Buying A House Sight Unseen

[Hawnjigs]

Redman, you wuz right. Some of the black raspberies cut to the ground have resprouted into impressive bushlike clumps of greenery, a big improvement over the original sprawling tangled thicke mess. By comparison, one clump I pruned to 2 foot canes last fall looks pretty scraggly. Approaching the end of frost season so looks like they'll survive & I'll be feasting on berries in season. Neighbors have recommended mid-may for planting so I'll be shortly looking at stone fruit trees, tomato & pepper starts, & zone 4 greens.

Wow, Hawn "Spring" was never like this - love the greening tree skeletons, new bird arrivals, and even the snakes.

 

[AtticaFish]

Spring is a cool time...... if you blink you miss the in-between phase of those trees. Seems like one week there is just buds and the next you can't even see the branches. Also keep you eye out for spawning fish, different species might use the same areas at different times and let you start to figure pre & post spawn holding areas that could be accessible from shore. You get any fish for the table yet?

Throw in some herbs for your little garden. Fresh cut herbs make everything better. Gotta have LOTS of Basil that is an annual, but i also have a couple Tyme plants, 1 Sage and 1 Lemon Balm that all come back each year. The Sage and Lemon Balm require some pruning and clean up each year but well worth it IMO.

If you are planning to do spinach, lettuce or bitter greens..... get them in right away! They like the cool ground and do not mind mild frosts. They usually do not tolerate summer heat very well.

 

[plateboater]

Corn tators and carrots going in as soon as it stops raining here.............

 

[LedHed]

Starting to get tomatoes & cucumbers now.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Local knowledge was spot on - snowed last nite into morning and two frosty nights coming up. Yes, definitely basil - love pesto. Greens - kale fer sure, will try collards and chinese greens. I think sage is the brushy weed wild on the prairie on the outskirts of town. Thyme dominates my Cajun Spice, & have no idea what to do with lemon balm.

My best info is no catch-able crappie or gills within a 2 hour drive, but have eaten tasty cool water cat & wiper recently. Could have eaten fat trout, but water was too chill to clean in. Unable to pattern wipers using obvious variables ambient light, time of day, wind direction & speed - mostly absent with very occasional sporadic pass thrus in the only shoreline access cove hot spot I know of. Cats are pretty much available anywhere anytime. Avoided the infamous Mac dam walleye spawn combat zone, locals say they should shortly be post spawn migrating east->west occasionally appearing in coves, then settle in mid lake depths into Summer.