so cold!!!

 
 
Our temperature went down to -6.5*F last night. Ouch!! I had the ceramic heater going in the chicken coop and the small monitor shows their temp: 13.5*F. The girls were no worse for the wear, but we had a pipe freeze in the house. So far it seems the pipe did not burst, but we are cautiously watching as it thaws. I can’t remember ever seeing the temperature this low in this area before. Brrrr!
 
MORE

sorting seeds

 
 
There’s a blizzard outside today – a good day to sort seeds. I got out my seed basket, sorted the packets by type, and then selected the ones I want to plant this year. I’ve accumulated so many seeds that I really don’t need to buy any this year. I’ll get some new carrot, beet and summer squash seeds. Also some broccoli and zinnias. But mostly I’ll try to use up the old seeds and not buy more – easier said than done…. I’m thinking I’ll plant a section of…
 
MORE

sweet potato sprouts

 
 
About 5 or 6 of my little sweet potatoes have sprouted now. They’re in a pan with a little moisture, partially covered with plastic, in a warm spot.
 
MORE

snowy fruit tree clearing

 
 
This is the area where I will plant some fruit trees in the spring. It was under a foot of snow last week when I took these pictures. After the rain we got the past couple days, only a few inches of snow left now. I should have room here for about 5 dwarf or semi dwarf trees. I want to measure the area soon and mark out where the trees will go. I am thinking of getting 3 apples (maybe dwarf Liberty, Honeycrisp and Esopus Spitzenburg from Fedco), a…
 
MORE

sweet potato sprouts

 
 
My sweet potatoes have started to make cute little sprouts! Yippee! I remembered at the last minute to save a few of my homegrown sweet potatoes for sprouting. The last ones were the smallest – a mix of white (Hannah), oranges (Jewel and Beauregard) and reds (Garnet). For years, I’ve had trouble getting sweet potatoes to sprout at our old house. I’ve read they need warmth, but whatever I did didn’t seem to work – maybe because my old house had mostly cool spaces. A couple weeks ago, I put…
 
MORE

crops for my community plot

 
 
Before I map out what to plant where in my new home garden, I need to decide what will go in my community plot. I’ll be keeping my plot at least one more season, mostly because I planted my garlic there this fall (and also since I will stay on as the Garden Coordinator another year.) I’m going to start a list here of crops that have done well in the plot. These are generally ones that aren’t susceptible to pests that thrive in a community garden. For example, late…
 
MORE

19 weeks and counting

 
 
I’ve started the countdown to my last frost. Should be about May 10 for my new garden. 19 weeks!! All my seed starting is based on this countdown. The first seeds to plant will be onions and celeriac, which get started 11 weeks before the last frost. So I have 8 weeks to get ready. Lights, shelves, potting soil, trays, seeds. It’s exciting to have a date set and a countdown going!
 
MORE

no eggs yet

 
 
My mom emailed me today “Any eggs yet?” I replied “Nope.” She emailed back, “What’s wrong with those chickens?” I told her that I have been very direct in telling the hens that we expect eggs, but what else can I do? They are eating well, they have a nice coop and I do what I can for them. I have had my three chickens for 4.5 weeks now. On Dec 26, they’ll be 23 weeks old. (actually 23 to 27 weeks old.) Usually hens start laying eggs at 24…
 
MORE

the winter solstice!

 
 
Its all uphill from here – more light every day and closer to the day I break ground in my new garden.
 
MORE

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!
Apple/iOS

My garden this week

Browse by topic

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."

Posts by the month

August 2026
S M T W T F S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  

 

 

 

Website by:
Verve Marketing Group

Menu