IT SMELLS LIKE SPRING ...

... now that the first daffodils are just opening up at sheltered spots around the garden. Then I know that spring is here ... hopefully to stay. Its just so beautiful to see that stretch in the evening, which slowly extends my days, especially regarding gardening.

the rhubarb also starts budding, despite some frosty nights

Just before Valentinesday I got that notion to start a bit of digging and removing weeds in the tunnel. It ended with sowing out cress, mustard, radishes, spinach, cabbage, Kohlrabi and all year round lettuce .... . I just couldn't resist, once I saw the thermometer climbing over 15 degrees C in the tunnel.

Leaving soil bare is never a good thing anyway, as mold and fungi develop. Sometimes I clear all the beds in autumn and then spread some winter rye or a mixture of green winter manure on the bare patches... .
In Gardening and in many aspects of my life, I don't keep strict rules and so I don't have a preferred or 'right' way of gardening. I did try out a wide range of techniques, like the moon calendar, the neighboring plants systems, the 3 - field tactic or some ways of 'permaculture'. Every year I do a mix of all 'systems' and the secret is, not to take it to serious. But what I never did is spraying neither herbicides nor fungicides or used any of the 'magic'. artificial fertilizers.... horse-poo in different rotting stages seems to improve the ground best. My motto is grow ( knowledge and experience ) and let grow.

Fortunately or maybe even unfortunately I have a kind of disorder, cause once I m warmed up, nothing can stop me .... even not a nearly poked out left eye... When I bent down to remove some chickweed around a mature broccoli plant, I couldn't see the short bamboo stick, which was supporting the plant and hiding behind a large leaf. It went right just beside my eye ... I was obviously very lucky and as it was pretty much visible, actually it was a dark red print of the bamboo's diameter, everyone kept asking me if I was in a fight.
Anyway, once I was sure that I didn't have to go to the A & E, I kept digging our potato patch after all the previous action in the tunnel Again I thought nothing can stop me .... only that I broke the spade after a while. In the end I knew it was just as well, because the next day I could feel the workout all over.

some autumn plantings of 'Italian kale' start to regrow 

In the evening instead of praise, I did get a lecture of my husband ... not only because of the poked eye, but also, because he reckons it looked like I had got a loan of a tractor doing all that work... and he knew I would suffer a bit.

A stroll around the farm at 9 am this morning proves once more, that spring has gently set in. The soft green grass shows some strength against the rushes.  

little new moos cushions spreading all over the old bridge

the rooster is making an effort to impress 'a girl', well any girl
 

Maunzi, the 16 year old cat, looks after her coat in the mild morning sun

Valentinesday was very busy in the flowershop in Tubbercurry, we were totally sold out after a 16 hour shift the night before Valentines. Is the economy recovering or did this early touch of spring affect the male hormone system? Whatever it is, I hope many people who value Valentine's were happy with the attention received. Well, I bet one Lady was very surprised with a Hand-tie of 12 red Roses obviously from her 'Ex' and the card saying 'Gone but not forgotten' ....