Ambitious for 8 weeks

Its finally March! and its raining, the snow has melted and spring feels like it is just around the bend. There is about 7 weeks till Easter and I have the best intentions of filling those weeks with back breaking manual labor and a couple sewing projects. Yesterday I build a trellis for my raspberry patch, relocated one of my grape vines to provide more of a gap between the several I have planted and removed some of the very determined leafy vines I have a plethora of. I need to build a trellis for my grape vines also so I can begin training them correctly before they grow out of hand. This week Jared and I picked up a gate for our driveway and some tools we needed to break through the cement to put in a chain link fence. We have to wait till Tuesday when blue stakes comes out and marks all of our lines before we can dig. I desperately want the gate/fence finished before this baby arrives so that I can keep my kids and chickens in the backyard!
I happened upon the term permaculture recently and I've found a fascinating amount of information to help with gardening. It changes the way gardens are put together and in the end it makes a ton of sense. I know that my garden soil isn't anything fancy and it is both expensive and time consuming to build better soil the conventional way but I plan on trying some other techniques that permaculture has to offer and hopefully I'll be able to get a healthier plot of land. I picked up the book Gaia's Garden from our library, its the only book on permaculture that Brigham Cities library has to offer but its a good one from what I've skimmed from it so far.

The two pictures below are of my hugelkultur bed. I dug a pronged trench into the ground and filled it with cut branches and some old fencing. The logs and branches help retain water in the bed so when I irrigate that water is absorbed into the bed and stays there for the plants.

 I then covered the branches with pine needles, straw, chicken manure and the soil I used to dig the trench up. It basically composts in place, provides worm food and nutrients for the plants as it breaks down. In a couple weeks I plan on bringing my whole compost pile I built last year into this garden, along with all of the straw and fallen leaves that were in the chicken coop all winter to mulch the ground and create better beds for my vegetables.

Hey if that isn't enough to do, I've ordered some fabric to make this baby a blessing dress and also make Makayla an Easter dress too. I picked up 6 patterns from the DI a couple days ago to help me make the dresses and over all I am really excited to get them put together. I love creating things so much more than cleaning things. I get in a rut of only cleaning all day long and it is miserable, so if I can fill my future nights with something creative it will be a welcome break.

The patterns are pretty retro but the fabric I have ordered for both dresses will be darling. I'll try to post more about the project when the fabric arrives and I get started.