Spring Garden Planning!

Winter still has an iron grip here. There's still a few feet of white stuff on the ground.

It's been quite the season, we haven't had a winter like this for at least thirty years! It's snowed almost every week. We got nailed with a horrific Ice Storm in December that had us in the dark for four days. All in all, a lousy winter...

But thoughts are now turning to warmer days, and greener things!

  

Things are going to be fun this year. I've been granted the use of a large outdoor terrace-style balcony at a relative's place. Far bigger than any space I currently have access too. I'll be purchasing half a dozen large pots, and maybe a few smaller ones, and filling them with the best soil mix I can get my hands on.

On the list this year is as follows: Dill, Thyme, Parsley, and Lemon Basil for the Herbs (most of which I'll air dry to store for winter). Homesteader Peas and Golden Wax Beans (which have been awesome in the past). Bantam Corn (for the first time ever)! Swiss Chard (which I love like crazy). Both Green and Yellow Zucchini. And for fun, Birdhouse Gourds! I also might pick up some Kale seedlings when the Garden Centers start selling the cell packs, and depending on how many of the huge pots I have ready once things are truly warm and threats of frosts have passed.

Anyway, that's the plan right now. Here's hoping everything goes as I hope, but we know how gardening can be... one big unpredictable adventure. *laughs*

Golden Wax Beans.... Indoors???

Golden Wax Beans!

I am SO surprised! I didn't think the beans would produce indoors, given how small the flowers are, and how difficult they are to hand pollinate! But the vines are covered in developing pods now (not to mention flowers).

I'm so pleased! Now to see if they actually mature and are edible.

Beware the Garlic Mustard!!!

Such an innocuous looking little plant isn't it?

What is it?
Truth is, it's a deadly invader. It's called Garlic Mustard, and it was brought over from Europe when North America was colonized. It was grown as a herb by settlers, but quickly naturalized and started spreading. It's a bi-annual, meaning it sprouts and grows one year, then flowers the next before dying. It's roots kill native good bacteria in the soil that native plants need to survive. The leaves shade and choke out native plants like Trilliums, and even baby trees. They spread like wildfire, creating thousands of seeds that are viable up to FIVE YEARS after the parent plant is gone. Native animals do NOT eat it, at all! You CANNOT compost it once it's flowered because it will go to seed even after being pulled from the ground, and the heat of the compost pile will not destroy the viability of the seeds.

How can you tell if the weed in the garden is Garlic Mustard?
The leaves are very distinct, and it has a slight garlic smell when you crush a leaf between your fingers. Here's a good youtube video about it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSYZA979odU

So what can you do?
Pull it out in early spring before it bolts, then:

A)Eat it yourself.
B)Burn it. (Though I have heard it can make the smoke smell nasty.)
C)Feed it to your Chickens! (I have friends who's chickens love the stuff!)

Just get rid of it! Before it turns your garden/property/land, into a wasteland lacking bio-diversity....

Here comes the Basil! (Windowsill Garden Update)

Look how big it's gotten in just five days! First true leaves are getting big, and the plants seem to be thriving!

The green onions! You can even see the volunteer leaf lettuce that started growing in the pot. lol

Speaking of Lettuce.... BAM. Lettuce Jungle! Yes, I deliberately seeded the pot a bit thick. ;)


And that's it for this update! I may be planting some "Pioneer" Peas in the next little while. They did really well last year, and were delicious. Will post photos if/when I get around to it.

Indoor Garden Update

Wow, it's been a while since I was able to update this blog.

Well, so far the Autumn crop of Lettuce I planted is doing well. As are the green Onions I started.

But most surprisingly, it's the Watermelon and Butternut Squash that are doing really well! The Watermelon in particular has been absolutely covered in flowers (both male and female).

I really wasn't sure how the Butternut Squash would behave when grown indoors, but so far I've been pleasantly surprised. I had a brief scare with spider-mites but cutting off the effected leaves right away seems to have solved the issue. The oldest of the vines is covered in flower-buds, including a pretty obvious Female (the swelling under the bud itself looks like a squash in super-miniature!). It's fascinating watching how things are progressing...

Things here have been crazy busy the last month, so unfortunately I haven't been able to photograph the plants, but I will try to get a few shots in the next week or so to share.


Here's hoping things continue to do well!

Vegetable Garden List.

 I'm a firm believer in "Grow what you eat, and eat what you grow."

Here's a list of plants I am currently growing, and plants I plan on growing in the future (when I have more space).

-Garlic.
-Lettuce.
-Radishes.
-Peas.
-Corn (heirloom varieties).
-Butternut Squash.
-Pumpkin.
-Apples/Pears.
-Raspberries.
-Blackberries.
-Carrots.
-Potatoes.
-Gourds (Chinese water bottle and long-handled dipper mostly).
-Lavender
-Herbs like Rosemary, thyme, and Basil.
-Cauliflower.
-Green Beans.



What you will NOT find in my garden:

-Peppers of any type.
-TOMATOES (no thanks!).
-Cucumbers (except for pickling cucumbers maybe).
-Cabbage.

Why? Because there's no point in using space in the garden for items you rarely, or never eat. I hate peppers and asparagus, and eat cucumbers and cabbage so rarely, they're not worth taking up space to grow...

Grow what you eat. And eat what you grow!!