lichen on gray birch
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I will be experimenting with macro photos this month for a photo contest. I often look into contests, but have never yet entered one. Maybe this time. Its a bit of a challenge to find a good subject this time of year.
seed order placed
My seed order is placed. I ordered: – about 30 varieties from 3 mail order companies (blue text)– green plastic mulch for melons and squashes to increase soil temp and reduce weeding– bean, pea, broad bean and soybean inoculants– clover cover crop seed Much of the seed I will plant this year is left over from previous years (green text). Some is also self collected. Here’s my list of varieties.
Belmont edible yards
Belmont will have a effort this year to encourage edible gardening. The Farmers Market will purchase fruit bushes and trees at wholesale prices and sell at cost at the Market. I am very excited by this. Our area of Belmont was a pear orchard in the 1800’s. Mostly Bartlett’s. It seems only proper for the new program to offer this pear, which does well here. Maybe dwarf varieties are available for small yards. Since it needs cross pollination, it would be nice if many yards had these trees. Ideas for…
home again
Much of our snow cover back up here in Massachusetts has disappeared by now. Our weather is in the 40’s in the day. Now that I am home, I’ll collect planting trays and soil. I’d like to get a few seeds started, even though its too early. And I have salad sprouts waiting to go too. Spring is around the corner…. somewhere….
Florida fruits
It is so wonderful to get fresh Florida fruits from the backyard (and front yard) trees. About 30 years ago, my sister planted a seed from a grapefruit and now there is an enormous tree in my parents backyard. The tree is COVERED!! this year with so many fruits hanging low and pulling the branches to the ground. And then my grandmother started a couple avocados from seed and they too are 40 foot tall trees with many fruits now. My parents neighbors to the right have a lemon tree…
my mom’s seedlings
These are my mom’s little tomato and basil seedlings. They are sunning on the front porch down here in Florida.
the gardener is on the beach
This is Naples Florida, way down south on the west coast of Florida. I abandon the New England weather for a few days in the middle of every winter. To visit my parents and get some sun on my face and sand in my toes. The weather here has been very cold, for this area, for the past few days. There has been damage to the local crops and plants around my parents house. The papaya trees next door looked singed and the orchid flower has some spots. My Mom…
willow catkins are opening
You have to search around a bit and look close, but some of the pussy willow buds are opening. Don’t know if its fair to call these a sign of spring.
2010 vegetable varieties list
I’m working on my seed list. Here’s a list of all the varieties I’ve grown for the last few years with notes on how I liked them. The 2010 column lists varieties I’ll grow again this year. I need to go through it and add new varieties I’ll try. Its exciting that the sun is getting a little brighter by the day. I noticed pussy willow buds today that are getting furry. My sweet potatoes sprouts on the window sill are almost starting to grow – almost … 2010 vegetable…
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
My garden this week
Skippy’s vegetable of the month – Egyptian walking onions!
