Sprunging...

My own word, much like "squoze" as in I squoze the lemons. Don't look at me that way! Fine, roll your eyes.

Anyway...

Spring has finally arrives in these here parts (like the Texan lingo?). Things are growing, lawns are turning into mini jungles and the buds on the various growing things are, well, budding.

So as such, I actually have something to write about.

The winter was an interesting one here. Granted it was nothing like the snowinsane land of the northeast (thank goodness), but we did have our freezes, and even a little bit of the white stuff from the sky. Which amounts to a "snow emergency" here. A dusting is the equal of the "snowpocalypse" back east. A little water, a little snow (not even sticking) and the city turns into a collection of inept automobile spazzes.

That aside, signs of growth abound and as such, I am getting ready for this seasons planting.

I added another large garden...

For a total square footage of 160 square feet. That's plenty!!

My mission this year is to grow as much as I possibly can.

Up to this point, I have been taking notes and trying various different types of veggies to see what grows, how well it grows and it's yield.

It will be interesting. I hope I can grow more than we can ingest. What we can't gobble, I will preserve and what we don't want to preserve (I mean, how many pickled beets can you eat??), we will gladly give away to our neighbors. Mending fences, Robert Frost and all that.

As the last of my winter garden winds down, I am in the process of saving seeds. Which I highly recommend to anyone out there to do. This time around, I'm seeing if I can save both Broccoli and Cauliflower. Which will require winnowing. What the heck is winnowing?

It's this...

It's people taking dirt and throwing it up in the air!!! Lacking the stylish head wear, I will be doing the same thing on a much smaller scale. These folks are winnowing rice, which means: separating the husks from the seed.

So I will be taking my husks of broccoli and cauliflower, crushing them slightly, then flinging them in the air!! Weee! And yes, I'm looking forward to doing this! LOL

Why go through the trouble? Why not just buy seeds, like the rest of the 35% of the earths population does? Because, wanting to be true to my want to grow only organic vegetables, this is, to borrow from Spinal Tap, going to 11. Plus, as time wears on and as the price of oil goes up, transportation of all things will become more expensive, including seeds. Saving my own, will keep me growing the things I want and like.

This coming year will be big changes for our yard, I will be 1) moving and painting our shed, 2) building a new clothes line, 3) building two arbors, 4) getting two 250 gallon water totes and maybe 4) putting in a new deck. All the while, also putting in more flowers (and replacing some that didn't make it through the winter). It's ambitious, but at least I don't have the house to worry about, it's done. Yay!

I now leave you with some photos...

That's broccoli in bloom, pretty, aren't they?

The bees are back! Hard at work and taking care of the dull stuff of pollination! Remember, every third bite of food we take is responsible because of these little dudes. Just think of what our lives would be like without them. Not pretty.

That's cauliflower about to bloom, I have no idea what the flowers will look like. I will take a pic and post it, when they do.

A blue berry bush I'm about to put in...

Sage

Mint

Chives

Lastly, some color...

Pansies for Rosies grave. :)

For those in the colder climes, you still have a few weeks to put in your spring crops, but you still can begin your starter plants from seeds and for those of us in the soon to be hotter than a frying skillet part of the country; now is the time to start planting. The last frost has come and gone.

You all take care, try and grow a little something. In a lot, a pot or a slot, every little bit helps.

Cheers and remember, Green is not only good, it's a great thing!