Kansas Prairie Soap

"Asparagus is probably the most permanent, carefree, and welcome vegetable you will ever plant." Gardening in the Heartland by  R achel Snyder It's true! We started our asparagus bed 5 years ago. We planted and we waited. And we decided we would add to our bed every year until someone cried "uncle". Hasn't happened yet, so we added more crowns this year too. Oh, and the wait is over -- we get amazing stalks in the spring.  Aren't these purple ones beauties? And so delicious. And I used to think the pencil thin ones were the best, but now I think the chubbies are the best hands-down! We get a real early start with a homemade cold-frame. We have been enjoying spinach, radishes and our asparagus. We continue to work on new raised beds. If you look close you'll see broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, celeriac, radishes, beets, turnips, and kale. We start hardening off tomatoes and peppers in the next few days. Our c...

Spring is having a hard time *sprnging* this year. Not just here in NW Kansas, but it seems everywhere. We are itching to get into the garden and we are met with cold, colder than cold, freezing temps. Last weekend it was as low as 18°. That is a little too cold for our peaches just blossoming. Probably won't get peaches this year. But I think every thing else will recover. Glad to report that the last couple days have been very spring-like (did you just hear the wind howl?). We are able to get the Flowering Quince (see above) we bought last week into the front flower bed and I put in some Lily-of-the-Valley (one of my favorites) in that same bed in a shady spot.   In the vegetable garden the construction on new raised beds continues. We seeded spinach, turnips, and beets and we are hardening off broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, and celeriac. And I seeded a bucket of lettuce near the kitchen door.  And we were blessed to harvest radishes and spinach from our ...