Two Spring Projects Begin

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The Angels suggested I start our seeds for the season a month earlier than usual. This sounded reasonable during December when we were having 63 degree afternoons and all the crocuses were about to bloom. Now that there is three feet of snow on the ground, it’s a bit more of a stretch of the imagination to think we’ll have an early spring. None the less, I did start a bunch of seeds.

I have flashed you a picture of the flat of tomatoes mid sowing. We grow a lot of different tomatoes in a staggering variety of colors. I did pass on last year’s white tomato variety aptly named “Cream Sausage.” It really looked as unappealing as the name. Frankly, none of us got past the appearance of this tomato enough to even notice if it tasted any good. This year we will just have to suffer through with only purple, pink, yellow, orange, green, striped, and red tomatoes to harvest.

No sooner had I made the most enormous mess in the kitchen sowing all these seeds when our water pump died. I had to melt snow on the stove in order to finish the project and then melt some more to flush the toilets, and clean up all the oil mix everywhere. It is amazing how fast things get complicated without running water.

Because our greenhouse is already full of tropical Flowers, I start the seeds on heating mats outside the greenhouse and then move the tropical plants into the house as I move the flats of germinated plants into the greenhouse. By the time the greenhouse is packed full of seedlings in April and May, the rest of the house and office is full of tropical plants pining for their greenhouse. When summer comes, everyone goes outside and recovers from less than ideal conditions. Another greenhouse remains a project on the horizon.

Speaking of projects, we tapped the maple trees last Sunday. The sap didn’t run much this week, but we went out yesterday to collect what was there and stomp down paths to our buckets. Where the plow had piled snow it was not unusual to sink in almost to our hips. After entirely too much time indoors this winter I am completely thrilled to be outside with something to do! Yahoo for sugaring!

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