Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Here Comes The Sun

Can you believe it is already March 2? I can't!

It seems like Christmas was just last week. Then there was Will's birthday, followed by Meagan's, followed by Maddux's...well, you get the picture.

We are experiencing some wonderful weather here in Houston this week. The nights are a little nippy still...which I love...but the days are sunny and warm.

In fact, it is so nice outside that Jim and I have already started thinking about our garden. We spent last Saturday shopping (yes, Jim shopping!) for a disc harrow and a middle buster (you knew there was going to be a catch to him shopping, right?). While we were at Tractor's Supply, I picked up a gardening book. (Of course I did! I have to read about everything, don't I?) This one looked too good to pass up. I bought The Week By Week Vegetable Gardener's Handbook. This is a book that lays out your growing season according to the average time of the last frost. Plus it has places for notes and journal entries...all the things I love in one place.

Jim and I are such newbies to this gardening adventure that we need even the most basic helps. And since this book is laid out by date of average last frost, we don't have to guess which date to choose from the back of the seed package for planting in Texas. (You know the ones: plant dates February to June. Okay, which one? February or June? Or sometime in the middle?)

So, after looking up the average last frost in our area, I found that we are three weeks out. Which means it is time to put out those strawberry transplants this weekend. I love fresh strawberries and can hardly wait for them to produce this summer.

Grandpa Fulton would be to blame for my strawberry snobbery. The man had a row of strawberries that must have been four foot wide and fifteen yards long. Talk about big and luscious berries!!! Those were the BEST strawberries EVER!!!! (Of course, he also spoiled me on tomatoes...as my Grandpa Jenkins spoiled me on purple hull peas!)

So, I guess this weekend will find us setting out strawberry plants and plowing up the garden spot so it will be ready for planting soon. I'm thinking we might need to get it done on Friday since the high will be 78 degrees and rain is expected on Saturday. It sure would be nice to have a good soaking rain on the freshly tilled soil. (The treated public water just doesn't have the same effect.)

We have other things going on at the house too. That will be a surprise for another day. I can hardly wait to post pictures of the completed project. I am just sorry that I didn't think to take any before pictures prior to the project beginning.

Well, Kelli is Spring Cleaning...and we are Spring Planting. What is going on in your neck of the woods this spring?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You forgot to buy the Farmer's Almanac. The Bible for gardeners. Grandpa did plant his garden by it year after year. And as you know his garden was the best in the county.

Good luck on your garden this year!

Rita

Fonda said...

Rita, I bought one last year and I never could figure out how to read it! It was like reading a Greek translation of the Bible! I don't know how Pappaw did it...I think I need to take a special "Farmer's Almanac Translation" class!