Spring arrives at the farm!
Finally – after what seemed like a winter that would simply never end, spring has sprung at the farm.
It is hard to believe that 9 years ago, the farm was simply 3 acres of overgrown brush.
But as the spring of 2018 rolls in, here we are,108 months later – gardening, living, and loving our time at our little OWG farm.
This has been an amazing few months for us. Being at the farm full-time now has allowed us to concentrate on what we love most – dreaming, building, planting, and working outside.
There is something so incredible about getting the opportunity to work with your hands. And we have been doing a lot of that lately!
Here is a look at a few of the new projects we’ve been working on, along with photos of spring at the farm.
Spring Arrives – Photos From The Farm!
Celebrating 9 Years…
Our Old World Garden post signs were starting to show a bit of wear after a few years. So, we decided to update them with a new look to celebrate the farm’s beginning.
We make our homemade post signs with simple and inexpensive yard signs. To dress them up, we create a wood frame around them and then attach to our planter posts.
It is our little secret way create an expensive-looking sign for about $15.
A Little Remodeling For The Honey Bees
Everybody deserves a new look now and then – even the honey bees!
We decided to spruce up their digs a little this year with a new paint job and a custom roof.
We had some left over cedar planks from building the house, so we decided to use them to create a little new roof line to help shed water off of the top of the hives.
While we were at it, we built them a more solid base to keep the hives level as well.
The Farm Comes To Life
Nothing says early spring more than beautiful blossoms filling the trees.
This dwarf weeping cherry tree in our side yard is loaded with gorgeous blooms. And filled with honey bees working them like crazy!
It is always such a great sight to see after seeing the trees bare for so long.
The Springtime Barn Additions
It seems like we can never have enough projects going on at once. But, we wouldn’t have it any other way!
We finally completed the barn addition this past week. It took us a few weeks to frame and pour the concrete. But the only thing left to complete is the painting.
We also built two new rough-sawn doors for the front entrance, along with a concrete ramp.
We really want to have more farm to table dinner events at the farm in future years, and the additions will help make that a bit easier to do.
The Self-Sufficient Cabin Project Continues…
As spring arrives, we now have our little cabin in it’s final resting place!
We poured a concrete pad for the cabin a few weeks back, and thanks to Weaver Barns helping out – moved it into place to overlook the barn and garden.
This past week, we started installing a bit of landscaping around the edges. As always, we divide existing plants from the farm to create it all for free. See : Creating New Plants For Free – Landscaping On A Dime
In the coming weeks, we will be adding the solar panels and completing the interior.
It should be a great place for guests to spend the night at the farm!
What A Raised Row Garden Looks Like In Early Spring
Wonder what a Raised Row Garden looks like in early spring? This is a photo from our garden taken on April 13th.
The walking rows are all covered in a thick coat of protective weed-stopping bark mulch. And the growing rows are filled thick with our cover crop of cereal rye.
We started mowing the cover crop off yesterday. We use a small push mower for the task, which takes just a few minutes.
By planting day (May 20-30th for summer crops), it will have nearly all died off. We then use a post hole digger to punch right through the soil and plant without ever tilling.
It usually takes us about 30 minutes to plant the entire 40 x 60 garden. It really is a wonderful way to garden with ease. See : Raised Row Gardening
Building A New Springtime Garden Entrance
I have always wanted to try my hand at post and beam construction. And, we have always wanted to build a more stately entrance to the garden.
The result? A new post and beam garden structure! It was so fun to build, and we love the way it now defines the garden space.
We will have an article all about the garden structure in a few weeks, but we thought we would show a sneak peak today for the photo tour.
Signs Of Life In The Garden – Spring Arrives
Speaking of the garden, the first seeds of the season are now up!
Our radish seeds broke through the ground this past week to start it all off.
It will still be awhile before the tomatoes, peppers and other summer crops go in, but it is a start!
We hope you enjoyed the photos – here is to a great growing season for all! Happy Gardening – Jim and Mary.