A Full Spring Weekend

Last weekend, we finally got some spring weather. I met Sarah, one of the 10th and Barton Plot Against Hunger volunteers in the morning and we cleared out the large garden and prepped it for planting. A fellow gardener from 10th and Barton, Joan, also helped us loosen up and turn the soil. Unfortunately, I took no pictures, which is something that rarely happens. But after the Plot garden was prepped and Sarah and Joan moved on to the rest of their days, I went to my own garden.

The bean enclosure is almost ready in the back.

I know you’ve all been waiting to hear about the row covers. Nothing under them has been eaten.

The radishes are unmolested in their cloche.

However, nothing much under them has sprouted either. And why it never occurred to me that weeds would like growing under the covers is, I suppose, evidence of excitement and excessive hope.

Some carrots and some spinach seeds sprouted. Even with the cover, they may have been planted too early for the weather we’ve had.

Alex, my neighbor in the garden arrived with her crew after I had started to work. They had seed tape, which she said made nice straight rows and kept the seeds from clumping up in little pockets and sprouting in little islands in the rows. Plus, since she has Harry and Ginger do much of the planting while she weeds, it also saves seeds. I looked at these this year and may try them next for things that are hard to space, like carrots.

The seed tape has been stretched in a line and is now being covered. I wondered how she was getting such straight rows!

The arugula has come up and the rabbits never bother that. Still, they haven’t bothered the lettuces in the open cold frame either. Maybe (and this is a fervent hope) the rabbits were eaten by foxes over the winter. I haven’t seen one yet, and that’s fine. I think the covers will come in handy in the fall if I’m inclined to plant.

I’ll be eating this in salads next week.

My flower hunger is about to be sated beginning in the next few weeks, especially with the Columbines.

It’s so nice to see the flowers coming out.

And the lady bugs are out, which is a very good sign as well.

A little blurry, but still a lady bug.

In other news, oceans, rivers and lakes flowed into my apartment yesterday in the form of one of the Contented Crafter’s beautiful light catchers, tailored just for me. It sparkles just like water and throws little rainbow comets on my wall in the late afternoon.

The photo can’t do it justice.

And my niece came to visit with her love and we took him (and ourselves) to Dumbarton Oaks for the afternoon and cooked up some fish and steaks on the grill afterward.

Elisa and Alex enjoying the beauties of Dumbarton Oaks on a gorgeous day.