Early April in Pictures

April began quietly with the Spring daffodils and Methley plum blooming, then along came the Salmonberries and currants.  Now, we're in the middle of the month, and just two weeks later, everything has begun to burst forth, growing at top speed.  I think the rhubarb grows a foot a week, it's ready for a bigger harvest than just pies, so, I'll be making my first preserves of the season soon.  The orchard has new blossoms happening daily, and the vegetable garden is beginning to grow.  The cold frame is full and the first beds of peas, greens, and herbs have been planted. The warm season crops are sitting inside under lights with heat from below, full of natural sunlight from a window, they're all toasty and will be ready to go out in another month.  

With the moon now waning, I'll be focusing on planting below ground crops for the next couple of weeks, planting seeds of  carrots, beets, and radishes, onions starts, and seed potatoes.  The onions I started from seed back in Feb. along with the celeriac and cruciferous vegetables (all sitting comfortably in the cold frame).  I'll begin to plant out the broccoli's, cabbages and cauliflower out over the next couple of weeks. April is the month I really begin to focus on the garden and orchard. 

The following pictures are all from the last couple of weeks.

The Trumpet of Spring

 Soup for breakfast

I love eating soup or stew for breakfast on a cold rainy morning. 

 This is goat and vegetable curry soup, 

it's one of my husbands favorites to take to work for lunch.

Methley Plum

The Methley plum starts our season of blossom in the orchard.  

For the last 8 years I've been planting about 5 new fruit trees every year. 

"Hi"

My grandson Roman saying Hi to one of the mini Nubian goat kids. 

 

Salmonberry Blossom

The border of our property is edged naturally with Salmonberry bushes.  This time of year they are filled with beautiful fuchsia colored blossoms.  Salmonberries are the first berry of the year to ripen.

Eye See You

Sierra is our beautiful Great Pyrenees.   

She was laying under an Asian Pear tree in the orchard,

 just relaxing in the sun watching me.  

 Ruby Red Rhubarb

 Rhubarb Pie

The season of rhubarb pie and ice cream is upon us!  
I made this for dessert right after harvesting it. 

 Purrrr.....

Part of our morning ritual is Kalua joining us in front of the fire while we have our coffee. 

 She's purring and content on Dad's lap this morning.

Spring Break Sleep Over

My daughter Kaley on the right and her friend Hannah camping in the back yard.  We couldn't find the tent poles, and the girls worked so hard gathering sticks from the forest to set it up somehow.  After watching them, my husband joined in to help make it sturdy enough, he used a tall ladder to hold it up in the middle and sticks tied to support the sides.  Where there's a will, there's a way!  They had fun and were lucky it didn't rain.

Glowing Onion Starts

The vegetable garden is well on it's way, with baby seedlings everywhere.  The cold frame is filled with cool season seeds and the seed starting rack inside is full of warm season seedlings.

April 14, Seed Sowing

This white butterfly hung out with me while I was planting seeds a couple days ago.