April.

Hello! No April Fool’s to be found here! Just a very tardy blogger!

Instead we are plugging along with preparations for the season. Our weather has been, by and large, warmer than average which has meant a strong boost to those already early growers. Rhubarb, Daffodils, Crocus and Tulips are all obviously peeking out. But so are Baptisia, perennial poppies, sedum… and of course the weeds.

We’ve also gotten boatloads of rain this past week.

Right now all of our focus is on prepping the vegetable beds. This means a top up with some garden soil for the raised beds and clearing out weeds and old bits and bobs. We’ve got to construct the squash trellis and figure out how and what we are going to build the shade cloth frame out of.

I’ve done some light tidying, though mostly only dead stalks that have fallen onto the paths. This year I’m going to try to wait a bit longer to clean up in the hopes of protecting some still hibernating insects. I read somewhere that one ought to wait until the first dandelions come up… I don’t know if I want to wait that long, but the way our weather has been it might not bee too long after all!

Links

Ooh, I am short on links for y’all this month! But Gardener’s World is BACK! We use BritBox to watch it and have been enjoying the new season immensely. They’ve kept up the viewer videos (which I love) and its been a joy to have it back on the television!

Recipes

I’ve been avoiding the baking more than usual and we’ve been quite lazy in the kitchen. Its all eyes on the garden, but I promise to have more for May!

To Do

If you are around our zone (4), you’ll be in the same boat we are. Focus on getting those vegetable beds ready since the peas can get in the ground SOON! Weed, top off containers and beds, make sure everything is structurally sound, and get your supports in order or, even better, in place.

Research your local nursery opening dates. Only a handful of our local nurseries are open all year, so be sure to know when your seasonal options are opening and make your plant lists. I don’t like to stir the pot, but with gardening having such a “moment” I think its going to be important to get there early and have a plan in order to get what you want. And have back up plans in place if stock is diminished early or choice varieties aren’t available.

BE PATIENT! I’ve having to repeat this to myself daily with our warmer than average temperatures, but we just got over a bit of freezing rain and sub-freezing overnight temps so don’t be tempted to pop things into the ground early (unless you are prepared to possibly lose them)- wait for those established dates to get things into dirt.

Give your tools a once over and ID what needs fixing or cleaning and what needs replacing. Better to know now when stock in the stores is plentiful and before you are in need of a tool that’s broken or dull!