Urban Homesteading: March In The Garden

February left very rainy, and rain came right in as well in March, in the first half. One of our wettest winters on record, which after last year’s drought, I will take. March was also considerably colder after how warm January and February were (so basically it was normal temperatures in March!) Still, the garden plodded along and I got things done. And by the end of the month, warmth was back!

First up, I started thinking of more ideas for making a root cellar. With our apple trees entering their second year, in the coming years we will have crops to tuck away.

The Complete Root Cellar Book: Building Plans, Uses and 100 Recipes has not only a number of plans for building, but it also covers ways to make them for condos, places without yards and those in warm areas. The plans might be in-depth, but if you love building, this is a great homesteading reference (the methods and plans are well laid out). I would admit I won’t be the one to build it, that is my husband’s strength. He really enjoys building! The book also is a cookbook, with over 100 recipes for using up your carrots, apples, and more.

My new avocado tree, in the greenhouse. It has settled in nicely:

My quarterly Plow Box from Seattle Seed Company:

Bing Cherry in bloom:

Sour Cherry Tree:

Peach tree ready to open. The flowers on our two peach trees were amazing this March. The pink is so bright.

Sparklies always make me smile 🙂

Sour Cherry Tree in bloom:

We ran out of strawberry jam…so March brought making a big batch! And I am sure I’ll be doing another in June. The boys really love it.

The little unheated greenhouse toils along, in its second year. It has fared better than I had hoped for. It will be retired in summer though. The last wind storm started to bend the frame. Still, it has handled well up until then.

A few of my garden sparklies survived the winds. This one I had to pick out of a tree, but is still hanging on.

Yes, I apparently love cherry trees…..

First strawberry blooms:

Even though I grow tomatoes from seed, I usually buy a few plants early in spring, when they are small and cheap, then grow those in the greenhouse as well. That way I have some tomatoes earlier than others.

Building a new fairy and gnome garden in the boys garden. I am building a Kinder Garten for them this year!

The winter garlic is looking good. This winter I mulched it heavily, so it looks a lot better than last year.

Oh cherry trees…I love you.

I decided in late winter to turn this bed into a herb bed – it only gets a direct sun in spring and summer. The sage in the back I salvaged from a pot that was horribly water-logged over the winter, so fingers crossed it makes it. I separated it into multiple plants. Also planted is a new parsley plant, and I transplanted two rosemary bushes, one of which didn’t do so well over winter (so we shall see).

Pear tree blooming:

A neighbor was selling this pot for $5. These go for $40 and up, so yes, I was excited!

A little soil, and a dozen strawberry starts….and into the Kinder Garten! Walker is very excited Mama is doing this for them 😉

Last year I had the habit of tossing the spent pansy and viola flowers onto the lawn, when dead heading. Well…surprise: I have tons of them popping up in the lawn!

Our 3-year-old asparagus has started popping up at the end of March! This is the first year we can start cutting and enjoying them. (Martha Washington variety)

Last, but not least…my baby Rainier Cherry Tree has started to bloom at the end of the month. It is the first time for it to bloom. It is a semi dwarf.

And behind it, also another first for one of the plum semi dwarf trees.

Speaking of that….we are getting bees! Kirk and I have been taking classes, getting hands on, and more so….getting our hives ready. April should be interesting!