Hello and Happy Wednesday! Things are really beginning to heat up around here and with temperatures on the rise, you can bet we are taking full advantage of the nice weather and have been playing outside and working in the garden almost non stop the last few days.
On Monday we had 7 yards of crushed rock delivered…
Which we soon realized was not going to be enough to spread a thin layer of rock down our driveway and to add a few inches of rock to the potting shed. So on Tuesday, we had an additional 8 yards delivered and well, although I think we probably could have used another yard or two…. we made it work.
This is what our potting shed looked like at the beginning of the year.
On Monday…
And then finally yesterday afternoon. I am so excited! Now I have a proper place to plant all those flats of seeds for the vegetable patch. Starting my seeds in the kitchen was getting a little messy. 😉 
Here’s a close up of the potting bench the HH made for the shed.
In other news, we’ve been working on clearing the garden beds and burning brush in an extra galvanized stock tank we had in the barn. I wanted to just burn our clippings and branches on the ground {like normal people do} but the HH was worried about a fire spreading and is making me use the stock tank instead.
The goal is to get all the beds cleared, trees pruned and the growing area all cleaned up just before the ground completely thaws. The raspberry, strawberry and asparagus plants that I ordered should arrive in about 2 weeks. So I’ve got a deadline to meet!
We’ve been using the Fisker’s Power-Stroke Stick Pruner to prune the taller trees and so far so good. It’s super easy to use and I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it’s just a weeeee bit safer than climbing a ladder and using the saw-all. 😉
The buds on the pussy willows are just starting to open up! On the agenda for today: clip pussy willow branches and make a small wreath for the front door.
Another area we need to prune is the wisteria arbor. Just look at it. It seems like everything outside right now is just one big pallet of brown. The ground, the grass, the leaves. It’s hard to imagine everything will be lush and green and that I’ll be fending off the black flies and skeeters in just a few weeks time. Gaaa!
New England should have a pause button that people can press for that teeny window of time where the temperatures are just starting to warm up and the ground is thawing so people can rush outside and get their yards in order before the humidity and the bugs hit.
A girl can dream, right?
Gardening season… It has officially arrived. I guess that means it’s time to get off the couch and get busy again. Did you hear that Lucy? My little Chunky Monkey. It’s time to start catching those voles and chasing bunnies out of the yard and helping Mama dig up the garden beds. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Ahhh Spring. I’m so glad you’re here.
Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone,
~ Mavis
Christine says
Well the stock tank will make it easier to capture your ashes. They are great for the compost pile or to spread in the yard. I hope you have been saving your ashes all winter!
Jenn from Ma says
Love, love, love the potting shed. A garden shed is on my wishlist. But for now I am doing the kitchen island potting thing.
Jennifer says
Can I just say I love your positive attitude! You seem to make even simple struggles like balck flies a piece of cake! Due to your joy of gardening and produce I am attempting a goal of potaotaes, and salads from the garden not the store in my cookie cutter back yard.
Thanks for simply being you
Gee says
You might want to check your state and local laws on burning. Here in upstate NY they put a ban on any outdoor burning (in a container or not) for about three months in the spring to avoid grass fires, etc.
Julie T says
Here in my county in VA, we are restricted to burn after 4 pm. Large open brush pile burning requires a permit.
Tracy says
The potting shed is glorious. If it were mine, I’d pop two skylights on the leeward side of the roof. Would make all the difference in natural light.
As far as this: “New England should have a pause button that people can press for that teeny window of time where the temperatures are just starting to warm up and the ground is thawing so people can rush outside and get their yards in order before the humidity and the bugs hit.”
Mavis, that’s called “June”, silly!
Lindsey says
We got used stock tanks, drilled some holes in the bottom and turned them into nice, tall raised gardening beds. Almost zero weeding and no rabbit or vole damage. Also, the soil warms up much faster in the spring and you can plant things closer together because vines of things like pumpkins can drape down the outside of the tank.
linda says
Great post, Mavis. It makes me want to be gardening. It is still COLD in southern Ohio, and sopping wet. We’ve had sooooo much rain this year, along with melted snow. I got my peas in over the weekend (in a raised bed) but the actual garden is way too wet to even plant my potatoes, which I usually get in the week of March 17. My tomatoes and peppers, etc are under the grow light. I planted some blue cherry-sized tomatoes just for fun, both green peppers and sweet banana peppers, and a lot of flowers. The good thing is I did get all the garden beds cleaned up one weekend before it rained, so when it finally dries up, I’ll be ready to go. Can’t wait!!!!
Mel says
Love the shed! I’m potting things on the floor of my sewing room, and it’s awful. I use the deck for fall seeding (while wearing tons of bug spray), but I don’t have a good spring location.
My grow lights are jam-packed at the moment. I’m growing all our peppers, herbs, tomatoes, and pollinator garden starts, and then I’m also growing starts for two friends and two college students where I work (micro tomatoes and dwarf herbs for their dorm rooms). I really need another set of lights, but I keep telling myself everything really just has to last a couple more weeks until I can start hardening off plants. On the other hand, I have to move tomatoes to larger pots next week, so it’s going to be awfully close.
Kristen says
Have you ever done a post on pruning? I’d be interested!
Debbie - MountainMama says
wow, all your snow is gone!! Ours is still hanging on, of course we got another 10 inches last weekend. Saturday looks like I might be able to get out and start doing SOMETHING outside, even if it’s just cleaning out the potting shed and getting it ready for the season – can’t wait!
Erin Middlebrooks says
Hello my fellow citrus loving gardener friend!!!
Please tell me if that beautiful tractor is yours!!!!??? It is freaking gorgeous.
Erin M
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes. yes it is. 🙂 Getting a new Meyer lemon tree in a few weeks and going to try and overwinter it in the sun room. 🙂
Danetta Cates says
I’m sorry, haven’t been keeping up very well. You & family moved! Hope it is going to be a good one for you.
Unpacking,getting settled in no doubt has kept you busy till you can get busy in your garden. Anxious to watch every step seeing it come to fruition:)
Will you please share where you are ordering your strawberry plants?
Thank you & Best Wishes!
Sophie says
This is my first year gardening on my own. I so wish I had room for a potting shed, but for now our laundry room is serving as our seedling station, which is working pretty well. I promised myself I would start small, but I just seem to be adding more things to our list. Our starts just keep growing. I’ve been looking for blueberry and raspberry bushes, where did you order yours from?
Mavis Butterfield says
The blueberry bushes were planted by the previous owners, but we ordered the raspberry canes from Johnny’s in Maine.