Spring time on the Cumberland Plateau

       As I write, spring time has sprung on the Cumberland Plateau in east Tennessee. I even have a local fellow searching for morel mushrooms, a spring time delicacy.

Morel Mushrooms

            Around a decade ago I heard the commercial price was around $160/lb., but nobody shares them around here. Locally the nicknames are "hickory chicken" and "dry land fish". Basically, one just rolls them in some kind of "meal", and pan fries them. I am sure there are other recipes, too.

            The best part of spring to me is the color. Anything blooming to become green is generally emerald green right now. It is pretty, to me.

            Even the lespedeza bi-color is about to pop . And the local beehive is busy.

            Last, my "seed" potatoes arrived via the mail, and my intent is to do an above ground planting of them. I even pulled in an old giant tire from some earlier work to use for my above ground planting.  And I have some Miracle Grow due in, which I will mix with local leaf mulch I have also  made. All that should fill my above ground setup for this coming growing season.

            Now what to do with my rhubarb plants I am still thinking about.

            About the same time, I also have to plant some tomatoes.

            Canning all this comes in the early fall, I expect.

            The rhubarb plants are more like a three year project, but one has to start sometime and somewhere. And by the recipes I read, I also have to grow and make my own sugar, so that is planned, too. I plan on using sugar beets in my regular ground level garden.

            For growing things that are "sensitive" to frosts, then the ole granny suggestion is to wait until May 15th to plant. I will heed that suggestion. Now if I lived lower in altitude, like Nashville, then the dates are different, like April 15th.

            I respect all my leaders, "some more than others". And I respect the "ole granny" planting recommendations .

            So all in all, it is a nice spring where I live on the Cumberland Plateau. And now is a good time to be optimistic. Even I like eating, and locally grown food seems especially appealing to me.