The Promise of Spring

Farm News

There is no doubt that the earth is beginning to shrug off the heavy cloak of winter, and we are hopeful that our gloomy days are in the past. January saw 26 days of rain this year, and wow, did we ever feel bogged down. Just four to six hours of harvest in braising mix, sunchokes or leeks felt like a gallant journey up Mt. Everest.

With the celestial equinox still weeks away, the true terrestrial spring is unfolding with hints and whispers in the lowlands. Here and there, blossoming wild plums will soon appear along the roadsides. Witch hazel in its brilliant yellow and Hellebores in their perfectly gorgeous chartreuse and deep scarlet hues are in full bloom with the sweet smell of Daphne not far behind.

The promise of spring is implicit in the light as we are gifted moments of sun late in the day to tease off darkness. Underneath leaning sunflowers long-since picked clean by wintering songbirds, Valerian is peaking its first leaves out of the ground. Widely used as an over the counter sleep aid, our barn cats adore this plant almost as much as catnip. Tulips are peeking out of the ground, and the frogs are singing in earnest all day long.

Our flower seeds have arrived this week, and we are excited to start the year off planting with flowers as always. The temperatures have been warmer in the mid 50’s during the day, leaving a nice and cozy greenhouse and little need for supplemental heat. Many flowers require a cool spring to germinate and slowly move into the rigor of early summer heat. I believe this year will be a perfect temperature for most species, not too cold and hoping not too warm, fingers crossed. Most days have even been too warm to burn and clean up wood debris, but the moisture beckons us to maintain this chore now. As we continue to do our dance with rain and increasing light, we will remain hopeful that the promise of spring is not too far, and our radishes and spinach will soon be planted our first spring direct- seeded crops.

Don’t forget to find us on Instagram @fullcirclefarms.
– Wendy