Just Waiting...

We went for a picnic lunch to the park by the White River in Batesville. It was a beautiful day!

After a quick trip to the bathroom, I walked with the kids to the river and the train engine on display.  I should have snapped a photo, but you could see how the river overflowed the river bank not long ago.  There were branches and debris all along grass beyond the sidewalk and benches.  My friend said the last time she was there, the benches and sidewalk were under water.  I could see that was definitely true.  It was crazy!

Meanwhile, I am waiting...

Spring is on the horizon, but I won't jump the gun with too much garden care and planting.  I pray there won't be another freeze to kill off the blooms on the fruit trees.  My cauliflower hasn't come up yet, but I did see that Hannah's was starting to peek out.  Perhaps mine aren't far behind?

This afternoon, Caleb and I went to the garden to measure and see where I could possibly expand and where I would be able to plant various crops.  I have an order coming next week which will contain blackberries, raspberries, honeyberries, and grapevines.  

The plan is to tear out the muscadines because I just don't think they are worth the work.  I still have one Concord grape vine, and I purchased three more.  I bought the seeded type instead of seedless.  I want to rebuild the old trellis for the grapes because the wood fence it is growing on is rotten.  I am not sure what will work best for support, but don't want to keep replacing wood. Perhaps some cedar logs from the woods will be a good option. 

I do still have an elderberry bush in the house which will be transplanted next to the other two that I put in when we moved here.  One is doing really well with beautiful new leaves starting to pop out everywhere on the branches.  The other shows signs that it didn't do well last year, but there is new growth coming up from the ground.  The bush in the house will be planted next to the other two.  

I have about five or six various black berry bushes in the garden area.  I ordered 6 more and will put them near the existing ones.  I have plans to rebuild the trellis system since I really don't have a good trellis for them.  I was pretty thrilled to see that the blackberries are also doing quite well with new growth on the canes. 

The raspberries will be my second attempt at growing them.  The first attempt last year ended in disaster with nothing coming up.  I am hopeful these will come up and grow well. They will more than likely be planted in the front yard.

I still haven't figured out what I will do with the lone apple tree I have.  I am contemplating buying another of the tree I have since it was the only one to not succumb to the fire blight last year.  I could use a crabapple tree for a pollinator since they are not self fertile. 

The peach and plum trees are full of blossoms, which makes me so happy! 

But the garden...Caleb and I pulled a huge wagon load of Burmuda grass from a single bed that was used for cantaloupe last year.  It was insane!  But the job got done.  Really, that bed was the worst in the garden.  We also raked some of the leaves and old tomato vines back from the trellises where the peas will be planted.  

I still have a lot of planning to do and I am afraid to say I don't have much time before things need to be done.  I will most likely be planting directly into the ground again this year.  

Which gets me thinking about how things used to be done.  It seems that in our days,  it is all about rushing and getting things done in the garden quicker, getting a bigger harvest faster, and getting two plantings in.  Greenhouses and starting seedlings indoors makes this possible by allowing people to plant well in advance of last frost as well as prolong the season after frost.  I can't help but wonder why we do this to ourselves.  Is it the excitement of growing and getting our hands in the dirt, eating that first veggie from the garden?  Is it worth it? Do we perhaps create more problems for ourselves getting these plants out at times that aren't natural for the plant?  Are we creating more pests in the process?  

Oh, well.  Just my brain running wild with thoughts about the garden.  

Thanks for reading my boring rambling. I promise sometime soon there might be something more exciting!