Homesteading Middles: Uncovering Spring

“Momma, each bump holds a surprise!” Bean, gently moved cardboard aside, revealing pale yellow daffodil stems.

“I know, this is so much fun!”

“So much fun!”

She looked up at her brother, tromping toward us over the leaves and cardboard. “Careful Dragon, don’t step on any of the bumps - they might be daffodils pushing their way up.”

Last fall, I was very careful to avoid mulching the area around the stakes. Stakes that marked the new hostas I had planted. However, I had no idea where the daffodils would pop up and I hoped they would be strong enough to make themselves known.

Thankfully, come spring, daffodils made little bumps in the degrading cardboard. Strong and resilient little fellas.

It was a very enjoyable 10 minutes. Looking for hillocks in the cardboard sheets, gently peeling back layers of paper, and uncovering new life.

“Why are the stems yellow instead of green?”

“Because the green is the chlorophyll, which is what makes plants green, only happens when the plant sees the sun. It is the same reason white asparagus is white.”

“There is white asparagus?”

“Yup, Meme loves it. Personally, I don’t see the point. To me it just looks like the plant is sick.”

“Momma, watch your foot! There is another hillock!”

“Good catch. I am looking forward to all of this growing in.”

“Yes, but this is so much fun - like unwrapping presents.”

“Like unwrapping presents, exactly.”

My vision for the hugelkultur entry garden is to have a veritable carpet of daffodils, crocuses, hostas, tulips, pachysandra, lily of the valley, ajuga, lenten rose, etc, etc. In 15 years I do not want to have to do any mulching or weeding.

But in the meantime, sheet mulching the areas between while we give everything a chance to grow and spread is going to happen.

Especially since we learned daffodils are strong enough to push up cardboard.