Garden

Just sitting here listening to the rain on the roof, it's supposed to continue for the next 3 days, with bouts of severe storms mixed in for that whole time. Before the rain started falling I did manage to get out and pick a bit of spinach and lettuce from the garden, and harvested the asparagus.

This raised bed was actually planted late last fall, and somehow despite the very cold winter I managed to keep it from freezing. The floating row cover helped, and on the nights were the temp dropped into the teens I also threw a couple quilts over the top. I know from experience that spinach would take temps down into the high teens and still keep going, but the lettuce is tender and I thought for sure I'd lose it during one of the cold snaps. Somehow it survived, and although it didn't grow much during January and February it's more than making up for it now. Some of the spinach is getting ready to bolt, so I pinched off the tops of those plants in the hopes I can extend their life a bit more before I have to pull the plants. It's been nice not having to buy organic salad ingredients this winter.

I haven't removed the row cover yet, and may not, it is nice to be able to flip it over the plants when bad weather is forecast to help keep hail from flattening everything. It's also working great to keep the rabbits and insects from eating their fill. There are a couple broccoli plants in the back left corner, I think this is the first time I've ever grown any type of brassica plant without it sustaining damage from cabbage looper caterpillars. 

The raspberries are growing well, and a few of the plants are showing flower buds now, so they will be fruiting soon.

I'm getting itchy to move north, and once again I'm torn. Do I stay here to harvest and preserve some of the organic fruits (raspberries, blueberries, peaches, apricots, cherries) or do I leave them to the birds and bugs? I won't be heading out for at least a little while yet, no matter what my intentions might be. My almost-son-in-law is currently living in my camper over in North Carolina while shopping for a 5th wheel. In the meantime, he has received a job offer in Utah, and he and Prairiewind will be flying there May 11 to spend a week working at the company and checking out the area. I'm guessing he'll wait to buy a 5th wheel until he decides where he's going to living, since he doesn't own a truck to move it. So I'm probably going to be here in TN until at least the end of May by the time they sort everything out.