I'm Dreaming of a Green Garden!

Our frigid Arctic vortex has apparently moved onward.
Today's highs are expected in the 20's.
This weekend could go to 60!


For now, though, it still looks wintery.
The pond is frozen except for two circular areas that stay liquid
due to aerators that keep the water moving.


I have not been able to take pictures with my zoom lens,
because the lenses fog up in the cold...
so, I cannot show you a close up of the ducks.
But if I could, you would see that the saying
"like water off a duck's back"
does not apply in this weather.


During this extreme cold, whenever the ducks would "duck" their heads under the pond
surface, the water would run down their backs and freeze there!


If I had used my zoom lens, 
you would also see that there are two little mallard females
that have joined our flock of twelve.
Free and plentiful food, along with unfrozen water are hard to pass up!

Every time I go to the barn, I pass my sad, frozen garden.


It's hard to believe that in just a few months, 
it will once again look like this!


And we will once again be able to eat our meals straight from the soil!


For now, I will keep busy with seed catalogs
and plans for this coming gardening season.
I have lots of ideas for some new vegetables this summer.
Among them are these....


Mexican Gherkin cucumbers...look like tiny fairy-sized watermelons...
great for salads.


Lots and lots of hot peppers.
I have a family that eats hot pepper relish with every single meal!


Also new for Spring will be:
            • a newly built pumpkin patch
            • a handmade picket fence gate for the pumpkin patch
            • all sorts of tasty veggies
            • new chicks
            • and maybe a pair of little girly lambkins (maybe)

Comments

Sun's not up here in Tampa, but its already 57 degrees...while your pictures are purdy...I love being a Floridian this time of year
jaz@octoberfarm said…
yes please lambkins! i need this vicarious life so much!
Candice said…
Baby lambs? It just gets cuter and cuter at Bee Haven Acres. Hope you decide to add those girly lambkins.
Colleen said…
Good Morning!! Thanks for the encouraging post. We are planning on planting only cukes and green beans. We are limited to time to put into a garden and in the past it didn't do very well!! I have time but not the health to take care for a big garden so we aren't going to go big but really need the cukes for pickles and love to can beans use them in a lot of different recipes. We have bunnies, laying hens, pheasants and quail...but I don't see lambkins in our future but it sure would be nice..Thanks for letting me have this blog to visit!! Have a great day
Lynne said…
Thank goodness for seed catalogs and dreams!
Poor ducks must be bitterly chilled with those frozen head dips!
Stevie said…
Cold days are the best for perusing seed catalogs. And cleaning and preparing seed pots in the greenhouse--the only warm spot on the farm!!! Stevie@ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com
Junebug said…
One of my favorite things to do is plan for next years garden, even if it is small. Hey, there is only me and my neighbors who reap the bounty. You simply can't plant a garden for one! Ahh lambs, but they do grow up to be wooly sheep. Humm, wool???? I'm so glad the cold front is moving on. Hugs!!
This N That said…
Where would you house the lambkins?? You notice I skipped right to the topic of animals..Hope your Mallards stick around..That would be fun.. Your garden plans sound wonderful..Love the little cukes...
HappyK said…
Wow what a difference!! I look forward to watching your farm turn green. : )
Lady Jane said…
I am also counting the days till Spring. Amen and hallalluah.....
Nd.chic said…
I'm so with you. It will be longer than a couple months here but I'm definitely dreaming of a green garden. I will try a few new varieties this year, too. I love looking at seed catalogs meanwhile.
Susannah said…
All of your plans for spring sound wonderful. We had a couple of seed catalogs out last night. It just gets us so excited. With the weather we have had and especially the cold.....it is so fun to think about our gardens.

Susannah
diane c said…
Just love your blog! Can't wait to see Spring arrive on your blog! Keep up the good dreaming!
Cris said…
I know that catalog...I dream about it, in my sleep! :-) I'm trying the Mexican Sour Gherkins, too--did you know they are all crazy popular in the UK now, being called "cucamelons"?? I love that a heirloom veggie is suddenly "euro-hipster". Ha!