Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Season Has Begun!

I was on vacation for a week and have a lot of catching up to do! Between laundry, email, work and assuring the dogs that I will not be leaving them again for a l-o-n-g time it has been a hectic week. I started some of my seeds over the weekend.


From top to bottom I have: wildflowers (I think, I didn't label the package), lettuce, shasta daisy, kale, Swiss chard, spinach and under the lights three types of tomatoes. It isn't recommended to start spinach and chard indoors but I have not had any luck with direct seeding them. The chard came up last year but some critter got to it and I think the birds stole my spinach seeds. I figure if it doesn't germinate I still have plenty of seeds to try again.

I went to Home Depot to buy more lights and mistakenly bought ones that needs to be hard wired, not plugged in. Needless to say, those were retuned. I haven't been able to find florescent lights that can plug in, yet I have two from last year. I refuse to pay over $60 for a grow light system from the gardening supply places. I am sure shop lights will work just fine. Now only if I could find them!

The beginning of next week should fill in the greenhouse nicely. I have to start my Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage and something else that I can't remember right now. I ordered my potatoes today from Henry Fields. A pretty good deal too - 2lbs for $9.99!!! Considering you can get 10X the amount once harvested I think I will have plenty of potatoes!

Ideally I would like to start the Spring garden this weekend but the forecast is calling for snow on Friday. Yup, snow on April Fool's Day and it is no joke. I am thinking my peas and such won't get in the ground until the end of April this year.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Butternut Squash Tart

I am really not a butternut squash type of girl but I can't specify with Boston Organics exactly which squash I don't want. If I check off 'don't ever send me squash" that means I will never get zucchini, patty pan, or Kalibrocha. So I am stuck with the butternut they send me and am always looking for a way to make them taste. Yes, I said taste, not taste better, just taste. I find them extraordinarily bland. My mom gave me a recipe for a "rustic butternut squash tart". Here is the result:

All in all it was pretty tasty, and super easy. I think I liked it because I overloaded on the thyme, red onions and extra sharp cheddar. All of that tends to overwhelm the lack of flavor the butternut has :) And pretty much those are the ingredients. Squash sliced thin, red onions sliced into rings, fresh thyme and shredded extra sharp cheddar. Put all of that over a pie crust, fold over the edges, Brush with a wel beaten egg, Cook on 400 degree for 20-30 minutes and ta-dow - you have tasty squash!
And on a different topic - Spring is soooo close. We changed the clocks this weekend so it will be lighter at night. The waking and walking in the dark with the dogs really isn't a highlight, but the night walk certainly is! I saw so many Robins out this morning. Another sure sign Spring is on its way. The majority of Robins leave here in the Fall and in their place come the Juncos. Once you start seeing Robins you will start to not see Juncos and then Spring is officially here - no matter what the date on the calendar! Well, that is how I see things. That and when you can start gardening.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Signs of Spring!

It is so exciting after a l-o-n-g winter full of ridiculous snow storms to see signs of Spring peeking out. While out walking with the guys I saw my first crocus - granted it wasn't fully open, only about the size of my thumb nail - but it was so encouraging to see! When we got home I noticed that my crocuses, daffodils and jonquils were all peeking out of the ground too! And the birds! I love to hear the woo-hoo of the chickadees in the morning it really feels like Spring even though it is only 30 degrees. The male cardinals have all been at the tippy tops of the trees belting their hearts out in the hopes to find a mate for the season. I love it! I typically have a family of cardinals in late Spring and I am hoping he brings his family back here. I miss Flat Top - he was a cardinal that looked like he stuck his head in a fan belt because he lost his plume - but he was a character. He would sing at the front fence if the feeder was empty. And once I went back to fill it I was no more than a foot away and he was already on it! He had me trained. I was so sad when he didn't come back in the Spring. It is so hard to tell the birds apart but he was so different looking. He brought his 'kids' here to feed so I am hoping that the cardinals in the yard now are his offspring.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Garden season has officially begun!

I finally placed my order with Territorial Seed and as you can see it has arrived!



For Spring vegetables this year I hope to grow:
Ching-Chiang - which is a dwarf pac choi
Avalanche Snow Peas
Wild Garden Kales - a mixture of Siberian kales
Red Meat Radishes
Soloist Hybrid - which is a baby Chinese cabbage
Fordhook Giant Chard

Summer/Fall veggies include:
Kentucky Blue Pole Beans
Sayamusume Bush Bean (aka edamame)
Bitonto Tomato - allegedly the ultimate patio tomato
Raider Cucumber - the packet states "champion performer" let's hope so!
Roodnerf Brussels Sprouts

And that is only the 'new stuff'. I still have leftover lettuce, zucchini, delicata, and chard seeds, and heaven knows what else is kicking around. I think there maybe some spaghetti squash, edamame, and sungold tomatoes - oh my.

I already have the Escargot that I use for the slugs around my hostas but my sister told me that they also do a number on Brussels. So I went the extra step and ordered Slug Off Copper Rings here's hoping 1) that I can actually grow sprouts and 2) that if indeed I can grow them I can keep the slugs away.

Now I just need to figure out where all this is going to fit in the yard!