it’s been an eventful spring so far. the second hexayurt collapsed a week before the Equinox festival — a combination of weather, wear, and too long between maintenance days. so we spent a work party taking that apart and getting the site cleared up, what with having several dozen people over for Ostara the next weekend.
meanwhile, Jenny & Tristan have gotten all the irrigation up and running and the spring crops planted. we’re earlier than last year, but so is Spring — it’s been in the 60s-70s consistently for weeks now, and while i’m sure it will freeze again, i’m equally sure it’s time to plant the spring crops, and then some. and the summer starts are up and sprouting in the seed greenhouse, thinking about putting out their second sets of leaves. just like that!
Photo by Tristan
Alan, Rev and I spent a day getting the aquaponics system up and running for the spring, and recalibrated so that instead of the water washing the seed away, the water level is just under the gravel level in the grow beds, so hopefully the seeds will sprout and we will have greens from the AP system this year. i planted spinach, kale, lettuce, and a bunch of pollinator-friendly flowering herbs, which i hope to start in the AP system and then move out into various other gardens around the property, while re-seeding the greens as we eat them.
Photo by Tristan
forsythia and nectarine are in bloom, as are daffodils (almost done, really), hyacinths, and plum. the apricots have already bloomed and gotten frost bit, of course.
nectarines
and this post would not be complete without this perfect photo. the peacock was thinking about whether or not he ought to be bothered by the cat. the cat was utterly unbothered by the peacock, and sauntered past him, to dive up into this tree — and discover that the tree is not really large enough to support a large cat. thus, the scene:
i love it that Elliott is just watching Tybalt, as if to say, “kitty, you’re doing it wrong. you forgot how to cat.”
and another shot of Elliott, loveliest of all poultry.
