Does anyone else like to start the year with a clean house? I always find myself cleaning in January. Maybe it's the thought of a new year, a fresh start, a clean slate? I don't know, but around here there are many houses, and the ones I'm typically cleaning don't involve dishes...or laundry.

In week two of the year, we are tidying up the tunnels. While some rows are covered with sleepy little spring babies growing happily underneath, neighboring rows still contain leftover debris from last year's crops.
 
Yesterday, I worked on our alstroemeria patch. Digging in the earth in January is beyond good for the soul. This flower is a fairly new addition to the farm, and one I will never be without. I'll admit, I had previously fallen for the dirty little rumor that alstroemeria was a trashy grocery store flower. It's so not true. I have fallen in love with its exotic beauty and longevity! This babe won't stop; she is a workhorse. 

 

As we're making our way through the crunchy foliage, the untrained eye might think that everything is beyond dead (talking to you Lady Monarch).but in reality, life is just below the surface sheltered in the root system.

 

 

Cleaning the "junk" helps keep the crop healthy by removing areas for pests to hide and diseases to breed. And I like to believe that clearing out last year makes way for a healthy and fresh start to 2021.

xoxo, Jess