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Thursday, June 11, 2009

Pansies, Anyone?

Everything about a garden doesn't always go as planned. Things bloom when they feel like it, not at all or even, in some instances, when you think they're dead.

These pansies? Should have been annuals, and should have never made an appearance in this year's garden. I figured that after the long, cold winter they were surely goners.

Apparently they had a different idea. And I'm glad, because they are truly breath-taking!

Unfortunately the poppies I planted last year, and expected to see this spring, croaked. I am sorely disappointed but realize it's all part of the gardening adventure. Besides, how can anyone be unhappy when the pansies are so pretty? Hmm?

Any unexpected news from your garden?

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Take a Whiff!

I so wish this was a smell-o-vision blog. I'd love it if you could get a whiff of some of the things we've got growing around here.

Just a quick peek...

This Greek oregano smells heavenly. Every time I water it I want to rush right out and buy a pizza!

Note to self: Weed onion patch today. While weeding, enjoy the subtle aroma.

The cabbages are growing so quicklly! They don't smell like cabbage yet, but when Hubby walks by them he smiles, nods and says, "Oh yeah... I can smell the corned beef and cabbage already."
How are things growing--and smelling!--in your garden?


Monday, June 8, 2009

Fruit Update

We've kept a close eye on the fruit trees, shrubs and vines. With three late-season frosts, I worried they might be adversely affected. Fortunately my fretting was unnecessary. Everything looks to be just fine!

It's too early to know for sure just how many grape clusters
the vines will produce.
They look promising, though.
Once again, we're going to have a bumper crop of blueberries!

Hubby is over the moon about the cherry trees.
Last year there were precious few cherries.

This year?
It looks like we'll be eating cherries every day!



Saturday, May 30, 2009

Found!

Yes, I found ivy geraniums. Now we've got pots hanging around the yard and they look so festive!

Geraniums come in so many colors that there's sure to be one for nearly anyone's taste. Me? I'm partial to the hot pink varigated flowers on this variety but I don't play favorites. I picked up red, pink and wine colored flowers...like I said, it's looking pretty festive around here!

Friday, May 29, 2009

Feathered Friend

Isn't this red-throated grosbeak sweet?

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Seen and Heard

Okay, not "heard" exactly, but certainly seen. I've yet to take photos but I wanted to give you a quick update on the activity in my little greenhouse.

Everything has sprouted, and is growing like crazy. The tomatoes are getting nice, strong stems and there are a few flowers on some of the pepper plants. The zucchinis and cukes are rambling. A flat of yellow marigolds has pushed the clear top off and are leaning toward the windows.

In a nutshell, everything is begging to be planted!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

So Sweet!



I love lilac time.
I wish you could smell these!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Adios

The last of the tulips. I do hate to see them go. But, on the bright side, do you see the peonies behind them? It won't be long before the peonies will be in bloom. Then the yard will smell heavenly!

Oh, take no notice of those yellow things in front of the tulips. They're dandelions, I know. But hey, I may need more for my dandelion wine experiment, so they're staying for now. Just think of them as another variety in the spring flower collection, okay? Thanks!


Saturday, May 23, 2009

Appetizing

I wish you could have been right beside me when I snapped this shot yesterday. The air was thick with the aroma of oregano, basil and sage. I leaned close and sniffed the lavender, then the rosemary.

Then, I was so hungry I headed for the pizzeria. Who knew there were so many calories in a greenhouse run?


Thursday, May 21, 2009

They're Here!

You know what this means, don't you?

That's right. It won't be long before we're picking strawberries from the strawberry patch.

I love strawberries--almost as much as I love cannolis--so this is a big deal in our house.

Soon we'll be elbow deep in strawberry shortcake. Strawberry jam. Strawberry sorbet. Strawberry soup...

Yeah, I'm a happy woman. Have a great day!


Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Mystery Tomatoes

This year's garden plan calls for a row of Early Girl tomatoes, a row of Roma tomatoes and a row of mystery tomatoes.

Mystery tomatoes? When I planned the garden I hadn't decided what type the third row would be, so they were a mystery. Fits, right?

Yesterday we went to the greenhouse to solve the mystery. There were so many varieties to choose from, it was no easy task. Determinate or indeterminate? Heirloom or hybrid? Yellow? Red? Orange? Or maybe striped?

Eventually I wandered off to sniff the pots of herbs. I left my dad and husband in charge of choosing the mystery tomatoes.

Know what they decided on? Big Boys. That's right, the third row of tomatoes will be Big Boy tomatoes. Now, doesn't that just figure? *G*




Sunday, May 17, 2009

Bushels of Spuds

I planted four bushel baskets with seed potatoes
(like the ones shown above)
and four additional mounds of them
in the garden.

Guess what?
They've sprouted!

Look out world--
the spuds are on the way!

Friday, May 15, 2009

Seen and Not Eaten

Hi. It's me, Piglet.
Thought I'd show you some of the
early spring sights from
here on the farm.
Just so you know,
I didn't eat any of them.
Really.
Really.
All right...
Maybe I nibbled on the pink phlox.
But just a little.
Only a bite or two, okay?
These pink tulips make me smile.

Cherry blossoms.

Hmm...
Do you think there will be cherries?

And...
Do cats like cherries?
Hmm?

Yeah, these are the
pink phlox.

Don't look too closely
at the fuzzy ends.

I just took a bite.
Maybe two.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Fennel, Anyone?


My husband loves fennel. He eats it fresh, cooked, sauteed--any way he can get it. Me? I like it, too, but I'm not as gung-ho as he is.

Last year I grew fennel in the small garden beside the greenhouse. It grew, and the willowy fronds were lovely blowing in the breeze, but it didn't grow as well as I'd hoped it would. The trouble, I think, was that I weeded too vigorously around the plants. The garden was a new one, so there were more weeds than there would be if the space had been planted before. Of course I am a stickler for weeding, and I honestly think I disturbed the fennel too often for its taste.

This year I've planted some fennel seeds in a long terra-cotta planter. I've got it in the greenhouse now but I'll move it outsde when the nights get warmer.

I hope the fennel thrives in the planter. If not, next year I'll try something different. That's one of the best parts of gardening, I think. Even though things are planted in the Earth, there's no commitment to place them in exactly the same spot every year. I love the hit-or-miss thrill of planting.

Come summer, when the fennel is growing, I'll post some fennel recipes. It's amazing what one small plant can do!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Cool Cabbages



Cabbages are "cool weather" crops, which means that even if we get a chilly night they'll be fine. They don't require the soil temperature high for planting, and begin to thrive almost from the moment they're in the ground.

We planted nine green cabbage. Aren't they cute? Granted, they don't look like cabbage heads yet, but trust me, they will. Soon.

And you're probably wondering what on earth I'll do with nine heads of cabbage, right? I mean, cabbage is okay but after the slaw what's a woman to do with a bushel of cabbage? I'm not big on sauerkraut (too stinky!) so that's not an option. But Hubby loves cabbage with corned beef so last year I quartered, rinsed, dried, then froze the spare cabbages. He ate cabbage all winter long, with beef and without, and the frozen cabbage was just as yummy as the fresh stuff was.

So if you've got a glut of cabbage, freeze 'em! After all, they're "cool" cabbages!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

From the Greenhouse

I didn't plant an awful lot this year but the seeds I did plant have sprouted. I love to watch them grow! Once they've germinated and pushed through the soil, they really take off and everything seems to grow overnight.

Pickling cucumbers.

Peppers.
These seeds came from Italy.

It's fuzzy but take my word for it,
this is a nasturtium.
More Italian seeds.
Honestly, I was tickled when I found the
small assortment of Italian seeds.

These are tomatoes.
Ciao!

Monday, May 11, 2009

It Takes a Seed

I planted these lupines in the greenhouse last year. I used a dozen seeds from a package I bought on sale and now I have clumps of lupine popping up all over!

These are near the greenhouse. The first photo was taken last week. The second, just a day or so ago. Can you see how quickly they're growing? I am so psyched to see the gorgeous flowers. And, since these are perennial, I'll have flowers every year without doing anything more than I've already done. Does it get any easier than that?

When the flowers arrive, I'll take more photos.

So much enjoyment, and all from a tiny little seed...






Saturday, May 9, 2009

Breathtaking


Happy Saturday!

Friday, May 8, 2009

The Plan



Usually I scribble my "master plan" for the various gardens on paper scraps. The scraps first get tacked to a ledge in the greenhouse, then they get stuffed into my pocket during planting. The end result is I have a bunch of wrinkled, muddied, half-shredded scraps to use as reference for the following year's gardens.

This year, because I want to share the process with you, I actually printed out a plan for the big garden. I say "big garden" because square footage-wise, it's the biggest space. Yeah, we're pretty basic when it comes to gardening! Anyhow, you can see how we plan to plant the area. I've calculated about ten feet between rows so there should be decent walkways once everything grows in. I'm going to mulch the paths, and around the plants, to cut down on weeding. Although the space is large, once planted it should require very little maintenance. And since it's being filled with only half as many plants as it can accommodate, there should be lots of air circulation between things. Hopefully we'll have a good yield. Fingers crossed!

So if you're planning to plant a garden, be it large or small, I suggest first making a rough sketch of the project before you begin planting. It's much easier to move a row of tomatoes on paper than it is to do in real life. Trust me, I know. I've done it both ways and the eraser has definitely got the shovel beat!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

If you plant it...

it will grow.

Last year we put in a small (a dozen plants) asparagus bed. It is a separate space, up near the greenhouse. We plant onions on one side of the bed, and put the asparagus on the other.

I haven't gotten a chance yet to weed or top-dress the spot, but the asparagus don't seem to mind. Last night we cut the first stalks.

I don't care for asparagus, but Hubby loves it. He steamed the first home-grown produce of the season and, with a huge, satisfied grin on his face, called them "the best asparagus ever." Hmm...makes me wonder if I shouldn't give this vegetable another try.



And look! The onions are beginning to grow, too!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Bushels and Bushels


Call it one of my break-from-reality moments, but when we were in Agway a few weeks ago I sptted the seed potatoes. The were separated by variety, in nice, fat piles near the checkout counter.
You know what comes next, don't you? That's right. I had one of those impulsive twitches, the kind where my hand darts out, seizes something and, before the rational mind can stop it, heads to the cashier.
*sigh*
Seed potatoes.
Of course, Hubby looked at me as if I'd sprouted an extra eye at the bridge of my nose.
"Potatoes? Why grow potatoes when we can get a whole bushel from the farm stand in October for $14? All that work? For fourteen dollars?"
I didn't remind him that the potatoes in my sack cost $2.65.
Gardening? It isn't all about the dollars and cents.
This year I'm growing potatoes in bushel baskets. I cut out the bottoms of the baskets, filled them with soil (after removing most of the rocks from the dirt), then halved and planted the potatoes. I planted four bushels, with four more potato mounds between the baskets.
Come October, we should have our own bushel of potatoes. Then we'll see who sprouted what, won't we?

Monday, May 4, 2009

Mimi's Tulips


Aren't they gorgeous?

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Yellow? We Laugh at Yellow!

It's daffodil time here on the farm. Over the years we've planted hundreds of bulbs and a variety of daffodils. I won't bore you to tears by taking photos of every clump, but I thought I'd share a couple of my favorites.

One of the things I like most about daffodils is that once planted, they're pretty much self-sufficient. Deer don't eat them, which is a very good thing around here. They multiply without any outside interference, another positive. And the variety of shades of yellow, white, orange and pink is stunning.


The contrast between the centers and leaves on these is much more pronounced that the photo shows.



These are so delicate, and the cup so ruffled, that they look like the edges of a ball gown. I love these!

Pretty much the workhorse of the daffodil gardens, these yellow blooms are the ones most of us remember drawing pictures of with our Crayolas. I know I did. Did you?
The orange daffodils are due to open any day now. I'll try to remember to snap a photo of those for you to see.
Next year I'm planting pink daffodils. We have just a few of those, and they're so pretty that I decided to plant more. They're already ordered, and will come right when they need to be put in the ground.
I predict the day we've got to actually plant the new daffodils will be frigid, with howling winds and a gray, stormy sky. How do I know it will be that way? Because it always is on daffodil planting day. But these gorgeous blooms? They are worth frozen fingers and chapped cheeks!