Monday Recap: Greening and Flooding

If April showers bring May flowers, then what does a March deluge bring? One thing it brings is flooding, and our local rivers (like the Ohio) are out of their banks and well past flood stage. We have had almost 7 inches of rainfall here so far this month, and the ground is saturated to say the least. But at least we can see the ground, which is no longer covered in snow. The below photo shows the Ohio river flooding the historic old Dam #47 building, which was built in 1928 and has seen it’s share of river flooding over the years. To the left you can see lamp posts and the road which leads to the new dam site a bit upriver.

The Ohio is 10 feet above flood stage here, and a good 20 feet above its normal pool levels. Our town has a paved walking/running trail that runs for almost 3 miles along the river’s edge. The river is up so high you can almost reach down and touch it in places. It’s expected to crest before it gets over the trail and the nearby road. The river is still a good 10 feet lower than it was in the terrible 1937 flood, but this years flooding is getting close to top-ten territory. Fortunately Happy Acres is about a mile away from the river and well out of the flood plain. Being on top of a hill doesn’t hurt either! I have to say the river still looks majestic, especially in the early morning light when I captured these images.

I have done a lot of seed starting here lately. The petunia seed I started last week is coming up nicely with near 100% germination. The tiny seeds are usually sold pelleted, and need both light and heat to germinate. So I put them on top of moistened potting soil, spritz with a spray bottle to dissolve the pelleting material, and cover with plastic wrap to keep the seeds moist until they germinate. Then the pots go onto a heating mat under my plant lights, where they began sprouting in about four days. Margaret showed us her petunia sprouts last week, so I decided to show you mine. That’s Tidal Wave Pink in the below photo. If you look close you can see that 11 out of 11 seeds came up in this one. And for reference they are in a 3.5 inch pot.

In other news, the greenhouse spinach has really started growing now. We’ve been enjoying it in salads the last week or two. That’s Giant Winter in the below photo. It is still my favorite for eating raw, and it’s pretty tasty cooked as well.

The overwintered spinach in the cold frame bed is alive and well too. Now that it has thawed out it should begin growing again. The season here for spinach is fairly short, so we will enjoy it fresh while we can, and freeze the extra for use throughout the year.

Inside the greenhouse I have some early plants of lettuce, arugula and other greens that are ready for a home. Hopefully I can get them planted in one of the cold frame beds when the soil dries out a bit. That’s Baby Oakleaf lettuce in the below photo. I need to get it planted soon or else start cutting it for salads!

Outside, things are greening up all over. Daffodil leaves are poking up, and I’m guessing blooms will be here in a matter of days. Crocuses and snowdrops are already blooming. No signs of hosta yet, or asparagus.

We still have a few Purple Haze carrots left from last fall, and we’re using them on salads. I’m going to try one called Purple Sun this year, but Purple Haze will be the one to beat and I plan on growing even more of it this year. It is productive, tasty and colorful and that makes for a winning combo. I’m also giving Mokum another shot this year. It lost out to Yaya a couple of years ago, but I have learned a bit about growing carrots since then. We will see how the two compare this year.

I hope you have enjoyed this March update. To see what others are harvesting and cooking up, visit Daphne’s Dandelions where Daphne hosts Harvest Mondays. And thanks to Daphne for hosting every week!