We're none the less here

April was much chillier than "winter" here and growth of some, though not all, things has been slowed. The lettuce and other greens seemed chuffed about the cold, which is irritating about them as they also complain when it gets hot. The broadbeans, elephant garlic, and rhubarb however are going gangbusters, but they always do.

I've walked around some and I think we will have decent raspberries, cherries, pears (lots) and Granny Smith apples. The Gravenstein will do poorly, if anything. Most of the other apples I haven't checked. There will be some Jonagolds. The blueberries will be so-so. Still no mulberries, figs or peaches, after years of waiting. Don't know about the plums or the blackberries yet. A lot of the hops and sunchokes have mysteriously vanished. Do gophers eat hops roots?

I have mixed the greens and onions with the broadbeans, hoping the partial shade of the beans will help the lettuce and spinach, etc. not bolt too soon.

By the front door are several columbines, children of one that appeared there a decade back. It's only a squiggle in a drawing by a friend from a few years ago, but its presence was noted. We are all only squiggles, in the end, but we're none the less here. At least until we're not.

Not all about you

There was this table of onion sets at the Youth Farm plant sale fundraiser, and they appeared to all be marked "Walla Walla," so I took one. But now that it's home I see I managed to find the only Red Globe hidden among them. Oh, well. As I'm alone in the family in my antipathy to Reds, these should make a nice offering to -- everyone else. Even your tiniest farm is not all about you.

A couple of stray Red Russian kales are up in the Chioggia beet flat. I've planted a lot of kale but I'm sure I can find a place for them. Good thing as I am not gopher-free at the moment and gophers target beets but not kale. Never a dull moment.

Corn, beans and squash are making their appearance. These are Yellow Zukes, always a favorite.

After checking the plants, letting out the birds, and uncovering the tomatoes, I took the little dog for his morning hike. His shadow was red, and I looked up and discovered the whole valley to my east was covered with a pall of smoke. We have had plenty of rain and there are no incidents reported, so I wonder if this is from Siberia, where the thawed tundra is on fire.

It is a very small world, and getting smaller.

They are taking a chance

Winter arrived in April after being conspicuously missing November to March, and the "cool weather" plants are shell-shocked. There's been maybe two inches growth on most things, if that. And two freezes have set back the potatoes.

Of the lettuces, Red Sails is doing best. There are broadbeans down the middle of the greens beds, to provide a little nitrogen and, later, partial shade. Not to mention early foliage and then early beans. Onions and leeks are interspersed throughout.

I like Red Russian kale for its hardiness but the young people have requested Lacinato. It is aloso popular with aphids so I will have to keep an eye out. 

These three beds are a polyculture of broadbeans, French Breakfast radishes, Chioggia beets, turnips, Chinese cabbage, assorted kales, walking onions, leeks, chard, and whatever I will throw at gaps as the beds develop.

I got into a frenzy of transplanting yesterday morning to take advantage of the quarter inch of rain that was predicted, and which we got. This morning is very dark, but we are supposed to get a week in the 70s (F).

Here on the left are some of half a dozen Stupice tomatoes. They are a little more hardy than the long season heirlooms, so they are taking a chance. I got these, and some other plants, at the most recent Food for Lane County Youth Farm plant sale held at Grassroots Garden. I like to start things from seed, but I'm not well equipped to do tomatoes in a timely manner, (i.e. they all died again) and I like to support the food bank and its young farm trainees.

There is room for six more tomatoes behind them, and six more in the greenhouse. Eighteen should be enough. At one time I had seventy-two.

I have been working on the ancient bathroom (major to-the-walls update, with some big senior grab bars) and had the water off, then back on, so when I came out in the morning to let out the birds, I found a hose nozzle going full blast -- irrigating in the rain. Oops. Senior in so many ways.

Right after a rainstorm is no time to till, but you can broadfork.

Do not mind if your beds are not exactly straight, as you are not The Mother Earth News.

The violets in the strawberry planter have grown quite a lot, and Jizō has relocated closer to the gate, to greet visitors as it opens. His new location is a work in progress -- it needs a few more stones and a few less weeds.

If you like, you may leave him a flower, or leaf, or (he especially likes this) water his moss, and put palms together to greet/take leave of him. He's just a bit of rock, but you may find him very calming.

Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb

Beloved is in charge of the rhubarb; we have seven plants, six of which are descended from the first, which is over fifteen years old. One digs in the fall or winter to expose the root mass, split it in two, then dig out one of the halves as best one can. It's a muddy job usually, but one is rewarded by the sight of the exposed interior of the taproot, a very unwintry bright orange. We make a point of giving away some halves from time to time and many of our friends have clones of Stony Run rhubarb, which might be related to Victoria, we aren't sure. It's very sweet and makes successful pies and crisps, popular at potlucks. 

Rhubarb leaves are poisonous, so they become compost or mulch. The stems are picked, de-leaved, and brought in after they reach a suitable size, chopped, double bagged, and frozen. Seven mature plants can give you about forty to forty-five square feet of three-inch deep rhubarb crisp.

Beloved pays particular attention to the water, light, and nutritional needs of these plants, which are heavy feeders, and from time to time buys a gallon of fish emulsion for them -- almost our only bought-in fertilizer. I have been known to pour a dollop into a watering can now and then to boost other plants when they are stalling, but lately I'm feeling more confident about my brews of duck poo and blender-macerated willow and comfrey.

Today it has been raining off and on, including a brief thunderstorm with hail, so it's nice to hide inside and process pie plant, instead of having to do outside chores in the rain.

There are farms that specialize in rhubarb, and it's said that you can sit among the plants (in forcing houses in Yorkshire, anyway) at night in spring and hear them growing -- making a kind of creaky crowd noise. I find it serendipitous that theatrical people use the word when they want to represent a murmuring crowd, all together saying, almost under their breath, "rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb."

One must continue one's practice

Finally, on April Fools, after a winterless winter, I saw my breath as I went the barnyard rounds, and inches -- actual inches -- of snow fell on the mountains to my east. I confined myself to the potting house and doggedly planted seeds in flats that may find soil too cool when they're ready to plant out.

But I'm almost past caring. Who knows what weather will do any more? It might be so hot in May as to bolt the greens, so I might as well start the beans and corn.

Perhaps some great storm will come and level the garden -- or even the house. One must continue one's practice, and mine is to cover seeds.

At this time of the garden year, which has been historically called the hungry time, there's little in the way of food in the garden itself, but one has still some potatoes in storage, and dried foods and canned fruits and so on -- and one can forage.

I go out with scissors and basket, and take what takes my fancy. Today we have maple flowers, lilac flowers, broadbean leaves, dandelion, cat's ear, bedstraw (cleavers), and deadnettle. I can't really make a cold salad with these as I digest fresh greens poorly, so I typically start rice or potatoes in a bowl in the steamer, then add the greens in the last seven minutes, and perhaps an egg. Maybe a little oil and salt to taste. Good with curry or brewer's yeast or both.