sunshine

today was the first day in a long time that there was sun, like weeks it seems. although it was chilly, i got a lot done outside.

i tethered most of the goats. i left the 4 boys in the fenced in area and let the 3 doelings run free. quarantined mamas were tethered away from the other 3. they all enjoyed being out.

2 loads on laundry on the line, didn't even need to dodge thunerstorms! hopefully, i'll be able to put 3 up tomorrow. i was out running errands this am so that cut my laundry time behind. i'm behind already from the rainy, warm days...our dryer died a few years ago and i depend on the sun or wood stove to dry. neither have been 'on' lately so laundry has been at a standstill.

i dug up and filled 20 4" pots with herbs for the upcoming market: mullein, feverfew, mugwort, bergamot, peppermint, yarrow, motherwort and horseradish. in 6 weeks they should fill out the pots nicely. i'll fill some more with other herbs as i can: calendula, lamb's ears, marshmallow, etc. i hope to sell a lot more plants this year.

my seedlings are starting to sprout: chamomile, thyme, borage, hollyhocks, basil (5 kinds: spicy globe, thai, red rubin, genovese and holy) to name a few. i sowed 2 more flats that i discovered i could adapt the blocks to: each block fit nicely in the pre-molded plastic slot. i sowed mostly medicinals in these two flats: stinging nettles, sages, tea tree, astragalus, eyebright, black cohosh, blue cohosh, false unicorn, saw palmetto, lavender, gipseywort, soapwort, wormwood, angelica, sweetgrass...i can't remember the rest. i also sowed poppy, feverfew and rhubarb in the garden.

time to repot the tomatoes, that's for tomorrow. and as soon as we can get into the garden i'll bust my butt planting the onions and potatoes. then, on to broccoli, beets, cabbage and other cool weather crops. peas can be sown too. i've already sown some but none have germinated. the chickens might have eaten them. i'll gently dig and investigate.

more rain is in the forecast. and more sunshine too. when it rains, it leaks into the greenhouse and fills my seedling trays with water. i have to pour them off butt i cannot find the leaking point.

in answer to your question ron, i haven't had to water the blocks yet but i would water them at the base.

according to my il extension calendar, today i should prune my butterfly bush, which i did before i even saw that. i was looking for a guide of what should be planted when. that's the best i found so i'll continue to shadow what karl and tabitha do as their weather is usually a day ahead of us. ;)