids have been obsessed with checking how much it rains. It’s frozen right now, so I’m assuming it’s expanded a little past the actual rain we’ve had, but it’s been at least an inch and a half over the last week or so. We’ve had a wet winter (hence a flooded basement a month or so ago), so now at least we can track exactly how much water is falling. I think we’ll empty it every month, and maybe make a little chart. Teach those kids the scientific method, you know?
Our new $0.98 rain gauge from Lowes.
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