Another Early Spring

Last year the growing season was about a week ahead of normal; this year it's about ten days to two weeks ahead at present. Because of the warm weather last month, the apple trees have been leafing out ahead of schedule, and blossoms will appear shortly--although this looks to be a poor blossom year thus far. The picture above is one of the buds is leafing out on an unidentified variety tree behind the house, usually the earliest to leaf out. It's plain that no blossoms are inside the whorl of leaves.

The week was fairly dry, and I arrived Thursday night. Friday was trip to Fedco day, which meant potatoes, onion sets, various soil improvements, and two Nanking Cherry bushes were brought back. Today, Saturday, was a gardening day. I'd tilled the garden by the store and the one by the barn two weekends ago, and I did it again this morning; in addition, I tilled the garden down toward the Scotts', and put a tarp over the vetch which is growing well down there in one of the sections with the poorest soil. I cut back the blackberries and removed the dead canes. Then in the afternoon I was able to plant three rows of onion sets (two Stuttgarter and one Red Baron) and four rows of peas (two Burpeanna Early and two Sugar Lace) in the garden by the store. Tomorrow if the weather holds I'll plant potatoes and/or some spinach, and possibly some lettuce and other greens.