The Flicker Haven Farm Files-Petals And Planting

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One thing about gardening, farming, and/or homesteading, is that you can always count on a few curveballs being thrown your way. Getting smacked with a horrid illness right during spring planting season was not the curveball I was expecting, but after nine days of misery, I am somewhat better and was actually able to do a bit of gardening today.

I am soooo behind!

Which to be honest is annoying, as I was actually a bit ahead or at the very least on top of things, which is something that never happens.

But, so is life, so I'm making pickled asparagus out of a bumper crop of spears😁 (And I mean that both literally and figuratively).

Something that has helped my recovery immensely has been the glorious blooms about the farm, the irises are blooming and they are just so distractingly beautiful.

The purple ones are my favorites, as purple is my favorite color, but I have to say, there is something so elegant and crisp about the hint of yellow blooms.

Another thing that has brought positive waves to my ailing form was the hubs getting the old fountain we made thirteen years ago when our kids were toddlers. They pressed their hands into the top part the water trickles off of and it makes me smile every time I catch a glimpse of their little hand prints.

And it's super lovely to sit on my porch convalescing while listening to the trickle of water over the fountain and down onto the various rocks, minerals, and gemstones that line the ground below.

So it's no surprise, that even though I was miserable for days, the sights, sounds, and smells around me have helped bring me out of the illness mire. Okay, that and a screaming awareness in the back of my brain that I have a ton of gardening to do.

Today, I felt well enough to get a couple hours of transplanting done. This year I am only growing twenty tomato plants. It's like the least I have done in over a decade, and I am not sad about it. Even in my lethargic state the job took no time at all. I can't wait to make up a batch of salsa with some of the Large Barred Boar tomatoes!

After the tomatoes I transplanted a bunch of cucumber plants. Years ago I intercropped my cucumbers with the sunflowers and they did so well. Plus, they were such good weed control. I'm excited to see that partnership yield awesomeness again.

The last transplanting job I did was the zucchini and pumpkins. Every year I start some squash plants and direct seed some. There's something therapeutic about being able to walk through the garden before everything is flourishing and spying some already good sized plants.

Speaking of good sized plants, our hops plants are already over my head. It's crazy how fast they are growing! Last year the hops produced really well, but I thinking this year they will double their yield. I'm sure the manure compost and fish emulsion has something to do with that.

I'm also getting ready to try my duck poo water fertilizing experiment. I have a big water barrel that is equipped with a spigot. I am going to empty the duck's poopy swimming pool water into the barrel, attach a hose to it, and emulsion water my plants with that duck goodness. Can't wait for that!

But now, now I need a nap. Because tomorrow, hopefully I will feel even better, because there's even more planting ahead of me.

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And as most of the time, all of the images in this post were taken on the author's not looking forward to the prospect of smelling like duck poo iPhone. The text divider image was made in Canva.

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