High Planting Season

We have a longstanding family joke. As if we’re not busy enough with writing, radio, committee meetings, keeping up an old house, etc., every spring we start the farm.

With the last frost safely past, it’s time to get all the tender plants out of the greenhouse and into the garden, starting with the tomatoes. Thursday, I thinned all the tomatoes in the greenhouse to what can be planted in each section of each six-pack. Today, as soon as I go outside, I’ll plant paste tomatoes, four kinds. I like big paste tomatoes that are more flavored than the standard San Marzanos.

Thursday, Woody put in one of the two types of yellow/orange maincrop tomatoes; then he put in the only cherry tomatoes we grow, Sungolds. He worked till it started to rain.  Saturday, he’ll continue with the other 5 kinds of maincrop tomatoes, the other yellow, one pink and two red.  Basically, everything has to go out yesterday, except eggplants and basil. They’ll wait till it’s warmer. But as soon as we have the tomatoes in the ground, we need to do all the peppers. The hot Arapahos go in my garden, the giant green peppers, etc. in his.  Also, I have to get to zinnias and cosmos this weekend if I possibly can. A lot depends on weather

Woody has to transplant sunflowers too, ASAP, as they are getting leggy.  In the midst of all this, there’s summer clothes. Since it was very cool for so long this spring, I have only begun to bring out of the hall closet lighter dresses, pants, garden gear, cotton skirts,etc.

It’s a good time to figure out what to discard or give to local charities.  I already noticed one skirt has a stain I can’t get out and will be tossed and another that was supposed to be washable, shrank, and will be donated. It’ll fit someone nicely. In a way, bringing out lighter clothes is like seeing acquaintances you liked and hadn’t seen in months.

We’re looking forward to the Preakness even though it’s my least favorite of the Triple Crown races. I feel it’s much too close in time to the Derby for the way horses are bred for racing these days, meaning speed, not stamina. Tradition be damned, it’s time to change the spacing of triple Crown races.

I hired an assistant a couple of weeks ago, but by the 3rd time she came in, it was clear it was not going to work. She constantly complained of headaches after using the computer for an hour or so.  It’s a Mac with a great big screen and nobody before has had trouble using it. There were many other complaints – 10 AM was way too early for her and so was 10:30. The traffic was more than she wanted to put up with. I’ve never had such trouble finding a part time assistant. But I’m not giving up!

We stop feeding birds this week, as there’s plenty for all of them to eat naturally. They keep looking for food in the feeders, but they’re gone till mid-October.