5.17.23 Garden starts

Oh what an evening. It's planting time. Looking at my thinning food storage shelves I'm shown we need to be much more driven this year. We will be fine but I would like a better reserve. Thus we hope for better growing success. To be fair now farming larger scale the garden comes second. But mayeb that is going to be my contribution? Yesterday I transplanted more of my milk jug starts to big totes that were major disappointment in the bulb production. We labored and planted hundreds of bulbs hoping for plenty to share as bouquets. We got one. Though the lillies are coming a few at a time. 

After that feeling very successful and green. I was motivated to get some more seeds in the soil. I picked up my tomato order and a few other things like peppers and eggplants and companion plants from greenhouses. At home we diddled and discussed the day. There's a certain amount of unwind time that just has to happen each day. After dinner we headed to the garden spot. 

We are continuously debating and diliberating about till vs. no-till this year. For sure we are minimal till but not to the no-till spot. Thus the roto-tiller. The ground is hard and needs ammending. But time is of the essence as is manpower and I had all my people in one spot to watch the slip-shod show of my older kids. It was great. 

This one was a fierce little monkey only wanting to be held by mom or tears lots of tears. 

This one is opposed to tradition and seriously wants to experiment. We are trying some new ideas but slowly. 

Lots of commentary from this one, and deciding to Mollify the young one wanting some more attention. 

Afton says her mom is good at screaming. Well I haven't been doing a lot of  that since surgery my cords are too tight, but last night I got a good stretch in as the ding around factor was too much. The sense of urgency I feel is in direct opposition to the don't care of my children sometimes. 

After some powerful words and instruction the process happened. We planted watermelon and cantaloupe. We are hoping to have enough to share. Heck even enough to eat. This may or may not be Addie's 4-h project. Being both an FFA member and 4-H member means she needs a separate project for each. She's a busy lady. I found the idea of a sharing garden on the 4-H website and thought it would be pretty straight forward.

Watching all the kids enjoying the dirt Andrea kicked and kicked to get down and try it out too. She was not so sure when her toes touched down. Merle came to reassure her. She wanted up again pretty soon.

We have some radishes and beets up. We are trying the smoother method to lower weed pressure. 

Marking wandering rows. We tried again. 

I tried sharpening some pruners. I think I increased the edge a bit. Tool maintenance and restoration is a lost art. We are so into throwing things away. I wish I remembered or knew more. 

Addie sees beauty. A calm serene evening, after fireworks from mom. All part of the experience I guess. I hope we can get living things to prosper this year. My friends I harvested from in the past planted abundantly so we are trying that this year many plants in a few locations. 

Life with water is always trying newly fixed riser station blew apart with first use. After the water receded the boys replaced the riser and it was useable. 

Life being a red head means sun protection. This little one will do it if her sisters do. Thus Aliza's old pioneer hat and she was willing for a while. 

It seems easier to just use the big stuff. But we can learn to use our hands and energy to grow things too. We can learn to be gardeners as well as farmers. 

 So we endeavor to grow our food we work to get along and obey. We aspire to share and feast. Life is good especially looking up we are filled with possibility now the work of daily endurance and working to address the weeds and water needed for success. We are blessed in our life on earth full of hardship and adversity to see we can master ourselves and subdue nature with God's help.