Due to some form of the bubonic plague we all found ourselves bedridden for a few days. Our garden neglected. Today my husband and I put our brave faces and boots on and ventured outside to survey the damage. The damage was awesome! Due to some smart thinking a few weeks back I purchased an automatic drip timer system. Thanks to that little blue plastic magic box our garden continued to thrive while we were on our deathbeds. Our radishes are up, beans and peas too. Carrot lace can be seen poking through the soil. Onions too.
Today we decided some windows rolled down and a cruise were much needed. We jumped in the truck and headed to the lake in search of some willow trunks for the garden. We have a small lake tucked away in a maze of willows, pines, and dogwood not far from our house. Spare for a few campers the lake was quiet and once we had parked and set out all we could hear were the coos of the wild swans, a plunk here and there from a frog into the water, and of course the ringlets set into motion from fish lips.
It is still early enough in spring that the mosquitoes aren’t an issue otherwise this post would have been titled something like “killer mosquito escape” because that lake, in the heat of summer is a place only non-locals go. Yes it is that bad. There is a trail that hugs the lake. It is a one lane trail cushioned by moss, and littered with natural springs. I don’t think I have ever once seen another person on it while I have been there. Hatchet in hand we set to our goal of looking for long straight(ish) willow trunks.
We made quick work and soon we were back in the truck and heading home with 8 willow poles and a note to self to go back soon and just walk and listen.
I have done some reading and found that people are starting to grow vertically for more use of limited space. We thought that willow would be a hardy enough wood to work with and that it would hold up through the summer. Cucumber teepees. That was today’s objective. It is started, not yet complete.
The weather has held up the last few days and I was hoping that the cold part of spring was behind us but sure as I am typing this next week’s forecast is rain. I put a couple “tester” cucumber plants outside to see how they fair tonight, and the next few days. Spring is always a dance. I find myself every year, stalking my neighbor’s gardens from the road. Silently judging their planted tomatoes and questioning how they know to put them in the ground so early since mine are always more than likely still being coddled in the greenhouse. Well take that neighbors, I put my cucumber testers out. Now lets hope they make it!
wild lane acre 