Imbolc Hare Moon
The Great Wheel has been nudged forward, beginning to turn toward spring: the light in the sky today and the moisture in the air, the sudden grittiness of the once pristine snow. The temperature, even now is 36 degrees. Above freezing.
The seed orders, filled out a couple of weeks ago, went into Harris Seeds and the Seed Savers Exchange. Plant orders too. The garden map for 2014 came out and I figured the square footage for certain kinds of vegetables. This information went out to Luke Lemmers of HighBrix Gardens. He’ll send me nitrogen specific to the various beds.
Each one of these steps is gardening. Gardening is not only hoe and rake, seeds and soil. It’s planning and knowing, sourcing. This is the gardening work that can be done while the snow is still on the ground.
We did start our own seeds for a few years with a hydroponic set up, but the space it requires and the fussy of it didn’t appeal to me. So now we buy transplants. A bit more expensive, but much less hassle.
An important next step comes when the soil becomes workable and we can put in those hardy vegetables that like the cold. Then, after May 15th or so, the usual last frost date for Andover, we’ll plant the tomatoes and peppers and egg plants and kale and chard and collard greens. After that, it’s caring for the plants as they grow.
Look for our Beltane bonfire, May 1st, the official opening of the growing season.