Karen's Garden Delights Journal
1st week of March 2011

Spinach What a season of mixed weather, we have had blizzards, floods and then more snow. A brief day of sunshine was very welcome and we are all longing for more and signs that spring will come and stay. With all the water, it has been hard to work outdoors. I walk gently in the garden to harvest from the cold frames and come in with boots caked with mud. Here is what the spinach looks like under the white plastic barrels. March always brings enough warmth to start things growing again which brings us hope. There are a few cold loving weeds that also start growing like chickweed and purple dead nettle so on the next dry day, I need to get busy pulling weeds. I'll toss a few healthy chickweed plants in with our salads, the dead nettle is apparently edible too but I don't care for the taste.

Garlic Scallions Just before a weekend of predicted rain, I was working in the low tunnels to harvest a big bowl of salad and get more hoops straightened. It smelled delightfully warm and earthy underneath and things were really starting to regrow. Here is our first bundle of garlic scallions that we harvested. They add a nice garlicky kick to salads (and our breath!) My regular garlic supply is starting to sprout and shrivel so it is a welcome addition to have something fresh. While I was working I noticed that the lettuce I sowed in mid-October was growing nicely and ready for transplanting. So I made rows everywhere I could find room in the tunnels and transplanted about 200 lettuces. It was starting to rain and I kept at it till I was pretty soggy because I knew it would be several days till the ground would be fit to work in again. I'm hoping I will be able to harvest full heads early April.

Wedding Gift We attended a wedding this past week. I am not one to buy from registry lists but like to give creative things from the farm or that encourage backyard gardening. This couple just bought a home with 3 acres and ample room for a garden. Our gift included a locally made hoe, shovel and his/hers garden gloves. With the gift is an invitation to come visit my greenhouse for any plants they need. Now I need to get busy planting more things like herbs, peppers and more salad greens so there will be plenty for everyone.