Last week we had a drop of 10″ of heavy, wet sludge we now call snow as weather changes continue to occur. I was grateful to have a grandson who cleared that for me because I was a little down and out at the time.
Temps have warmed up a little and have been running in the 40’s. Some of the ground out in the open can actually be seen, but those snow piles that measure 52″ may take a while longer to melt. Bottom line though is we’re on our way out of winter.
To celebrate the changing of the seasons, I started some flower and veggie seeds on Saturday. Growing plants from seeds is not hard, but it does involve some equipment and space. My gardening friends with basements usually have a shelving unit with four or five shelves and lights hung from the shelf above. Seed starting mix, seeds, and other supplies can be stored there as well. My challenge is I don’t have a basement so I need to make arrangements because working with starting mix and potting soil is fun but messy. 🙂
Sunday found me late in the day picking up my fertilizer order from NOFA-NH. One of the items I picked up was Tea Seed Meal which is being used to combat the invasive snake worms. I asked if it had been a big seller, and the coordinator just smiled and said ‘well, one gentleman bought 50 bags just for himself.’ The bags were 25 lb and cost $43 each. Now, that’s a gardener with a goal in mind. If you’re looking for up to date information on those critters, there is a good webinar coming up with our local VT expert, Dr. Josef Gorres. Link.
This morning I’m on a Zoom call to talk about the 2023 plant sale. Gardening – it’s a wonderful season.
What is not wonderful is the price of eggs. While at the grocery store, I saw these eggs which were $9.99 a dozen.
My grandparents raised chickens, and my daughter has had chickens for about the last 15 years or so.
I enjoy taking them left over veggies and fruits. It’s a wonderful benefit of living on a small farm, and the results are eggs that are farm fresh but definitely don’t cost $9.99 a dozen. 🙂
Happy Monday! Happy Spring!
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Happy Equinox, Judy! We made it through another winter– now, if all this snow would just disappear. 😉
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Isn’t that the truth! Bring on the sun and high 40’s to help melt these banks.
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There’s this old proverb that goes something like “One kind word can warm three winter months.” I wonder if the same can be said about seedlings, in that case, I have a feeling the snow around you will go away in no time 🙂
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Aw, thank you. The seedlings are growing and the snow is melting, and I’m grateful for both. 🙂
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In northern New England, Spring is definitely tapping us on the shoulder, even if she is not here quite yet. The price of eggs is terrible, and it’s great that your daughter has some hens. I am learning how to cook without eggs, and it has been a learning process with some misses as well as hits. But, I can now make tasty muffins and cakes without eggs. I use psyllium husk powder, and it is way cheaper than using eggs.
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Years ago, a member of the immediate family had a severe egg allergy so we all cooked with egg substitutes. I’ve never tried your psyllium husk powder, but I know from experience substitutes can work.
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Judy, wishing you a happy spring! How wonderful to have a daughter with farm fresh eggs who lives nearby. We feel the pain of the egg prices here in Georgia, too. I shopped around and found the cheapest free range eggs are at Sam’s.
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There is nothing like a fresh egg that is for sure. Everything seems to have gone up, but right now eggs seem to be leading the list, and we all use eggs in a variety of ways so we’re all feeling the pinch. Plus, sometimes there are entire sections of certain kinds just not available.
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It’s the same way here.
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I hope spring rolls in for good, Judy – no early spring surprises needed. Good luck with your seeds and the plans for the plant sale. I know that fundraiser takes a lot of work to prepare. We buy our eggs at a local dairy. They sell items from other farms in the area. They are usually slightly more expensive than those in the grocery store, but they are running a little under that retail price right now. I hope your snow banks melt slow and steady.
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A local dairy is a real plus for fresh dairy products. I’m watching those snow banks. The sun is shining and will be for the next couple of days so I’m helping for some more melt. I sure can’t find any plants to donate under those banks right now. 🙂
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The price of eggs is enough to scramble your brain! Sorry, couldn’t resist! Since our granddaughter has food allergies, I’ve learned to cook/bake many things without eggs. And like Laurie, some failures but mostly success.
It’s 17 degrees here, so c’mon spring! I can’t wait to complain about the heat and humidity! 🤗 I want the furnace off and windows open.
Have fun planting your seeds and then watching them sprout. Better days are ahead.
Ginger
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I totally understand working with and around food allergies. It’s not easy, but it can be done, and the person appreciates the effort. Who knew we were a lot warmer than you. We’re at 49° right now. I went to water the seeds, and two flower seeds had been left on the surface, and they had both sprouted. I had myself a good laugh before I pushed them a little further into the soil.
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Happy Spring Judy! I think we’ve come out of the snow season and are in the rainy season here. The rain has melted all the snow in our yard and just about all over the valley. The mountains are still gorgeous covered in snow though.
Our daughter raises chickens and one turkey so whenever I go over I get a dozen fresh eggs. He-Man picked up some eggs from Costco last week. He said it’s the first time in awhile they’ve even had any. I didn’t ask how much they cost or even look at the receipt knowing the price would be nuts.
I hope it’s not too long before that 52 inch pile of snow is gone.
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Applause for your chicken raising daughter! Fresh eggs for the family is something special, and sharing with Mom is even better. 🙂 We’re having good temps this week and rain towards the weekend. I’m for sure hoping for more snow melt.
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We’re still amazed that she is and loves it! This is my designer shoe, bag, city girl living a country life! We had no idea she’d like it. She even shot her first buck last year and has a freezer full of venison. The jerky they had made is so yummy! She must have got my dad’s genes! 😃
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Okay, now I’m really impressed that she’s getting her own meat as well. 👏🏻👏🏻
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Us too!! 😄
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Happy spring!
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Thank you, and you too!
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Happy early spring!
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It won’t be long before you’ll be planting those containers on your new deck.
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Happy Spring Judy. If the price of eggs keeps going up there will be hen house in everyone’s yeard.
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You bring up a good point, and I bet there will be a lot of interest in baby chicks this spring. The price of eggs ‘could’ affect baking. Nah, I’ll save it somewhere else. 🙂
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Spring arrives today with warmer temperatures! I am hoping we lose this white stuff this week!
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If not, I may need to borrow a propane weed torch. 🙂
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🤣
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Happy Spring, Judy! I’m so glad that you have seeds to tend to early in the season, my friend.🌱 Although we have a basement, it is much too chilly downstairs for seed starting. This year, I tried winter sowing for the first time. It was such fun to plant flower seeds in empty milk jugs. I tucked them inside my white picket fence herb garden, where I visit them often! I loved Laura’s words on Garden Answer on this first day of Spring, “I think I can dig holes, therefore I plant!” Take extra-good care, Judy!💗
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I did winter sowing for the first time too, but in 4″ containers inside a wood frame structure with hardware cloth that we made. It will be interesting to see what pops up. If you drape a silver emergency blanket over the lights on seeds, it contains all the lumens and heat inside which takes care of a cooler environment. 🙂
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Those are great ideas, Judy! Thank you! It just makes my heart smile whenever I think about the fun I had sowing seeds outdoors on that sunny, mild, February day! It was such a fun afternoon of gardening. I hope we both see tiny, green sprouts popping up as the weather warms! 🌱🌱
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When I scrolled down to that price tag, I about fell out of my chair! Eggs are expensive here, but not nearly that high! I trust the hens’ retirement fund is growing nicely. Spring? Really? It takes an act of faith for sure to think that it’s coming. That white stuff is so discouraging! I loved your phrase “fun but messy.” That says it all about gardening. It’s the mess we love to be in!
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I couldn’t believe the price of those eggs. Chickens are pretty tough, produce eggs as part of their life cycle, and do quite well in a coop and enclosed outside area. I’m not sure they need to be babied quite as much as that. 🙂 Gardening is fun but messy and that’s what makes us smile.
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$9.99 for a dozen eggs? That is incredible and scary and makes my head spin. I’ve seen a few memes joking that for Easter this year we won’t be dying eggs, we’ll be dying potatoes. Kind of makes sense now.
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I hadn’t hear about dying potatoes. It is funny but could be true. I did see a notice where one of the dollar stores had stopped carrying eggs because the price was so far outside their normal range of products.
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Your post gives me a much needed boost in the hope of spring! Ahhhh. Little green sprouts poking their heads out of rich black soil, patches and piles of snow slipping away in the night, plant sale planning in full swing!…..yes!
The eggs you pictured are expensive, but they come from a small farm that puts the welfare of their hens first. For that I’d pay any price! The stress placed on factory farmed animals is awful and I believe it translates into unhealthy food. I envy the access you have to that quality of eggs and the freshness of fruits and veggies all summer long. Hard work, I know, but so worth it in terms of taste, nutrition, cost, and the humane treatment of your hens! Small farmers are good, good people!
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Yesterday, I was spraying the seeds and saw two seeds that had sprouted sitting on top of the soil. I had myself a good chuckle and then tucked them back into the soil. My daughter’s hens are pretty happy girls and love scraps of veggies. When I have berries in the freezer that have been there more than one season, I take them out as a treat on a really hot day. They love them. Yes, there is nothing better than picking fresh fruits or veggies to enjoy. Gardening does get more challenging each year with invasive species and various issues affecting the soil. It won’t be long and your window boxes will be overflowing with blooms. 🙂
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HappySpring! It really is coming!
The price of eggs is horrible… but they did come down $2.00 in our neck of the woods. I am looking forward to being back in Pennsylvania where we can get fresh eggs from all kinds of places.
Enjoy your seed sowing. And perhaps you’ll be sewing too! Made you smile.🙂
Have a great week!
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Interesting the different in prices from one state to another. Local, fresh eggs are a good thing. You did make me smile, and I’m working on a fabric barn quilt.
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Happy spring! I’ve heard about the crazy price of eggs, but had no idea it was up to $9.99 a dozen. I bet those with backyard chickens are feeling a bit smug right now. Fortunately, we don’t eat many eggs so we can – hopefully – ride this out until they come down to a reasonable level.
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I bet those chickens are feeling smug. 🙂 I use store bought eggs for cooking and keep those farm fresh ones for eating at breakfast. Pricing is certainly interesting these days.
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Yippee, first day of spring. And the daffodils are blooming to brighten the day even more.
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That’s wonderful! When I’m outside this morning pruning raspberries, I’m going to check on the Forsythia to see if some branches can be brought in. Fingers crossed.
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Welcome to the beginning of spring Judy, always an exciting time planting new seeds etc. Of course for us, the leaves are falling from the trees, but autumn is a mild time in Canberra, and gardeners are grateful for that!
Our eggs are expensive too, and we used to have chickens, but found they needed a lot of time while we had young children too. How does your daughter keep them warm in winter?
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Spring is always more fun than fall, but we need the circle of the calendar to get there. 🙂 She buys cold hardy breeds because she doesn’t do anything to keep them warm. They have a coop, and she does put a tarp and clear plastic over the run to help with the wind, but they are hardy girls. They definitely do require daily care so there isn’t a lot of travel done unless you find chicken sitters.
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We could never find chicken sitters…
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Glad to hear it is warming up a little
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It’s going to hit 55° around noon today. That will be downright balmy. 🙂
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I’m looking forward to spring too – but not as much as you are, I’m sure, with all the snow you’ve had!
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I’m even looking forward to mud season this year. 🙂
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The prices here have gone up about a dollar per dozen. I’m sure it would be more, but all our eggs are local. There are many chicken farms locally and if the store charges too much, you can just go to the farm and buy them there.
We’ve all (finally) gotten COVID so I’m not feeling super energized. It’s hard to understand how there can be much controversy about climate change. It’s kind of obvious if you spend any of your life outside. I think city peopl are less inclined to notice because they are hardly ever in a natural setting, so it’s all “someone else’s problem.” If only that were true!
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Sorry you are dealing with Covid and hope the symptoms are light and there are no lingering ones. As for climate change, it was interesting yesterday when I was trimming raspberries. The ground is not frozen. I was able to pull weeds out. Kind of creepy.
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The birds are all breeding like it’s May. There are little babies all over the place. The grouse came trooping out of the woods to see if we had anything interesting to eat and a baby pheasant dropped by. I realized they ALL look like chickens. And they were all fledglings!
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I wish we could have chickens where we live. I would have them in a second!
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Fresh eggs are wonderful. Chickens are also pretty easy to tend – food, water, and house cleaning just about covers it. I do understand various housing areas do prohibit them especially roosters. Maybe your next house will let you have them. 🙂
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I hope so! I think if we move it will be to bigger property just outside of town.
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Goodness, that gentleman must have a lot of snake worms in his garden! You are so lucky to have fresh eggs easily available.
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The only thing I could think of was he was trying to cover his yard maybe. I hope it works because it would at least give folks something to fight them with because right now there are zero products on the market that work. Yes, I appreciate every fresh egg I’m gifted with.
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Your posts are always filled with interesting items that keep me thinking. Those eggs! I’m astounded. Haven’t needed any recently so I wonder what they cost here. Hmm…
Glad you’re getting warming up time and chances to plant. I am rooting for those two seeds that didn’t mind they weren’t quite covered up.
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Welcome to the beginning of spring Judy, always an exciting time planting new seeds etc. Of course for us, the leaves are falling from the trees, but autumn is a mild time in Canberra, and gardeners are grateful for that..
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What a lovely part of our world you live in, and, yes, your upcoming winter will be a little milder than ours. 🙂 Spring coming after four months of cold and snow is like a rebirth for gardeners, and is always a fun time. Some of my seeds are up and doing great while others have failed to sprout yet. Another learning experience for me. 🙂
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