April Projects

Despite the freezing rain we got earlier in the week, the calendar says we are slowly marching towards spring. April is a month where it seems like you should be able to do more things outdoors than you actually can. It is too cold to plant, too wet to work soil. This is the month we use to wrap up stray projects and start getting ready for warmer weather.

We have most of our seeds started. This year we are trying to grow onions from seed, and the results have been a mixed bag. I planted one flat of onion seeds, and a second flat a week later. Same soil, trays side by side under the grow light, and the second tray looks like a flop. My only conclusion is that I may have taken the dome off the second tray too early, before the seedlings could break through the soil.

On a positive note, the parsley, sage, and oregano we started looks great and probably can be potted up this weekend. Flowers, brassicas, and peppers were started last weekend, and are just starting to germinate. Tomatoes will get started in two weeks. This is always a trying time because we have a narrow window and if we do not get good germination, we may not have enough time to start over. We are using seed we saved from Gomphrena and Feverfew this year, so will be curious to see how that seed performs.

Last year we had a new front porch added to the house, and the carpenter left us two 12-foot planks of 2x10 pressure treated lumber. One of the long-term projects on the to-do list has been to build benches for setting in the woods. Leopold benches are easy to build and use 2x10 wood for the seat. I picked up some 2x6 and 2x8 lumber for the backrest and legs and was able to crank out two benches over a couple of evenings. We just need to decide where to place them.