The idea of farm life can have a romantic, simple beauty to some, especially if one hasn’t actually seen all it can entail. Life on the farm can be very simple, and can have an old world, romanticized feel, but one must also embrace what comes with it. Hard work, losing animals, scooping poop, and a whole lot of mud comes with the territory. Here on the homestead, we see the not so glamorous side of life on a farm, and while we wouldn’t trade it for the world, I do wonder at times how many people could truly handle all the insanity. Sometimes I wonder if I can. The morning started with a bath for the toddler, who piddled out of his diaper before it got changed. Not really the ideal way to start a day, but it could have been worse. There were no sheets to wash, and the boys were happy to play in the bath. Bananas and peanut butter were eaten as a breakfast placeholder, while I tried to drink my cappuccino, still a bit tired from the restless night of sleep of being kicked by one baby from the inside and one on the outside by another child, whom snuck into our bed in the middle of the night. Eventually scrambled eggs and chimichurri were cooked up. Little noses were turned up at the plates of warm food, leaving it to "eat later" when the eggs were cold and slightly dried out. The daily vitamins were passed out, lemon cold liver oil for one, non-lemon for the other, iron chewables, immunity honey, tummy honey, all while the boys hopped hopefully up and down for cappuccinos. Cappuccinos were served, the grocery order placed, library books reserved, laundry folded, the painters tape removed, and the front room set back in order. The sun was shining and the house got a bit hot, so the windows were opened for some fresh air to blow through. There is just something uplifting about open windows. The outdoors began calling, and Elmer and Danny were out searching for puddles. Eventually Benjy joined, and they had a grand time filling the watering can in one puddle, dumping into the dump truck, and then driving a full load of muddy water over to the oil tank to dump to create yet another mud puddle. They got sticks and went fishing in the puddles, while Elmer waded, pawing at the water, carrying mushy clumps of grass in his mouth. The rattling of vehicle wheels went up and down the sidewalk and slushed through the snow on the patio leaving a thick trail of mud behind. I reminded myself I taught them that there's no such thing as bad weather. They take it to heart. For all the snow complainers out there, nothing is worse than mud season. I can toss my kids in a snow bank, bundle them up in layers, insist it's never too cold to go outside, and not bat an eye at any of it...but mud season causes an internal struggle. The boys love it. They play even longer, fight less, and could be perfectly content with mud season as the only season. However, I don't think I need to explain why, to a mom, mud season isn't enjoyable. I cringed as I saw the play going on, prayed they'd someday realize how blessed they are to have a mom that put up with all of this, and resumed cleaning my windows, while I had the weather for it. Eventually the hunger got the best of them, and they came in hoping to get out of eating their old eggs. After finally gulping down the cold yellow piles they "saved," they ate some pecans, put in a request for scones, and were off to playing with their toys. Squeals quickly started as they saw the rain pelting down outside, gleefully yelling, “We’re getting more puddles!” I rushed to close up the open windows and let in the already sopping dog. The rain flooded the already soggy yard, increasing puddle sizes as it melted the piles of lingering snow. Yes, they were getting more puddles. A delivery truck arrived with a surprise treat from my mom, a brand new snow plow. They took turns plowing toys, until they decided it MUST go outside. Then the mud play continued with now bigger puddles than before. Berry scones were popped in the oven and sourdough prepared to make bread and bagels tomorrow. The kitchen was scrubbed, book club was missed, and the mud trail got thicker. After seeing the state of the mud and not wanting it in the car, a call to Daddy to pick up the groceries saved us a big headache and mess. Scones and cappuccinos were enjoyed, the extras tucked away, and then a mass clean up of "just one clean room PLEASE" began. I chopped up veggies for dinner, having to get creative not having onions and garlic. Thai basil chicken it was, because there was leftover chicken, and rice is easy. The boys cleaned, I chopped, cooked, cleaned, and continuously reminded them to stay focused as they sang Happy Birthday to the toys they discovered under the couch. JUST ONE ROOM! It’s all I’m asking. For my sanity we need one room cleaned because you've completely destroyed outside. They actually did it! One room cleaned before Daddy was home with groceries. They scampered to help put away sweet potatoes, onions, apples, and garlic, always an enjoyable task. Dinner was served, candles lit, and the stories of the day began, filling in Daddy of their many adventures. Only one complaint uttered, no one ate like a goat or nodded off at the table, and it was a nice enjoyable family dinner. The boys were excused, and the play began again, this time hopping on their moose with a bucket on their head and laughing. Chore time came and they scampered to don their muddy gear, not wanting to miss unloading the truck full of wood or feeding their sheep and goats. The logs were brought through the puddles to the window, and the cauldron filled for tomorrow’s heat. The boys spending half the time asking Dad questions and the other half mewing like kittens. Then it’s teeth brushing, no baths, because the system is overwhelmed with water, reading Farmer Small and off to bed. Technically we fit four in a twin bed, because I count for two, but random legos must be moved first, lambs and chickens and bears collected, pillows fluffed, kisses given, and then bedtime snuggles and songs. Finally, the calm sinks over the house. Only God knowing how long it will last. Barking dogs, waking toddlers, baby kicking, and restless leg syndrome all take their turns at messing with a peaceful nights sleep. At some point, the sun will rise tomorrow and we will do much of it all again. With snow still melting, and more rain coming, the mud is here to stay for a while. This is part of life on a farm. Mud in your house, on your animals, sucking to your boots, vehicles, wheelbarrow, and whatever else must venture into it.
Benjy says, “it’s not dirty mud, it’s dry mud,” solid toddler reasoning for why he doesn’t need his feet washed in the sink for the third time. The days are busy. Busy with nothing. Simply busy with just running a home amidst life with muddy boys and dogs. While it is simple, it isn't empty. It is messy, it is exhausting, frustrating, and so ridiculous I can't help but smile at the mess I've put myself in. Sometimes things become such a disaster they're suddenly somehow hilarious.
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After the seed companies sold out of seeds last year, we made sure to order early and our seeds are here! Despite ordering the first week of January, the onions and broccoli I wanted were sold out. To get everything I wanted I had to order from 4 different companies, but I did get everything on my list, including onions and potatoes. This year we’re again expanding the garden with the goals of trying to use intercropping to utilize our space, better store and preserve our harvest, get a strong fall garden planted, and continuing with the no-dig method. (Oh, and there’s a baby due end of March and I’m already battling some early labor signs at 28 weeks.) Needless to say, we’ll see how this all goes. At this point I feel like we understand being flexible and letting go of things when they are unrealistic. How much can one really control in growing or a garden or when having a baby?! Gardens, like babies, have unexpected variables that can turn even the best made plans pointless, but I will enjoy the distraction of garden planning as I’m stuck laying low for the next few months. The challenge really comes when baby arrives. While I’m down for a few weeks, can the boys in the house keep the baby plants alive? Only time will tell. Thankfully the two Dannys are both a little more schedule oriented and can keep up on a task list. Benjy was still “weeding” my sprouts last time we grew something, so we’ll see how many plants survive. Like a super classy person, I trash picked some lights to expand our indoor growing area. Now we’ve got the extra growing space I needed, and I can expand my crazy plant lady status. I learned so many lessons last year attempting to grow from seed, like how all those little potted cells lead to bigger potted plant that need even more room. I also learned about how germination typically requires heat over light, with a few exceptions, and a cold basement can really cause problems. Hardening off wasn’t as difficult as I imagined and most of our plants not only survived but grew better and produced more than any store bought plant. The homesteaders said use seeds, the hobby gardeners said don’t waste your time. I guess we officially fall into the homesteader category because I’m completely sold on starting from seed. For the size of garden we have it’s the best economical option, my plants were healthier, and I could get the exact varieties I wanted for plant health, climate needs, and flavor. Boy is there a difference in flavor among varieties! We already know our garlic harvest for 2021 is a complete bust. I ordered from a different but reliable source this year and nothing sprouted except the three cloves I seed saved. This is a huge frustration but the company kindly refunded my money without any question. Although we won’t have a garlic harvest, now there’s extra space for more veggies and I can always buy garlic from the farmers market. I also learned my lesson about ordering seed. My last purchase of garlic was from a little Ohio farm and was wonderful, but I couldn’t remember the name and I was too lazy to try to figure it out. I’ll make sure to take the time come fall to locate the farm and place my order with them for next year. I can’t wait to be back in a jungle of green, with the warm sun on my back again. We saved some seeds from last year and had some seeds left over from our previous purchase, so not all of these are new, but here is a list of the varieties were planting this year: Amaranth - Love lies a bleeding from Bakers Creek. This is mostly for the flowers, but the leaves can be used like spinach so we’re hoping it will be a successful multipurpose and plant, as I didn’t really take advantage of growing salad greens last year. Basil - Cinnamon, Genovese, Cardinal from Bakers Creek. We make a lot of Thai basil in the summer and the cinnamon was my favorite for it. The Genovese is for pizzas, pesto, and carpese salads, and the plants provide insect control and spicy smelling flowers for the house, so I can never have enough. We’re trying the cardinal this year mostly because of its blooms, but I will work it’s way into plenty of dishes as well. Beans - Kabouli Black Garbanzo, Painted Lady Runner, Cherokee Trail of Tears from Bakers Creek. The garbanzo are the only new variety we’re trying, hopefully for some homemade hummus. Bok Choy - Baby Milk from Bakers Creek We love bok choy and it may be one of our top favorite vegetables. We use it weekly, so hopefully we can have some success growing it. Broccoli - Purple sprouting broccoli from Migardener. This is a new variety for us. It’s supposed to produce more side sprouts and is to be a little easier to grow. Brussel Sprouts - Long Island improved from Bakers Creek. These were left over from last year. We didn’t get any sprouts last year, but I believe it was error on my part so we’re trying again. Cabbage - Red Kablois from Bakers Creek. We grew this last year and had seeds left over. It is a beautiful variety and was pretty hardy. Carrots - Longue Rouge Sang, Kuroda, Amarillo We are still trying to find the right variety for us so we’re trying a few. Cilantro - Slow bolt. We have this variety from so many different sources because cilantro is the one thing I always need more of. Soups, eggs, slaw, salsa, and chimichurri, almost all our meals include a bit of cilantro. I’ll grow this in any shady spot and sprinkled among the cool weather crops. It doesn’t do well in our heat but loves being tucked in the shade of larger plants. Corn - Striped Japonica, Glass Gem, Stowells Evergreen The first two are decorative. I lined the patio with the Japonica and loved it’s beautiful leaves. The boys must grow their glass get every year and the Stowells was a great sweet corn for us last year, super tall and productive so we’re using it again. Cucumbers - Chicago Pickling, Sour Gherkin, Tokyo Green from Bakers Creek. The first two we grew last year and I greatly preferred the Chicago pickling over other varieties friends grew. We did struggle with them dying out in the strong heat, so we’re trying the Tokyo green as a back up and hoping to succession plant the others to make up for any loss throughout the season. Ground Cherry - Aunt Molly’s from Bakers Creek We’re yet to have success with this, but we still have a few seed left over. I think it would be a hit for the boys if we can get some to grow. Lettuce - Bronze Beauty from Bakers Creek. This is a new plant for us. Usually we eat cabbage over lettuce but it’s nice to have salad greens available. Onions - Yellow of Parma and Ruby Red from Seed Savers. We use at least an onion a day. The goal is to to grow as many as possible so we can store up a years supply. I’m hoping to intercrop the onions to get the most of our growing space, but we’ll see if it affects the growth at all. Oregano - Wild Zatar from Bakers Creek I really was shocked at the difference of flavor with my home grown oregano. The flavor was so much richer and I was bummed out when our supply ran out in December. I realized we needed much more so I had fresh and dried available. This is a new variety but I’m hoping it does just as well as what I’ve grown before. Peas - Carouby De Maussane from Bakers Creek We had leftovers from last year despite growing a spring and fall crop so we’re using them again. Peppers - Nadapeno and Etuida from Bakers Creek. Nadapeno is a spice free jalapeño we’re trying for the first time, and we’re giving the etuidas another chance. We had no germination last year but I failed to used heat, so user error. Potatoes - We couldn’t get potatoes last year so I ordered early! They’ll all arrive closer to their plant date. Since I feel like growing potatoes is foreign to me, I opted to buy small amounts of a few varieties to see what our family likes best. Pumpkin - Rouge Vif D’Etampes Beautiful Cinderella red pumpkins because it’s not a garden without a few pumpkins growing. Spinach - Strawberry spinach from Bakers Creek. This is a repeat from last year. Thyme - Wild Thyme from Bakers Creek. I love thyme but I’ve never started it from seed. Usually I pick some up from our local nursery, but for the amount I want it would save money if I can grow from seed. This is a creeping variety that I hopes spreads all over. Tomatillo - Amarylla from Bakers Creek This is a new plant in the garden, but we enjoy tomatillo salsa and soup so hopefully they do well! Tomatoes - German Pink, Sunrise Bumblebee, San Marzano Lungo No.2, Hungarian heart from Bakers Creek. The first two are repeats from last year. I loved the flavor of the German pink. The second two are trials with the San Marzano being highly recommended for paste. Vining Plants - Birdhouse gourd, Jack be little pumpkin, Blue butterfly pea, Lemon Drop watermelon, Wilson’s Sweet watermelon from Bakers Creek. Along with our cucumbers, we have other vining plants we’ll be growing on our arches over our main path. Most are for fun and to help provide shade to the cooler weather for plants. Flowers: Balsalm - Peppermint Stick from Bakers Creek Cockscomb - Indiana Giant Cosmos - Candyfloss Red Nasturtium - Alaska Red Shades, cherry rose jewel, tall trailing mix. We had such a problem with cabbage moths that I’m desperate to save our brassicas. I read herbs and nasturtiums planted throughout are the trick so I ordered several varieties. We have only used nasturtiums as flowers in the house but I hope to branch out and use them in the kitchen this year as well. I ordered the Bloody Mary variety last year and loved it but it wasn’t offered this year. Unfortunately I didn’t save seeds, but now I understand the importance and that there isn’t always a guarantee the seeds will be available. Poppy - Hens and Chickens, strawberry fields, Falling in Love. I’m yet to have success with poppies but I love them so much. Hopefully this will be the year. Marigold - Bambino, Linnaeus Burning Embers, Kilimanjaro White. I used to hate marigolds. The smelly, stubby plants left me not impressed, but then I grew some from seed to repel pests and couldn’t believe the difference. Tall, 2-3 foot plants covered with large bright pom poms of yellow completely changed my opinion. Now I must have tall marigolds in my garden and I can’t believe all the varieties available, compared to the puny little orange and yellow plants at the store. I’m save my own seed but also purchased some new varieties. I really am excited for the white ones! Hyssop - Korean from Bakers Creek. My mom had hyssop last year and the bees loved it. The blooms lasted all season and I’m always looking for more herbal and medical plants to add to the garden. Chamomile - German I have a little chamomile plant that comes back each year but I’d love more to use for teas and herbal remedies. I’m hoping to have this dancing all through the gardens. Borage Another medicinal plant I’m going to try. We had a packet of seeds so why not try it. Dahlia - Giant Hybrid Mix from Johnnys Seeds Ive never tried dahlia seeds but I’m hoping to get some beautiful flowers this way for a cheaper price. Morning Glory - Flying Saucers Morning glories have been my favorite ever since I was a little girl, and this variety claims to make very large blooms. What I grew last year didn’t bloom until days before our first frost so I’m hoping this gets growing faster. Snapdragon - Tall Deluxe Mix from Bakers Creek I’ve grown these the last three years and love them! They’re such powerhouses blooming through frosts and summer heat. I still have some that are yet to die despite the snow, and may just overwinter. The bees just love them and I love decorating the house with the blooms. I don’t bother staking them either. The curves of the blooms give an added whimsy and I’m not selling these so I let them grow as they please. The vision in my mind for the gardens always has me pushing my limits, but growing from seed has been the answer to how to better affordably get all I want. I’d love to see the house side of the property filled with winding garden paths and places to hide away and feel like you are in another place. I’d love to have blueberry, raspberry, and cranberry bushes scattered throughout, arches of flowering vines, and climbing roses hugging the house.
Certain areas I have the vision for, it’s just the know how and budget to pull it off. Other areas slightly baffle me with what to do with them, but all of it I want to be for everyone’s enjoyment. I want flowers and plants for the birds and bees and butterflies. I want places for the boys to play and explore and snack. I don’t want my garden to be mom’s untouchable place where extreme perfection and unrealistic expectations destroy the joy of it for all other living things. It should be a source of joy for me and my family, a blessing to the critters that visit, and a reminder of all the beautiful things God has given us. So if a new baby means the garden ends up overgrown with weeds and providing more mud pies than berry pies, that’s ok too, as long as it was a source of joy. For this reason the garden paths have been widened, for toy vehicles to drive down, extra plants will be planted to make up for the crushed ones that will inevitably happen, and toxic plants have no place here, no matter how beautiful they may be, at least until we’re out of the snacking toddler stage. |
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