The Flicker Haven Farm Files-Spring Is Sprouting Edition
Yesterday was March 17th! Aside from being a super very fun holiday, it's also tomato sprouting day in these parts! Yes, I get excited about tomato sprouting, so you all get a liberal use of exclamation points to start off this post!!!!
Anyway, before I got cracking on tomato seed starting, I had some unfinished pepper business to attend to. When I started my pepper seeds, I had some old Long Cayenne seeds that I threw in the sprouting pie plate on a if they sprout, cool whim. Out of the ten seeds I started, two did their sprout thing, which considering the age of the seeds was a total win!
So, before I got busy in tomato-land, I transplanted two cayenne sprouts. I have high hopes for them because of how long it took for them to germinate. It's like they were determined to come alive. I think I am going to name them Frankenstein and Frankenweenie.
Moving on, this year I restrained myself and only started about 150 tomato seeds. I still have slight heart palpitations about the year I started over 600 (and planted 300!). Don't worry though, I am only going to plant about half of those tomato plants on the farm, I tend to give away half of everything I start. My friends like it.
One of the thirteen varieties that I'm really excited to try is the heirloom Large Barred Boar. Honestly, I just love the name. Not all tomatoes get eaten around here, in the late summer/early fall when I am harvesting endless fruit, sometimes an especially large tomato will have split, and I cannot wait to yell, Feel the wrath of my LARGE BARRED BOAR! as I hurl a juicy tomato bomb at some unsuspecting heathen within my range.
I usually need a bit of a reprieve by the end of summer. Tomato chucking therapy helps. It's the splat sound as it hits a target that does it for me. Sooo healing for the over-worked soul.
Aside from its therapeutic value, the Large Barred Boar has a lot going on for it. It's early to ripen, a mild-flavored beefsteak, a prolific-producer, and a, good choice for marginal tomato climates. My climate laughs at the word marginal. Most of the time my farm is closer to Mars on the hospitable to tomato scale of growth conditions.
And most important of all they are STRIPED! I mean, the weirder looking the better when it comes to my favorite growing things.
Before you could say productivity proclivity I had all my tomato seeds ensconced in their damp paper towel sprouting homes and set on top of the fridge. It feels so good to get on with spring chores. Like coming out of hibernation but without all the sleep and weight-loss. Wait, can I have that weight-loss and sleep?
Dreaming aside, I needed to go out and do chores after starting the sprouts, and since I had decided to do something important, of course I got distracted by this:
Come on! Who wouldn't get distracted by that scene of cat-cutery! The girls really know how to work a cuddle pose.
After slipping on my barn boots, I almost skipped out to the garden. First though, I stopped at the greenhouse and surveyed my next gardening job. I need to sow some cold weather greens in there, but the little spinach plant leftover from my last batch of greens made my day.
Speaking of day made, check out this other sign of spring! My little crocus bulbs are peaking through last year's dead garden detritus. Ugh, I need to get raking. But seriously, the snow just left my yard exposed two days ago, I'm gonna get to it!
My real destination was the garden. As my gait reached peak enthusiasm (I looked like I was having an electroshock therapy sesh in motion I reckon.), I noticed the horses were looking at me in a rather strange way. See, I had already fed them earlier, so they were probably confused as to why Mom was back out in their zone, but don't worry, once they realized I was on a non-food bearing mission they resumed snacking on their hay.
My sightseeing mission was one of delayed gratification therapy. Last fall the hubs and I seeded 80 row feet of garlic, both hard and softneck varieties. With the straw mulched row now visible, and us having a couple of fifty degree days in a row, I wanted to see if anything was peeking out of the mulch.
It was!
Seriously, I am over the moon about all those growing little bulbs! Garlic is one of my favorite things ever, and I have a dream about roasting some fresh bulbs and spreading it on a toasted piece of homemade sourdough and drizzling the whole thing with olive oil.
It's going to be tough waiting until harvest time in July.
But as I wandered back to the house and stopped to check on the sprouting rhubarb, it occurred to me that July will be here before I know it and I better get my flintlocks into gear. Spring has definitely sprung and my friends, I am on a the run!
I am excited to see results in summer beginning. After that you should make tomato soup 🍲😊
I LOVE tomato soup, with basil, mmmmmmmmm! Yes, I will make it lol!
Can you tell I am excited too? haha!
Tomato hurling is an unofficial sport, even if it is just me competing against myself trying to hit an unsuspecting chicken with a mushy tomato from the middle of the garden. The ducks are sometimes easier as they like to huddle around together.
My tomatoes are going for a while now and they have remained short in my tent. They seem to be filling out their stems more than gaining height. Once I get them on the deck in the sun they should start to take off.
I have such land envy seeing your nice flat open ground to have your row of garlic. My only option is terracing and dumping a bunch of tons of grain to build the soil. Which I should anyway since it would be in a cool area near the creek.
You made me go out and check my rhubarb which has little nubbins popping out a tiny bit of color.
You know, you are beyond right about Tomato Hurling being a sport, albeit and unofficial one. I had a feeling you would be a participant of the art LOL! If you ever get a steer, you'll have to let me know how you enjoy competing in that division of it!
I had to chuckle about the land envy, because you have a CREEK! All that lovely running water, heck, you could probably make a little wasabi pool!
And I am glad your tomatoes are doing well, soon we will both be hurling nightshades with glee!!
Reading this post made me remember my father, he liked sowing a lot, there was once in my garden there were canals with tomato, cucumber and paprika. I worked a lot of rice husks. Drip irrigation.
P.S. Read from Listnerd.
Whoa! It sounds like you have done some serious garden labor! I love growing tomato, cucumbers, and chiles. Paprika is one of my favorite spices, and I am super intrigued by the rice husks part of your comment, I am going to wander over to your blog now, lol!
Thanks so much for dropping by!!!
It was something like that with open canals, no land was used but rice husks.
I don't have a photo because that was a long time ago that my father planted in our garden, well there was cucumber, paprika, pepper, tomato, eggplant.
So clever the pencil in the pot :)
Did I mention already that I ADORE your cats? Like, I want to have them!
these are the cats that I always point out when I say as soon as we can have pets again, we will buy cats with this print, we had similar kittens in holland and I adored these, so cheeky and much more fun than the others. Like tiny tigers :)
Keep sharing them in these mails, they make me happy :)
My husband is always trying to send the cats (and horses!) home with everyone, and knowing Yaga and Teela (the tabby girls), they'd ride home on your shoulder with you lol!
I totally have a thing for tabby cats, I love their stripy sassiness, and they will keep making an appearance, especially now that I know that you enjoy them.😊
Hope you are having a splendid weekend!
Nice job, I know it's tough waiting on those peppers.
For real! Those months seem to take forever, but oh is it ever worth the wait!
Looking good @generikat. You will be processing tomatoes before you know it.
Oof. Now there's a job, but I love eating the fruits all that labor, so it's all good! Thanks @beststart 😊
Holly hocks! There you got me! I love those flowers.
As you can see in a blog I wrote a while back
But, all the other sprouts are just as amazing! Love to see how that grows up into healthy plants, and the harvest you hopefully get from that. I hope it will be awesome. Nothing can beat the fresh veggies and flowers.
And of course, I love the kitties too. They look awesome!
AAAAHHH! Those hollyhocks are my favorite color! And have I told you I absolutely adore your photography? I love what you do with light!
And thank you so, so much for sharing your beautiful and very informative post, I am so going to take an anti-inflammatory, hollyhock petal infused soak this summer! And I have lots of Mullein growing round here too, love the congestion relief infusion idea, awesome!
The kitties said hi, well, Yaga trilled, I think that means hi lol!
!!!!!!!!!!
Your enthusiasm is contagious. You amaze me. You don't have to talk about being positive, it just shines through in your words.
And I learn so much from each post.
Loved the cat pics and just because...
!!!!!!!!!!
!BBH
!ALIVE
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Aww, thanks Bradley! Coming from you, the paragon of positivity, that means a lot!😊
And I adore lounging kitteh pictures, your girl is just so cute!
!PIZZA
Because this is such an awesome post, here is a BBH Tip for you.
. Keep up the fantastic work
Beautiful sprouts! My favorite part of the growing process!
!WINE
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There's just something so exciting and motivating about seeing new life explode! Thanks @ironshield! Hope you and the fam are having a magnificent weekend!
OH MY GOD!! You're so good at this you grew a pencil
That's amazing!
Yessss! I have achieved growing level 6000!🤣
LOL! Thanks Awesome Amir!
How many garlic did you plant? I just found mine up yesterday. I've not looked for the rhubarb...
And I have 1 crocus bud and I forgot to take a photo! Gotta love brainfog...NOT!
Oooh, speaking of brainfog...I think it was a pound, I will have to refer to my record book.
I am so sorry you are going through the brain cloud, I despise it so much, it sure is taking its sweet time abating in my case, I hope yours clears up faster. We both got lots to do dangit!!
Looking forward to that crocus photo! I love them!
Mine will never clear up. It's a result of Lyme disease and I've had it since I was 20 years old. I've just learned to cope with it...
Thanks for the reminder! If it's not raining I'll try to get it right now...
I love these seedlings, they are so lovely to stare at.
Thank you! I know I stop and stare at them quite often too lol!
You're welcome (^_^)
Wow, this is awesome. I used to have a small garden in my backyard and it doesn't compare to what you have here, but the process is pretty much the same. I quit the garden because it was to tiring for me but it was fun while it lasted.
!PIZZA
Gardens are a ton of work! I totally understand why you took a break!
Thank you so much for stopping by😊
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Thanks for sharing your gardening expertise. It is always helpful to learn from others.
Nature speaks ! I’m sure you can’t wait for the arrival of the harvest month of July !!
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I couldn't tell that bulb was garlic until I read the post but that garden looks really big. I remember my parents just growing what they could on the dirt areas around the house so there wasn't much space to do much there. Then again, I think they just decided to place what they could where the fruit trees weren't blocking the way.
A collection of comments:
My rhubarb is peeking out of the ground, too! And the hyacinths are up.
I forgot to plant any garlic. Oops.
Yay for hardy spinach! Was it in there all winter?
Long ago, my sister and I used to throw the rotten strawberries at the smelly billy goat in the adjacent pasture. It was therapeutic.
LOL! The buck thing killed me! Rotten strawberries are a fun thing to toss indeed!
The spinach was in the greenhouse all winter, I seeded it last fall, and just clipped leaves off as I needed them, so it's kinda nice to see there's a bit left to munch on while I get the cold season crops going:)
AND I ADORE HYACINTHS! Sorry, got a little excited there, it's just that they smell so dang nice!