Time has sort of stood still at the moment, as the world is working its way through the Corona virus. Lots of worries for our family and friends, hoping that all will continue to be safe and avoid this disease. After spending the winter in Florida, we headed back to Delaware on March 18 and have been busy around the homestead, as "keeping your distance" is mandated by the state and country. That is our view out the back door of our home, one we enjoy and appreciate so very much. Lots of birds, frogs and other wildlife and a beautiful view.
We not only reflect on these times, but also find solace in seeing others take time to be with their families. Walking, riding a bike and playing hopscotch on a chalk drawn road in our development has become common place. Many of our neighbors are now spending the time gardening and one even ran a solo 13.1 mile half marathon.
We are doing lots of weeding (keeping up our flower gardens) and also expanding our vegetable garden. A neighbor came by with his tractor tiller and tilled up a 25' x 8' area behind our stone filled flower garden and brought over 3 loads of leave mold to help make the clay soil a bit easier to work. We also were able to visit our favorite Amish Garden Center to pick up hanging baskets, annual flowers and vegetables seedlings. We love going there as their items are very healthy and they have a good selection.
I was able to also de-thatch both front and back, giving the lawn some breathing room. I bought a small electric machine that is light and easy to use and digs up old dead grass very nicely.
In the meantime, potatoes, peas, lettuce, onions and broccoli are in the ground and lots of seedlings from my own selection of seed packs are coming along nicely. It will be another week before temperatures will remain in the upper 40's overnight, good enough for tomatoes to be safely put into the ground. Cukes will follow soon thereafter.
I bought some bags of wood mulch to try and use them to cover walking areas between the plants to try and keep out weeds. I would be very happy to not have to deal with too many weeds.
Here are some photos of the progress being made
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| Looking out the back door of our home all day long. Lots of birds, frogs, flowers |
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Basement steps serving as modified greenhouse for seedlings waiting for warmer weather.
The large seedlings were bought in 4 packs from our favorite Amish Garden Center and then transplanted into larger pots. |
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| These seedlings are from seeds bought on Ebay. |
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| Onions and lettuce plantings |
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| Our small water fountain with Iris blooms (began blooming first week in April) |
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| Spinach on the left, peas in the back and lettuce closest to the camera |
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| Onions in the back with Broccoli closest to the camera and peas just in front of the Iris plants, which were given to us by our brother in law |
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| Compost area |
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| Potato rows, with broccoli plants on right side. Potatoes are under the hay and have shoots coming up |
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| Neighbor was kind enough to till our small 8x25 foot strip and drop off 4 loads of leaf mold used for mulching and mixing with the heavy clay soil we have |
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| A lilac bush I am not familiar with that has struggled with the wind. We hope to get some lilacs that were originally up in Mansfield that are now with my brother in Wilmington. |
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| A new redbud tree purchased from a tree farm in Tennessee |
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