gift bag

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This week I gave Anne Marie a bag of supplies to start a patio garden with her young daughters. It was really nice to have so many suggestions last week on what to include (link) – though if I included everything, she would have needed an acre of patio space! In the bag was:A planter pot (for lettuce and/or radish seeds), a bag of potting soil, compressed peat pots, wood plant labels, and a marking pen.Also, seeds for lettuce (mesclun gourmet baby greens from Botanical Interests), radish (Cherry Belle BI),…
 
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the tomato seeds are planted!

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Its a big event, to get my tomatoes planted. I think this really means the garden season has started. At last! I planted 3 cells each of 16 different varieties – one or two seeds per cell. I have some very exciting new (to me) varieties I’m trying this year. Box Car Willie, Hillybilly, Mortgage Lifter, Opalka and Sungold. And my old favorites: Giant Belgian, Purple Calabash and Brandywine. Lets hope its a perfect tomato summer. tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum)
 
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tulips in my sister's California garden

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These are photos my sister took of her backyard near San Francisco. I LOVE the top left one with tulips AND cactus! My aunt sent tulip bulbs to both of us last fall. Mine are just barely starting to grow. But in CA they are in full glory – a preview of what’s ahead! Its especially nice to see today – another bitter cold day in the NE. The good news is that a nice weekend is forecast. After all, March is supposed to go out like a lamb….
 
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work on the White House garden

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I came across the White House blog with a diagram of the new vegetable garden. Looks really nice. Lots of lettuce. And I was looking at the photos of Michele gardening. My goodness, I have to do something about my gardening wardrobe! What is she wearing? I love it, but now I feel way under dressed….
 
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vegetable likes and dislikes

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I read the other day that President Obama doesn’t like beets. My favorite! I wonder if he has tried Chiogga beets. These are sweet and tender. My dad doesn’t like beets either. Even Chiogga’s. He ate nothing but beets and tulip bulbs for a few years during the war in Holland and I suppose that would do it for anyone. I always say I like all vegetables. But then I remember there are a couple I don’t like. One is Brussels sprouts (which my Dad loves). The other is turnips…
 
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photographing a snow drop

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I found a new button on PhotoShop today – “Variations”. It was already hard enough to choose what photo looks best. Now 10 to choose between. But I’ll have fun playing. Variations gives a bunch of different light and color settings all next to each other on the same screen. I think I prefer the lighter version of this snow drop. And the greener shades. Of course, it’ll look different on its own or with my green blog background. And still not the same as it looked when I took…
 
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planting surprise seeds

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There’s nothing like a good mystery. A couple of weeks ago, Dan, a fellow garden blogger, sent me some seeds. We had arranged a trade. He sent me 6 Charentais melon seeds and 6 seeds each of two heirloom tomatoes (Hillbilly and Suddoth’s strain Brandywine). I sent him 6 Delicata melon and 6 purple Calabash tomato seeds. BUT, in addition to the agreed on seeds, Dan added a package of SURPRISE seeds. I have no idea what the surprise seeds are. They are small and round like cabbage or radish.…
 
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garden work

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The gardens were just beautiful today. Sunny and warm. Birds singing. Wonderful. Tasks accomplished:Moved debris pile away from my fence to make room for grass path by my fence.Added chicken wire to base of fence front.Moved half of rock pile to along my fence. Seeds planted yesterday:Surprise seeds from Dan (1 6-pack)Lavender (reseed pot where only 3 plants sprouted since 2-21)Lemon scented basil (1 pot) surprise seeds
 
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final winter statistics

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Dark, cold and snowy.This winter Boston got 51 inches of snow.For 24 days the temp didn’t get above freezing.Clouds covered the sun for 65 (of 90) days.And I’ve never seen such messed up streets. Its sure is nice to feel the spring sun!
 
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tgis

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Thank goodness its SPRING!!!! A great reason to celebrate….Topic: martini
 
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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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