how does your garden grow?

i am just so so excited that gardening season is finally upon us once more!  it's been such a long winter; we actually had snow in the forecast on tax day this year!  craziness!

this year is going to be even better than last year.  a dear friend of ours has invited gabriel and i to share in his gardening experience.  he has 150 acres and two big hoop houses.  yes, please!

from the looks of the blossoms already appearing, we will have tomatoes and strawberries in early may!  hooray!

we spent three hours under this glorious blue sky saturday, and it was amazing.

g chatted nonstop with homer.  i loved it.  i am firmly convinced that a child can never have too many of the grandfatherly types in his life.  (plus, i got a few quiet minutes with my camera).

these are the remnants of the turnips, last fall's cover crop.  they were planted after the last harvest to deter weed growth and then tilled under in early december to enrich the soil.

the bees are loving these early blooms.

and i loved photographing them, although i am learning that macro photography is quite difficult with the iphone.  it refocuses every time it moves or the wind blows.  bees move a lot, so it's hard to keep up with them, plus it was a very windy day.  i must remember to take my big camera next time.

here is the bees' home.  we actually got to meet tennessee's state beekeeper as he was checking on the bees while we were there. 

g helped plant the cucumbers.  this saturday we're scheduled to help plant corn and zinnias.

and i will, of course, be taking more pictures.  and maybe crocheting.  and possibly taking a walk in the woods.  and taking more pictures.  and picnicing.  happy days ahead!

good-bye farm!  we'll see you again real soon!

linking up with mammasaurus and "how does your garden grow?"