The rain predicted for today was subtly changed to what little rain we did get earlier, though there’s a steady light rain now. Tomorrow, though, heavy rains and boomers may postpone the outdoor portion of the Arbor Day events here in Gardner. Time will tell on that. It hit a sustained high of 72°F in early afternoon and didn’t drop much below 70° by dark.
- Watered the seedlings. Keeping an eye on yet another potato that seems to be of a mind to grow quicker than the remainders that have not already grown beyond their first pot.
- Old Farmer’s Almanac says to hold off on planting them (potatoes) until May 19th, but at the rate some have grown in the containers, I wonder if I may be transplanting them outside with earlies already on them. I’m likely wildly off the mark on that, but who knows? Need to try to figure out when we might have time to build at least one cold frame in the short term.
- Checked the water barrel, and although it definitely had a few inches in it from last night and earlier today’s rains, it wasn’t high enough to get any from the spigot to fill one of my jugs for the seedlings. Depending on how much we get tonight and tomorrow, we should definitely be able to fill at least one gallon jug for seedlings.
- Did a quick brush pick up after taking out kitchen scraps.
- Went to see if the ordered gloves fit, and unfortunately they did not. We had an errand to run up in New Hampshire, so we stopped at a Tractor Supply along the way and I finally found a pair of leather gloves that fit, had a reasonable amount of flexibility to them, and weren’t some silly pastel color and overpriced for the latter.
- I did spy a thread on the premies forum that recommend welding gloves for heavier handling of heavy thorn canes, in particular blackberry bushes. I used to have a pair (yes, I can weld), but I’ve no idea if they’ve made it through culling of stuff over many years. Another suggestion was thinner leather gloves under thicker leather gloves, and that I can do with my new and my partner’s when he’s not about.
- Picked up a box of No. 1 coin envelopes at Staples, and started but need to finish packing up some common milkweed seeds that we might be giving away during the Arbor Day event tomorrow if it doesn’t get rained out.
- We took a long hard look at our overall house budget this year, and we’re going to hold off on the elderberry bush order for now. There’s a few non garden bits with the house that may need attention sooner rather than later. We can always get it in the fall if actual finances allow then.
