JEFFERSON\WAUKESHA WAPF CHAPTER

It has almost been a month since I last posted. For that, I am really sorry. I had really hoped to document my daily life, but this last month has just totally gotten away from me.
The biggest reason for this is due to the weather. We have had record warm weather in Wisconsin. Everything is growing at a record pace. I am now still trying to cleanup from winter while plants that don’t come up until May are demanding my attention.

I love taking pictures of my gardens as they progress so I can share them, but they have gone so fast, that though I’ve gotten some, I have missed much.

So now I will try to remember what has been going on.
My crocuses started blooming the first week of March. I planted peas and lettuce on the 10th. On the 13th, kale seeds were planted. In mid-March, my friend gave me the last of her maple sap, 5 gallons, which I cooked down to one pint of syrup. Very yummy! On March 16 I was hanging laundry on the line. I’ve never done this before mid-May.

On March 21 my peas, lettuce and kale were up. I then discovered that my asparagus was up! This is a full two months early!!! I waited as long as I dared and picked my first batch on March 25. I sautéed it in butter and sea salt. It wasn’t much, but it was delicious.

My last post, March 3, was about my planting of tomato seeds. This last weekend, I just transplanted those same seedlings into bigger cups as they were getting so big that I didn’t want them to be stunted before they can go in the ground at planting time. Tomorrow they will be placed in the cold frame as I haven’t enough room on the dining room table.

On Tuesday I received a load of alpaca beans, aka poop. I spent all day yesterday adding it to pots, amending beds, weeding my strawberries and trying to figure out where to go with all of my containers that I will be planting tomatoes in.

A good part of today was spent recovering from yesterday, though I did some weeding and cleaning. I also picked some of my kale from last year and made kale chips for the family. They were a huge hit and are almost gone!

So needless to say, things have been happening fast. I am trying to cleanup, weed, plant, mow and whatever else comes along. Basically trying to fit 2 ½  months of spring into a few weeks. I feel like I am running behind, which is crazy as this time of year is usually spent just cleaning and preparing.

Hopefully I will now be able to share on a more regular basis, but only time will tell. And how is your garden growing so far?

Last weekend, I decided to start my tomatoes and peppers. This should give me 6-8 weeks until the last average frost date.

The last time I started my own seeds a couple of years ago, I started them in late March. The plants were quite small when I started them,  so it took a longer time to harvest them. Luckily that summer was very warm & wet, so my tomatoes thrived. This year I have my cold frame (see the previous post) so they can be set out sooner this year.

I'm still learning how best to plant my seeds, so of course, I read the instructions on the back of the seed packs. One thing I learned was that both peppers & tomatoes are sown close to the top as light helps with germination. This would explain why I have so many "volunteer" tomato plants in my compost piles.

This year I decided to mostly use seeds from the last few years. I have purchased a few packets from Menards, but really wanted to save money. The germination of seeds that are only a few years old is still very high.

I also used heirloom seeds. Heirloom seeds are those that are open-pollinated, and passed down from generation to generation. Seeds from heirloom vegetables are true to type, meaning that you can save the seed from a certain plant and expect to get the same thing when you go ahead and plant those seeds again next season.

Hybrid seeds are usually a combination of two or more varieties of a certain plant to get some desired result, such as long shelf life and how nice they look. One problem with hybrids is that they are not bred for flavor.

Heirloom tomatoes are so incredibly flavorful but they don't last long. We eat lots of fresh tomatoes in the summer. If they can't be eaten fast enough, I will chop them up and freeze them in quart freezer bags so we can enjoy them in the winter in soups, roasts and sauces.

I don't buy seeds labeled organic unless there is something I can't find anywhere else, that I really want. There is no regulation on the word organic for seeds. What you do to your seeds once they are planted is what will affect whether they are organic or not.

Today, one week later, this is what I woke up to. Beautiful tomato seedlings. The peppers are being a bit stubborn, but should be up soon. I tagged each and every plant when I put the seeds in. I can guarantee that there is no way I will remember what varieties I have planted. These tags will follow the plants all the way to harvest in summer and fall.

And if you're wondering what I planted last week: Tomatoes: Black Krim, Green Zebra, Red Currant, Brandywine, & Marmande, Peppers: California Wonder, Golden Marconi & Anaheim; I also planted Purple Tomatillas & flat leaf parsley. Wish I had few more varieties of tomatoes, but that's what I had on hand. If they all produce, I should have more than enough.

We have had some incredible late February weather for Southern Wisconsin. This has given us a unique opportunity to build a long dreamed of cold frame.

We decided on a hoop style cold frame due to simplicity and low cost.  I have to admit, my loving husband Mel did most of the work, but I did help!

First, he framed the base with two untreated 10' 2x6 boards and two untreated 5' 2x6 boards.

Hoops were formed with four 10' long 3/4" PVC electric conduit, sunlight resistant. Mel bent it using a weed burner torch. He felt the heat was necessary to help the hoops hold their shape better with less chance of cracking or breaking over time.

We then put 4 mil plastic sheeting over the top, securing the back side by drilling an old 2x4 over that end of the plastic . The opening side was stapled to another old 10' 2x4 we had laying around. We plan on just rolling that over the top to open as weather warms. The ends are currently just being tucked under until we can figure a better method.

I spread used bedding from our bunnies around the back bottom to help insulate.

And now I wait. In about 2 weeks I'm hoping the soil inside will be thawed so I can work the soil. My first things I will plant will be spinach & lettuce. Later, I'm also going to set all my seedling in there to start hardening them.

If this works well, I also hope to plant winter crops this fall. I've been researching what grows best in cold frames through winter. Fresh lettuce in January? Yum!
So yes, I'm already planning for next winter too.

_Here it is, the end of January in southern Wisconsin and the temperature outside is 52 degrees. What little snow we’ve had this winter is quickly melting away. The ice on local lakes is dangerously thin in some areas. We’ve only had a couple of sub-zero nights. You’d think I wouldn’t be longing for spring. But here I am. Paging through the seed catalogs daydreaming about all of the wonders my gardens will provide.
I’ve been gardening since I was a young child. It has become my favorite hobby. Actually, it borders more on passion than hobby! In the spring and summer I am more likely to be in the garden than in the house. And odds are good, I’ll be barefoot. There is something comforting & calming for me, working barefoot in the garden. And more likely than not, I’ll be weeding.
I love to weed, believe it or not. Pulling up those unwanted plants and the satisfaction of getting the entire root! I find the whole process to be incredibly calming. The process of restoring order to the chaos in my small world.
Weeding is also an awesome time for me to spend time with God, praying and meditating. Somehow, I feel more connected to God, working there, in the dirt, barefoot. Perhaps it is somehow connected to working in the same dust that God made us from.
It is when I am weeding in the garden that I also often find myself weeding through the sins in my life that are keeping me from being more useful to Him. As I talk with God and listen, I seek to pull up the entire root of my sin. That is where the chaos of my life truly needs to be restored to order.
My garden doesn’t just need to be weeded. Seeds as well as plants need to be planted. Compost and manure are added to feed the plants. Watering is necessary when their isn’t enough rain.
Much the same is true spiritually of us. The seed of salvation needs to be planted in us or there is nothing to grow. We need to be fed by The Word or we will be weak and useless. We too need to be watered, but the water we need is the Living Water, that we may never thirst again.
Yes, I long for spring. I anticipate it. I plan for it. I buy all of the necessary supplies. And I wait.
This reminds me of something else I long for. Eternity. Not just any eternity, but an eternity spent in the presence of God. I long for it. I anticipate it. I plan for it. I’m thankful there are no supplies I’ll need. And I will wait. And while I’m waiting, I will continue to weed my gardens barefoot.