seed trade

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I traded seeds with Dan (a blogger in Ontario) and it made my day to receive his envelope on Friday. I was interested to see how he’d package the seeds, as I’ve never done a seed trade by mail before. He put them in nice packets and just put the packets in a regular envelope. Tomorrow I’ll send off the seeds I promised him (six Delicata squash and a few Purple Calabash tomato seeds). I just wanted to see how to do it before sending mine. Dan included a extra…
 
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generate your own vegetable planting calendar on-line

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I’ve put together a planting calendar that will calculate the planting dates for crops for whatever zone you’re in. Just enter your last frost date, click the button and everything gets calculated. (magic!) It’s not quite done yet. I don’t think the last few dates calculate yet. Check back to this page and I’ll add fall planting too. Please let me know if any planting dates don’t seem right. Mostly, the dates are as recommended by Johnny’s website and Botanical Interests seed packages. Each single date refers to ‘the week…
 
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signs of spring – despite the snow

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1. The squirrels are making a commotion chasing each other along the fence.2. Chickadees are singing their spring song and flying in pairs.3. My local hardware store has their seeds racks up. (They’ve added an additional rack this year – sign of a big year ahead for gardeners I think).4. The Red Sox are heading south for spring practice.5. The sunlight feels very nice! sure signs of spring
 
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today’s garden photos

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These photos show the amount of sun my garden gets at 1:00 in the winter. Not so much with a big house to the south. But the sunlight is getting stronger now. Though its 24*F outside today, the snow is melting nicely in sunlit areas. (Yeah!) Looks like I need to get out there and shovel that path again. I’m still meaning to try some mid winter kale. The kale is down there under the snow somewhere.
 
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melting snow and seed orders

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Our paths are all muddy now. Skippy checks out every inch of the muddy snowbanks. I’m glad for any melting we get. I was able to get my last seed order mailed out yesterday. Turns out I waited too long and Sand Hill is sold out of Opalka tomato seeds for 2009. I found another source (Reimer) and placed my order, adding in a few more varieties (Box Car Willie, Early Girl and Sun Gold cherry). And I have a trade set up with Dan. I’ll send Delicata squash and…
 
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sports, melons and seed catalogs ….

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Yes, that was me. Out in the bleachers reading my seed catalog at the high school wrestling tournament. I’d look up now and then and cheer. Then, back to the heirloom melon section. Nothing like an all day sporting event to catch up on my catalogs. I think I can do better at growing melons this year. I’ll remember that the seedlings need to stay very warm. Sand Hill Preservation Center reminds growers not to start seedlings indoors more than 2 weeks early. The seedlings should not have more than…
 
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organizing seed packages

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Today’s mail delivery brought a few more seed packages. From Burpee. A nice new marigold (Fireball), parsnips, cucumbers, parsley and Provence Blue lavender. I already received my seeds from Johnny’s and Botanical Interests. My Fedco potatoes and onion sets will come in April. With most of my seeds in, I spread out all the packages, old and new and got out my rubber band jar. I stacked the seeds by their planting date. First pile to be sown 8-10 weeks before frost. Next, 4-6 weeks. Next, 2-3 weeks. Next, direct…
 
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mid winter gardening

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Skippy and I took a walk at through the community garden plots yesterday. A local horse owner is still kindly dropping off manure, so I went ahead and collected some for my garden. I couldn’t open my garden gate because of the snow, but was able to reach over my fence and grab my plastic wheelbarrow. I gathered one load in this, but it was difficult to lift it and dump the load over my 5 foot fence. I did manage to do it once. It was somewhat of a…
 
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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

Make your own customized planting calendar. Try out my app!
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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

Flickr

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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