sowing seeds and a good storm

i sowed this year's first round of seeds about 10 days ago (some herbs, some flowers for the pollinators, and some tomatoes for staal).  the germination rate was quite good and the seedlings are looking happy and i think are feeling quite cozy in the greenhouse.  i sowed lettuces and greens three days ago and i'm starting to see signs of life there too.

i use tweezers to sow small seeds

kale seeds

basil

i'm trying out some new varieties and new plants this year.  i haven't ever had much luck growing true tarragon (the french stuff that only grows from cuttings) so i'm trying out mexican tarragon this year---the seeds germinated really fast and the seedlings are looking good.  i'm also growing tithonia (a sort of a bushy sunflower) and borage (an herby flowering plant) for the first time---both of them are supposed to be great plants for attracting and feeding pollinators.

borage seeds are really neat looking

borage seedlings

we had a bit of a wet weekend.  it had been quite a long stretch since the last rain and with the warm weather we've been having things were starting to get a bit thirsty---all the plants and animals (humans included) were ready for some rain.  

the chickens enjoyed foraging in the wet leaf litter...

we got a couple of days of light, occasional rain showers with some good downpours sunday afternoon and then sunday night things got kind of wild.  around 10-10:30pm we started getting some powerful wind gusts accompanied by very heavy rainfall.  the volume of water coming down was far more than the gutters could handle and the ground couldn't soak it up fast enough so we ended up with a pond in the kitchen garden and around the greenhouse.  fortunately the storm blew over before the water could get too high so we didn't get any flooding indoors and no leaks in the roof either.  the ground percolates really well here---when we got up the next morning there wasn't a puddle in sight, just a bunch of really happy trees and vegetable plants.

outside the east door of the greenhouse during sunday night's storm---water about 4" deep and just below the threshold

beautiful blue sky monday morning after the previous night's wild deluge.

and more signs of spring in the garden...

peach blossom buds (dog on deer duty)

lots of earthworm activity

happy plants in the kitchen garden

trellis factory

the weather has been warm and sunny---good for pruning fruit trees.  i pruned all the trees that i'm going to keep small and bushy (mainly stone fruits) but i'm going to grow some trees as espaliers (pears, apples, and a couple figs) and i hadn't got trellising up for them yet.  so i've spent the last few days building bamboo trellises.

the first one took the most time to build because i was designing as i was building.  i think what i ended up with is pretty neat and will be functional.  i used the 2 ft pieces that i cut off the horizontals as bracing---and a little style---i ended up having no waste this way too.

i got pretty fast at building them.

i was pretty close to finishing the last one (i built eight) when the battery in my drill exploded.  it sounded like a .22 being fired---a bit startling.  fortunately the case that holds the battery cells is quite tough (i'm assuming they're designed to handle this sort of thing) so the explosion was safely contained and there were no injuries (zane was a little nervous for a while after).  i put a spare battery pack in and the drill was functioning normally so i went back to work and got things finished up.

we're due to get a few days of rain starting tomorrow so i think i'll wait for the ground to soften up and then i'll put in some metal fence posts to anchor the trellises to and when things dry out again i'll get the espaliers pruned and tied up.

an early february morning

an early february morning
the sun slants into the garden through the oaks
warm
poppies have come up
their first leaves forked like tiny blue-green antlers
a hummingbird visits the quince blossoms
soft breeze pushes wisps of white
across brilliant blue sky
and whispers something about coming rain.
how beautiful you are sitting in the clover

greenhouse (plumbing)

staal got the greenhouse all fixed up with plumbing a couple days ago...

digging access to shut-off valve and water pipe

drilling route for new plumbing

the old shut-off valve was worn out and needed to be replaced...

helpers

new shut-off valve

staal modified a 5-gallon bucket to work as a valve box and made a beautiful redwood cover for it...

the friedlands will probably recognize the utility sink (thank you).  staal screwed it to a 2x4 to keep it stable.

beautiful antique faucet and a hook for hanging a bucket (nice touch)

the man does good work.

when i wake

i lie awake and stare out at the stars
hanging in bare oak bows
like a string of christmas lights
clear and twinkling and beautiful.
and i might have missed it
if i'd been asleep.
but instead i lie awake staring at stars
and wondering about sleep.
wondering where it is that we go
and how it is that we return.
and hoping,
if i drift off again,
i'll still find you next to me when i wake.

greenhouse (siding and trim)

staal has been working on the outside of the greenhouse---putting up siding and trim to get everything sealed and looking spiffy.

here are a couple of shots taken before the siding and trim went up...

staal has put up T-111 siding (he pre-painted it the color of the house) below all of the glazing, around the doors, and at the corners...

caulk and z-bar will keep rain from getting behind the siding.

he cut pieces of redwood to trim around the glazing with channels on the back side of each piece to fit over the slightly raised sections of framing that run between the glass panels---this will allow the outer edges of the back side of each piece of trim to sit flush against the glazing.

the result is a well-sealed and beautiful exterior...

wildflower seeds

i plant wildflower seeds along the garden fence
and daydream about how they will look
all dressed up in their spring blossoms
calling to the birds and bees and butterflies.
i stop a moment to take in the late afternoon light
our happy little house bathed in the rosy glow.
smoke begins to trail from the chimney
and i know you are inside tending the fire.
chickens scratch around in the yard
and from the coop a hen announces a newly laid egg.
this is a place of love and warmth and abundance.