I was surprised to catch so many zeros at once. Visitor 70,000 was from Kingston, Saint Andrew. Where's that? Jamaica! How wonderful. (I love blogging!) It seems like this visitor just stopped by for a second while googleing a term. I wonder what's going on down in the islands...
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
a very round number
I was surprised to catch so many zeros at once. Visitor 70,000 was from Kingston, Saint Andrew. Where's that? Jamaica! How wonderful. (I love blogging!) It seems like this visitor just stopped by for a second while googleing a term. I wonder what's going on down in the islands...
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
my first vegetable sprouts!!!
The kale and escarole in my indoor trays have sprouted already. Yipppeee. Its only been 4 days since sowing. (Photos later.)
Brassicaceae
Kale (Brassica oleracea, Acephala Group)
Brassicaceae
Kale (Brassica oleracea, Acephala Group)
Monday, March 10, 2008
sprouts around the yard
I checked around my yard this morning to sees what's up. It looks like its almost time to rake off my covering of last fall's leaves so the spring bulbs can grow. From the top: snow drops, hellebore, daffodil, crocus, sedum "Autumn Joy" and bleeding heart.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
new community garden
This is a new community garden in Cambridge. It looks so neat and bare. I'm wondering what it will look like with active gardens. Skippy and I walk by here often to check for activity. None yet.
communitygardening
Saturday, March 08, 2008
dream big
... another sure sign of spring is when silly little Easter decorations show up in the stores.
sure signs of spring
Friday, March 07, 2008
seed trays!
Ahhh. Such a beautiful day. The sun is so bright. I got a tray of seeds planted and I hope they are comfortable and warm down there.
I planted yellow sweet spanish onions (4 trays), red russian, winterbor and tuscan kale (1 tray each), and blonde escarole (1 tray).
Check out my nice dark table cover. Someone suggested this would keep the trays warmer than the white I originally used. I think it looks nicer. And anything for happier seedlings.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Monday, March 03, 2008
new CSA farm blog
A new blog! Its about the CSA farm around the corner from my garden: Belmont CSA News. Its very exciting to be able to read updates on what's happening down on the farm. And maybe I'll find some time to help Gretta out sometime. I can't imagine how much work it is to single-handedly run a CSA farm.
The CSA farm with its snow covered fields in the March twilight.
CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
The CSA farm with its snow covered fields in the March twilight.
CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
Sunday, March 02, 2008
pussy willows
My first spring buds/flowers? - catkins of Salix caprea or pussy willows. These are in my backyard.
gardening challenges
A challenge called The Growing Challenge is being hosted by the blog Elements in Time. Its rules are: To grow a new fruit of vegetable this year that you've haven't grown before. And to grow this from seed. So, I was wondering what am I growing that's new this year?
This year's new veggies:
Tomatoes (I haven't grown these from seed in about 15 years, and I have several varieties I've never seen before)
Parsnips "Cobham Improved Marrow"
Onions "White Portugal" and "Yellow Sweet Spanish"
Round Black Spanish Radish (I tried these last year, but they didn't even sprout)
Fava beans (well I grew these last year, but they were a total failure due to aphids)
Broccoli (this year I'm trying broccoli from seed)
Last year's new veggies:
Capucijner peas (a super veggie to grow!)
Shell beans "Tongue of Fire"
Kale "Tuscan" or "dinosaur"
Soy beans (these were a great new crop!)
Broccoli (a new one for me, but I did buy the plants)
Potatoes
Another Garden Challenge this year is The FoodShed Planet Victory Garden Drive. This challenge is to plant a new vegetable garden this year. Their goal is to encourage 2 million new backyard gardens in 2008.
I plan to start a new vegetable garden this year. On April 1, I will get my new community garden plot assignment. But my space will be previously gardened space, so it really doesn't count for this challenge I think. Or does it? In spirit it does. I am looking forward to digging and growing more and eating lots of my own produce.
Other great challenges: The 100 foot diet challenge: (I love this one!) A meal must be comprised of food grown on your property or garden plot (literally or figuratively within - 100 feet - of your front or back door).
My challenge this year is to grow more of what I like to eat most. I've been looking at the vegetables I buy and I am planning to grow more of these this year. I eat a lot of salad greens: lettuce, arugula, dill and spinach. Also onions and garlic. Some sweet red peppers, broccoli, cucumbers, tomatoes, beans and peas. And in the winter, big beets, carrots and parsnips, a couple of potatoes, frozen edamame, and some dried peas and beans. My other challenge is to make it look beautiful - in nice straight green rows with marigolds and borage flowers and honey bees. Ahhh, I can't wait....
This year's new veggies:
Tomatoes (I haven't grown these from seed in about 15 years, and I have several varieties I've never seen before)
Parsnips "Cobham Improved Marrow"
Onions "White Portugal" and "Yellow Sweet Spanish"
Round Black Spanish Radish (I tried these last year, but they didn't even sprout)
Fava beans (well I grew these last year, but they were a total failure due to aphids)
Broccoli (this year I'm trying broccoli from seed)
Last year's new veggies:
Capucijner peas (a super veggie to grow!)
Shell beans "Tongue of Fire"
Kale "Tuscan" or "dinosaur"
Soy beans (these were a great new crop!)
Broccoli (a new one for me, but I did buy the plants)
Potatoes
Another Garden Challenge this year is The FoodShed Planet Victory Garden Drive. This challenge is to plant a new vegetable garden this year. Their goal is to encourage 2 million new backyard gardens in 2008.
I plan to start a new vegetable garden this year. On April 1, I will get my new community garden plot assignment. But my space will be previously gardened space, so it really doesn't count for this challenge I think. Or does it? In spirit it does. I am looking forward to digging and growing more and eating lots of my own produce.
Other great challenges: The 100 foot diet challenge: (I love this one!) A meal must be comprised of food grown on your property or garden plot (literally or figuratively within - 100 feet - of your front or back door).
My challenge this year is to grow more of what I like to eat most. I've been looking at the vegetables I buy and I am planning to grow more of these this year. I eat a lot of salad greens: lettuce, arugula, dill and spinach. Also onions and garlic. Some sweet red peppers, broccoli, cucumbers, tomatoes, beans and peas. And in the winter, big beets, carrots and parsnips, a couple of potatoes, frozen edamame, and some dried peas and beans. My other challenge is to make it look beautiful - in nice straight green rows with marigolds and borage flowers and honey bees. Ahhh, I can't wait....
Saturday, March 01, 2008
grow plants, grow!
Notice the condensation inside these bottles. Its nice and warm in there!
Today I have exciting plans! I'd like to find another 4 or 5 plastic bottles and start seeds for broccoli, a couple types of lettuce, endive and arugula. Well, maybe not so exciting, but its almost like gardening.
winterplanting
march comes in like a lion
Another snow storm is coming at us!! 8" predicted here. I'll get a photo soon. (just what we need - another snow photo....)
While bemoaning the weather, I looked up what was going on in my garden last year on March 1. Pretty much the same. Snow. Cold. But the good news is that by the end of March, I had lots of sprouts and there were crocus and hellebore in the yard. I'll keep that in mind during tomorrow's snow fall.
While bemoaning the weather, I looked up what was going on in my garden last year on March 1. Pretty much the same. Snow. Cold. But the good news is that by the end of March, I had lots of sprouts and there were crocus and hellebore in the yard. I'll keep that in mind during tomorrow's snow fall.
Friday, February 29, 2008
one week update
This is the one week update for my winter sown bottles. No sprouts yet. No, I didn't expect there would be any yet. Just thought I'd check. I was impressed with all the condensation droplets inside the bottles. Since the temperature is in the teens now (11 F last night!), it seems to be staying MUCH warmer inside the bottles. Grow seeds, grow!!
winterplanting
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