Actually we had to have it cut down, because it was leaning precariously towards the house, before it falls.
The ’Tree picker’ came with a big truck equipted with a remote control crane, saw and grip.
Swish, swish, swish and it was down in a couple of hours. All that was left was a tall stump and a pile of branches and debris.
I thought it would be traumatic – our favorite tree – but we managed quite well. It looks pretty good already and opened up a whole new space.
Spring kicked in the other day. I couldn’t help myself and started gardening.
I sowed a tray of early greens – mizuna and mibuna.
Found an abandoned tractor tire ring
To dig in.
For a raspberry bush.
I’ve also started my spring trimming and pruning along with the regular late winter/early-spring stuff like making miso, sauerkraut and marmelade.
And I’m also planning for a trip to the saturday farmers market in Uppsala this weekend.
Dandelions in all their glory, but I love the sight and smell of new cut grass.
As if I didn’t have enough digging to do, I dig a pool by hand, or should I say by foot.
I started this project about 10 years ago, but since we have gotten an unlimited supply of farm water we don’t really need it for that, so it’s been at a stand still for a few years. Now with plenty of time on hand, I am back into it again. More as a landscape feature (garden art) now.
The spiral down-ramp is taking form, but there is quite a bit more to do.
The dirt mound grows.
When the digging is done, the mound will be shaped and planted with grass.
We took a little road trip to Värmland – to explore some of the places where my grandparents family came from. Alas, we stopped mostly and took pictures at artsy places.
Like Lars Lerins museum,
Finnskogs Centrum for a look and a concert of finnskogs music and tales,
Birch bark shoes,
Could be grandmas grandma,
Alma Löv Museum,
Värmlands Museum in Karlstad,
We did, of course, travel through lots of beautiful scenery and landscapes (some in sunshine, some in rain), but it was just too beautiful to take pictures of.
Nice clouds too.
For the big garden party today.
Fleamarket
Some are expecting rain
Our food tent
Another food tent
Many artists are already here to set up their projects
My own project – The Zen Dirt Garden
Carefully weeded and cultivated!
Barriers – keeping things in and others out – never work very well. However, they can look nice and facilitate mowing and digging. Doing stone work can be good excercise, if it doesn’t ruin my back.
I love stones and enjoy the work, and effect.
I was raking leaves around the big oak tree next to our house yesterday and discovered that it has taken some wind in the last storm.
It’s been leaning for many years because it is situated up against bed rock, so it doesn’t have any deep roots on one side. We’ve been watching it the last couple of years. Now Alfrida (the storm) has loosened it even more.
It seems a little too precarious now, so we have decided it has to come down soon in a controlled manner.
This will leave a big hole in the landscape and in our hearts. A tragedy.
In the meantime Farmer Ericsson and neighbors have been here and stabilized it with heavyduty chains to a nearby tree, because a new storm is brewing, until a tree doctor can come and take it down gracefully.
The big melt is on.
We still have cold nights, but the days are warm and longer. It’s melting fast and there’s lots of standing water that doesn’t drain well in the frozen ground.
I do what I can to make some temporary shallow ditches.
And get more water over to the ‘lake’ for quicker run off into the drainage system.
For the last several days it’s been below freezing, and it looks like it’s going the stay cold for the rest of winter.
I’m not quite done with the garden digging, but I’ll have to call it quits now. I lost ten days travelling to Japan and have almost gotten caught up, so I’m satisfied.
I even got all the raking done, leaf coverings on all the dug up areas, hedge trees planted and another bed of garlic in before the ground got frozen hard. This year it’s later than usual but more done.
Now all I need is a bunch of snow for skiing.
timogarden 