Spring is here and boy has it started out weird. We have had several days in the high 80s yet several nights have dipped as low as 30. On top of the crazy highs and lows for the month we have had quite a drought. It sprinkled briefly for one day and then 2 weeks later we finally got a single day of thunderstorms  and rain. It has been so dry that the ground in areas all around our homestead have begun to crack. What happened to April showers bring May flowers? 

Despite the crazy weather and lack of water things have actually bloomed and begun to fruit. Our Nanking cherry bushes, blueberries, pears, peaches, and even apples have begun to produce fruit. Harvesting is still a ways off but the promise of fruit this year thrills me.  

One of our peach trees loaded with fruit.

Beautiful blueberries forming.

Our goji berry growing so strong it has actually begun to push the trellis over. ​

One thing I really love about spring on the homestead is all the flowers. I have so many different varieties and colors. I love watching the birds and bees swarm around the habitats I have created. 

Above is just a peak of all the lovely things beginning to thrive. 

The spring garden is also in full swing. I have been harvesting asparagus daily. Broccoli has begun forming, and bok choy is almost ready for harvest. Lettuce and beet greens are available daily and looking wonderful! I still need to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, long beans and squash but everything else is in the ground and growing nicely.  As the weather gets warmer I am looking forward to what I hope will be a great season with a high yield. 

The warmth of the sun is just beginning to sink its rays into the cold saturated ground ushering in the start of the spring season. With the warming weather brings a whole new list of tasks that need to be completed on the homestead before the gardening season can really kick off. From filling beds with fresh soil, mulching the pathways, building hatching pens, and fixing downed fences; it feels like things will never be ready in time but with out fail I always manage to get it all done. It's physically exhausting work but I love every moment of it; yes, even the bee stings, bug bites, sunburn, blisters and splinters. Ticks however, can kick rocks. This year I am slowed just a bit in my progress by 3 tears in my right hip but I am not letting it stop me, I am pressing on. Below are some pictures of  some the things currently growing and going on around the homestead. 

For all the spring updates please check out my spring update video below! 

Things are in full bloom on the homestead. We have lots of old and new flowers this year. Here is a gallery of the things growing just along the driveaway. Hope you enjoy! 

Hope you don't get get squirmy cause it is bug talking time!

In the spring one of my favorite things to do is forage all the wild weeds and plants in my yard. There are so many with wonderful properties. Walk with me as I show you just a few of the things I love to forage. 

Yesterday I hosted the first official Mount Airy Greenies Garden Club meeting at my homestead. We went a bit over in time and I was unable to complete the garden tour so I figured I would do a full garden tour video like I have done in the past. So much has changed all ready this year. I hope you enjoy seeing what I have done and I can't wait to continue to grow with you all. 

The homestead is really coming to life. Every year around this time there is a hustle to get things moving and growing. Winter takes a brutal toll on walkways, plots, and just about everything around the property. Hours upon hours of clean up are needed each year before growing can begin. I was so lucky this year to have the help of wonderful friends to get the garden going. They came together and helped me moved mulch and dirt down to the garden

During the friend work weekend this past weekend we were able to almost finish the mulching which made it so I could hop in and do bed clean up.

Now that the mulch is spread and the weeds are suppressed the real work begins. It is time to really start planning out where everything goes. I can clearly see that things I planted this past month and at perennials are really starting to come up which is stunning.

One part of my garden that is my pride and joy is berry row. It is an entire side of my garden dedicated to berries. We have 4 types of black berries, 5 types of raspberries, wild raspberries, gooseberries, wineberries, and even elderberries. The bases are protected from rabbits using dollar tree metal trash cans.

Not pictured is also an entire hedge line of blueberry bushes. I will capture those when they wake up from winter a bit more. Also my grape orchard is still sleeping and needs some tlc. There is still so much left to do and plant. Next time I am hoping to take some pictures of the fruit trees around the garden and share. We have so much going on and I am excited to share it all.

Today I begin the Wool& dress challenge. I have noticed that I am unhappy with the amount of clutter within my closet and I using this challenge to change that. Nicer items in my closet will be consigned and the money will be used to purchase my "forever" 10 item wardrobe and the less desired items will be repurposed into other things on the homestead such as rags and scarecrows.

Well I guess this is where our fun blogging adventure begins. Since starting on my homesteading journey friends have asked me why I dont have a blog or a YouTube channel and the answer is quite simple: ADHD. Simply put I lack the ability to remember to actually get this thing started. Blogging has been on a list of projects that is about a mile long in my head. Tonight however, I am making the leap into the world of blogging about my homesteading adventures so you all can see just what it is that goes on behind the scenes. 

Homesteading is not for the faint of heart thats for sure. There is so much that goes on from day to day that I rarely talk about. My day is never over and there are never enough hours in the day. Something on the farm is always breaking or falling into disrepair and I am constantly learning new ways to patch and repair other things.  

Despite all the many things that can go wrong there are also so many things that happen each day that remind me just why I do this. I am really hoping that by starting this blog, sharing videos and pictures I can encourage more people to create their own homestead. It really is fulfilling being able to live partially off the land that you put so much blood, sweat, actual tears and laughter into.  

I have been on this journey with my family for 3.5 years and hope that you will jump in and follow along as I share where we go from here. 

XO 
Michelle Lucille 
​
​❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤