Mid March at the Farm

One of the rolling benches Lisa and I built. Buckets of water that keep the cut flowers fresh each Tuesday will be placed on one of the five benches we have built. The higher platform will be easier on all backs involved. Also we will be better able to pump the water out of the buckets and water flowers in nearby beds with the water, thus recycling more.

Ethan and Emma make a teeter totter out of a stack of boards near our building area. 

The dahlias in these pots had been warm in the greenhouses all winter. They just were moved outside to make room for the large pots of greenhouse grown tomatoes and cucumbers. Some of the dahlias are starting to grow.

Red sprouts on a peony.

Sweet peas stretching straight up. These will be very fragrant.

Some seeds have specific instructions. The soilless mix we use is moistened before the seeds are planted. Then as the sign says, they don't want to be watered until they come up. Chances are their seeds rot easily or get moldy. They are also planted on the soil surface as they need light to germinate. 

One of our favorite cherry tomatoes, Sun Sugar, has purple stems when they are young. Their fruit is orange.

Different varieties of cabbage. Notice the leaves on the left are a bit curly and the leaves on the right aren't. The left side are a "savoy" type cabbage, crinkly. 

Munstead lavender from seeds. Another seed that needs light to germinate. Not all seeds germinated. We planted a seed in each of the cells.

The Redventure celery is starting to show its color.

The early basil that will be planted in the greenhouse raised beds is looking mighty fine. Oh, and it smells wonderful!

The back two flats are sweet alyssum we seeded three weeks apart. The left one will catch up over time. The front two flats are trailing lobelia for hanging baskets.

Flats of baby tomatoes.

Flat leafed Italian parsley has grown its first true leaves. The smooth edged leaves are cotyledons and once the true leaves, the frilly ones, are photosynthesizing the cotyledons dry up and fall away as they aren't needed any longer.

Gladiola bulbs Florencio brought in for the winter to stay dry in the greenhouse. They are ready to plant outside. Can you get a hint of the color of their flowers? Yup, they have a dark red flower.

Our parents loved flowers and grew sweet peas along the fences and buildings. These will be planted accordingly.  Their characteristic straight up growth differentiates them from peas you would eat. Those types are less likely to be this "rigid" in their growth.

This potted peony outgrew its pot several seasons ago. Today it will be dug up, divided and moved to a better location.

Tomatoes grown to produce in the greenhouse are in their "homes" for the summer. They will produce in the warm greenhouse before the field tomatoes do. The large dahlia pots were in this greenhouse.

Another peony showing its new red growth out in one of the raised beds.

Adding to our lily collection.

Two other varieties of lilies to plant today. 

The asparagus is up and loving this weather.

A new raised bed of strawberries. They will enjoy the drainage of this raised bed. The water table on the farm is fairly close to the surface resulting in a boggy winter in the garden. Strawberries don't like to be soggy.

Peas for eating that we started in the greenhouse are finding their way up the trellis. Drip irrigation is in place for when it is needed later.

Rhubarb is getting larger by the day. It also likes the raised beds.

Onions will be planted in these newly spaded beds with the drip irrigation.  To the right the Sylvan berries are starting to leaf out on their winding canes.

You might be able to see 4 stick like plants in this dark soil area. Florencio dug up the peony that had been in the pot way too long and divided it into 4 new plants. They are planted here.

The lily bulbs are planted next to the walkway in the dark soil. Two rows of different colored lilies. Some are taller so they went in the back row.

Last year's lilies are just starting to poke their way through the surface. Reddish green and about an inch or two tall. Looks like they multiplied over the winter. Yippie!

A close up of the lilies starting out this spring.

Chives divided and relocated to their own area.

A calm cloudy day as the activities at the farm wind down for the day. These raised beds will be filled in soon. At least that's the plan :)

See you next time,

Lorrie

March begins at Shady Maple Farm

As some people are curious who does this blog, I am Lorrie Meier-Sutherland, primary photographer, author of this blog and manager of our family farm. I am lucky to see my relatives and friends on a pretty regular basis out at the farm. My sister, Lisa, along with two of my nieces Angie (with her two cherubs) and Anna (with her three, very soon to be four!) get together weekly beginning at the end of January to plant seeds and discuss activities at the farm. They will be in the photos quite often, me, not so much!

I hope you enjoy viewing our farm through my camera lens. 

Spring daffodils out by the greenhouses.

An onion seed on my great nephew Ethan's hand.

The seeds come up with the new plant and eventually fall off.

Onions start out looking like this, then straighten themselves out. Oh Mother Nature!

We are adding to our herb supply this year. The sage looks happy, like its leaves are reaching up like arms.

These rhubarb seeds will grow and produce for the boxes in the next year or so. 

Anna on the left and Angie on the right planting seeds into 50 cell flats. Angie looks like she can't quite see her little seeds in that packet.

Our task table for the day. That list is of the tomato varieties for this year. (Since then we have added 3 more varieties.)

The girls have been picking daffodils and are now looking at critters.

This bumble bee was trying hard to get OUT of the greenhouse. During the sunny days the end doors are open.

As I was planting seeds this little guy's movement caught my eye. He popped up and then right back down through the hole in the flat. Creeped me out...

A Christmas cactus from a couple years ago is blooming on its own schedule. So pretty.

According to Florencio, this prickly pear fruit is ready to eat.

Our new crop of Italian parsley is up. 

Basil has popped through, seemingly like overnight.

Garlic chives, a new twist on chives for the farm.

Tiny lobelia seeds have grown into lush clumps.

Brussels Sprouts are stretching to the sun.

We do love our colored vegetables. Red and green celery.

Electric Neon Swiss Chard. Another new variety this year.

Snapdragons are up. Tiny seeds that seem like a miracle to grow so tall and pretty by summer.

This basil smells so gooooood.

The two types of kale in this flat are both somewhat curly.

The red celery is starting to show some RED!

On the left is the green, pointy tipped cauliflower variety. On the right is an orange cauliflower. I see colorful dishes ahead.

This flat of spinach didn't germinate very well. :(

The first peppers have popped through. I peeked under the domes and the Jalapenos came up first. I look forward to making lots of Cowboy Candy this summer. It is a sweet and spicy bit of deliciousness to put on a cracker, sandwich, or in your eggs. So good.


See you next time.
Lorrie