spring beets are in

we planted three rows of beets for spring use. we'll have to harvest them a few days early to get the tomatoes in on time. tabitha pickles a mean beet and the little ones are the best. they are a bit harder to work up but worth the effort. kassi especially loves pickled beets. the larger ones will get promptly juiced and drank on the spot. i also look forward to several meals of fresh steamed beets.

the tomato seedlings are up. we had a few slow-to-germinate plants but we'll have plenty to select from. tomatoes are one thing that does amazingly well here in the ozarks. the flavor is so rich and tasty. we tried a couple of new varieties. i can't wait for that first thick slice of a tomato that covers the entire toast--slather some fresh garlic mayonnaise, a little salt and pepper voila.

the garden plan has changed i'll have to go to the illustrator document and make some updates. plus i need to document the location of varieties within a planting. we hope to focus on seed saving this year. toly had just been born last fall when most of those activities occurred so we were distracted from our gardening tangent and finely focused on children rearing.

warm weather yesterday. well, it was actually hot and summer-like. all the original onion sets (the first little bulbs) are up and about two inches tall. it was so hot that i set up the sprinkler up in the front yard for the kids to play in. yes, i used the newly installed spigot and boy will that be handy for watering our new strawberry bed--photos to come.

our new willow tree arrived yesterday. i see a large hole in my immediate future. i still need to add more dirt to the strawberry bed. this evening will be another busy one. the earlier-longer days make spring seem more close at hand. i was very tired and sore last night when i finally laid down. two days of climbing around bobs rafters and installing reflective barrier bubble wrap insulation has taken its toll on my body. a short day at bobs followed by a full evening of gardening makes for long days.

tabitha canned beans yesterday--yum, yum-yummy. we eat plenty of beans around here. there is nothing like home canned beans. if you have ever soaked beans overnight and then slow cooked them all day long with garlic and spices, you have a idea of what these are like. she also cans garbanzo beans and then makes fresh hummus. oh, the kids love hummus. oh, i love hummus. hummus hummus dreamy hummus