March Madness

For the last few weeks I have been praying for an early spring.  I am tired of feeling cold.  I am tired of freezing rain and snow.  I am tired of layers of warm clothes and I am tired of having the house closed up.  I have a vivid memory of being at my grandmother’s house, all the cousins were there and it was early spring.  I can hear her telling all of us, “Go on now. Go outside and blow the stink off you.”  I remember the kitchen window being open and the damp, cool earthy smell making its way into the stuffy house.  Grandma was right.  I need to open the house, send everyone outside and blow the stink off.

I have been spending a bit of time each day looking out to the garden, planning, dreaming and picturing how it will look in a few months. Right now the snow is bare in some areas, with brown peeking through.   The dead green bean vines on the trellis are no longer as quaint as they appeared last October. The leafless trees are grey and brown.  The melting snow has given rise to piles of dog poop…and I don’t have small dogs.  Currently, I see boring brown, drab grey and lots of back aching work.

Strawberries from last years crop.

There is hope.  The seed catalogs have been arriving in the mail for the last four weeks.  The Seed Saver Catalog is my favorite.  The pictures are so colorful, so promising of things to come. I have looked back at my pictures and notes from last year.  The chickens are wandering out from their pen further and further as the ice has secured the main gate open. I wondered what they could be pecking at.  Sure enough, they found a few small patches of grass with the tiniest of green blades.

I know I am skilled in two things: talking and gardening.  I have gotten myself in trouble with both.  I have never gotten myself into a predicament with both, at the same time, until this week.

This year I am planning to apply for a spot at the Gays Mills farmers market.  It is a smaller market but the date and time work great with my schedule and I figured starting small was better.   I e-mailed the coordinator and received a call back. She was very helpful and answered all of my questions.  At the end of the conversation she asked what I would be selling.  I told her about the interesting dolls my sister makes and my cloth napkins from reclaimed fabric.

Sage is very hardy plant.  This is a plant
 propagated from another 2 years ago.

 Then, out of nowhere, I state that I am going to sell herbs. Why did I say that? I have grown herbs for my own use. I have had a great deal of success growing parsley, chives, borage, St John’s Wort, lemon balm, echinacea, dill and sage, but on a very small scale. Perhaps just a few plants at a time, and it did not matter when or even if they where ready to harvest. 

Now, I am committed to selling herbs on a much larger scale.  I am reading everything I can on growing herbs in my area. My husband is contributing light fixtures so I can convert my work shop to a mini indoor nursery. I will need to get grow lights, seeds; soil and everything else a person needs to start plants indoor and early… the seeds should be in the soil and under the grow lights…in the next two weeks!

It is always something at Untah’s Farm.  I am not worried though.  This is how some of my best adventures begin.