garden work

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WeedingHarvested basilTransplant eggplants from side yard to community plot for more sunWeed whack paths around my plotFertilized popcornTransplant a small rudbeckia from side yard to community plotWeeding, weedingHarvested about 1/4 of onions, and some beetsClean out pea and fava bean bed In pea and fava bean bed, sow seeds for: Carrots, MokumBeets, Chioggga and LutzLettuce, Green Summer Crisp Loma In garlic beds, sow seeds for:Shell beans pole, Tongue of Fire, Flagrano, Shell beans bush, Vermont Cranberry, Black Turtle Soup More weeding….My compost bin is way over filled now and I…
 
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giant patty pan squash bread

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After returning from vacation, I found this giant white patty pan squash growing in my garden. I should have weighed or measured it. I didn’t, but it was pretty big. It made about 8 cups of grated squash. I made my old summer squash bread recipe. Its exceptionally good! I also sauteed some grated squash for dinner. I added a bunch of chopped onion, fresh garlic and thyme, then lightly sauteed in olive oil. After it finished cooking, I grated on a bit of Robusto cheese. Delicious! I’d like to…
 
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late blight alert

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I was disappointed to hear that late blight has been spotted in Massachusetts (links below) this week. On Tuesday, it was found on tomatoes in a field in Hadley MA (Hampshire County, western MA). Tests are being done to figure out where it came from. Its also been found this year in a garden in Maine, and on commercial potatoes in Wisconsin. I have been looking at tomatoes and potatoes in our plots and have yet to see any late blight. UMASS late blight siteCornell late blight site.
 
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drying garlic

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Before leaving for vacation, I was short of time and threw my newly harvested garlic into a box in the basement. I found this nice video from Kitchen Gardeners about harvesting, curing and storing garlic. Hopefully my garlic will still dry OK after neglecting it last week.
 
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my garden after vacation

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I love exploring my garden after being away. Every bed has surprises. Especially the squash beds! I will have to get my squash bread recipe out to use the big ones I discovered. (Or sneak them over to the compost bin…) I have an enormous Long Island Cheese pumpkin already. Must be about 1 foot diameter. Also a couple other types of pumpkins. My popcorn needs fertilizer. I meant to do this before vacation, but ran out of time. It is 5 feet tall now, and tasseling. The ears will…
 
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Swiss community gardens

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While I was in Switzerland last week on vacation, I took a bunch of photos of vegetable gardens. We traveled by train, so I had to pull up the camera quick and hope to get a shot before we went into a tunnel or behind a tree. It was a challenge! The gardens are full to the top at this time of year with all sorts of crops. They look beautiful! The community gardens look a lot like ours here in the US, but I was surprised at all the…
 
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vacation wildflowers

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I’ve been away the past week. Any guesses where from the local wildflowers? I suppose you can’t really tell where I was from the wildflowers, so here’s a scenic photo: This may have been one of the cooler locations around the Northern hemisphere this past week. Even so, it was warm here. The glaciers are suffering from the heat.
 
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quick pickles

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Last year at the end of gardening season, my husband and I visited one of our favorite restaurants; The East Coast Grill in Cambridge MA. The always serve fantastic pickles made from all sorts of vegetables, carrots, beets, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, and cucumbers, as an appetizer. They were so tasty I ordered a copy of the book from Amazon when I got home. I think its time to start making pickles!
 
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what is this?

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We saw many of these beautiful flowers in Vermont on our recent vacation and couldn’t figure out what it is. Looks like a wild rose or a berry bramble maybe, but with five lobed, maple-like leaves. I’m hoping someone can ID it for me. Thanks in advance!
 
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cheers to cucumber season!

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My first cukes are in. Yippy! I love to make cucumber martinis. Of course, they’re nice in salads too. My earliest varieties are blocky white North Carolina pickling cucumbers and Burpee’s Sweet Success. This year I am growing my cucumbers (and melons) on trellises in my cold frame (with covers removed). I have an automatic sprinkler set up to give them 10 minutes of water every evening. They seem to like this.
 
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Kathy Martin
This is a journal of my vegetable gardens. Skippy thinks the garden is his, even though I do all the work. We're located near Boston, in USDA zone 6. I have bees, chickens, fruit trees and berry bushes, too. I use all sustainable organic methods and strive to grow all of my family's vegetables myself. -Kathy


weeks and counting until my last spring frost

What I planted recently

Jan 21
thyme, lettuce, escarole

Feb 21
celery, celeriac, parsley, leeks

March 11
cabbage, kale, arugula



What I'm planting soon

April 1
peppers, eggplants, marigolds, beets

April 12
tomatoes, basil, sunflowers

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My garden this week

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17 years of archives!

Check out the food pantry farm I helped to start up:

Aurelia's Garden

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Skippy’s vegetable of the month – Egyptian walking onions!

“I envision a day when every city and town has front and back yards, community gardens and growing spaces, nurtured into life by neighbors who are no longer strangers, but friends who delight in the edible rewards offered from a garden they discovered together.” – Greg Peterson

"What can happen to a seed is a miracle."

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