Happy February, friends! We survived January. I really was starting to wonder if I would make it through. We had nothing but fog and clouds for the entire month. But, the sun rose today and we could see it. It is currently shining into my windows and it will be unseasonably warm today. Goodness, how I needed this!
February is the month that we start our very first seeds. Onions! Broccoli! Cabbage! Oh, my! I am itching to get into the garden. We expanded quite a bit. I’m not great with measurements, but I think it’s somewhere around another 20X40 foot garden bed. But, don’t quote me on that. We have some really fun plans to make it even more whimsical and inviting. It will also be a little more private and not so exposed to the road, which will be nice.
We went to the farm store and bought some soil for starting our seeds and, of course, some more seeds. I have plans to add a lot of flowers to the garden this year. They add so much beauty and attract the pollinators, which is very needed in an area with such heavy pesticide use. My big dream is to be able to put flowers out on our farm stand this year also. But, we will see what happens.
Food preservation is obviously a big pull of ours this year. Maybe more-so than in the past. There is a large group of people that feel the need to “get their house in order”. We are some of them. But, we also really want to get more adventurous in how we eat the food from the garden. I love root veggies, and often eat them raw. But, there are so many other ways that you can cook up these delicious veggies.
Jessica Sowards from Roots & Refuge said to create pinterest boards over the winter of vegetable recipes. That way, when you are swimming in turnips, you can go right to your turnip board and have loads of inspiration for ways to cook them instead of having them go to waste. On our farm, nothing goes to waste because it’s fed to the chickens or feeds the compost pile, but we still want to eat as much as we can. I love this idea and really need to put it into practice while we are still waiting. It’s not too late.
Are you wanting to start a garden this year? My biggest resource for learning about the garden has been Jess, whom I mentioned above. She LOVES the garden and shares information is a way that I can understand. She also wrote a book that I HIGHLY recommend called The First Time Gardener. It’s SO well written and full of really good information. I think that everyone should grow something, even if it’s a pot of basil on your windowsill. There’s something so magical about putting a seed in the dirt and watching it sprout and eventually feed your people. Or, if you love flowers, seeing the beauty of it burst forth.
I love the garden. I really cannot wait to get my hands in the dirt. Although, we are still pulling carrots out of the garden to eat fresh. Can you even believe it?! Scott just dug up more yesterday.
All of that being said, I know that in July I will be longing for some rest. So, I will try my best to soak up these last couple of months of slow. We’ll play lots of board games and read lots of books. Then, it will be go time and the world will be bursting with color again.
Hold on, friends. It’s coming!
