Homestead Happenings 24.3

Homestead Happenings is weekly-ish update about what’s going on at the Northfarthing.

You know how when you order something and you stalk your email and mail boxes so that you know the moment it arrives? This seed order is that for me.

I’ve never ordered the seeds all on my own and I’m excited!!

Plus, I thought I’d get a few things going in January and poof, here’s February and I have no seeds going because I have no seeds. And we’re going to go out of town this weekend so I won’t get to plant them until next week. This makes me sad.

Since the seed starting area is currently sitting empty, we’re going to do some house plant propagation. I mean we should have been on it weeks ago already because those houseplants are getting the boot once seed trays need the warming pads.

I’ve never done a garden plan or journal to keep track of stuff but I’m thinking this year I will need to. I know which seeds I need to start first once they get here: onions, snapdragons, luffas.

Luffas barely make it in a Michigan growing season so the earlier you can start them, the better. Last time I grew them, I think I got 70+ off of 3 plants. I didn’t have capacity to process them all and I may still have a few in my basement still. Every year that the kids get bigger, they get more and more helpful. Here’s hoping one of them really wants to get helpful about these luffas.

Because I don’t usually do the seed order, I missed a couple varieties that Farmer Matt prefers or I under bought on quantity or variety. I rectified that problem by placing an order for a few more seeds today.

Since we’ve never done flower farming before, even on a small scale like we’re trying this year, I had a hard time with quantities there. But I think between variety and quantity, we should do ok.

I’m also working on a logo for the farmstand and flower farm portion of the business. This isn’t really a skill I have but enough free tools exist that something more than passable has come of it. I really want to pick one. But of course, with an entire delegation voting, there’s a lot of opinions. So I’m expecting 2-5 more business weeks before a decision is reached.

Snow melted again and you can smell the soil when the temps get above 45. It’s magic and feels like spring. Pretty soon my grocery list is going to turn to all crockpot and/or made-on-the-Blackstone-in-less-than-a-half-hour meals so I can just be outside.