Sowing and Skiing

We've been having a fairly typical Colorado (lower-elevation) winter this year.  We've had a few snowstorms, though not as frequent or as bountiful as I would have liked.  And we've had our usual stretches of 50-60 (and not so usual 70!) degree days in between.  Those stretches really get me itching and make me want to disregard the sowing dates on the back of seed packets in favor of throwing seeds in the ground as early as January or February.

This was the scene on Feb 1:

  

About a week later I was able to install my new addition to the backyard - a second composter!  Yes, it's nearly impossible for me to take a picture without Takoda in it, staring maniacally at a ball.

Also about a week ago, I noticed some volunteers poking up in last years Garlic bed.  To me, that just screamed put some seeds in the ground!

So this weekend I did.  I left the volunteers and planted around them with some Spinach, Lettuce mixes, Parsnip, and Daikon.  The Mint, Sorrel and Dill ended up in pots.  Then in another bed I sowed Arugula, Radish and Cabbage seeds.  

I pulled back the straw on this years Garlic bed to reveal more signs of life:

It was also time to get the Onion seeds started.  We're only 11 weeks from our last frost date.  Trying a couple new varieties this year that are better for storage...Stuttgarter and Yellow of Parma.  I have 3 seeds in each of the 92 cups, so if Kaya's math is correct, that's 276 possible seedlings.  4 of the cups have Eggplant seeds - first time growing Eggplant.

To keep things in check, and bring my soil stained feet back down to reality, here's the backyard scene from this morning... 

Now I'm off to do some x-country skiing!