🌸The Garden's looking Good; Sheep Manure in the Orchard; Wildflower Ephemerals

and a Successful Gardening Workshop! A look back on March.

The people we gather with on Sundays met at the farm for a Resurrection Day sunrise service to reflect, fellowship, and worship. This photo was taken that morning 😍

Looking back on March

Planting Transplants in the Garden

This was a family affair. Even Wilder got involved. In early March we planted the seedlings that we started in late January: kale, brocolli, cabbage, a different kale, and lettuce. Including the plants mentioned above, we currently have in our garden: potatoes, peas, garlic, onions, and … parsley. For this time of the year, I’m really pleased with the garden! Things are growing well and it looks great.

Lettuce Transplant

Brocolli transplant. I laid them out, Wendell dug the holes, and Virginia planted.

I made a fish fertilizer solution with some dechlorinated water to soak the seedlings in before transplanting. This gives them a little nutrient boost, but mainly provides food for the microbes that will help the plants feed themselves..

This picture shows my attempt to keep pill bugs and slugs off my starts. I cut the bottom out of yogurt cartons and stuck them in the ground around the transplants. I didn’t have enough for all of the transplants so I left some unprotected. I saw no evidence of slugs or pillbugs on any of the plants. I’m wondering if these bugs are only an issue in the fall. It might still be too cold for them.

Mulching/Manuring the Orchard

Have you ever made a plan and had a mental picture of how your plan will unfold… and then your 4-year-old decides to enter the picture?

I had a big day planned for the farm. I had a lot I wanted to accomplish. And then, before leaving, spontaneaously erupting from my mouth to my 4-year-old was “Do you want to come?” And he said yes.

I’m glad he did. We had a good time. And the picture I had in my mind of how the day would unfold changed. It now included fishing. And going much slower.

We did accomplish one task on the farm and that was spreading sheep manure around the fruit trees in the orchard. Well, we did more dumping than spreading. I imagined a nicely formed circle around the base of each tree, but it was cold, windy, and we were ready to go fishing. So, instead, we just dumped a load at the base of each tree and only sort-of-kind-of spread it around. I also didn’t plan on dumping a whole load at each tree, but that is what ended up happening.

The manure was mixed with a woody, sawdust like material and came from a barn where it had been sitting for quite some time. With it being aged like this and because sheep manure is less likely to burn plants (overload plants with too much nitrogen) than other manures, I’m thinking what I’ve done is ok. I’ve never done it before. Stay tuned.

From left to right: Pear blossom; Peach blossom

Spring Ephemerals

I love this time of year. The time of year when temperatures begin to rise, the sun begins to shine longer, and wildflowers emerge under the forest’s naked canopy. They are called spring ephemerals and I wrote about them last year. I’ll do it every year I believe. It’s a seasonal thing that I love.

Can I say something else? I believe more today than ever before in what we are doing at A Common Life. I find great comfort in the seasonality of life. The anticipation of the arrival of bluebells and the search, the joy of their arrival, the saying goodbye as temperatures rise… It all feels good to me. It comes and goes and comes and goes. And in between I must wait. It is a simple pleasure. Each day, week, month contains these simple, seasonal pleasures. My challenge to us all is to practice being present so that we can first discover and then enjoy them.

Clockwise starting in the top left (or top to bottom on mobile): Mountain Phlox, a Cabbage Moth on Ragwort, a fern frond, Virginia Bluebells

Clockwise from the top left (Or, top to bottom on mobile): Riparian (area near river or stream) wildflower ephemeral, Trout Lily, a Morel, A Buckeye leaf

Gardening Workshop

I had a great time being with the people of Trinity Reformed Church at our first ever gardening workshop. We covered four topics: Garden Prep, Starting Seeds with a Soil Blocker, Holistic Weed Management, and Right Plants, Right Season. We got some good feedback and we will do more of these in the future. If you know a group of folks that might be interested in hosting a workshop, definitely let me know.

Terri Woods taught on starting seeds using soil blocking! It was a hit. I was a student and learned a lot myself!

What Terri Woods uses for her soil blocking. From left to right: Pro-Mix BX, Vermiculite, FoxFarm Bushdoctor CoCo Loco.

Before You Go!

💚 If you love this newsletter, tell us by sharing it with all of your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers!

✎ Are you passionate about gardening or seasonal living? Share it with the community and write for The Common! Email taylor@acommonlife.co for more information

🎧 Listen to the pod here: A Common Life Podcast

📜 Missed last week’s newsletter? See it here: 🍓 April '24: Strawberries, Frost Dates, Garden Installs