The First Aches of Spring

Blessings Darlings!

I started working in the garden today.  I have to move fast so I can get early spring crops in, well, in early spring.  I didn't finished putting mulch down to smother the grass last fall, so I have to do it now.  Also, at least part of the garden should be covered in plastic so the earth can warm faster to be ready for the spring crops.

Seeds are on sale, for 50 cents a package, at Aldi this week.  I'll also see if they are available at a dollar store type place around here for less. 

What I started doing today was covering more of the garden with a layer of news paper topped with dead grass today.  The grass doesn't blow away in our wind, while the news papers DO blow away if not covered.  I used up one full 'book box (1.5 cubic feet) of news paper.  I used the grass that had grown up at the fence line last year, and had died back over winter - thus saving me having to use the little bit of pricey straw/hay that I still have. 

With what I got done today, about 2/3 of the garden is covered.  The remaining 1/3, of course, is where the grass is tallest and it takes more news papers and heavier amounts of dead grass/hay/straw to cover it.  The 2/3 done also needs some spots dealt with where grasses have managed to push thru' the news papers.

Where does a cheapie like me get news papers?  Most of mine are free - I got a free subscription to the Wall Street Journal!  We also do subscribe to one news paper, for local food ads and coupons.

I didn't work in the garden ALL that long, since I only used up that one box of news papers.  But, holy cow, am I every achy!  My legs say I was doing a lot of stooping, my shoulders and arms are talking about me 'harvesting' the dead grasses by hand.

But it has to be done - it's about 2 weeks 'till potatoes can be planted, and spinach and turnips and beets and such should be going in soon as well.

Good eats!

Frondly, Fern