Sunday, March 6, 2011


Not sure where the last week went, but it went. Started the week out with NRCS coming out to certify the high tunnel (greenhouse) and signed the paper for the cost of share. I completed all our costs, which will give NRCS a better idea of the true costs of building the high tunnel. Our study begins immediately to provide them with the information on the benefits of the high tunnel here in the High Desert. Irrigation line in the greenhouse blew, fence became undermined by the rabbits, some fencing fell down, butterfly bushes need to be cut down since they are falling out of the ground since all the snow from the greenhouse fell on them and most of this due to the lovely 8 inches of snow we received, but I am not complaining...just completed the repairs and my husband helped me catch up by helping with the repairs and tilling about 70% of what needed to be tilled. Forgot I locked myself out of the greenhouse Thursday and having to climb through and making a bigger hole in the old greenhouse!! I had to finish harvesting my Moonstruck Salad Mix as shown here....it was harvest and delivery day!! Managed to transplant Beedens kale, Lacinato and Barese Swiss chard for the salad mix interplanting spinach and more radishes along the way. Arugula and spinach (now that the rabbits are not in there) are coming in beautifully along with the Royal Oakleaf lettuce. Along the way while we were tilling 300 shallot starts showed up, nice gift from nature and free of charge!! Red torpedo onion starts should arrive next week....a nice market garden variety that should come in quickly like Spring onions and be ready in about 60 days. Asparagus, strawberry and rhubarb "initial" beds are started and doing well, but this will take years to develop into a large permanent bed. With so much to do and a budget that is already stretched I will leave the asparagus, strawberry and rhubarb expansion to Mother Nature and just expand the beds each year. Chervil, Summer Savory, Winter Savory, German Thyme, Marjoram and Basil are all started inside and hopefully will help complete a beautiful herb garden. Medicinals including Calendula and Nasturiums for a nice addition to the salad mix are in the wings waiting to go in as soon as the weather warms a little more. Today the weather was challenging, but seeing the newly tilled rows completed, and the fence all repaired gave me a great sense of peace, and as I kneeled putting the free of charge shallot starts from Mother Nature into the ground I could see the setting sun just out of the corner my eyes, the sounds of nature around me and the chill of the coming storm in the air, and right then I said to myself "this is why I do this, to feel one with nature, and have the chance to show respect for and enjoy all the gifts that we have been granted, and share it with others, how good it feels". More rows to be completed tomorrow...Moonstruck Signing out!

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