Apples!

I'm so excited! Our Honeycrisp apple tree produced a few apples for us this year. These apples are so delicious.

Today I picked, cored and dried a few of the apples. Tomorrow I hope to try applesauce and perhaps a pie?! Hmmm.

I've never dried apples before. I hope they turn out. They sure look pretty.



Planting seeds

We are so ready for spring around here. Perhaps a little early still, we planted seeds for the garden.  I had harvested some seeds from plants last year and we also purchased a fresh crop for this year.  This is a great project for all of the kids as everyday we are seeing growth progress.  Now if I can just keep the plants alive and Lucy away from them!




Yard work - Blackberries

Around here the snow has melted. The yard is in dire shape from a long winter. I've decided when the weather permits (today it was 70, yesterday 65) that I will work in the yard. Nicholas loves being outside and so do I. Yesterday I pruned all of our fruit trees, the are now ready to go. Today I set to work on weeding, pruning and setting the blackberries up to trellis. The plants were too small last year to trellis but as you can see they have grown. I hope to get a few pounds of fruit this year. If I do the yard in bite size chunks I might better maintain it this year.

I do love the Internet and You Tube specifically. Thanks Internet! I watched many a video on pruning trees and various pruning techniques. While not a pro, I think I got the job done.

Happy spring!

Planting Bulbs

The boys and I planted over 100 bulbs this afternoon. We had a great system. Andrew and Benj dug the holes, & I filled them with bulbs. Fast work even with baby bulb hijacking and other course corrections. Fingers crossed for a colorful spring.

What we planted:
50 Narcissus yellow trumpets
6 Globemaster Alliums - these are the BIG ones, bigger than a softball!
4 Fritillaria - these are a orangey tropical looking flower.
12 Ice Cream Tulips
10 Merlot Tulips
40 purple & white alliums - golf ball size flowers
6 Alliums - medium sized

Shot with my Hipstamatic for iPhone