A recent reminder from @gardenhive snapped me out of the battle winter is waging with spring up in these northern parts. I am quite a few weeks before finishing prep on this 7th year of the Pickleman Family Garden and even more before the first veggies to come out of the garden.
This first edition, I am tackling a big project and surveying the yard for the damage winter has done and the first signs of spring.
First Things First
Before we even get to the cleaning, fixing and soil prep and planting, this tree needs to come down. As I mentioned in my weekend adventures post, it is big and green and blocks the view of big houses behind us but is starting to lean on the fence, grows too quickly and blocks plenty of sunshine from the garden that needs it. You may be able to see my challenge as it is large enough to hit the house if it falls that way, and heavy enough to wreck a fence if it falls that way. Besides that, a perfect notch and drop may still bring it down to smash my garden boxes.
At the end of a harrowing ordeal of near misses, we managed to avoid crushing the house, fences, or garden boxes. Now I have a colossal pile of wood and my little dood is not really helpful on suggestions on where to put it and how to get there.
I can't say there was zero collateral damage the piecing up of the final tree trunk did manage to pull the side off my pepper box. These are all made of standard 2x10s so they do rot and need to be replaced. No worries though as I have a solution.
Most of the yard and garden is beige and the temperatures still dip below freezing often but we have started some seeds indoors. Tomatoes and hot peppers are staples in our garden and we have a variety of each started from seeds bought at the store or harvested from last year's garden.
Not as impressive as the plants
or 
's plants but this fuzzy little monster will hopefully grow up to produce a dozen sandwiches worth of Beefsteak tomatoes.
Early Blooms
I had to search a little for the very first signs of spring. A few robins, cardinals and my tulips. I can't quite remember if I planted these or they were here when I purchased the house but they come up every year. they push up through the leaves and branches of last year and form these little bowls to collect the early rain water. They should be nice and yellow in the next few weeks.
In the fall, we planted some trumpet tulips in part of the bed we weeded. The hopes were that they would come up fuchsia, purple and black this season and there are some neat little early buds.
The rabbits hung our here all winter and seem to be teaming up with the hungry squirrels and are grazing the green down early in the spring. I can't fault them as they are part of the ecology the garden is supposed to be part of but I hope they give it a little rest so we have some flowers!
Another addition to the garden in the fall was these Azaleas. Bravely popping up early, they hold the promise of some nice flowers for us and the pollinators to enjoy. Looking at the forecast the next couple weeks and seeing the lows below freezing, I sure hope they are tough!
Humble Beginnings
Needless to say, I have a whole lot of clearing, disposal, repair, and replanting to do before this place even can be considered as a garden. Wood is definitely not cheap and possibly about to become more expensive so this big 2x12 will replace some of the rotted box boards and the rain barrel is about to collect a storm worth of water for the sprouts we will plant. So much work to do at the beginning of the season but it is good for me, teaches the kids lessons about growing and tending, and then it slips into a simple routine of watering, fertilizing and pruning for a nice easy summer.
Cheers to all the Hive Gardeners wrapping up their season or just starting on their gardens like me.
This is the first chapter of the 7th season of the Pickleman Family Garden. We have a long way to go but it is good work with fantastic results.
Mom started me along my path of growing stuff when I was a kid. Motivated by so many blockchain blogging gardeners, I figured I would plant and share and learn as I reclaim as much grass space as I can. It has turned out to be a fruitful experience and I hope to inspire you to sow and grow no matter what your location or experience level is.
Wherever you are...JUST GROW!
