Took a quick tour of the garden this evening as the wind picks up and temperatures drop after a lovely afternoon with a high in the low 60s. Mother Nature whipsaws once again as the low temperature tonight will be about 45 degrees lower than the high. 

The low tunnels are holding up really well this winter, even with more frequent, stronger and persistent winds coming from the west. Duke’s old tree farm hasn’t grown tall enough yet to completely guard the gardens from the wind. The rocks from the old retention wall from behind the house weigh down the Agribon much more effectively than the smaller stones that we’ve found while tilling over the past few years. 

Lost another chicken today. Looks like it was an attack from our winter nemesis – the Cooper’s hawk. Found the hen while I was working on the Kubota. The Kubota came with the house in 2014 and each year something seems to need repair on it. This winter it is the drive shaft. Having failed in November, I am finally getting around to working on it. Not sure if I am able to fix it, but I will be going back out there tomorrow to try and remove it. Professional help might very well be on the horizon.

Our first batch of spring plugs have arrived – dianthus, snapdragons and a few other trays ready to go into the ground and under the newly constructed low tunnels. Should be able to get to most of these this week. That and assembling 1801s for transplanting plugs and seeding tomatoes means that we are emerging from firewood season and hurling headlong garden preparation.

Oh yes, one last thing, the first of the tulips are poking out in the lower section of the northern bed. It won’t be long until harvest begins…