PLANTING THE FOREST GARDEN 2026

Yesterday was any day off which means it was my gardening day. I am finding I need at least one whole day a week to be in the garden and then several parts of several other days to keep it going and that is outside of the daily chores of animal care and cleaning.

Yesterday I gave a lesson to my granddaughters on planting tomatoes and peppers. I think we are finally clear of the frost so it’s time to get the rest of the vegetable garden in!

I started with a morning walk around the garden, while my son-in-law tried to break up some really big rocks that critters have made their home underneath. We began planting. Here are some things blooming right now even as we get the seeds and seedlings planted.

The Siberian iris are lovely this year.

The Korean lilac is soooo fragrant.

Paintbrush in the lawn.

Greater calendine growing by the rock wall.

Here are some annuals I picked up. They will go into our newest garden bed along with some hardy lavenders and some coleus.

By the end of the day the girls and I had put in several tomatoes, some pumpkins and a winter squash. We noted the summer squash had sprouted. I finished out the afternoon with some mowing and some work on the newest chicken coop.

CHICKEN COOPS, POTATO TOWERS AND CARROT BOXES

Aside from the burning and the fence building and the lawn mowing I am trying to get too, we have three projects which are time sensitive at the Vicarage and at least one of them is going to have to be a group project.

This is a rendering our new chicken run for the flock once the black austrolorps are ready to be out in the world. It stand about 7 feet tall so it is going to take a couple of us to get the roof up.

I am also thinking of repurposing the original chicken house we had for the old chickens the first year and then adding another small box to the mix.

BUT before that I have to plant the carrots in their boxes and get the potato towers built.

DO YOU HAVE A SPRING PROJECT YOU ARE WORKING ON?

THE FIRST DAFFODILS OF SPRING 2026

It’s officially Spring. This week has been up in the 70’s and even into the 80’s and that has caused everything to begin popping up.

The daffodils along the side of my sister’s driveway in the front garden are up.

The day lilies and even a few irises have started poking their heads through in the front garden, too.

the day lilies and the garlic are both pushing through in the circle garden by my driveway.

All that said our spate of good weather is almost over. By Saturday we are plunging back into the 30’s and 40’s and there is even a possibility of snow overnight, on Sunday, as the temperatures will once again plunge beneath freezing.

SPRING IN NEW ENGLAND!

Photo by Alena Koval on Pexels.com

WHAT’S THE WEATHER LIKE WHERE YOU LIVE?

PROJECT BURN IT UP

Last week I posted about trying to burn brush in the rain and how frustrating that was.

Photo by Alex on Pexels.com

This week, the weather has turned and I have been able to burn two days this week so far.

The three piles I have to burn will probably take me most of the summer to burn, but at least I have gotten a start

Spring cleaning has begun!

LATE WINTER PROJECTS AT THE VICARAGE 2026

There is no doubt that the end of winter is near. The air has become increasingly unstable. Our temperatures are fluctuating between 3 degrees Fahrenheit and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Our New England atmosphere is full of small snowstorms that finish as bothersome ice storms making the shoveling this time of year rather nasty.

We have had two days of shoveling this week and I am thinking that by tomorrow morning we will have another five to seven inches of snow to shovel from the drive.

This is the time of year when I am itching to get out into the garden and yet all I can manage is to stay somewhat even with the everyday chores: Walking the dogs, feeding the chickens, mucking the chicken runs and coops, feeding the wild birds and wild rabbits.

This is the time of year when winter stores are running out for the forest critters and so bird seed and scraps for the bunnies and squirrels become essential for life.

Photo by Mark Neminov on Pexels.com

Even our Cooper’s hawk is seeming a bit more desperate these days.

Photo by Tina Nord on Pexels.com

Still we all know Spring is just around the corner and the outside jobs will soon want doing. I am looking forward to the earth thawing out and getting my hands into garden soil again.

WHAT ABOUT SPRING MAKES EXCITES YOU?