Thirty-seven days until Spring!

As the Wheel of the Year continues to turn, last weekend marked the celebration of Imbolc .  The midway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox.  Signs that Spring is just around the corner are everywhere and my inner gardener is itching to dig in and start growing.

Since last Spring, most of our conversations about gardening and livestock have been prefaced with next Spring.   Next Spring we are going to do X, Y and Z!  Well, next Spring is almost here. 

Due to our water & well issues this past Summer, we were not able to grow any vegetables ourselves.  This was the first time in over eight years that we did not have a garden.  The water & well issues have been resolved and the gardens have been cut in and the soil has been amended.  I have sorted the seeds we bought last year and I have been going through the seed catalog making a list of what we are missing.  The mapping of the gardens has begun my friends! 

I am excited for this new growing and preserving experience.  Growing vegetables in the Willamette Valley will be different from growing vegetables in Indiana.  The climate is different, we are at a higher elevation and the growing season is shorter.  I am also super stoked to get a start on our asparagus bed and grow artichokes for the first time.  I am going to give eggplants another go in a raised bed this time around.  Our last experience with eggplants was awful.  We had an infestation of flea beetles and they destroyed all the beans and peas.  Isolation of the eggplant is my plan for this year.

We have also begun looking at different chicken coop designs.  I believe that we have settled on a design and construction should begin in March.  It will look something like this.  We are going to start with a small flock.  One rooster and 4-6 hens.  Working our way up to a dozen hens.  We are still researching exactly what breed or breeds we are going to start with.  So far, dual-purpose breeds (eggs & meat) has been the primary focus of our research.  I would eventually like a wide variety of breeds including a couple of the ornamental variety. 

I would also like a couple of ducks but that might be something for next year.  And turkeys...again, next year or the year after that.  Then goats, eventually a cow and perhaps a pig or two.  And don't even get me started on my plans for sheep!  (Shhhh, this is all a surprise for Stephen.  Thanks for helping me keep the cattle a secret.  He loves surprises.)  

In addition to chickens, we are going to try our hand at beekeeping this year.  Due to the black bear population in our area, we are going to have to be careful of where we place our hives.  Mostly likely up on platforms of some sort.  I am joining the Lane County Beekeepers Association and I will be set up with a mentor in our area.  I will have a better idea of what we need to do to protect our hives in the next couple of weeks and we can then begin building our boxes.  We also have some wonderful friends that have been beekeepers for a couple of years now and they have offered their knowledge and help.  I am looking forward to harvesting our own honey.

With thirty-seven days left until the Spring Equinox we have much to do in preparation to kick off this exciting growing season on our homestead.  I am ready!

Image credits:  Photographs of prints I own:  

Seasons Pentacle and Pagan Holidays by Fiona McAuliffe.