updated tomato varieties

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I miscounted the number of varieties of tomato plants I have: Really only 10 different varieties, 20 plants. I have Brandywine (3), Early Girl (3), Marglobe (3), Big Beef (3), Big Girl (3), Big Boy (1), Moskvich (1), Chadwick Cherry (1), Rutgers (1) and New Girl (1). These are all red tomatoes, mostly large ones. I have a mix of heirlooms (Brandywine, Moskvich and Chadwick), old non-heirlooms (Rutgers and Marglobe) and hybrids (Early Girl, Big Girl, New Girl, Big Boy and Big Beef). I’m looking forward to comparing these.
 
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tomatoes are in!

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The tomatoes are in! They are in the foreground here, with hay mulch between them. I planted 20 plants, 16 different varieties. Solanum lycopersicum
 
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transplanting peppers

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This year I raised one type of plant indoors from seed – peppers. They are a mix of five types of chili peppers. I made the pots from strips of newspapers. Today I planted them, paper and all. The pots worked great. They held together well. And even without bottoms the roots held the dirt in the pots. The only problem, I have room for 20 and I raised 90 plants! Chili peppers anyone? Capsicum
 
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rain on dill

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We’ve had 2.7 inches of rain in the past week. Pretty wet. The gardens are soggy and muddy. But I think most of the vegetables have been enjoying it (with the exception of the basil). This photo is some dill, which looks really happy to me. culinary herbs
 
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compost surprise

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I found these in the compost bins this week. Maybe halloween pumpkins? Thanksgiving butternut squash? Gourds? I’ll try to find a sunny spot for these volunteers and transplant them soon. Pumpkin — Cucurbitaceae spp. my bins and systems for composting compost
 
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tomato bed

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I did succeed in preparing my tomato bed this week. I clipped the rhododendron way back (I couldn’t bear to get rid of it), added 4 barrows full of compost and turned it all in. Then the rain storm moved it. Solanum lycopersicum
 
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gnome at work

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The gnome is very quietly going about his work now. There’s always a lot to be done in the spring garden. I have several garden chores waiting for me. Planting tomatoes, the patio flower pots, cleaning up the clematis vine…. not to mention just watching the plants grow. But there are also always a lot of other things that need to be done. Work, family. And then there’s the weather, which has been cool and rainy the past week. I will admire my gnome and perhaps I’ll join him next…
 
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Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day

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I’m joining in with bloggers who participate in Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day. Since its the middle of the month, I’m posting photos of the what’s blooming in my vegetable garden. Right now my most prolific bloomer is the pretty purple violets. They pop up here and there with their happy little faces. Once again, I have planted marigolds in the corners of my raised beds. Little french red and yellow ones. I enjoy their pungent smell. I only have a few vegetables that are budded now. The extra large Big…
 
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baby tomato plants

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This looks like a family portrait of tomatoes! (Everyone line up and smile!) I have collected quite a few plants (35) and will give half to my parents. I have the following varieties: Moskvich (1), New Girl (1), Early Girl (6), Big Beef (6), Rutgers (1), Big Boy (1), Chadwich Cherry (1), Marglobe (6), Big Girl (6) and Brandywine (6). The Big Boy plant is an extra large one with flower buds already. I assume this means it will produce ripe tomatoes sooner. I’m still trying to get my first…
 
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broccoli

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I’m not sure what happened to my last batch of broccoli. I bought and planted 12 seedlings two weeks ago. Five of the plants got up eaten off at the stem. It looks like a tomato cut worm. I didn’t know cut worms ate broccoli, so I am blaming the squirrels. This weekend, I bought and planted another 6 plants. Since it looked like I planted the previous batch too close, II replanted all of the plants further apart. (I think I’ll go out and put collars on all of…
 
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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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