Memorial Day - Veggie Kick Start

"OFFICIAL" PLANTING OF THE VEGGIES
The past two days have been spent prepping and planting the veggie beds - finally! One last addition of black gold (compost) and we are ready to rock 'n roll.

I planted several varieties of tomatoes, jalapenos, banana peppers, celery, pumpkins, cukes, eggplant, brussel sprouts, watermelon, and zucchini for now. Look how silly the little peppers look next to the garlic! Not for long!

Last year I pickled the banana peppers and they were a hit with my daughters so I'll definitely do that again this year. The jalapeno peppers won't go to waste either. One of my daughters works at a Mexican restaurant and last year's yield was used to make some excellent Ceviche. Once a week she has some of the cooks/chefs over and a big ole batch is whipped up. Now that is something to look forward to!

POTATO BAGS
I have mentioned before how delighted I was with my neighbor's garden fresh potatoes last summer and so had to grow my own this year. I have kind of been in a quandary as to what I should do because we might be moving this summer so I wanted them to be movable. In keeping with the spirit of this blog, I decided to experiment with Smart Pots that I bought at Gardener's Supply.

In addition to my "potatoes to go", I've split tomatoes, cukes, peppers, celery, etc. between the raised beds and containers , just in case.

Unexpected Findings.....Pleasant and Otherwise
Sometimes when you're down on your hand and knees you come across some funky stuff. Such was the case today when I found this in my raised bed....

Birds & Blooms

Just a quick post to honor the beauty that is all around me these days. The colors and scents are abundant. Yum!

The birds are very busy nesting and feeding their babies and many different kinds are showing up at the feeders to energize themselves.

1st Harvest (Spinach) and Wonky weather

FIRST HARVEST!
Without further ado....my first harvest of the year..spinach! I guess I will be making Orange Almond Salad tomorrow - deee-lish! Just in case you're interested...

ORANGE ALMOND SALAD

• Bacon

Cook until crisp and then crumble.

• Almonds
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp butter

In microwave safe bowl combine almonds, butter and sugar. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until sugar dissolves and almonds begin to brown. Stir from time to time to prevent from sticking together. NOTE: You can also buy prepared honey roasted almonds at the super market and skip this step. They work just as well.

• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup salad oil
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp parsley
  
• tabasco sauce, to taste

Combine and chill until ready to serve.

• Spinach leaves
• Green or red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 - 10 oz tin mandarin oranges (Breaking news.....Try strawberries!)
  

Top salad with almonds, bacon, oranges and onions and serve with salad dressing.

WONKY WEATHER
Today I potted up some of the seedlings but was still hesitant to put anything in the raised beds. The weather is still so wonky that I am not sure what to do. Thursday and Friday were around 90'ish and today was 60 or so. In the middle of the afternoon? Hello? What gives? At least the pots can be covered easily.

The real bummer is when I looks at blogs and forums of gardeners not so far away. Some seem almost ready for harvest!

Garden Creatures - Good & Bad

THE HUMMERS ARE HERE
In my absence, some backyard favorites have returned - hummingbirds!

GARDEN PESTS
The much dreaded Japanese beetles made their first appearance before I left town but with only one spray of Bayer Rose & Flower, the problem seem to have been nipped in the bud. No evidence of munching whatsoever. They can be nasty little buggers in this area. They can decimate lilies in one fell swoop. I've had to spray, spray, spray and sometimes that doesn't even do the trick. Perhaps catching them early is the trick. Perfect timing?

Welcome Home! Oy-vey!

Boo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Why did I go away at this time of year? The house, the piled up mail, the garden.....but most of all my seedlings! They are in very sad condition and very unlikely to survive. After all the love and care.....hauling out, hauling in, hauling out....... but I will take the high road on this one. Gardening is my hobby not my family's and at the end of the day the seedlings are replaceable.

VOLUNTEERS
On the other hand, I have an abundance of "volunteers" this year. Everywhere! There are tons of tomatoes, celery, potatoes, curcurbits (not sure which kind) and even what looks like a watermelon with a tiny melon on it (which, incidentally, is bigger than any I grew last year - go figure)! I have a general distaste for killing things - period - much less healthy plants. Same thing with bugs - I just don't have it in me to squish one. I did however muster the courage to do a little downsizing today.

So I pulled this beautiful volunteer potato plant from the coldframe today:

......and guess what I found....baby taters in the making!

I think the other potato volunteers will be left alone until further notice. There aren't that many and until mine are established I will let the volunteers do their thing. Another experiment.

On the pleasantly surprised side, I came across a bulbous little growth that might just be a watermelon. It is growing in the same area where I attempted to grow watermelon last year.

Whew-hew - Gardener's Supply

Part 1
I am getting on the road very shortly to drive back home. Luckily for me I will be driving through Vermont...... where one of my favorite garden supply stores is located - Gardener's Supply in Williston. I've ordered online but never been there. Today's the day. Yippee!

Part 2
So I made it back state-side after a beautiful drive through the mountains. I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be with Gardener's Supply. Maybe searching online is easier than hands on shopping. They did have a nice little pond and waterfall inside. I have a thing for water features.

1

Tree Debris

Tomatoes in the City!

Sex in the City attitude -vs- Tomatoes in the City attitude

Ok - so I have been away from home for almost a week. I am having a wonderful time but am experiencing a constant nagging in the back of my head....my garden! I don't have to explain that to anyone who gardens but when I call home and ask about it, everyone is so non-chalant! What the hell! No one understands! I want details......and pictures. My family is not willing to satiate my curiosity by taking pictures.

For today I will satisfy my craving by setting my daughter up with a tomato plant and basil. Not something that she has requested or even wants. After all she is a city girl in a one bedroom apartment - just minutes from "downtown". Oh well. I reasoned with her that this will be a test for the kitties that she wants to get. If she can keep the tomato alive and have it bear fruit she might just be ready for cats. Hmmmmf. Plus I get to have dirt under my nails!

Being a "burbs" girl, the one thing that I had not considered was the parking / elevator situation. Hauling soil, etc. from your driveway to your backyard is one thing. Parking a block away and hauling it up on an elevator is another. Oh well, where there's a will, there's a way.

MONTREAL BOTANICAL GARDENS

Today I had the great pleasure of visiting the Montreal Botanical Gardens (Jardin Botanique de Montreal) on opening day. I hope to get back in the middle of summer to see how things have progressed and experience the full blown colors of summer.

Garden Withdrawal

Hmmm.....been away from my garden for 5 days now and thoughts of whether it is dead or alive permeate my brain. It's care has been left in the hands of my less-than-domesticated and far less outdoorsy daughters. This is the same family that snickers at the sight of my soil laden nails and clothing. As in "Oh mom....look at your feet!!". These very feet have never experienced a pedicure, ever. So while my darling daughters are getting french manicures, I am perfectly content to have dirt in my nails. Hmmmmmf.

On the bright side, they were kind enough to stand guard as best they could in my absence. For that I am thankful.

Skipping Town

I have to go away for a few days and I am kind of freaking out about the garden. Will it be OK while I'm away? I would think at this time of year my chances are better than in the summer so I will throw caution to the wind and do what I must....reluctantly but...

Productive Day

Whew! Definitely knocked a few things off the "To Do" list today.

• Hauled and spread compost in the veggie beds
• Planted some of my seedlings out under cloches - the weather is still unpredictable so to be on the safe side.......
  
• Cleared leaves and rocks in the creek so that the water flows better
• Washed and filled all of the bird feeders
• Boiled some sugar water for the hummers
  

Nothing like a day out in the fresh air. What a great time of year!

Raccoon Rampage

These are some saucy little characters! I have lived in this house for 10 years and this is the first time that I have seen a raccoon here! And he was not shy. He was only a few feet from the back door on my deck.

As you can see, bird suet is the meal du jour. These guys have to get marks for their ingenuity. I keep a metal trash can on my deck which normally houses only bird seed but on this one occasion it appears that I tossed a suet block in the bin. Won't be doing that again!

So far this summer is shaping up to be the summer of critters.

Buzzy Bees

Bees in the Garden

Most of us don't pay attention to the things around us. Until something becomes a personal issue. Such is the case with bees. Gardeners know that much of our gardens require bees for pollination so it is our responsibility to pay attention.

I must say that I was delighted to find that there are quite a number of bees buzzing about this year. With all the talk about colony collapse (See: Colony Collapse) it was indeed a pleasure to see the bees 'a buzzin' in good numbers.

I was saddened to find this little guy at my patio door but I guess nature just works that way.

Fuzz ?

Woke up to find that there was fuzz on my seedlings! Grrr. They were fine yesterday! I went into panic mode and starting looking through my bookmarks on how to deal with this. I recalled that it was peroxide but was not sure of the dilution - 1:10 parts. Sprayed everything and all looks good. Fingers are crossed.

This seed growing business is a lot of work.....when you aren't a professional!

Gardening Lull

Puttering Again

I find myself in a gardening "lull". Seeds have been started, soil has been turned, leftover leaves have been raked.......so today I puttered here and there but felt unproductive. It was unseasonably HOT for this time of year - like 90+ degrees! Not ready for that so I guess I was meant to putter today.

Lions 'n Tigers 'n Bears - Oh My !

A Day at the Zoo

This past week was Spring Break Week for schools here. Sooo yesterday I asked my middle daughter (22 yo) if she would go to the zoo with me. To my surprise and utter delight, she said "yes"! I haven't been to the zoo in quite some time. A little role reversal here...

So on a cool Spring day, off we went to the local zoo, Southwick's Zoo. It was awesome! Not hot, not crowded - perfect!

Let the pictures speak for the wonders of nature....

NATURE'S BALANCE
I love rainy days as much as I love sunny days. Just like my garden. It's all about balance. Too much or too little of either puts me out of whack and any gardener knows that their garden feels the same. After a rainy, rainy day yesterday and an "on again / off again" rainy day today I was able to accomplish a few things...however minor.... outside today.

Les Petit Pois
I am in experimental mode so I popped some peas in the garden. I put 34 in. I am not sure if that is reasonable or not since I have never grown peas before but I guess I will know soon....certainly by fall planting time. Nor have I ever eaten a "fresh from the garden" pea before but I am looking forward to the privilege of doing so. Funny because when I was a kid peas were on my most hated list. I guess that means I'm all "growed" up.


POTATOES
Potatoes are another thing. Being of Irish descent, I've eaten a potato or two in my life. A potato is a potato is a potato, right? Non, non mes amis! Last summer I was a "fresh from the garden" potato virgin. I assumed that all potato were created equal. Not true - totally false! My neighbor gave me some of his garden fresh potatoes and they were phenomenal! Taters are definitely on my grow list.

Bunny Update

My little bunny friend seemed to be doing fine this morning. Last night I left him with some water, a small bowl of salad and a great big carrot! The carrot was twice the length of the bunny! (You can see a portion of it in the picture.) The thought occurred to me that I watched a few too many Bugs Bunny episodes.

To my absolute surprise when I checked in on him this morning, all of the salad was gone and the carrot was about an inch long! And there were tell tale signs - bunny balls! Good stuff.

Well this morning was spent trying to figure out what to do with my new little friend. Thank God for the internet. I would have spent a lot of time and aggravation if I wasn't able to do research online.

In the end, I opted to take him to Tufts University. They have a veterinary medicine campus about a half hour from my house. What an impressive place! They have a hospital for dogs and cats, another for horses, and another for wildlife - all in a beautiful country setting. It set my heart at ease. As strange as this might sound, I was sad to leave him behind.

The Great Outdoors - Never a Dull Moment!

Garden Chores of the Puttering Kind

An unexpectedly nice day made for a wonderful afternoon puttering in the garden. Managed to add compost and till the raised beds, water some (the rain barrel was overflowing!), clean here, rake there, yada yada...... Ended the afternoon by cleaning and setting up the patio set up - dinner al fresco is not far away. Yahoo!

Checked on the seedlings that were planted 1 week ago today and was delighted to see that the Bush Champion cucumbers are raring to go - already about 2" high - and the Pink Star Morning Glories are up 'n at 'em too! In just 1 week! Makes me happy that I started later this year. Hopefully the transition to the great outdoors will be an easy one.

Animals ...... Wild & Otherwise

I have been a dog person all of my life. Then when my last dog, a dachshund called Mr. Twister, died 5 years ago I knew I was not ready for another dog. Kids were growing wings and empty nest was on the horizon. The responsibilities of another dog were something that I really needed to give some thought to. After three months of mulling it over, I was as lonely as hell but still knew that a dog was too much at this point in life. And that is how I ended up with not one but two cats, Cally Cat & Smudgie Bug ("the Brats"). Brother and sister kittens found in a snow bank. They were so damn cute I could not resist! I quickly discovered that the thing is....cats like to catch things! I don't like that! Out of necessity is one thing but since they are well fed so it just peeves me off. I know, I know, it's about the thrill of the hunt. I get it. I just don't like it.

So at the end of an enjoyable day in the garden, I look out the window while washing dishes and detect cat shenanigans in the backyard. At 1st I give the customary cat whistle (which, believe it or not, brings the Brats running) but their attention is elsewhere. Uggg. What the hell are they up to?

I spot my neighbor's cat, Basil, heading up from the creek with something in his mouth. Good lord - here I go again. I couldn't tell what it was until he was closer. A beautiful baby bunny!

I grabbed a huge tree branch and start swinging it to make him drop the bunny. (Great - another reason for my neighbor to think I am nuts!) The cat dropped the bunny but it started sliding down the hill towards the creek and couldn't get it's footing. With 3 cats lurking, I had no choice but to slide down the hill after it. I was able to get the little guy and set him up in a box with hay and carrot and lettuce. He didn't appear to be hurt just terrified. I read on the internet not to handle him too much so I can't be certain.if he was hurt or not. I tucked him away in the garage (away from kitties) for the night. I'll say a little prayer and figure out what to do in the morning.

Indoor Seeds - Round 2

Well three days later, I'm just getting back to seed starts.
Obviously I got sidetracked. So unlike me. Not! The second round of seeds were planted on the 15th. I planted:

• Tomato - Mortgage Lifter (x18)
• Onion - Evergreen (x8)
• Yellow Peter Pepper (x6)
• Morning Glory - Pink Star (x8) - and already 5 sprouts after 3 days!
• Tomato - Sweet 100's (x10)
• Orangesicle Peppers (x9)
• Dutchmen's Pipe "Grandiflora" (x9)

Have I mentioned how much I love this whole process? Seeds become food from food that is full of seeds.

New Arrivals - Brugs!

The Coolest Flowers Ever

They're here - the brugs have arrived! These are an absolute favorite and since I managed to kill the lot that I had last year I simply had to order more! These are hardy in the south but in the northeast they can be a real job. That's probably why they are near impossible to find in this area.

I have been growing them for about 5 years and hauling them in and out of the house is definitely a workout. Very few things are worth the effort but these babies are! In a typical growing season in New England these grow 5+ feet tall, depending on variety. It is an awesome sight when they start a flush of flowers and most have a nice scent.

So this years varieties are:

• Jean Pasco (pink)
  
• Peaches & Cream
• Harrenhauser Garten (double flowers are orange and yellow)
  
• Frosty Pink

Time to haul out the pots.....

More Turkey Tales!

Turkey....a Recurring Theme

With a beautiful day at hand, open windows were the way to go. A tad on the cool side with a slight wind blowing the curtains..... a welcome sensation. What's not to love about the great outdoors in the Spring! Trees budding, birds tweeting.......mmmm more good days to come.

As I was checking my email, I heard an unusual sound in the backyard. I poked my head out the window and down by the creek there was a visitor.......a wild turkey! I was surprised and delighted to have this visitor. Although I have seen them elsewhere, I have
never had any in my yard before. I made a dash for my camera and ran out to the deck.

I managed to get a few pics when the turkey started flapping and screeching. As I looked up I spotted the culprit - Smudgie Bug. Damn cat! Out of nowhere! Down goes the camera and off and running I am. Clapping and screaming like a lunatic! Reflecting back, I hope my neighbors were all busy with their lives. Not a pretty picture - the turkey is screeching and flapping, the cat is in hot pursuit and I am flipping out! Oy!

The end result turned out fine. The turkey escaped.

As delighted as I was to have a new visitor, please ....no more turkeys in my yard.

Spring Brings Great Days

Cape Codding in the Spring - Whew Hew!

Some days just work out great with very little planning. I like those days....and today was one. A feel good day.

Drove down to Cape Cod for the afternoon to bring some vintage items to a sweetheart of a woman who owns a consignment shop - Miss Patti. What a wonderful experience! The most interesting people pop into the shop. A true cast of characters.

Among them, a local shopster and her buddy arrived. Jean and Bea. What great personalities they were. The kind of people that feel like friends immediately.

Lot more to say but bed is calling. Did some seed starts - more tomorrow.

Indoor Seeds - Round 1

Turkey & Dirt

While the bird was in the oven for Easter dinner I decided to multi-task. Soooooo........I got out the peat pots and related gear as the bird was cooking. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

I bought a couple of those prefilled peat pots trays and quickly found out how hard it is to moisten the soil. After a few different approaches, the solution was to grab a bowl > add dirt > add water and swish around with my hands. Voila! There - now that works! Hubby who had spent the afternoon on the couch watching baseball happened upon the scene and was overcome by the very earthy smell permeating the kitchen. "Are we having turkey or dirt for dinner?", he asked. Oy! I do silly stuff!

Anyhoo....normally I start my seeds way too early and have problems with damping off and what not so I decided to start them a few weeks later this year. I managed to get these started:

• Cilantro
• Cucumbers - Bush Champion
• Eggplant - Black Beauty
• Jalapenos (can't wait for Ceviche this summer!)
  
• Snake Gourds
• Giant Pumpkins
• Dipper Gourds
• Birdhouse Gourds
• Sunflowers - Golden Cheer
  

Next up......tomatoes & peppers.

What's with the Seeds?

Seeds, Seeds, Everywhere!

What is it with seeds? Seeds racks seem to call my name . Like they know me personally and wink knowingly as I attempt to walk by. No can do. They are simply irresistible. Come hither.......

Seeds really epitomize the circle of life. When I cut a fruit or vegetable open and take a look at the number of seeds it contains I am amazed at the power of a single veggie. The seeds of just one tomato can provide me with tomatoes for the rest of my life! How amazing is that! Life truly should be abundant all over the world. There really isn't a reason for starvation - just putting things in place properly. Teach a man to fish.......

Take heirloom seeds. These have been passed along from generation to generation thereby feeding a family for years and years and years. How awesome is that!