Trusty Tom sharpens up my trusty Felco #8
Yes, I claim I love living a life indoors but really I was just kidding myself. I really like being outdoors. And lucky for me, I got outside a lot this weekend.
It’s a ways off yet, spring and the outdoor growing season, but we’ve had a few days of sunshine, which means sap’s rising out there on the grapevines and fruit trees. Time to get out the pruners and do this year’s trimming. This year I am taking (love her. love her husband.) Barbara Damrosch’s advice this week and am using the longer tree clippings for pea vine supports. Can I tell you how much I hate hanging twine for the peas? I do it every year but it makes me slightly crazy.
Meet my nemesis: the Tree of Pain. I think I will have plenty of pea stakes now.
I have plenty of grapevines now for crafting projects (not)
Another tree, in better shape, and the best for climbing (note budding naturalist observing some wildlife)
I used tree trimmings (not from apple trees, as those are at the old, unoccupied, unsold house in the boonies) to make a thicket sort of thing to run my peas up last year and it worked like a charm! And looked so charming!
We pruned our some of apple trees a few weeks ago, too. Maybe we’ll try using them in the garden instead of for woodstone kindling as we usually do. The thicker chunks make great chicken roosts!
Perri