12 Inches Of Snow, All Because I Washed the Winter Gear, April Newsletter

Good one Mother Nature!  You got me.  Honestly, this last snowstorm was really my fault for I tempted Her.  I washed all the winter gear, planted 50 cold hardy seedlings, wore shorts around the house, and my worst offense, I daydreamed that in one weeks’ time there would be no snow and maybe I could start putting potatoes in the ground by Easter.  So, to all of you who woke up to a day of shoveling, I apologize, for I knew better than to taunt Mother Nature. 

Despite how it looks outside, the date on the calendar keeps the farm moving forward with the arrival of new things every week.  Two weeks ago, most of the seeds were picked up from a local seed store and brought inside to record and prepare for planting.  Rebel Pickle Farms plants over 120 different varieties of seeds, but not all are treated the same.  Some seeds, like tomatoes and peppers, need to be started indoors with a heat mat, and when they are ready, they are carefully placed outside on warm days and brought in at night to prepare them for outdoor planting.  Lavender seeds need to be placed in the refrigerator for a month and then at room temperature for another month before they start to germinate.  However, seeds of peas, beans, cucumbers, zucchini are best when they start in the ground with very little human intervention.  The date on the calendar lets us know when seeds need to be started regardless of what it looks like outside.

A few other deliveries will be coming in the next few weeks.  The 6,000 onions will be coming in mid-April, which will inspire me to throw an onion planting party, keep your calendars open (Early May) if learning to plant onions seems like a good time (onion planting is literally my favorite).  150 pounds of potatoes will be picked up in a week.  The old wives tale says that they should be planted on Good Friday, but it might be difficult to plow through the snow in five days’ time.  Again, Mother Nature wants to remind us of who’s really in charge.

The cold days of snuggling up and relaxing here on the farm are numbered.  The weather will get warmer, and the ground will thaw. What once was sleeping will soon awake and demand your attention and no amount of preplanning will fully prepare you for what Mother Nature will throw your way.  Your preparedness will only make her laugh.