March & April Favorites (flowers, food, & festivities)

I hope all you gardeners are out there getting prepped, starting seedlings and germinating seeds. I'm going to start germinating radish, lettuce, tomato and peppers seeds. I want to be able to till some garden spaces too, but this weather is not consistent. One day it's freezing, then thr next it's nearly 80, and then will rain and continue that cycle every week. 

All that to say, Spring always has its quirky weather, but seeing all the flowers and trees blooming makes it all worth it. Here are just a few photos of the Spring garden this past March, and a few seasonal dinners! 

Scilla flowers

The Crocuses, scilla, and daffodils are always the first to bloom, and I should be seeing the blueberries, peach, pear and plum trees blooming this week.

Purple crocus

Some seasonal favorites for Spring dinners is root veggies and leafy greens. This is baked cauliflower, tomato, lettuce, vegan caesar dressing. 

One of my favorite dinners is a baked sweet potato and chickpeas with fried spinach on top and agave and balsamic vinegar glaze. Notice I always top everything with chili flakes/oil...it's a guilty pleasure.

Another spring favorite was the vegan shepherds pie for St. Patrick's day. 

Another essential spring ingredient is asparagus. We baked some tofu, asparagus and mushrooms over top of rice. 

This April, I germinated radish and basil seeds. I wrapped the seeds with a moist paper towel that went in plastic bags. I tried to germinate lavender, cilantro, dill and lettuce seeds but that was a bust. I decided to directly sow lettuce seeds in pots. We'll see how it goes. I'm at trying to have a small container garden at my apartment. 

I checked on the old forest garden a couple days ago, and there's some pears, peaches, and  blueberries growing fruits. 

This forest garden is a little out of control, and it needs taming as I have let this garden become invaded by thorny bushes, mimosa and maple trees. I'll try to cut back all these bushes and mulch the old hugelkuktur beds. I noticed there was a lot of animal activity here, so I'm sure the birds and rabbits will get to the berries before me. 

Last night, I was given some free cucumbers. So I pickled them in a sweet brine like gherkins. I used salt, sugar, pickling spice, dill, and vinegar. They were pretty tasty, and gets me excited for all the summer veg to preserve!

Magnificent Tulip April Spring Garden

 

On Sunday, I took some snapshots of my Tulip Spring garden. Amongst the tulips are also daffodils and hyacinths blooming.

Early Spring Garden: Flowers & Veggies in April

Things are happening in the gardens! The flowers are making a splash, the daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, and grape hyacinths. When these bloom, along with the Redbud trees, you know it's time to plant your cold crops! 

I have planted broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, pansies, and potatoes. For these, I tilled, then hoed large mounds and then applied mulch to each mound. From there, I transplanted seedlings in the mulch. For frost and freeze protection, I affixed plastic hoop pipe over each mound then covered with clear plastic sheeting. Simple as that! 

Additionally, I have potatoes in garden mounds and covered with mulch, to keep some warmth and moisture retained to help them grow. In the pictures, you'll notice that I have put tobacco sticks on those potato mounds- this is an effort to keep all of my grandma's cats out.

This is just the beginning stages of the Spring garden, I have more pounds of potatoes to plant and directly sow some radishes, carrots, kale, spinach, and lettuces. Stay tuned! 

Rainy day tulip flower spring garden

Of all my tulip varieties, I love these little red stripey numbers. They are nature's eye candy! 

After a rainy afternoon, I made sure to snap some photos of these tulips where they glisten in the garden. 

I also snapped a photo of this beautiful flower I found by the creek. This wild flower was growing in sandy soil. My grandma called it a blue bell when I showed her the picture. 

As you think about your beautiful flowering Spring garden, and are mesmerized by your bounty of the veggie garden; and as you're studying your plants and tending to them-- also tend to your community-- pay attention to what is affecting you and your neighbors. There is much that is going on in everyone's community where we can actively help and be a good steward to others...

Vibrant pink peach & sowing cold hardy crops

The cold nights brightened the peach tree blooms. The petals were a light pink, turned fuchsia. These magnificent blooms are hanging on by a thread, as the limb has broken off almost completely from the tree.

On this Wednesday of early April, it was almost 90 degrees here in Kentucky. For this time of year it was quite hot. I took advantage of the pretty and sowed more Spinach seed, radish, turnip, rutabaga, lettuce, arugula, kale, leeks, parsley, basil, beets, and collard seed! I planted the seeds across 4 garden beds. I have more garden beds to plant in, but I'm not sure what to sow or transplant in those yet.

Here are turnip plants flowering, as they turn into Spring. They grew throughout the fall and winter months, mostly recoiling, but making a come back in these warm days. 

Other plants flowering in the garden are kale and soon to be cilantro, swiss chard, arugula and radish, as these plants have also are grown throughout the fall and winter months. I love when veggie plants flower, because that means they will go to seed and I can collect the seed for future sowing!...And, as we know, tending to a garden is to believe in a future...