It's actually kinda scary standing next to them, it's like a jungle, pressing in on you...thank goodness it's behind a fence! ;)
So, as far as gardening: like father, like daughter.
(Of course, my Dad helps with the garden too! :D)
Showing posts with label BeanDreams 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BeanDreams 2008. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
BeanDreams: the previous generation
I mean seriously - anyone can grow cucumber - but it takes a special kind of gardener to grow cukes like this! My mother's plants are as tall as we are!
It's actually kinda scary standing next to them, it's like a jungle, pressing in on you...thank goodness it's behind a fence! ;)
So, as far as gardening: like father, like daughter.
(Of course, my Dad helps with the garden too! :D)
It's actually kinda scary standing next to them, it's like a jungle, pressing in on you...thank goodness it's behind a fence! ;)
So, as far as gardening: like father, like daughter.
(Of course, my Dad helps with the garden too! :D)
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
So wrong... (BeanDreams)
No. Don't do that.
My kohlrabi doesn't even have a bulb, and now you're eating the leaves??!!
Note: after looking around for a while, I believe that (once again, found on that awesome pest-identification page from Pest-Control Canada, photo #395) it is the caterpillar of the White-Marked Tussock Moth (a big name for a rather plain-looking moth, if you ask me). :)
My kohlrabi doesn't even have a bulb, and now you're eating the leaves??!!
*sigh*
Note: after looking around for a while, I believe that (once again, found on that awesome pest-identification page from Pest-Control Canada, photo #395) it is the caterpillar of the White-Marked Tussock Moth (a big name for a rather plain-looking moth, if you ask me). :)
Monday, August 04, 2008
Beloved Bachelor's Buttons
I just love these flowers...can't get enough! So happy to be growing them again.
BeanDreams
Meant to post this last week, but I've been quite under the weather lately. Here's a little update on how all that BeanDreaming is going...
Ah, time to let nature take its course...after eating and enjoying a crop, you've got to let some of it go to seed, so you can plant again next year. Here, you can see the daikon radish setting a seed blossom. My radish, this year as last, grew very slow and not very big. Still, a nice addition to stir fries.
And my bok choi is all finished too, and has started to set some lovely yellow flowers. Although I planted several, now that I've grown it for a couple years, I think that the variety I chose (Joi Choi) is just too petite for the way I want to use it. I love those thick white stalks, but these plants are very small - at least the way I'm growing them. :) I think if I grow bok choi again, I would pick a larger variety.
I'm not the only one enjoying the flowers:
The catnip and oregano are growing like gangbusters, truly a resounding success! I'm really, really pleased with how this crop turned out, I'll have lots to dry and use throughout the winter.
But the parsley??!! What's going wrong with them? I have no idea. I looked around online and it says that parsley doesn't like the mid-summer heat. Maybe I should move it into the shade for a while. It's funny too, because one of them is growing nicely, but the others just stopped after putting out one true leaf. Pretty disappointing, I wanted to use some fresh in cooking...
My bachelor's buttons are just starting to open - I love them so! I'm very excited. But the kohlrabi??? Some of the leaves were looking a little "blighty" - I though there might be a lack of airflow, so I made some spaces between the plants to get more air in there, it seems to have helped. But no bulb!! What's going on?
I looked around and found a site that said the long roots of kohlrabi don't lend themselves well to container planting. WHAAA??? NOW you tell me! Crap. I looked all over the place to try and find what might be causing the lack of bulb. I finally found one mention of it on the FarmGirl Fare auxiliary site. She had the same problem I did, and was also unable to find any info online about exactly "why" this lack of bulb occurs. I think perhaps the planter is too small, and they don't like the crowding? I dunno. All I know is, I have a nice crop of leaves, but no bulb. Oh well, the leaves will be nice in a stir fry. :) At least they're edible, otherwise I'd have nothing to show for it! Bleargh.
Oh well, that's just part of the job when it comes to home gardening. You have to learn by trial and error - sometimes you get fantastic results, and other times...well, it's all a growing experience! (Ouch, just realized what a bad pun that was)... :)
*************************
Ah, time to let nature take its course...after eating and enjoying a crop, you've got to let some of it go to seed, so you can plant again next year. Here, you can see the daikon radish setting a seed blossom. My radish, this year as last, grew very slow and not very big. Still, a nice addition to stir fries.
And my bok choi is all finished too, and has started to set some lovely yellow flowers. Although I planted several, now that I've grown it for a couple years, I think that the variety I chose (Joi Choi) is just too petite for the way I want to use it. I love those thick white stalks, but these plants are very small - at least the way I'm growing them. :) I think if I grow bok choi again, I would pick a larger variety.
I'm not the only one enjoying the flowers:
The catnip and oregano are growing like gangbusters, truly a resounding success! I'm really, really pleased with how this crop turned out, I'll have lots to dry and use throughout the winter.
But the parsley??!! What's going wrong with them? I have no idea. I looked around online and it says that parsley doesn't like the mid-summer heat. Maybe I should move it into the shade for a while. It's funny too, because one of them is growing nicely, but the others just stopped after putting out one true leaf. Pretty disappointing, I wanted to use some fresh in cooking...
My bachelor's buttons are just starting to open - I love them so! I'm very excited. But the kohlrabi??? Some of the leaves were looking a little "blighty" - I though there might be a lack of airflow, so I made some spaces between the plants to get more air in there, it seems to have helped. But no bulb!! What's going on?
I looked around and found a site that said the long roots of kohlrabi don't lend themselves well to container planting. WHAAA??? NOW you tell me! Crap. I looked all over the place to try and find what might be causing the lack of bulb. I finally found one mention of it on the FarmGirl Fare auxiliary site. She had the same problem I did, and was also unable to find any info online about exactly "why" this lack of bulb occurs. I think perhaps the planter is too small, and they don't like the crowding? I dunno. All I know is, I have a nice crop of leaves, but no bulb. Oh well, the leaves will be nice in a stir fry. :) At least they're edible, otherwise I'd have nothing to show for it! Bleargh.
Oh well, that's just part of the job when it comes to home gardening. You have to learn by trial and error - sometimes you get fantastic results, and other times...well, it's all a growing experience! (Ouch, just realized what a bad pun that was)... :)
Saturday, July 12, 2008
BeanDreams: Summer Sage
The sage that I planted a few years ago has set flowers:
Lovely, aren't they? I understand that sage plants get a little hard and woody after a couple of years, so it's advisable to tear up your old plants and start some fresh. The leaves on these plants still seem to be of good quality, though, so I'll keep mine going for a while. And now I'll have some seeds to replant if I need to!
Caught this busy guy on our princess bush out front - as I've mentioned before, there haven't been as many bees around these parts as is usual, so every bee is extra special.
Lovely, aren't they? I understand that sage plants get a little hard and woody after a couple of years, so it's advisable to tear up your old plants and start some fresh. The leaves on these plants still seem to be of good quality, though, so I'll keep mine going for a while. And now I'll have some seeds to replant if I need to!
Caught this busy guy on our princess bush out front - as I've mentioned before, there haven't been as many bees around these parts as is usual, so every bee is extra special.
Monday, July 07, 2008
BeanDreams: Warm Weather Helps!
The catnip and the oregano, thanks to the arrival of warm weather and sunshine, have been growing gangbusters!
Okay, well, maybe the catnip is growing a little too much like gangbusters. I had to uproot some of them to give the oregano some room to breathe and grow. :) Fortunately, I won't need too many catnip plants, they really grow quite large.
I took what I uprooted inside for drying, and I've given some to Baby Boy and Molly, who respond the most to the catnip. It's made for a fun morning - they totally freaked out, rolling around, clawing at the couch. Now, they're exhausted and have passed out. :)
The parsley looked like it was going to really explode with the warm weather - but after their initial burst of growth, they've slowed down again.
And the kohlrabi and bachelor's buttons need SERIOUS thinning out. This is getting crazy! :) I've been peeking down in the pot, but I haven't seen any signs of a "bulb" growing yet. I understand you can eat the leaves, so I think I will! :)
Okay, well, maybe the catnip is growing a little too much like gangbusters. I had to uproot some of them to give the oregano some room to breathe and grow. :) Fortunately, I won't need too many catnip plants, they really grow quite large.
I took what I uprooted inside for drying, and I've given some to Baby Boy and Molly, who respond the most to the catnip. It's made for a fun morning - they totally freaked out, rolling around, clawing at the couch. Now, they're exhausted and have passed out. :)
The parsley looked like it was going to really explode with the warm weather - but after their initial burst of growth, they've slowed down again.
And the kohlrabi and bachelor's buttons need SERIOUS thinning out. This is getting crazy! :) I've been peeking down in the pot, but I haven't seen any signs of a "bulb" growing yet. I understand you can eat the leaves, so I think I will! :)
Friday, June 20, 2008
BeanDreams: Herbal Update
When they said parsley was a slow starter, they REALLY meant it! Even though I simulated winter and soaked the seeds before planting, it still took a couple weeks for them to sprout. They're here, finally, though!
And you can tell the oregano and catnip don't like the coolish weather we've been having. They sprouted, and pretty much stayed that way - not many true leaves showing up on these little seedlings yet.
Guess which plants were said to be cold-weather lovers, and could be planted early in spring? The kohlrabi and the bachelor's buttons - they're just growing like freakin' crazy! They love this weather!
Looks like some spiders have hatched nearby - little babies here are spinning webs in between the plant pots. It's amazing they're SO small, and still have enough brainpower to be able to create the beautiful webs spiders are known for. Amazing.
Hopefully with the coming of warmer weather, the herbs will grow more! :)
And you can tell the oregano and catnip don't like the coolish weather we've been having. They sprouted, and pretty much stayed that way - not many true leaves showing up on these little seedlings yet.
Guess which plants were said to be cold-weather lovers, and could be planted early in spring? The kohlrabi and the bachelor's buttons - they're just growing like freakin' crazy! They love this weather!
Looks like some spiders have hatched nearby - little babies here are spinning webs in between the plant pots. It's amazing they're SO small, and still have enough brainpower to be able to create the beautiful webs spiders are known for. Amazing.
Hopefully with the coming of warmer weather, the herbs will grow more! :)
Saturday, June 07, 2008
BeanDreams: First Harvest
Yesterday, I harvested some of the bok choi and one of my daikon radish.
As I mentioned before, this is a petite variety of bok choi, so the leaves don't get much bigger than this. The stocks are nice and crisp, though!
As with last year, my daikons are pretty small. Okay, they're TINY. Japan has worked at breeding larger and larger daikons, but I don't know that you can get those seeds around here. :) So, she's pretty small, but tasty, I'm sure!
I did them up in a stir fry last night, and they were delicious!
The oregano and catnip finally look like they're getting started! I'd love to know for sure which was which, but I'm sure it'll become more obvious over time. :D As you can see from the photos, the leaves are only about 1 mm long - really micro!
There's a couple of sprouts in my parsley container, but I'm not sure if they're parsley or weeds. Again time will tell! :)
All in all, it's been great to have a taste from the garden already - nothing beats REALLY fresh! :D
As I mentioned before, this is a petite variety of bok choi, so the leaves don't get much bigger than this. The stocks are nice and crisp, though!
As with last year, my daikons are pretty small. Okay, they're TINY. Japan has worked at breeding larger and larger daikons, but I don't know that you can get those seeds around here. :) So, she's pretty small, but tasty, I'm sure!
I did them up in a stir fry last night, and they were delicious!
The oregano and catnip finally look like they're getting started! I'd love to know for sure which was which, but I'm sure it'll become more obvious over time. :D As you can see from the photos, the leaves are only about 1 mm long - really micro!
There's a couple of sprouts in my parsley container, but I'm not sure if they're parsley or weeds. Again time will tell! :)
All in all, it's been great to have a taste from the garden already - nothing beats REALLY fresh! :D
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
BeanDreams - the Coldening
Its like the Reckoning, but Cold. :)
Just after I planted all my containers, we were hit with a bad cold snap. Worried I had rotted out my seeds by choosing a bad time to plant, I replanted my Bachelor's Buttons and Kohlrabi, as they are the most cold-hardy. It was a warm day, and within 24 - 48 hours, both had sprouted (including, I think, some of the ones I thought had rotted out). In any case, I've got a lovely bit of growth happening, helped by the recent warmer temps.
This is the container.
Highlighted in the photo below are the kohlrabi. They have a reddish tinge, and the first leaves are double leaves.
Highlighted below are the Bachelor's Buttons. They are light green, with single leaves.
I'm pretty excited to get this next round of growing started! My bok choi is just about ready for harvest, which is wonderful. Wish I had planted more, but I've just been too busy with my new job. Once I start harvesting, I will be doing another planting.
Just after I planted all my containers, we were hit with a bad cold snap. Worried I had rotted out my seeds by choosing a bad time to plant, I replanted my Bachelor's Buttons and Kohlrabi, as they are the most cold-hardy. It was a warm day, and within 24 - 48 hours, both had sprouted (including, I think, some of the ones I thought had rotted out). In any case, I've got a lovely bit of growth happening, helped by the recent warmer temps.
This is the container.
Highlighted in the photo below are the kohlrabi. They have a reddish tinge, and the first leaves are double leaves.
Highlighted below are the Bachelor's Buttons. They are light green, with single leaves.
I'm pretty excited to get this next round of growing started! My bok choi is just about ready for harvest, which is wonderful. Wish I had planted more, but I've just been too busy with my new job. Once I start harvesting, I will be doing another planting.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
BeanDreams: Planting New Seeds
I've finished planting my containers for BeanDreams 2008!
In one container I planted kohlrabi around the outside perimeter, and my beloved bachelor's buttons on the inside. Both plants are tolerant to the cold, so I thought they should go together. Bachelor's buttons, in my experience, sprout within 24 hours, so I'm looking forward to reporting on sprouts very soon! They're just bursting with energy, it's quite amazing!
In another pot, I've planted catnip (for our babies) and oregano. Oregano is the rare herb that actually tastes stronger when dried (most herbs are the opposite), so I won't be using it fresh. It's a great herb that's featured in a lot of my favorite recipes, so I look forward to using it!
And finally, in the smaller pot, I'll be planting the parsley. Parsley is a notoriously slow starter, so I've used a couple of tricks I read about it to (hopefully) get it going faster. The seed spent a week or so in the freezer (simulating winter) and is now sitting in a cup of warm water (to simulate a warm, wet spring). I'll be putting it in the pot later today. Parsley is nice fresh - I don't like too strong a parsley flavour (I know, I'm a wuss), so I chose a milder form to grow.
And as you can see, my bok choi and daikon radish are doing beautifully!
The daikon greens are lush and lovely - the roots aren't too big yet...
The bok choi is a petite variety, so it'll be ready to eat soon! I'm surprised it's grown so very fast - when you plant in containers, you can see the development of the plants day by day a lot easier.
Addendum: I wrote this up on Monday - since then, it's been COLD! The seeds have been shaking in their pods! However, this morning, we had some sun, and I saw that the Bachelor's Buttons have sprouted. Huzzah! Hopefully, the sun will heat up the soil enough to allow the rest of the seeds to get started. :)
In one container I planted kohlrabi around the outside perimeter, and my beloved bachelor's buttons on the inside. Both plants are tolerant to the cold, so I thought they should go together. Bachelor's buttons, in my experience, sprout within 24 hours, so I'm looking forward to reporting on sprouts very soon! They're just bursting with energy, it's quite amazing!
In another pot, I've planted catnip (for our babies) and oregano. Oregano is the rare herb that actually tastes stronger when dried (most herbs are the opposite), so I won't be using it fresh. It's a great herb that's featured in a lot of my favorite recipes, so I look forward to using it!
And finally, in the smaller pot, I'll be planting the parsley. Parsley is a notoriously slow starter, so I've used a couple of tricks I read about it to (hopefully) get it going faster. The seed spent a week or so in the freezer (simulating winter) and is now sitting in a cup of warm water (to simulate a warm, wet spring). I'll be putting it in the pot later today. Parsley is nice fresh - I don't like too strong a parsley flavour (I know, I'm a wuss), so I chose a milder form to grow.
And as you can see, my bok choi and daikon radish are doing beautifully!
The daikon greens are lush and lovely - the roots aren't too big yet...
The bok choi is a petite variety, so it'll be ready to eat soon! I'm surprised it's grown so very fast - when you plant in containers, you can see the development of the plants day by day a lot easier.
Addendum: I wrote this up on Monday - since then, it's been COLD! The seeds have been shaking in their pods! However, this morning, we had some sun, and I saw that the Bachelor's Buttons have sprouted. Huzzah! Hopefully, the sun will heat up the soil enough to allow the rest of the seeds to get started. :)
Sunday, May 04, 2008
BeanDreams Closeups
Here's the world's tiniest bok choi sprout leaf! It's about as big as the top part of my pinkie finger. Teeny! But you can see where it's heading, it's going to be a lovely (read: delicious!) bok choi one day!
These daikon radish leaf sprouts are much larger (the true leaves are about as long as my whole pinkie finger). But check it out, under the pinkish part of the stem, you can see the white root poking a bit out of the ground - that's gonna be a tasty radish soon! It's almost time for me to consider my second planting, as things will go more quickly from this stage, now that the true leaves are out. Oh, I just love spring! :D (It's extra nice because the blackflies haven't come out yet - enjoy it while you can, only a couple of weeks left till they do!)
Monday, April 28, 2008
BeanDreams and Mayflowers
My daikon radish and bok choi are doing well (the radish are REALLY going gangbusters!). I've only had to keep them indoors a couple of days when it was only going to be about 5 deg. C outside - too close to zero for my comfort! :)
A sunny, beautiful day highlights the delicate beauty of our Provincial Flower, the mayflower. Got some nice shots today! :)
A sunny, beautiful day highlights the delicate beauty of our Provincial Flower, the mayflower. Got some nice shots today! :)
Saturday, April 19, 2008
BeanDreams: The Sprouting!
Wow, that was fast! But my little guys have already made an appearance - hooray! :)
In this photo taken moments ago, the daikon radish are closest (and biggest), the bok choi is furthest.
In this photo taken moments ago, the daikon radish are closest (and biggest), the bok choi is furthest.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Pheasants and Frogs and BeanDreams
Was just out for a walk with Casey, and heard the first frogs of the season, peeping in the swamp! Must have been the warm and very moist weather we had today. The peeping is a sure sign of spring in these parts!
And now, I'm sure of it - while out, I heard TWO male pheasants doing their "this is my territory" sound: like a weird turkey gobble, followed by the (quite loud) noise of them rapidly fluffing their feathers. It creates a vibrating drum beat sort of sound in the air.
This might explain why sometimes we see a male with 3-5 females, but at other times, a male with just one. The male with just one female might be new, and just getting his family grouping started.
The male with the lone female was hilarious today - while I was cooking supper, I could see him standing in front of his woman, stretching his tail feathers up in this lovely water-fountain-looking display. And she would go "that's nice" and scoot around him, and keep going on her way. Then he'd follow her, get in front again, and it would all happen again. She seemed more interested in food today, than what he had in mind. ;) Pretty cute. Hey, she must be somewhat interested, she's staying with him and not going off to the guy who's awesome enough he can take care of FIVE ladies. ;)
Oh - I just brought in my windowbox planter for the night, and my bok choi sprouted already, hurray! :)
All in all, a fun spring evening!
And now, I'm sure of it - while out, I heard TWO male pheasants doing their "this is my territory" sound: like a weird turkey gobble, followed by the (quite loud) noise of them rapidly fluffing their feathers. It creates a vibrating drum beat sort of sound in the air.
This might explain why sometimes we see a male with 3-5 females, but at other times, a male with just one. The male with just one female might be new, and just getting his family grouping started.
The male with the lone female was hilarious today - while I was cooking supper, I could see him standing in front of his woman, stretching his tail feathers up in this lovely water-fountain-looking display. And she would go "that's nice" and scoot around him, and keep going on her way. Then he'd follow her, get in front again, and it would all happen again. She seemed more interested in food today, than what he had in mind. ;) Pretty cute. Hey, she must be somewhat interested, she's staying with him and not going off to the guy who's awesome enough he can take care of FIVE ladies. ;)
Oh - I just brought in my windowbox planter for the night, and my bok choi sprouted already, hurray! :)
All in all, a fun spring evening!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Spring Days and BeanDreams
It's a gorgeous spring day, warm enough for just a light fleece jacket. So I decided, since bok choi and daikon radish like the cooler weather of early spring, I would plant some now, in a window box planter. I'll take it in in the evenings, when it drops below zero C, and during the days, as long as it's above freezing, I'll put it in a sheltered sunny area of our back deck. I just couldn't take it anymore! It's WAY too early to be planting things in the earth, but I think this plan might work. And even if it doesn't, maybe I got some of the gardening fever out of my system! :)
Other animals are out enjoying the nice weather: I keep running into ducks having a nice little swim in some of the swamp runoff "streams" in our neighbourhood. And the other day, I saw a huge crow deftly snap a twig off a tree, and carefully gather it in his claw, then make a happy little chortle noise. Guess it's nest building time! :)
While I was out digging in the dirt today, a little lady squirrel joined me, happily eating the sunflower seeds I put out for her. What a little dear she was.
I got out my seeds saved from last year. The bok choi seeds were very easy to get out of their pods - the pods were very delicate and broke open easily.
The daikon radish, on the other hand, were encased in much tougher and thicker pods:
After a lot of picking at it with my fingernails, you can see the little seed inside:
A little more picking, and there he is!
I got some great soil mix from the Superstore the other day, so these little seeds should have a good start in life. :)
So, even without beans (for now), let BeanDreams 2008 begin!
Other animals are out enjoying the nice weather: I keep running into ducks having a nice little swim in some of the swamp runoff "streams" in our neighbourhood. And the other day, I saw a huge crow deftly snap a twig off a tree, and carefully gather it in his claw, then make a happy little chortle noise. Guess it's nest building time! :)
While I was out digging in the dirt today, a little lady squirrel joined me, happily eating the sunflower seeds I put out for her. What a little dear she was.
I got out my seeds saved from last year. The bok choi seeds were very easy to get out of their pods - the pods were very delicate and broke open easily.
The daikon radish, on the other hand, were encased in much tougher and thicker pods:
After a lot of picking at it with my fingernails, you can see the little seed inside:
A little more picking, and there he is!
I got some great soil mix from the Superstore the other day, so these little seeds should have a good start in life. :)
So, even without beans (for now), let BeanDreams 2008 begin!
Friday, January 18, 2008
BeanDreams 2008: If I were a rich (wo)man...
Dee dee dee dee dee dee dum...sorry, got lost in a Fiddler on the Roof moment...
I was making out my list of potential purchases from Vesey's the other day, and I thought, "Hey, why don't I just go hog wild, and make a list of stuff I wish I could get!"
Of course, if I were REALLY rich, I'd buy everything, and a farm to grow it on. :) I'm a total gardening fiend at heart. But for now, I must budget, so I can't go hog wild, heh heh.
Oh, and a note before we begin: the links are to the Canadian version of the catalogue, with Canadian Dollar prices. If you want to order from the US, you have to go to the front page and choose the US version of the catalogue, (or click on the link underneath the Vesey's name in the top left hand corner) and search for the product names through there.
Stuff 'n' Such
For Birds (they love to eat the seeds at the end of the season):
So that's just some of my favorites! They have a lot of cool stuff, be sure to check it out! :)
I was making out my list of potential purchases from Vesey's the other day, and I thought, "Hey, why don't I just go hog wild, and make a list of stuff I wish I could get!"
Of course, if I were REALLY rich, I'd buy everything, and a farm to grow it on. :) I'm a total gardening fiend at heart. But for now, I must budget, so I can't go hog wild, heh heh.
Oh, and a note before we begin: the links are to the Canadian version of the catalogue, with Canadian Dollar prices. If you want to order from the US, you have to go to the front page and choose the US version of the catalogue, (or click on the link underneath the Vesey's name in the top left hand corner) and search for the product names through there.
Stuff 'n' Such
- The Climbing Cage - an incredible expanding and collapsing spiral that anything trailing would love to grow up! From Sweet Peas to Tomatoes, this looks like a super-cool and compact way to grow your trailing favorites!
- Palm Peeler - a cool vegetable peeler that you slip on your fingers that fits in the palm of your hand! As a person who has troubles with regular peelers (I never learned to peel towards myself, so I always make a mess), this looks like it would be pretty darn handy.
- Mezzaluna with Cutting Board Herb growers would love this little gem, a double bladed herb mincer. Looks really easy to use (read: ergonomic)!
- Foxgloves 'Grip' & Tub Trugs: Gotta have a matching set of a durable/flexible lugging bucket & comfortable water-resistant gardening gloves - in hot pink! Oh yeah!!
- Soil pH Meter and/or Soil Testing Kit - good tools for organic gardeners, so you know how your soil is doing. (Now I just have to find out what to do once I've got the results. My soil needs more nitrogren, now what? I'm sure it's online somewhere... :))
- Earthworm Castings - yes, it's worm poop. But apparently worm poop is a great soil enricher!
- Garden Inoculant : for beans and peas (including sweet peas) it is bacteria that provides nitrogen around the seed, which it needs to get a great start in life. Supposed to make beans and peas grow bigger, faster. Never used it but wanted to try it for years. :)
For Birds (they love to eat the seeds at the end of the season):
- Polka Dot Bachelor's Buttons, my all time favorite flower - I love how they look, and I love how fast they germinate & grow!
- Purple Majesty, Annual Millet
- kohlrabi, a funky looking relative of the cabbage. I'd love to taste it for myself and see what it's like! This pic was one I took at Agrifest a few years back - it looks like a space vegetable or something!
- Papaya Pear Squash - a fun looking alternative to zucchini - supposed to be good in stir fry!
- Tumbling Tom Tomato - sweet little tomatoes you can grow in a pot or hanging pot on your patio. Sounds easier to cover if we get early frosts, as we sometimes do in this area.
So that's just some of my favorites! They have a lot of cool stuff, be sure to check it out! :)
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