This is the long tap root of the young yellow clover plant.
This yard is a work in progress and will never be finished. The former owners, though they lived here for just over 30 years, planted very little edible. There were only some crab apple trees and Sea Buckthorn and a few berry bushes. The sow plowed up the berry bushes unfortunately, and the goats ate the raspberry bushes right down to the root when they liberated themselves one day last summer. I thought the raspberries would not come back because the rest of the summer, there was no life there, but today I actually see that some canes are coming from the roots. This is great, because raspberries grow well here and I love them. The variety they planted produced continuously through out the summer, giving lovely big tasty berries that I ate with heavy cream and a little cane sugar. Oh, to die for, it was.
Since I have been here I have planted three apple trees, a pear, a plum, four cherries, a variety of berries from Haskap to Gogi and lots of perennieal herbs. Today I was busy gardening for a while, though I was conscious of the time. I need to move my belongings over to the bed and breakfast house and also pain the store and set it up, plus still do all the farm work, so time is something there is never enough of. I planted the roses and realized I did not have a hose long enough to reach that side of the house. I am not sure where I put the splitter for the hose last year when I dismantled everything. A couple of the hoses were sliced with the lawn mower and need to be repaired. That never did get done last year. It is on the to do list. I will have to use a watering can in the meantime. I also weeded some of the area around the dick that was installed two summers ago. It is amazing how quickly the long grass takes hold here. It is the grass the naimals love to eat the best, even the dogs and cats. They all munch it. Ducks go crazy for it too and the sheep, goats, chickens…well everything on the farm loves it. I should try it!
There is a clover type of weed that has sprung up everywhere. It has a very long thin tap root. Weeds that improve soils are found in places that speficially need special improvement. That soil is poor under the compost I put there when the deck was done, and the long tap root bring up nutrients from deep in the soil and at the same time loosens the soil and aerates it. I just don't need those weeds in the flower bed anymore. Last year I let them stay there. I did not see many dandelions in that area at all. I seeded some the first two years I was here, so I guess I will have to seed more. They are excellent for so many reasons and make good salad, wine, pickles, coffee, medicines…well, let's say dandelion plants are one of the best plants on the farm, along with plantain, which is considered another weed.
It was a beautiful spring day, 20 degrees, and sunny and I enjoyed working in the dirt with my bare hands. The touch of the soil and connection with the earth was good and much missed over the winter. I should have put my moose hide moccasins on so my feet would feel the pulse of the Earth too, but I am currently not sure where they are. I am thankful for the beautiful day, such a day it was.
Since I have been here I have planted three apple trees, a pear, a plum, four cherries, a variety of berries from Haskap to Gogi and lots of perennieal herbs. Today I was busy gardening for a while, though I was conscious of the time. I need to move my belongings over to the bed and breakfast house and also pain the store and set it up, plus still do all the farm work, so time is something there is never enough of. I planted the roses and realized I did not have a hose long enough to reach that side of the house. I am not sure where I put the splitter for the hose last year when I dismantled everything. A couple of the hoses were sliced with the lawn mower and need to be repaired. That never did get done last year. It is on the to do list. I will have to use a watering can in the meantime. I also weeded some of the area around the dick that was installed two summers ago. It is amazing how quickly the long grass takes hold here. It is the grass the naimals love to eat the best, even the dogs and cats. They all munch it. Ducks go crazy for it too and the sheep, goats, chickens…well everything on the farm loves it. I should try it!
There is a clover type of weed that has sprung up everywhere. It has a very long thin tap root. Weeds that improve soils are found in places that speficially need special improvement. That soil is poor under the compost I put there when the deck was done, and the long tap root bring up nutrients from deep in the soil and at the same time loosens the soil and aerates it. I just don't need those weeds in the flower bed anymore. Last year I let them stay there. I did not see many dandelions in that area at all. I seeded some the first two years I was here, so I guess I will have to seed more. They are excellent for so many reasons and make good salad, wine, pickles, coffee, medicines…well, let's say dandelion plants are one of the best plants on the farm, along with plantain, which is considered another weed.
It was a beautiful spring day, 20 degrees, and sunny and I enjoyed working in the dirt with my bare hands. The touch of the soil and connection with the earth was good and much missed over the winter. I should have put my moose hide moccasins on so my feet would feel the pulse of the Earth too, but I am currently not sure where they are. I am thankful for the beautiful day, such a day it was.
It looks like the hardy rose did not die after all and is coming from the root. Yay!
There are new buds on the Romeo cherry.
The elm blossoms always remind of of fairy gowns dancing in the wind. i wonder if hte fairies don these party dresses for their evening frolic?
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