I love driving across Arkansas during spring. In the Ozarks, redbuds and dogwoods compete for attention, and roadsides are exploding with wildflowers. Spring planting is in full swing as farmers and gardeners put seeds in the ground. It’s no secret that harvest is my favorite time of year, but after a slow cold winter, spring planting is cause for celebration. Not that there’s time for a party.
Party in the field, maybe.
Of course, without spring planting, there would be no fall harvest. And timing is key. With spring comes wild weather bringing storms and hail, tornadoes, dust storms, a chance of frost? Rain, rain go away until we need another shower.
The soil is rich and wide awake, the fields leveled and hipped. The state is humming.
Here are a few spring planting pics from across Arkansas…
CORN: Yell County
Victoria helping grandpa plant corn. There’s nothing sweeter than a farm girl, am I right? Raising her up right ???
photo courtesy of Chuck McCool, McCool Farms
RICE: Poinsett County
I love everything about this picture—freshly planted rice field beneath a blissful blue sky.
photo courtesy of Scott Matthews, Scott Matthews Farms.
GREENS: Mississippi County
The students at The Delta School in Wilson are planting the school’s first garden. There’s an entire curriculum within this garden.
COTTON: Washington County
I planted Delta cottonseed in my sunny windowsill garden. Once the seeds germinate and our last chance of frost has passed, I’ll transplant my seedlings into the garden. Birds love to use cotton for nesting.
SOYBEANS: Mississippi County.
Gorgeous!! Planting beans near Wilson. I love to see the dirt flying.
photo courtesy of Becton Bell, Bell Planting Company
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
Musical Pairing:
LOCASH, I Love This Life
You captured the planting season, for sure. Love the pictures.
Love the pictures, especially Victoria. I’ve been seeing some to those sights in our traveling.
Interesting fact about cotton plants. I saw some at a nursury the other day, and I wondered why people without farms would buy them. Obviously, I didn’t grow up on Arkansas! But I might go back a get a few. Great post, Talya!
What a fantastic post! I went and visited the Delta School website and was interested in their gardening program. I’m working on one for our school as well.