Spring Fever Hits! Time to break out the green thumbs....

After the winter we had, I am sooooooo ready for spring! It appears to have finally arrived. Well, at least I hope it's here to stay. Today we hit 74 on the dial. Righteous weather for biking, running, playing with the hell hound "Hoser", or getting ready for the spring/summer garden and getting outdoors to do a little yard work!

Like any real farmer, I had to have a tractor. Enter this sweet pickup I found on craigslist after my bolens exploded (don't waste your money on bolens or troy bilt - straight...up...garbage). The husqvarna 46" cutting, 20 hp, cruise control equipped, hydrostic on the fly shifting, terror of unkempt grass and weeds everywhere. The blades sound like a freight train. You take this baby out in the yard, and the grass just faints. Job done...

Just one problem. The fence on one side of my yard isn't big enough to fit this orange beasty through! Here's the freddie kruger of lawn tractors...



Just took out husky for her first spring cut. Did a nice job. You're done before you know it, but it takes a little bit longer because it bags all the grass clippings. Bagging, mulching, or just plain blowing...what's the difference right? When you don't have to hear about how pissed your wife is because hoser the hell hound just went bounding through some left over glass clippings, you'd learn to appreciate the bagging just like I did. Not to mention, the clippings are going to really help the compost heap!

A week or two ago, we took what we had in our compost heap and prepped the garden area with my troy bilt tiller. We turned the soil over and added what we could to improve the soil quality. Hopefully this year, we'll have a huge garden. Hoser the hell hound took about 15 seconds out of her busy schedule to pose in front of the plot!


Hoser has only romped through the garden a few times so far!

So I started the garden a little early this year. I believe everyone is with me when I say, "Thank God Winter Is OVER!" I got a peat moss planter this year and started the plants from seeds rather than cheating and going to the local nursery. It's also far cheaper. I think I have enough seeds to feed a family of 10, and I got them all for a mere 30 bones. We planted the seeds in my peat moss indoor green house, and the plants practically exploded. We've moved on to dixie cups, and that wasn't enough either. It's too early to plant them outside (actually April 30th is supposedly when we enter the safe zone concerning frosts), so it gave me an excuse to do another project. I made a hot bed! It's not quite done yet, because I'm having trouble finding a clear cover for the top, but so far, the marigold's and a few pumpkins and kentucky blue beans are calling it home!



So the green thumb is in full swing!