April Showers Bring May Flowers

Happy May Everyone!

Eva's Garden

Today we went on a trip to Eva's Garden in Dartmouth, MA.  The idea was to lay down old coffee bean bags on the pathways and then cover them with mulch.....but the cold, wind, and spitting clouds had other ideas and the kids only wanted their "snack".

Eva grows lots and lots of herbs and greens etcetera to supply area restaurants, so the suggestion was made to bring bagels and cream cheese along and we could pick some herbs to flavor our snack.  So of course, all the kids just wanted their bagels and touring the gardens with the head gardener and doing some shoveling wasn't high on their list.  I snapped some pictures of the trellising in the beds, the wire trellis is a larger (taller) version of what I was planning to do for my cucurbits this year in my own garden.  The pea rows were just perfect, maybe I can strive for something similar next year....if I could find some lovely trimmed branches that is!  ***Edit: I should add the beds shown here are part of the "kitchen garden", not the commercial side of things.***

I was planning on running a bridge of metal fencing between beds, only I was visualizing something much lower, 3 feet high maybe.  Then I was thinking I could grow some cut and come again lettuce underneath in the shade.  But now I am realizing there is no reason not to make the trellis taller, the vines will certainly run.

The other neat idea that came about today was the suggestion to grow pea greens indoors in early winter under lights as an alternate to spinach or other greens.  We were talking about all season harvesting and I have come to the conclusion that I would rather just grow it indoors under some shop lights, and pea greens are just delicious......Peter, the head gardener at Eva's recommended filling a tray with peat, then the peas and topping of saw dust.  Here is a photo of the pea shoots they have growing in one of the greenhouses:

They were so sweet and tasty!  I asked if there was a variety they preferred and he said Dwarf Gray.  I may have a new pea to try when my current stash runs low.  We also pulled some runners of different mints out of the pathways to bring home and grow, I have some Chocolate Mint, Ginger Mint, and good old fashioned Mint stuck in some buckets of compost, I hope they take.

As for the bagels I herbed my cream cheese with Garlic Chives and Sage, it was quite good.  Peter also was so kind as to allow me to sample is oat milk that he makes, and I actually did like it.  Eva sent our friend who coordinated the visit home with some cut flowers for us, and an offer to "pick anything there was a lot of" for eating.  We hope to go back soon and get a bit more 'work' done next time around, though it was a fabulous introduction to the gardens for me today....I can not wait to go back!!!!

(Here are some paragraphs taken from a NY Times article published back in September of 2000:)

This Time It's Small Farms To the Rescue

By MARIAN BURROS

Published: September 27, 2000

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WESTPORT, Mass.— TO most outsiders, the southeastern coast of New England is a stretch of tranquil countryside, a blur of old stone fences and shady country roads on the way to Cape Cod. A place where ospreys nest along the tidal Westport River, and where black and white cows graze in pastures all the way down to the shoreline.

But the region is also blessed with the longest growing season in all of New England and a sunny temperate climate like that of northern France. And like that part of France, it is the source for oysters so fine they are sold by name, and wines that are served in some of the leading restaurants in Boston and New York. One of the best American blue cheeses is made here, not far from centuries-old apple orchards and farms that are experimenting with cutting-edge technology in fish farming.

All of the region's exceptional bounty is the result of hand labor on the kind of small farms that were on the verge of disappearing just a few years ago. Like other small farms around the country, they are being rescued by agricultural artisans who have learned to offer the quality that satisfies a more appreciative and sophisticated America. Sommaripa, a former potter, is considered the most successful farmer in the area -- even though she tills all of two acres. Her amazingly fragrant herbs are cut to order for some of Boston's top chefs.

Her business, Eva's Garden, has been growing organic herbs for more than 20 years in Dartmouth, including basil that you cannot resist the temptation to pluck and rub between your fingers. Not content to grow the ordinary, Ms. Sommaripa has recently leased some additional land to experiment with growing herbs in high shade in the forest.

''A lot of chefs have our name on their menus, so a lot of people come to visit,'' Ms. Sommaripa said. ''There is a basic satisfaction feeling connected to the earth and the source of your sustenance.''

Chris Schlesinger, a chef and an occasional contributor to the Dining Section, is one of the few local representatives of the restaurant side of the farm-chef equation. His Westport restaurant, the Back Eddy, features local ingredients. ''Right now, there are just baby steps between chefs and growers,'' he said. ''Other than Eva's Garden, no growers are being asked to grow for chefs, but we are starting and that's the break. That's the critical mass.''

This is such a great concept, I hope it becomes more common.  When you eat food that is locally grown you can taste the difference, and it worth paying for!

Hi there....

Wow, it has been some time since my last post, and I was hoping to get out in the garden today and snap a few pictures for an update....but it is raining.  Again.  I am quite behind out there, and there have been some recent hiccups along the way.  My potted seedlings are beginning to take on yellow hues thanks to one of my four-legged children.  See, she likes to eat my seedlings, and if there has been a recent fish feed she will break down all barriers to get a chance at the stinky soil and crops within.  I have lost quite a few plants to this destruction already, but most have just been re potted and pampered after their ordeal with the damn dog.

The other major set-back has been the mass destruction of my Red Sails Lettuce.  Some creature has eaten them all, one by one over the last month.  I tried encasing them with a plastic cover (thinking maybe it was cutworms) but it was not a deterrent.  This perplexes me since it is ONLY the red leaf lettuce that is being chewed off, nothing else.  I am really bummed about this, I have been looking forward to freshly picked red leaf lettuce all Winter.

The rhubarb crowns I received in the mail recently do not appear to be doing well.  They seemed to arrive in rough shape and things have not improved.  I will give them another few days to show some signs of life before giving Johnny's a call.  The leek and cipolini onion sets also FINALLY arrived this week (an absolute mess thanks to the USPS, a long story but they were originally delivered to the wrong house and were all beat up), so I am now waiting on their replacements. On a brighter note, my many pounds of Wildflower seeds from Vermont arrived this weekend, and I am really hoping they take, and provide lots of gorgeous blooms for us and all the bugs, birds, and bees in the coming years.

Sowings in the month of April have included carrots, lettuce mix, more Asian greens, cilantro and broccoli.  All of them appear to have germinated and are growing well out in the garden.  May will bring the early sowing of melon seeds to be planted out under cover in June...which will hopefully yield a summer melon or two.  I am all about those melons!

Garden To Do List:

• Transplant remaining strawberries into whiskey barrels
• Mulch blackberry canes
• Plant remaining potato seeds
• Plant blueberry and currant
• Draw up sowing/landscaping plans for the wildflower seeds
• Plant out 2 super early tomatoes under Wall O Waters first week of May
• Build permanent beds for Rhubarb crowns

We have been having quite a time with our fellow homeschoolers, the weekly activities have been so plentiful this time of year- hard to resist being out in Nature when she is out there propagating for the world to see.  Unfortunately we have not been doing much else so the outdoor (and indoor) chores are really piling up.  I did recently rediscover my dislike of radishes, yet I insist on growing them.  I think it is the immediate gratification you get with those fast maturing 'Easter Eggs'.  I guess I will think of them as growing 'compost' for the garden, lol. 

Today was going to be a volunteer day at a local greenhouse facility that grows herbs and salad greens for restaurants in MA and RI, but the rain has put us off until tomorrow.  I must remember to bring the camera and buy a new memory card before we go, there will be so many cool things to see and share at Eva's.  (Oh, and one last note- the hard drive on my newish Mac died a few days ago, we really do have bad karma with anything that plugs in.)  Happy gardening y'all!

New Arrivals......

This photo of my deck taken earlier  just kind of sums up my jumbled, somewhat productive, yet destructive day.  It started with a super-gross spraying of the apple trees.  This stuff truly is nasty and I don't ever want to use it again...but, then again, I do want edible apples.   I was all ready to try and go organic but then I read several accounts of apple truth and came to the conclusion that I had pest problems last year, and I didn't even have apples yet.  Sigh.  And to make things worse I burned 1/2 of the first tree I sprayed.  Not sure if I did a poor job rinsing the container out after the last Dormant Oil spray, or if the concentrate was not evenly mixed in the sprayer.  I know I measured the poison correctly because I sacrificed my favorite little kitchen measuring cup to do so.  Just a bad experience all around.  Yucky, yucky, yucky.

Then, I got some of that "put off potting-up" done.  Cow pots and a weak fish feed have put me back on the road to garden success.  The fridge is still untouched for any of you who may be wondering.  Next the mail came with live goods and a book, The Backyard Orchardist.

One of the "LIVE PLANTS" boxes had the sweet tator slips in it, a bit earlier than expected.  I was caught by surprise so their bed wasn't ready yet....off I went to throw it all together.  In the end I made 2 hills, covered with black mulch.  I amended with a bit of Potash, K-Mag, and acid loving organic fertilizer.   The slips are quite crowded, but after last year's disappointing harvest I am not willing to give them any more space to prove themselves.  The Georgia Jet slips are now tucked in under row cover with a strip of plastic thrown over for good measure, though it doesn't completely cover the bed.....I better change that (find a larger piece) sooner than later since night temps are still getting quite low around here.  So, -  hills, mulch, and row cover.  I hope it is all enough to keep them going until June comes around!

Aaaaaaand the remaining rhubarb came today as well.  They are still sitting in the box....

......and that is where they will remain until I figure out where the heck to put them.

HAPPY

Michelle over at Give a Girl a Fig received the "Happy Award" and has requested her readers make their own lists......happy to Michelle and thanks for spreading the cheer! (I am going to leave gardening out of it since that is a given.)

1. Belly laughs from my kids.
2. Singing birds.
3. Sweet smelling flowers.
4. The beach.
5. Dogs.
6. My husband.
7. Coffee.
8. Yellow houses.
9. Baby anything.
10. Chipotle Mexican Grill for dinner (there is a song & dance involved).  It makes me that happy....."Mamma's got Chi-pot-LE, Mamma's got Chi-pot-LE,  Mm-mm-Mm-Mm-mm"  

Ahem.  OK, now on to the gardening stuff.  ☺  Maybe another top ten list?.......

1. Blackberries, currant, and last blueberry bushed arrived yesterday.  Only the blackberries have been planted so far.
2. Kale and spinach are currently the only things available for harvest in the garden.  (Ooh- maybe I will make a NOW HARVESTING gadget for the blog......that would be cool.)
3. I ordered more seeds.  Yes, I did.  Want to know why?  I am afraid we may have another awful season coming and I want to ensure any variety I like is in my seed collection for the coming years.  My prediction is the "Unavailable for 201?" list continues to grow.
4. I have been neglecting to pot up my ever growing tomato and pepper seedlings (and clean out my refrigerator).  Procrastination is not a good thing.
5. I am trying broccoli this year despite the worm issue, though I must say if I see too many all broccoli will be going in the compost because I have heard too many 'little green worm on the dinner plate' stories for my liking.  Anyone have any thoughts/tips here?
6. The Winter Rye I planted as a cover crop last Fall refuses to go away despite my best efforts to kill it.  I think I have more rye than peas in one bed.  *&@%!
7. I really can't make it to 10.  

Happy Gardening all......go ahead, make your own lists.

Garden Happenings

Potatoes going in Grow Bags, I believe I have 10 bags in all.  The bottoms were filled with a mixture of compost and potting mix, the seeds set in, and then covered with more mix and straw.

Here are the LaRatte Fingerlings in one bed, I planted this and another one slightly smaller.

The new grape and arbor was added onto the original behind the asparagus bed.  Behind the grapes is a new bed for 5 blackberries, and two raspberries....we are still in the construction phase as the canes have not arrived yet.  Still needing to find a spot for my second currant and rhubarb that is coming.  AAGGHH! Runing out of room!  So frustrating when we have almost 2 acres of land.

Some micro greens from today's thinning.  Beets, Radish, Chard, Arugula, and Hon Tsai Tai....YUM!

How cool do these currant buds look?  I had never seen them before, it is reminding of grape clusters.

I decided to use this tub as a planter for my 4 lowbush blueberries.  They remain quite small and only require a foot a piece, so this is snug but should do.  If not I will just transplant at a later date.

In addition to all the expansion and planting I sowed some more seeds today as well.  Things are finally coming together nicely thanks to a good friend who brought over a couple truckloads of dirt/compost for me.  The new beds are almost full, I am off to hill and cover the sweet potato bed up with black mulch...those slips will be here before I know it!!!
***
Edit:  Those micro-greens made a mighty fine pizza topping for lunch!

Hi!

We have been having a fun-filled week, lots of homeschool activities and lots of time spent in the garden/planning the garden/opening boxes of live plants for the garden.  I have doing my best to keep up with all of your posts.   I will try and do a proper post over the weekend.......meanwhile,  HAPPY GARDENING ALL!  :)

Garden Awakening

First, let me start by saying I am so behind on posting!  I started a few drafts this past week and never finished any of them off.....so here is my collection of photographs from this past week, along with a garden update.

I just did ANOTHER order from Johnny's.  I was labeling cow pots for transplants and came to the realization I don't have enough.  I had been eyeing a few seeds as well, mostly thinking ahead for Fall and Winter harvests.

The spuds from Moose Tubers were delivered this week, boy do I hope I have a better potato season in 2010.  They look lovely, I only had to toss a few with rotten spots.  LaRatte, Purple Viking, Red Gold, and Keuka Gold are being chited.

Everything is budding, blooming, and breaking ground in the garden/yard.  My asparagus is growing an inch a day (or so it seems), I gave it a top dressing of amendments and compost a few days ago to help it along.  This is a picture from earlier in the week, I should start measuring the growth they actually put out in a day, it would be funny wouldn't it?

Fruit trees and bushes budding out (Currant, Apple, Raspberry, Strawberry etc).........the only fruit not showing any signs of life is the grape vine.

I had taken some pictures of the standing ground water, here is a shot of my driveway, and our wetlands- otherwise known as the backyard:

We were very fortunate not to have a wet basement, crazy how many things were (and are) under water here in MA and RI.

In other news, I have been having one heck of a time getting some varieties to germinate this year.  Last year I had just about 100% all around, this year I am far from it.  I am not sure if it is the seed sources (heirlooms from various sources) that is the difference, I guess I will sow more than 2 seeds for peppers and tomatoes going forward.  Most of the nightshades are needing to be thinned, but a couple tomatoes (Pink Brandywine and Amish Paste) along with most of my new peppers and some onion varieties from last year are not cooperating.  Last year it was the string beans that would not germinate for me, looks as though this year it is peppers.  Sigh.

I planted some Egyptian Onions that I took from my Mom's house last summer, they should have gone in back in October, but I forgot.  These will multiply over the years and provide some green onions for garnishing  with if they take.  (In this picture you see the top of the onion which I cut last year and planted in a corner of one bed.)

I like the idea of multiplier onions.  Of anything that is perennial in the kitchen garden I guess.....I will try my hand with yellow "potato onions" this year as well.  I hope they be happy this far North.  I have only seen them in Southern seed catalogs, so I am guessing that is their preferred local.  I would be quite pleased to not have to grow out onions every year going forward, seeds are a pain and sets are costly.....it would be sweet to have the potato onions as a main source through out the year.

Enjoy the weekend everyone, we will be mulching the beds and playing in the dirt for most of the day.  :)

Raining Again.

Yup, wet weather here to stay again.  Thomas, hope you and your garden are not falling under the "flood watch".  I still have yet to catch up on my seed sowing.  I did manage to pot up my two Polbig seedlings this weekend out in the cold, cold shed where they gave off steam as soon as soon as their toasty roots were exposed to the frigid air.  Into the cow 'poo pots' they went, the pots don't smell anything like manure, but they have a bit of an unpleasant odor when sniffed (I can't help it, I smell everything).  It is so exciting to have something that looks like a tomato plant growing.

I have seeds germinating in coffee filters that need to be transferred into soil blocks, I really must try and accomplish this task today.

This past weekend we were busy trying to finish up the re-do of my son's room.  I needed to break down a 30 gallon aquarium and downsize it into his new 14 gallon aquarium, which was placed on his new desk.  Then my darling husband removed the radiator covers off the walls and scraped, sanded, and washed the walls and ceilings that have not been painted already.  It is amazing what years of saltwater drips/spray can do to a room and it's contents.

We laid down hardwoods and painted one half of the room over the last month or so, then moved all of his new furniture over....so now we are working on the second half.   Here is the 'old' half, followed by the proud new owner in the 'almost done half':

We love salty critters here in my house, and my son and I both have some new aquarium inhabitants arriving tomorrow which will be fun but time consuming since the fish and invertebrates require such long acclimation times.........seed sowing is on the back burner again.  I am going to be really sorry when I have no Sorrel and Arugula to eat in May!  (oh, and as a side note the seedlings under the hoops stayed toasty during our cold spell, though they were a bit purple from the lower temps.  Is it phosphate they can't take up in the cold that causes the discoloration??  I can't remember.)

*&*^$!

We are pulling the plug on cable for the remainder of the year, if not indefinitely.  This unfortunately means the thieves will be charging us $55.00/mo. for high speed internet.....uh, no they won't. (Funny how they charge you more when you don't take their TV channels too isn't it?) So come Monday you may not hear from me often, I may be going to coffee shops and such in order to read your blogs, and try to do a post on mine every now and agin.  I was OK with the TV sacrifice since we have been discussing this move for a year now- but I was NOT prepared to give up my high speed internet.....you all know how long a blog takes to load on dial-up.  Sigh, it has been a fun run and hopefully I will find an alternative to the cable company's highway robbery.