Like much of the country Western NC has had it’s fair share of snow this winter. For those of you who live farther north-all the hoopla about snow down south seems silly I’m sure-I admit, we do get excited over the white stuff.
As we headed out to do a show, The Sweetheart Festival, early Saturday morning-this is what the roads looked like-I still don’t want to think about the ride down the driveway. Lets just say we’ve been walking in and out since that morning.
After a long day of talking to folks about the Blind Pig-and selling a little folkart, I was ready to head home-even if I had to hike a bit to get there.
Once I reached home-I found Spring and Summer were waiting on me. My garden seeds had arrived. This year the kind folks over at Hometown Seeds are going to sponsor the Blind Pig garden in addition to, round 2 of the Blind Pig & The Acorn Sign Test.
Hometown Seeds specializes in providing quality seeds to home gardeners. They offer vegetable, flower and herb seeds-and guarantee their seeds to be top notch quality, true to type, shipped right, and to be great producers. Hometown Seeds does not sell GMO-genetically engineered seeds-to their customers as they do not believe enough research has been done on the subject.
Want to play along with the Blind Pig & The Acorn’s Sign Test this year? Basically-it goes like this: I mail you some seeds-you plant a few on the best day according to the signs-and you plant the others on the worst day according to the signs-informing me through out the season how each ‘days’ plants are doing. Last year I got a late start and used corn-which is kinda hard to grow in itself. Martina, Nancy, WKF, and Helen are the only ones who made it to the end. The rest of us got attacked by either rain or chipmunks.
For our test subject this year, Hometown Seeds has provided me with yellow crook neck squash seeds.
If you haven’t picked up your seeds for the coming summer-jump over to Hometown Seeds and look around-I think you’ll be glad you did. I found their Survival Seeds Packet especially interesting.
Tipper
I am just going to enjoy watching you all grow yours, my garden will still be in my heart and a smile keeps them warm…snow you have snow? I saw a post on FB from my friend in VA, Nicklesville and I thought they said it was sunny like summer mostly Hmmm have to give her a call!
Hey-
I’ll help again if you still have room. I have been lurking around. I just haven’t had any time to really sit down and commit to much of anything.
Sending you an email as soon as I’m done here.
I am itching to get plowing!
Thanks for the link! I’ll be checking them out, too.
Jealous! Enjoy the planting and all the wonderful joy that goes into growing a garden, because my dinky condo does not allow such things, and I doubt anytime soon we will be moving into our own place.
Only in memory and through you will I enjoy it!
Keep the pics coming…
I just discovered your blog last night and am thoroughly enjoying it! I also just placed an order with Hometown Seeds! I never would have found them otherwise. Thanks for inspiring me!
I just got my Gurney’s catalog in the mail yesterday. I’ll have to check out Hometown Seeds though.
My parents always planted by the signs!!
I love squash but don’t have a garden though. Sounds like fun!
We have snow on the ground from Christmas week until Easter, and sometimes later (of course, Easter’s date varies). Sometimes it almost melts completely away, but there is always a remnant a way past proving the groundhog’s prowess at prediction.
Hometown Seeds is also a beautifully presented site, like yours. I planned to do mostly potatoes this year and not devote much effort to greenbeans, corn, onions, cabbage or tomatoes. I would, however, like to do the yellow squash by-the-signs study.
Makes me hungry for good fresh vegetables. I’ll bet it’s pretty in your neck of the woods. I sure wouldn’t want to navigate Blood Mountain with all that snow on the ground. Pappy
I’ve been thinking of planting some snow peas and some kind of lettuce. I don’t have a place for a garden. Your experiment sounds interesting. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
This is making me really excited for spring!
Tipper,
I took a class last week at the Folk School and wondered if you got much snow at Brasstown this weekend. These snow photos are so lovely.
What an encouraging thought that spring is coming. It’s so good to get your seed and start planning for a garden. How wonderful to know Spring is Coming!
Hey Tipper the snow pics are pretty!
Good luck with the seeds. I haven’t decided if I will try to do a garden this year. I had the worst time last year with the killer heat in June.
Well, I’ve whined and whined about our snow…which is still in my driveway, but Ethel sure puts it in perspective with 28″. Guess it’s time for me to get over it and start looking toward spring.
I don’t do a garden but I have ordered some asparagus plants to see if they will grow in my area. I have lots of trees so not much direct sun light.
With all that said…I am looking for spring and sunshine. I’ve joined a hiking club and am looking forward to weather warm enough for me to brave the mountains.
The pictures are beautiful and it is wonderful that the Hometown Seeds is contributing this year. I REALLY respect that they have no GMO seeds. The genetic alteration in seeds bring a genetic alteration to our bodies that we do not yet know the full implication of……so go Hometown Seeds!!
Tipper, you inspired me so much with your talk of doing things according to the signs that when I received an almanac for Christmas and all the sign stuff in it, I have decided to go all out and do everything I can by the signs. (I may have to fudge a littel here and there like today I was supposed to plant my peas but I had to run up to the big city and narrow freeways in our big truck to pick up a cabinet style incubator, we have been trying to get one here at the farm for quite a while so the opportunity definitely trumped planting seeds, so they will go in tomorrow. Bet is even trying to prune according to signs but she has a lot of trees to do quick because we are not getting the snow and cold that you all are over on the other side of the country.
Enjoy your seed packets and signs of spring to come.
tipper, can I grow squash in a big pot on my deck? that is the only way I garden anymore. My cukes didn’t do so well on my deck last year, but my little pot of spinach was great.
I am so tired of the weather we are having and not being able to plan anything for fear of snow and ice. But surely it won’t last too much longer. Your seed coming in the mail gives me heart.
That drive down does look kinda scary! I am ready for spring too!
You know I want to participate again. The corn reports gave me a bunch of posts when my brain was tired and didn’t want to try to think and insured that I posted at least once (usually) a week. Where I’m living now is still in red dirt country so I have an idea that my good day squash will do especially well if I can keep the squash bugs picked off!
I’ve had enough snow. I’m ready to start turning up some soil for a new garden and it is hard to turn up mud.
Helen
Hi Tipper, Thanks for your beautiful pictures. I’m longing to drive down that valley road again soon.
I’ve totally forgotten how I used to drive up and down this mountain road with chains on my tires. It was possible and passable.
Meanwhile, thanks to all, I’m plowing through the catalogs again, looking for new flowers for my garden. Spring is on its way. I have to believe so.
I can’t wait till it’s time to till the garden. I guess then I’ll complain about the weeds instead of the snow.
It was so nice to see a flower in your post..I miss flowers. I heart flowers.
I ordered some spring seeds and bulbs and can’t wait until they get here…it will be a telltale sign that spring is on the way.
Nothing says Spring like seed packets! I sat for hours looking through my Burpee catalog the other day… *sigh*..
Beautiful snowy pictures, but I have to admit… I would love to have a warm sunny day right now!
Hi Tipper, Your snow pictures are pretty. We now have about 8 inches and it just keeps coming down. It’s pretty –but the birds are eating me out of house and home. That’s okay though since I want to keep them alive and fed.
Hugs,
Betsy
I guess snow would excite me too if I never saw much of it. Our county (the northernmost Appalachian county in Ohio) has had around 28″ so far this month and it’s coming down hard as I write this. The excitement has pretty much worn off for me! I was snowed in for five days last week (kind of cozy if you’re well provisioned) and have shoveled a ton of the stuff. Wondering which will snap first, me or my back! It is picturesque though, nice photos Tipper!
Lovely photos, Tipper! And congratulations on Hometown Seeds sponsoring you! If I didn’t live in a condo in the city, I would have been thrilled to join in the fun and experiment!
Good luck and have fun, Tipper! :))
When the seed catalogs arrive, I always have hope that spring will come. This has certainly been a cold winter for us, too.
Up here in OH, we got another 5 or so inches overnight, and it’s still snowing. We haven’t had snowfalls measured in feet like some other places, but it’s beginning to get old. The difference here is that the snow sticks around so long on the ground. Unless there’s a big warmup or rain, we’ll still have snow where it was piled highest until sometime next month. Yours will be gone next week, if it isn’t already.
I envy your garden seeds although I do not envy your snow (you have more than we do). the company I buy seeds from has yet to send me a catalog even though I wrote for one!
Your snow pictures are beautiful, Tipper! I live in a rainforest and we very rarely get snow either though I grew up and lived in snow country for many years.
I would love to particpate in your seeds by the signs test this year. I’ll shoot you an email.
We haven’t had the chains off our jeep since early December — our half mile driveway is pretty treacherous this time of year.
Did you sell much at the show???? I wanted to go over to see you but the roads were frightening to me. I actually slid down my drive and almost to the middle of Waldroup. After I got stopped, it was funny. I still love snow. The picture you posted was beautiful. Tell the “Deer Hunter” I thought of him yesterday when I saw all the deer and turkeys in my yard. I’m glad you got seeds. To me that’s the first sign of spring. Cross your fingers I get my garden this year.
What a beautiful picture of the snow, but it looks dangerous for driving. I don’t envy your walking down the drive-way. Be careful. I fell once in a slick drive-way and hit my tail bone and boy, did it hurt for what seemed like forever.
How funny that your seeds arrived in the snowy weather. At least someone believes spring is on the way. Stay warm and safe.
Sam