Michael says the time to plant corn is when the oak leaves are the size of squirrels ears.

It’s been a challenge to get the garden bed prepared in time.

Yesterday I noticed the oaks had leaves.

And Michael planted the popcorn. He also planted onions. Cabbages and carrots go in today.

The radishes he planted in the raised beds surrounding the big garden say hello.

They share space with sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, peppers, and lettuce.

The potatoes went into a straw pile garden.

The big garden is infested with potato beetles. They overwinter in the dirt. We fought them all last year. It was time to find new ground.

We also planted our other nightshades (tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers) in new dirt. We had to cover these delicate plants with straw a couple of days ago due to frost danger. They survived!

Penstemon, Sweet William, wild geraniums, mustard, strawberries, and yellow violets accent the intense and varied greens of spring.

We have taken advantage of cool afternoons to ride through this changing landscape. It helps work the kinks out! We sleep hard and fast these days. Soon the busy season will be here.