Farm Blog, Spring 2014
March 21 - June 20
June 20
Spring is almost over. The best growth has been in the cactus and flower gardens. Both have done very well with me watering from the house (and using water collected from the washing machine) and collecting what rainfall we have had. Many of the cacti have produced flowers and are making lots of new growth.
Bees- I made splits with my good hive and my neighbor from across the street. They seem to be doing well, but time will tell if they develop queens and continue to prosper during the summer.
Lavender- The lavender plants that replaced the ones I took out are doing well and are in bud. They should all be producing flowers soon and I will collect them to sell at the Eldorado Farmer's Market.
Veggies- The veggies and herbs are doing well. As I use the veggies (totsoi) and find corn that has not sprouted I replant them with bush green beans. I also put in tomato plants and different kinds of squash.
May 18
Friuit trees- The only fruit trees that set fruit are the sour cherries. The old one has many on it, but the two newer ones that are more exposed do not have as much fruit on them.
Bees- The old hive of bees are doing well. Both of the boxes of bees that I got from A-Bee Honey died in the late freeze of May 13 & 14th.
Lavender- All of the lavender that was replaced is growing very nicely. No flowers yet though.
Veggies- All of the veggies that were started in the sunroom are doing well in the garden. They were planted on May 10.
The plants in the flower garden are doing well. The predominant blooms now are catmint snow-in-summer, chives, ice plants, candytuff and salvias. The yellow yarrow and globemallow are beginning to show a little color.
April 21
Fruit trees- Two back to back freezes on the 14th (25.2) and 15th (27.1) froze the peach, apricot, nectarine, sweet cherry and most of the plum blossoms. Some of the pears were frozen, but the sour cherry, crab apple and apples seem to be ok.
Bees- The old hive of bees are doing well. I received 2 boxes of Italian bees from A-Bee Honey on Sunday, 20th. Put them in their hives and fed sugar water.
Lavender- I am replacing many of the lavender plants that did not pass the winter well.
Veggies- The little veggie plants in the sunroom are doing well. They will be planted in the vegetable garden by May 10.
The plants in the flower garden are getting larger and many more are coming up from the roots. The grape hyacinth is no longer the dominant flower present. That position is taken over by the blue phlox and big leaf periwinkle.
March 26
By the last part of March most of the fruit trees are either in bloom or have swelling buds. The winds have been strong and there has not been any rain necessitating hand watering every couple of weeks. Everything in the flower garden is turning green and the bulbs are all almost in boom. The grape hyacinth are in full bloom.
114 small pots were planted in the sunroom to put out in the vegetable garden in about 6 weeks. The plants that were planted were totsoi, broccoli, lettuce, arugula, collards and spinach. There are already sweet onions and garlic coming up in the vegetable garden.
The bees are finally getting to bring in some nectar from the apricots and peaches. I had to feed them sugar water three times already, since they were coming out on 50 degree days in February and there was nothing for them to eat.