Successes and Failures

The Krooked Pine Farm has had to take a little bit of a back seat to training for a new job and sickness.
 

The Blacksmith has had two bouts of pancreatitis for which one of he had to be admitted to the hospital and another incident of an abscess that tried to cause sepsis that also called for another admission to the hospital. 

The Blacksmith is well on his way to good health.  He has more doctor visits to do, but seems to be doing much better. 

 

Now, on to the Krooked Pine.  When I last left you, we had started making fence posts and raised garden beds.  We did not get very far with the fence posts when the Blacksmith got sick.  We did get the beds finished  before that though and I had planted numerous peat pots of tomato seeds and cabbage family seeds.   I have not been able to figure out what I did wrong with them but after they all reached about 2 to 3 inches in height, they all died.  I do not know if I was supposed to transplant them at that stage or what but they all died.  I watered them all as the directions on the peat pots advised but alas, a seeding green thumb, I do not have.

 

Those are the failures so far.  Now, on to the successes we have had.  As I said, we got the raised garden beds in place and filled.  When the seedlings all died, I went ahead and bought broccoli, Brussels sprout, and cabbage transplants.  Those were transplanted into the smaller of the two wooden beds.

 

 This was a few days after planting.  In this bed, I have nine broccoli plants at the far end, nine Brussels sprouts in the middle, and nine cabbage plants on this end. At the far end, next to the bed wall, I planted some icicle radish seeds.  Along the wall, to the right of the transplants, I have planted two different kinds of carrots. 

I think they grew a little bit. 

The radishes are doing great.

They are little hard to see but the carrots are coming up.  I think I planted the seeds a little too deep but they are on their way.

As you can see, we had to put bird netting up with pvc to keep our cat, Tootie, from visiting the bed.  These supports were so easy.  We just slid them down inside the bed and let the soil support them Then using roofing tacks wrapped the bird netting over the bed and secured it.  The rain can still get to the plants.  These supports also came in handy when we had a threat of a freeze.  We just pulled a tarp over the bed and secured it to keep it from blowing away.  No losses.

Now, on to the tire beds.

In this bed is a one hundred bulb set of sweet, yellow onions.  I think at least ninety nine of them have sprouted.  Yeah!

 

This is also our first try at potatoes.  We put out one set of Kennebec potatoes.  This is what we have so far. 

So, while we are growing what we have planted so far, getting over sickness, and learning a new job,
we are enjoying the gifts of God with this beautiful spring. 

 

The view of this great Dogwood out my front door is magnificent.

 

I do not know what this is but I thought is was pretty in my side yard.  There are numerous clumps of it there. 

 

Our red oaks are budding out.

 These last two need no description.

Hope you enjoyed this update.  Enjoy spring, it is so fleeting. 

Thank you, Lord, for your miracle of life and the beauty that you allow to surround us.