lots of pea sprouts

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My neighbor was surprised at how dense I planted my peas. Well I didn’t expect them all to sprout. How dense do you plant your peas? I have a nice row of sprouts about 8 inches wide and 3 feet long. I’m planting similar rows as soon as the previous sprouting comes up. The photo shows Pisello Nano, a very short (1 foot tall) green shell pea.
 
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mouse and trowel nominees

 
 
Here are the 2008 Mouse and Trowel nominees. Good luck to all. I am glad to see that a lot of the blogs I voted for won nominations.
 
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soil samples sent

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I just mailed out my soil samples. Just so I remember: sample 1 is from the new plot adjacent to my house, sample 2 is from my old raised beds, sample 3 is from my new community garden plot. I think its likely the soil adjacent to my house will be contaminated with lead and I will need to abandon this plot. We’ll see. The results should be back in 1-2 weeks.topic: soil
 
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my new community garden plot

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My new plot measures 12 ft by 21 ft. Its in the full sun, with the exception of a nice little lilac bush just outside of the plot in the northeast corner. It is surrounded by a low border of stones. No fence yet – that’s one of the things on my to-do list. It up on a little rise, maybe a foot or so higher than most of the plots, which are to the south and west of mine. The plot itself is level. The plot is on the…
 
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it’s plot assignment day !!!!!

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I was assigned a FANTASTIC plot!!! I could not have hoped for a nicer one. About 12 ft by 21 ft, with beautiful rich soil. Full sun. In the general location I was hoping for. AWESOME! And, a I met really nice group of gardeners at the plot assignment/clean up event today. More than 50 gardeners turned out to clean up the common areas, and 18 new plots were assigned to new gardeners. Such fun! I’ll post more details later. I’ve got gardening to do now…. Belmont Victory Garden
 
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community plots

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Yesterday I walked through Rock Meadow Community Gardens with Skippy. I took pictures of many of the plots, which are showing lots of signs of spring planting. I enjoy the different ways of using the plots. Different types of beds and different types of pathways. I’m considering how I will set up my plot. Tomorrow’s the big day – plot assignments! Belmont Victory Gardensure signs of spring
 
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planting before the rains

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Today, in my home garden, I transplanted kale, broccoli and lettuce seedlings. I didn’t realize I had so many. I also sowed seeds of radish, peas (Pisselle, Sugar Sprint, Tall Telephone and Capucijners) and fava beans. Rains are forecast, which should water them in well.
 
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bluebirds at the community gardens

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Its spring! The birds are nesting. Skippy and I walked through the gardens at Rock Meadow (Belmont) where I hope to have a community plot assignment on Saturday. I was enthralled by the nesting birds. I didn’t look too hard, but found several nesting tree swallows and 3 beautiful pairs of nesting Eastern bluebirds! There’s a big open field of conservation land adjacent to the gardens where the town has nesting boxes scattered. It is a beautiful habitat for many species. garden birds (Hortus Aves) Belmont Victory GardenRock Meadow Conservation…
 
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turning the soil of my raised beds

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My spring routine is to turn the soil of my garden beds. Today I turned three of my beds. I use a standard garden shovel and flip the soil over onto itself – the way my dad showed me years ago. If I have a cover crop, this gets turned under. This year I have a light cover of winter ryegrass. I like the wait a week or so, but sometimes right away, I smooth the soil level with the backside of a metal rake. Finally my irrigation lines get…
 
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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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