monday's mountain musings

We have been busy around the homestead as of late. Besides  starting on the great garlic adventure we  have about doubled  garden space yet again.  We now have over 70 raised beds, the three big gardens, the greenhouse containers and plots of herbs and  flowers in various locations.  As soon as things start growing, it should be lookin quite pretty around here. 

We are hoping to make the leap into some market gardening of herbs, veggies, lotions n potions and crafty type stuff this year too.  We have a couple folks spending a good bit of time around helping us, getting things done and trying to make the leap with us.   We are hoping to  be able to make a decent go of it and  pay the few bills that we have. Finding a new  income source has become  somewhat important  since the manthing  got hurt last fall. This is something we have thought about for a long time, wanted to do, and finally have the need and want  at the same time (and  have help too).

Spring has been slow to arrive this year.  Temps have been 10 or more degrees lower than normal for a couple months now  and  nights  have remained quite cool.  Early spring crops are just beginning to grow well and summer crop plantlings are ridiculously tiny.   Tomato starts  still  have but one set of leaves, peppers are  just sprouting and tobacco is about a half inch tall.   I am sure glad we have a long growing season even with a slow start everything should still have plenty of time.  Planting of all crops began last week. Another week and the first plantings of everything but tobacco should be in the ground.