I know it was cold this winter but there was never a cold snap that lasted for weeks on end like last year. This winter the ground was sufficiently frozen with a normal amount of snow fall so we should be in good shape for a successful growing season. Having said that, it is has been a bit dry but the heavy rains in early April took care of that temporarily. With those rains we are now way above normal for precipitation for the month of April. Such extremes.
For the second year in a row I planted lettuce and spinach in my garden last fall inside the cold frame. Planting at that time gave the lettuce and spinach time to grow and get established before the really cold weather set in. This spring the lettuce and spinach began to grow again with the warmer temperatures in March and the sun pounded on the cold frame. As of April 13th I have had two cuttings of lettuce and spinach. In fact the lettuce grew so well that I had enough to give to my neighbors. Here are some pictures of the lettuce and spinach inside the cold frame along with a picture of one of the bags of lettuce I gave away.
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The winter months provide a perfect time to tend to your garden equipment. This winter I brought almost all of my tools down into the basement for cleaning. First, I made sure I had all the dirt off the tools with a metal brush. Then I wanted to address the metal on the tools as well as the wood handles. Each of these areas require a different approach. For the metal area I lightly sprayed with WD-40 and rubbed it in with an old rag. For the wood handles I lightly sanded down any rough spots and then give the handle a good application of linseed oil. This is also an excellent time to sharpen any tools that may need it such as a spade or sod cutter. Here are some pictures of the tools after my cleanup.
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