Value of harvest as of 7/20/10: $563

A kitchen gardener's blog

First Flower of 2010

February 19, 2010 -
It was 56 and sunny today.

After three snow events that resulted in seven snow days from school, this was a welcome change. So I headed out to prune my fruit trees. On the way I noticed this hellebore blooming.


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Leeks Are Here

February 28, 2009 - My leeks just arrived. Unfortunately my garden is swimming in two inches inches of rain, and snow is predicted for tonight. So planting will have to wait. Luckely leeks are a member of the lily family, so they store energy in the bulb and can survive for up to three weeks out of the ground. Once I plant them they, will send out new roots before creating more top growth.

While I am waiting for the ground to dry out, and the weather to warm, I can decide where to plant these 60 plants. Deer don't eat them, so I am not confined to the vegetable garden. Maybe I will border a flowe... MORE

Seed, Water, Repeat

February 18, 2009 - Inspired by all the beautiful greens in my first mobil garden I started another today. This time I planted Arugula, Pink Lipstick Swiss Chard an Brunia Oak Leaf Lettuce.

I also threw a few seeds directly in the vegetable garden: Heshiko bunching onion, cherry belle radish and Lutz winter keeper beet. I plan to protect these with row covers few several weeks... MORE

Maple Syrup Results

February 11, 2009 - This is an up close shot of a silver maple flower. It's also a signal that it's time to stop tapping the tree for syrup.

This was my first time tapping trees and I sure I learned a lot. Like, it takes 40 cups of tree sap to yield one cup of syrup. After boiling down my harvest, I have enough syrup for a small stack of silver dollar pancakes.

I also learned that in the south, you have to start collecting much sooner than y... MORE

It Feels Like Spring

February 10, 2009 - There is a garden hose stretched across the lawn. A wheelbarrow here, a garden cart there. Shovels and rakes lay in the paths. My garden to do list is growing longer by the minute. And the daffodils are up. While I know that it's still winter, it sure fills like spring.

I have taken advantage of the past 4 days of unseasonably warm weather to get a jump on spring gardening, or finish projects from last fall, but most importantly I tried to get a handle on all the winter weeds in the vegetable garden.

The cold frames are now weeded and seeded with onions, carrots, radish and... MORE

First Bloom of 2009

February 06, 2009 - It is 60 degrees and sunny here, so I am out preparing a straw bale plot for early peas (more on that soon). On one of my many trips in and out of the porch for tools, I noticed this lonely crocus. It is the first flower to bloom in my garden this year. Does that mean spring is here?... MORE

And It Begins...

February 03, 2009 - According to a UT extension publication, Tennesseans can plant cabbage out in their gardens Feb 20- April 1. I assume the Feb 20 date is for southern parts of the state like Memphis, and April 1 is for Northern areas like Johnson City. Nashville is in the middle, so I figure March 12 should be my target date. I like for cabbage transplants to be about six weeks old when they go out, so early Feb is the best time for me to start cabbage.

UT also recommends Feb or March as a good time to plant lettuce, a... MORE

Lemon Blossoms

February 02, 2009 - The Meyer Lemon tree that I bought last spring is blooming. When I bought it last April, it was full of tiny green lemons. By early November there were eight huge yellow lemons on the tree. And now the cycle begins again.

This tree spends the summer on the deck and the winter in front of the dining room window.... MORE

Parsnips

February 24, 2008 - Direct seed in early fall for harvest all winter. Do not transplant! I tried this in 2007, when I could not get the seed to germinated, due to the heat and lack of rain. I got short twisted roots. However they still made a great meal in late February.... MORE

Carrots

February 14, 2008 - The carrots I seeded 11 days ago are up!!! I have such trouble getting these to sprout in the fall, but this was easy.... MORE

Carrots

February 03, 2008 - I direct seeded carrots into a cold frame today. It seems so early, but Eliot Colman in his book "Four Season Harvest" says to do this. What do I have to lose?... MORE