January 2012 Archives

Originally posted by Carol from May Dreams Gardens.

"Over and above fostering equanimity, the cultivation of a garden promotes the tenderer graces and extends the sweet charities of life." In other words, gardeners are generally, calm, nice, and giving people. The first fling was in 2008 in Austin, Texas "I need no introduction to a person who has a garden; and be his or her rank what it may, I go, opening the gate, whether a huge iron or a

Originally posted by snappy from Snappy's Gardens Blog.

I got an email about Wilkinson's new White Strawberries.These have also been called Pine berries,as the small fruits taste like Pineapple.I bought all my Seed Potatoes,Onions,and Garlic there in the Wakefield Wilko's but did not see these.I cheekily emailed them for a sample to grow in the garden.A few days later and the packet arrived with the White Strawberry dormant plants in it.I needed to soak the two roots first in water.I then planted them in two pots besides the backdoor.I will watch their progress and hopefully tell you all what the White Strawberries taste like.
I read about these as some of the garden trends of 2012.I hope that these will grow some tasty fruits this year.
I ordered another eight Strawberry plants for my sleeper bed a week ago.They have not arrived yet.They will fill the remaining corner of the bed.Last years crop of Strawberries was a delight of the Summer.

Originally posted by Anna@Green Talk from Green Talk®.

Erin Barnes is a green gal next door.  What is a green gal, you might ask?  She is someone who is simply an ordinary woman who is creating much needed change in the world.  This green gal rolled up her sleeves and set out to change the world one block at a time.   How [...]

Originally posted by darcy@bloomtown.net (Darcy Daniels) from BLOOMTOWN.

Darcy Daniels of Bloomtown Gardens offers design tip for placement of winter blooming shrubs.

Originally posted by Carol from May Dreams Gardens.

Welcome to my new rabbit hole, The Book of Old-Fashioned Flowers and Other Plants Which Thrive in the Open Air of England by Harry Roberts. With numerous illustrations reproduced from drawings by Ethel Roskurge. Published in MCMI, which if I remember my Roman numerals correctly, is 1901. "Aught One" It took me mere seconds to download it to my iPad thanks to Google and Apple. It took me

Originally posted by kathy from Skippy's Vegetable Garden.

Another very chilly day. The day was ~10-25*F. Fortunately less wind than yesterday. Lots of birds were on the big pond (Fresh Pond in Cambridge). The ones I saw:
20 Canvas back ducks
20 Ring necked ducks
50 Canada geese
a pair of bufflehead ducks
maybe a male wood duck?
lots of sea gulls
a few robins
and a Coopers hawk eating his dinner

Originally posted by Kylee from Our Little Acre.

Ask me if I like Brussels sprouts and I'm likely to turn up my nose. But I really don't have a good reason to do that, because to be honest, I've never tasted them. But now I want to.

I grew Brussels sprouts in 2008, but I never ate them. It wasn't because of the aphids either.

Annie White, Editor-at-Large of Inside Grower, brought an interesting little tidbit of information to my attention in her latest newsletter. It seems that there is a genetic predisposition for liking Brussels sprouts or disliking them. About half the population has a gene type that causes the vegetable to taste bitter to them. The other half has a mutation of the gene that allows them to eat Brussels sprouts without tasting the bitterness.

Brussels sprouts contain PTC - Phenylthiocarbamide - and people who can't taste it are more likely to enjoy eating them. This discovery was made by the Eden Project in Cornwall, Great Britain.

I grew Brussels sprouts once, four years ago, but I never ate them. Now that there's this genetic link to liking these or not, I want to grow them again and this time, I'll eat them. I'll eat them at least once, just to find out if I'm a "taster" or not. Then I'll make my husband eat them to see if he likes them. And then - you know what's coming, don't you? - I'll make our girls eat them to see whose genes they inherited.

Yeah, it will be a downright scientific experiment.

Originally posted by kathy from Skippy's Vegetable Garden.

Pretty quiet at my garden plot now. The parsnips I planted too late are still in the ground and still too small. The only action is the garlic. I planted this very late too. Tiny sprouts are just poking up in the cracking soil.

Its another winter like 2007 with no snow and mild weather (my favorite type of winter!!!). I was looking back at my records from previous gardens. We were knee-deep last year, but 5 years ago was very much like this year.

Originally posted by Ilona from A Garden Journal Diary of Ilona's Garden.

At times when grief seems overwhelming, or when personal sorrows weigh down the spirit, people often find balm in nature. It seems to speak in a way that is healing to our souls. In a garden, where one is most intimately acquainted with nature, we often see it as a workplace, a place that invites us to active experimentation, investigative curiosity, and diligent labor. But when our hearts are most grieved we want none of that.... and it is then that we discover the garden as a place of solace, a place that waits for us.

In those times we are no longer laying plans or putting ourselves into our gardens, but simply receive the quiet lessons, comforting friendship of the earth we till. For many, a garden is where God speaks to us, still.

It has lessons and insights of the cycle of life, of the ebb and flow of the seasons, and of those things greater than ourselves. That gives comfort and peace, to know that there has been a continuum and that nothing ever really passes completely from existence, but often changes form. It tells us of our mortality, but also of our eternal hope. It tells us that life and love are stronger, in finality, than death. It reminds us that there are good things, so many good things, all around us.

Our lives are better for our gardens, and our gardens speak things to the world for us in ways without words. Sometimes those ways touch the deepest part of the human soul.

Technorati Tags: solace of nature, gardens

Originally posted by Harvest from Real Food & Scandalous Gardening Secrets.

January is traditionally the time of day dreaming and planning for gardeners young and old. Garden catalogs begin trickling in, tantalizing us with rediscovered heirlooms, as well as new and improved flowers and foods. Slowly we work through each catalog revising the list of everything we want, until we can be satisfied with what we really need, what we really have time and space for. But many a cold, rainy day is cheered with all the possibilities.

If you aren’t already inundated with gardening catalogs check out: http://www.mailordergardening.com/ You will find listings for more garden catalogs than you ever imagined. They are arranged by plant categories, such as trees, herbs and vegetables, bulbs, etc. When you click on the catalog name you are sent to a page that gives a description of the company as well as a link to their web site. Or you can simply jot down the phone numbers of the ones you think you would like and call to request a catalog. Parents and teachers will also want to check out their “Kids Garden” section. They have color pages, a game, and information on a small grant. If you don’t have Internet service, stop by our local library. Most libraries (including ours) now have public access computers available, and someone is usually available to give you a hand.

Planning for Peppers

Peppers do an outstanding job during our hot summers. However, our sometimes cool spring weather can get them off to a dismal start. They tend to be very slow growing when young; the cooler it is, the slower they grow. A little planning ahead will help you grow the best pepper crop ever. Peppers of all kinds can be started inside (in late January or early February) if you can provide a warm location and bright light. Peppers germinate best with soil temperatures between 75 and 80 degrees. You can get a good guestimate of indoor soil temperature by laying a room thermometer down on the surface where you will place your seeded six packs. It may take some experimenting to find the right location. You need the seeded six packs to stay warm at night, but not get over heated during the day when they are under lights. Many people resort to special heating mats made for starting seeds; others skip the seed starting step and purchase young plants ready to harden off and slip into the ground. If you want to grow your own peppers from seed, it is a good idea to find your spot or shop for a heating mat now. Most nurseries and garden catalogs keep them in stock, especially this time of year. Shop around; prices for exactly the same set up can vary greatly.

If you crave a rainbow of peppers in more variety than we usually find close to home, several catalogs come to mind. If you are interested in growing organic heirloom peppers, here are two great choices. Seeds of Change offers two pepper seedling collections—one of sweet peppers, the other of chile peppers, plus lots of choices in seeds. (888) 762-7333 / www.SeedsOfChange.com The Seed Savers Exchange offers seedlings of eight different heirlooms, two of which are hot, one mild, and the rest sweet. You can mix and match or order a sampler pack. And they have even more varieties as seed. (563) 382-5900 / www.SeedSavers.org If the latest hybrids are what you want; Burpee has in a dazzling variety, many available as seedlings or seeds. (800) 487-5530 / www.Burpee.com You can order on line from any of these companies, or call and request a catalog.

Once you get your seeds growing or your plants delivered, you will want to keep them in containers until all threat of frost has past. They will enjoy spending warm days outside, at first in the shade. Each day they should be exposed to more and more sun, until they are ready to stick their feet in the soil and thrive. Don’t forget to bring them in at night if it might get down to freezing. Save your peppers a sunny spot in the garden and they will reward you with a bountiful harvest.

Fresh Produce From the Garden

Winter’s crisp cold nights have an uncanny effect on many root vegetables, turning them sweeter than if they were grown in the summer. If you planted parsnips last spring; carrots, rutabagas, or turnips this fall—you can look forward to a special treat. Get out your shovel next time we get a break from the rain and use it to carefully loosen the soil around these delectable roots. Dig only as many as you will need for a few days; they will stay sweeter and fresher in the ground than they will in the fridge. You can use them in most any dish that comes to mind, such as home-made soups, casseroles, stir fries, or grated into salads. For a real treat try roasting up a batch of mixed veggies. Roasting brings out the flavors of fresh dug winter roots like nothing else. Whether you throw them in next to a pot roast or a nice fat hen; or if you just roast them up on their own.

Here is a technique that doesn’t require using parchment or any other fancy supplies. You can use a metal cookie sheet or a baking pan--whatever you happen to have on hand (and is safe for use under the broiler). Scrub up your veggies and cut them into pieces about two inches long by t an inch wide and a half inch thick. Brush your pan and the veggies with a thin coat of olive oil. (If you don’t have olive oil, use whatever vegetable oil you have on hand.) You can sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper or other seasoning if you like. Place your veggies in a single layer on your pan, and set your oven rack so the surface of the veggies will be about five inches from the heat. Turn the oven on to broil, and keep a close eye on the veggies. After about five minutes, as they begin to brown, you want to move them around on the pan so they don’t stick. Continue checking them every three to five minutes. As they develop a nice warm color, pull the pan from the oven, brush them with olive oil and flip them over. They will not all be ready to flip, nor will they all be ready to remove from the oven at the same time. But every time you turn or remove some, the rest can be shifted just a bit to keep them from sticking. If you don’t devour these delectable morsels as soon as they cool, you can serve them as a side dish; arrange them on lettuce or other greens, toss them with pasta, tuck them into a sandwich, or offer them as a finger food with a little dip.

However you serve them, the results are elegant. And it is so easy to prepare. It is best to stay in the kitchen for this job. You can use the time to toss a salad or set the table, you don’t want to let your poor roots get scorched.

Originally published by the Hoopa People Newspaper
Copyright 2007, Harvest McCampbell
https://www.facebook.com/harvest.mccampbell

Originally posted by Robin's Nesting Place from ROBINS NESTING PLACE.

We had a light snow today and the birds finally found my feeding station! I had not fed them much since spring and I wasn't sure if I would see very many of them this winter. Usually I have quite a few doves and dark eyed juncos but I have only seen one of each. I am sure they will find their way here when we get a heavier snow.

I hadn't seen many cardinals since last winter, but today I saw five females and two males, (at one time).

I'm so glad they came back! Not seeing cardinals during the winter would make me very sad indeed.

Once again this year I set up the swing frame as my feeding station. I wrapped it with fake greenery and also some branches from real Christmas trees.

It is next to the patio so the birds come right up to the house. From the warmth of my kitchen, I can stand at the sliding glass doors or sit at the table and take pictures and read. The pictures aren't as crisp since they are taken through the double pane glass door, but I'll take that trade off, especially on frigid days like today!

I only put a handful of peanuts out for the blue jays every day. I wait until they come to the house and start making a racket for their food, otherwise the sparrows eat them and I can't afford to feed peanuts to the house sparrows too.

It is pretty funny watching the blue jays when the peanuts are gone! They look so perplexed and they hang around all day hoping for more.

I am a little late but I wanted to wish you all a very....

Originally posted by Carol from May Dreams Gardens.

A dusting of snow on the garden brings wintry thoughts. Winter time is one of the best things about gardening in a temperate zone. In the winter time, snow and ice and wind wipe the garden clean so we have a fresh, new palette for planting in the spring. In the winter time, we sow the seeds for a happy summer -- seeds of ideas, seeds of spring and summer time plans, seeds of new garden