winter colors

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Today I tried to see how many “colorful” photos I could take. I’m hoping its about the end of the winter drabness here in New England. We have so many shades of gray branches, dirty white snow, and brown mud and dead leaves. Aside from the bright plastic trash debris, I was able to find bright purple raspberry stems, shriveled but showy red bittersweet and blue juniper berries, and a nice pink sunset behind the power lines. Ahh…. Tomorrow we have a foot of fresh snow predicted and then when…
 
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stone wall

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I was trying to catch (photographically) two red squirrels that were running up and down this stone wall yesterday. But I couldn’t do it. They are fast and shy. So this is just a stone wall photo. Its another sign of spring that the squirrels are “playing tag”. Actually its the squirrel mating season and their antics are wild. This could be a phenologism to note: plant onion seeds when the squirrels begin chasing. Other spring signs now are the chickadees have begun singing spring songs, the fur is on…
 
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raised beds warm the soil

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As the snow melts, I noticed it has melted first from my raised beds while paths are still frozen. I guess raised beds do make the soil warmer!
 
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hawk

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Can anyone help me identify this hawk? Yesterday on our walk, Skippy and I came across this hawk. He was in the bushes pulling at something. When he saw us, he flew into a tree with what looked like a pine cone and leaves. There must have been something tasty in there too. Grubs or a rodent. BTW, here’s a Red-Tailed story my Mom sent me: “One Hawk Per Mile”.
 
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Super Bowl martini

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Go Saints! Today’s martini recipe: Chill two glasses, martini shaker and a nice bourbon. To shaker add: crushed ice, chilled bourbon, a couple drops sweet vermouth, and wave the Angostura bitters nearby. Shake well. Pour into chilled glasses with skewered Maraschino cherry and dried fruits (fig, cherry, cranberry). Add Maraschino cherry juice to sweeten taste. (This is called a bourbon martini, also a Sahara-dry Manhattan.)
 
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first seeds planted

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These are my first seeds planted this year! They are in seed cells inside under lights. Its 83 days (11 weeks) before my last spring frost. List:Echinacea (enormous purple cone flowers hand collected)Lavender augustifoliaCeleriac, BrilliantOnion, FrontierOnion, Ailsa CraigOnion, Yellow Sweet SpanishOnion, Rossa Lunga di FirenzeOnion, Ruby RingOnion, White Portugal I am also collecting plastic gallon milk bottles as I’d like to set out a few types of wild flowers and perennial flowers for winter sowing soon. Sowing 2009Sowing 2008
 
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2010 sowing list

 
 
February 7, 2010  These are my first seeds planted this year! They are in seed cells inside under lights. Its 83 days (11 weeks) before my last spring frost. Echinacea (enormous purple cone flowers hand collected) Lavender augustifolia Celeriac, Brilliant Onion, Frontier Onion, Ailsa Craig Onion, Yellow Sweet Spanish Onion, Rossa Lunga di Firenze Onion, Ruby Ring Onion, White Portugal   March 10, 2010 (8 weeks before the last frost) Pepper, Numex Joe E Parker (Johnny’s) Pepper, Thai hot (Botanical Interests) Pepper, cayenne, Amelia’s (hand collected) Marigold, Petit mix (Johnny’s)…
 
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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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