"the garden on steriods"

My neighbor calls it “the garden on steroids”.  That was such a huge compliment coming from a seasoned mid-west farm girl.

I don’t know why the squashes have taken over the garden more this year than in previous years. Maybe it was our early warm spell. But anything that is squash, pumpkin or cucumber related has become enormous. I’m thinking world records here. Some of the leaves are over 15 inches!!!

I picked a wheelbarrow full today including a 9 ½ pound, 24 inch yellow zucchini. That has been washed, quartered, sliced and taking up temporary residency on all 8 trays of the dehydrator this evening.

Our days are not as hot and humid as the past few weeks. It makes spending time in the garden much easier on the old soul here. I was feeling guilty about only spending a half hour a day there.

I picked lots of peppers and started more lettuce today. The lettuce will go in an area that will get covered/hooped in late September to avoid potential early frosts. Our frost days are usually the first or second week of October. Another sowing of peas is in order too. They can take the cooler weather.

I have lots of flowers on the tomatoes. But the percentage that set fruit this year is disappointing. Maybe I didn’t prune the plants enough? I’m not sure. But I’ll be checking with the county extension office to see if others are experiencing these same things.

Zucchini/Eggplant Parmesan

 

Set out another sowing of green beans. I just love the pole beans. They can up and/or freeze well. Whether I’m cooking them up with garlic or making a three bean salad, they are one of my favorite vegetables.

Years ago we shared our home with my in-laws. We also had a large garden that all of us tended to. Dolly and I would spend lots of time cooking and canning. My children have great memories of the same. I also need to be thankful to my mother-in-law. When we were moving, she asked if I wanted some of her canning jars. I took them and am so grateful. I think of her each time I fill one.

The last of both the stir fry and snap peas are coming fast and furious. Blanching and then vacuum packing for the freezer is a great way to store these so they keep their “snap”.

This will be the week for relish and some pickles.  Zucchini is coming and coming. I will have to start giving some away soon. I prefer zucchini relish over the cucumber relish. It isn’t as bitter. This is when my food processor and kitchen aid come in handy. I would be lost without them this time of year. 

We had some of turnip this week. They were still on the small side. But I love them that way. The greens were just as good. I did the greens up with bacon they way an old family friend, Mrs. Floyd, used to do them.  Joe was surprised and devoured it all. Of course, bacon goes good with everything.

The blueberries are out in full force. I picked 17 gallons of them yesterday. Froze two packages for pies this winter and made jam with the rest.  My granddaughter LOVES Nonni’s jam. So I need to keep not only our house but her supplied throughout the year. I ended up with 10 pints and 29 half-pints.

I began my parmesan frying today. For those that like eggplant parmesan, I would suggest that you also try it with zucchini. It is usually in the garden earlier and it will hone your skills so when the eggplant is ready, you are.  I’ve had several people ask me to divulge my method of “putting up the “parm”.  I will go through this process at least 6 times during the summer and fall getting all the “parm” in the freezer.

I make a homemade sauce. But you can use canned if you like. So get your sauce ready first. 

My hint – when making your sauce, remove the center green part of your garlic. That is the part that gives you garlic breath for days. By using the remaining part of the clove, you will still get the great garlic taste in your sauce. 

Then get your large bowls and pans ready. In one you want to put 3 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of black pepper. In the other you want to crack 12 to 15 large eggs; whip them up and add freshly chopped Italian parsley.  Get a large cookie sheet and triple line it with paper towels. Keep that roll handy because you will need it. 

         I fry mine outside.  It keeps the kitchen cooler and cleaner. You can use an electric frying pan or fryer.  I use my wok. The side burner on your gas grill also works well. But you will want to use a cast iron pan on the side burner to retain heat and protect your grill cover with aluminum foil. I put one of the puppy training pads down on my deck and set up my wok right there.  I heat Crisco vegetable oil and 10% olive oil to 425*F. This will give you good flavor and still get good browning.

I used two over sized zucchinis. One was around 20 inches long and the other was around 15 inches.  Wash and cut them in hefty ¼ inch slices. If you are using eggplant, you will want to also peel it.

You want to begin your ‘double dipping’. Dredge some slices in the flour bowl and then in the egg bowl. Carefully place in the hot oil using long handled metal tongs. Let brown on one side. This should take around 3 minutes. If it takes longer, your oil is not hot enough and the zucchini/eggplant will absorb more oil (which you don’t want). Using those tongs, flip them over and brown the reverse side. When done, place on the cookie sheet alternating rows of zucchini and paper towels.

After all of your frying is done, you want to assemble your “parm”. Begin with a few spoonfuls of sauce in the bottom of your dish. This will keep it from sticking. Layer your zucchini/eggplant. Lightly spoon some sauce on that layer and sprinkle with grated cheese. Okay I know this is called “parm”. But I use a combination of parmesan and pecorino romano. It gives it a kick. Do three layers finishing with a heavier coating of sauce and cheese. Pop it in the over at 350*F for 30-40 minutes. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes. This cooling is important for it to set up and not be runny.

Enjoy with a salad or on a fresh Kaiser roll.  

And you’re saying what did you do with the rest of the zucchini?  I layer it between wax paper and place it in freezer bags. It freezes great!  I was able to freeze enough for 1 large and 2 small dishes. There is nothing like fresh “parm” on a night you’re in a hurry or in the dead of winter when zucchini and eggplant prices are off the charts!

Note – when using your frozen zucchini, you will want to thaw the pieces you need first. Zucchini has a high water retention so place them on a plate lined with paper towels.

So here is an easy list of ingredients and things you will need that you can print out for yourself.

2 over sized zucchini or 4 large eggplant

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

12-15 large eggs

1/8 cup of chopped Italian leaf parsley

Crisco oil

Olive oil

Paper towels

Long handles utensils

Deep fryer or wok

Puppy training pad or a few layers of newspaper

Aluminum foil (if you are using your gas grill burner)

Gardens Do Not Take Vacations

We get so distracted with all the chores.. it is nice to stop and appreciate the beauty of the flowers around us.

The crops are growing as fast as weeds. They are!  But are weeds are at a minimum this year due to the continual success of the lasagna gardening method. (See a prior post on the how-to).

We are headed out of town for a week so I really tweaked the tidying up and harvesting. I wanted to keep my workload upon return to a minimum.  Two of our daughters will be here and can keep up with any of the minor tasks that need to be done while we’re gone.

I’m on the first repeat layer for the lasagna layers. Upon returning I will shovel some garden soil on the areas to begin the cycle all over again. The larger compost items such as watermelon rinds, etc that need more time and heat to break down have been put into the tumbler compost bin. That should be ready for emptying upon our return also. These next layer sets seem to go much quicker than the first. I think that is due to green items available this time of year to layer. We get more from pinching and trimming. Also the grass clippings add up quickly.

The days and nights have been remaining warmer. Our nights have not gone below 49F. Our days have averaged around 72F. Hot weather is in the forecast (85F to 90F) for this coming week and will certainly promote more blossoming.  I noticed new blossoms on the pickling cukes, all the squashes, and tomatoes. Best part about the days getting longer and warmer is seeing that first pepper so early!

Our watering is now set on a timer. I didn’t want to take a chance while away to loose all of my hard work. While setting up the timer, Mousse had a puppy moment. We use two sections of hose to reach the sprinkler. There is one from the sprinkler to the edge of the garden gate. Another from there to the faucet. This enables us to disconnect easily in order to mow the yard. It also gives us a hose to fill a watering can or rinse off vegetables. Joe had noticed a bubble in the later hose earlier in the day and mentioned it to me. I had totally forgot about it. When I went to use the hose to clean off some pots I just emptied, the bubble burst scaring the sleeping puppy. She did the normal jump and run like heck to get out of the way of spraying water. The funny part was that she had wrapped her lead around the leg of the folding table I use in the garden. Now the table was being dragged after her. Only she thought the table was chasing her. She would run faster and the table would chase her just as fast. It was certainly a break in the normal peacefulness of the garden. I wish I had a video of that. But my hands were full trying to get her to stop and not be afraid of that “table”. Hose is now repaired and the new dual timer is installed correctly. We’ve used it for a few days now and it works perfectly!

I love rhubarb!  We’ve had a bumper first sowing of it this year. I treated Joe to a fresh strawberry rhubarb pie. I always over fill my fruit pies because they cook down so much. So for this one I used 2 ½ c strawberries and 2 ½ c rhubarb. I also made up a batch of rhubarb syrup. This is a great concoction over ice cream or mixed to make a rhubarb-tini.

I can't wait to see some of the gardens in Oregon. I wonder if I should bring a clean pair of gloves with me...

Memorial Day Weekend 2012

I always have my personal help in the garden. Mousse is lounging under a beach umbrella waiting for play time.

Memorial Day weekend is the usual calendar signal for northern gardeners to begin their plantings. But with a little bit of effort and time, we can lengthen our growing season.

This year we installed inexpensive and movable hoop tunnels for a few rows to get a jump on our growing season. They will also be used to extend our harvests in to the winter.  This week the heavier covers came off and the lighter covers went on. They will remain on for a few more weeks until all dangers of those surprise late spring frosts have passed.

The corn started indoors from seed was transplanted two weeks ago. It is thriving and taking off like crazy. Starting it indoors also reduced the opportunity for the bugs and insects to attack those early seedlings, which routinely happens around here.  Another upside to this is that we will have a corn harvest 3 to 4 weeks earlier than normal!  The sweet pie seeds that I inter-planted in those rows are sprouting and will provide coverage to keep the weeds to a minimum.

I am an upcycler at heart and like to reuse anything and everything I can. When cleaning out the rafters of the garage, I found this wonderful contraption. I decided to use it to support my pickling cukes. This will also provide some shade for some lettuce so it will not bolt so early.

Watering is a breeze this year. The garden is quite large and the chore of moving a sprinkler around each section was always cumbersome. I secured a heavy piece of pipe in the center of the garden.  Approximately 4 feet is above the ground. It is the perfect place to secure my sprinkler now. This enables one sprinkler to satisfy the entire garden at one time. Was this a huge time saver!

Plant timing

Several of you have asked me when to start your seeds, when to transplant, and when to direct sow.  I found this great web page and wanted to share it with you.  All you do is put in your zip code and it gives you a list. And it's free!

http://sproutrobot.com

Snow? and Companion Plantings

Yup! We are dealing with one of those late spring cold snaps. The weather today brought snow showers and the forecast is for nights in the 20's with winds making it feel like single digits. All of my plants are either covered or indoors for the next few days.


This colder weather has brought my outdoor work to somewhat of a halt. 

Laying out your garden plan is like planning a community. Certain plants do well with others. Certain plants support each other while others don’t get along. They are very much like people and compete for resources. They may bully each other and take more than their share of water, sun and nutrients.

So as the mayor of your garden, it is you that can bring harmony and prosperity to your town.

You don’t want to plant in long rows or large patches. This is like a flashing neon sign to bugs and pests you don’t want or need. Interplant your garden with flowers and herbs. This change in color and scent has been proven to confuse the critters. Plus certain flowers and herbs can bring the “good” insects to your garden. For instance, bees are needed for pollination.

An age-old method is “three sister planting”.  Groupings such as corn, beans and squash work great together. The corn acts as a support for the beans as they both grow. Beans put nitrogen in to the soil, which corn needs. The squash grows quickly and provides shade and provide a natural week block.

I found these great combinations (below) written by Todd Weinmann of the North Dakota State University Agriculture Extension. This list has helped me a lot and I hope it also helps you in deciding where to plant.

ASPARAGUS - Companions: Basil, parsley, tomato. Ally: Pot marigold deters beetles.

BEANS - Companions: Beet (to bush beans only), cabbage family, carrot, celery, chard, corn, cucumber, eggplant, pea, potatoes, radish, strawberry. Enemies: Garlic, onion and shallot stunt the growth of beans. Allies: Marigold deters Mexican bean beetles. Nasturtium and rosemary deter bean beetles. Summer savory deters bean beetles, improves growth and flavor.

BEETS - Companions: Bush beans, cabbage family, lettuce, onion. Ally: Garlic improves growth and flavor. Enemies: Pole beans and beets stunt each other's growth.

CABBAGE FAMILY (Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, kale and kohlrabi) - Companions: Beet, celery, chard, cucumber, lettuce, onion, potato, and spinach. Allies: Chamomile and garlic improve growth and flavor.

Catnip, hyssop, rosemary and sage deter cabbage moth. Dill improves growth and health. Mint deters cabbage moth and ants, improves health and flavor. Nasturtium deters bugs, beetles, and aphids. Southernwood deters cabbage moth, improves growth and flavor. Tansy deters cabbageworm and cutworm. Thyme deters cabbageworm.

Enemies: Kohlrabi and tomato stunt each other's growth.

CARROTS - Companions: Bean, lettuce, onion, pea, pepper, radish, tomato. Allies: Chives improve growth and flavor. Rosemary and sage deter carrot fly. Enemy: Dill retards growth.

CELERY - Companions: Bean, cabbage family and tomato. Allies: Chives and garlic deter aphids. Nasturtium deters bugs and aphids.

CHARD - Companions: Bean, cabbage family and onion

CORN - Companions: Bean, cucumber, melon, parsley, pea, potato, pumpkin, squash. Enemies: Tomatoes and corn are attacked by the same worm. Allies: Odorless marigold and white geranium deter Japanese beetles. Pigweed raises nutrients from the subsoil to where the corn can reach them.

CUCUMBER -Companions: Bean, cabbage family, corn, pea, radish, tomato Enemy: Sage is generally injurious to cucumber. Allies: Marigold deters beetles.

Nasturtium deters aphids, beetles and bugs, improves growth and flavor.

Oregano deters pests in general. Tansy deters ants, beetles, bugs, flying insects.

EGGPLANT -Companions: Bean, pepper. Allies: Marigold deters nematodes.

LETTUCE -Companions: Beet, cabbage family, carrot, onion, radish, strawberry. Allies: Chives and garlic deter aphids.

MELONS -Companions: Corn, pumpkin, radish, squash. Allies: Marigold deters beetles. Nasturtium deters bugs and beetles. Oregano provides general pest protection

ONlONS - Companions: Beet, cabbage family, carrot, chard, lettuce, pepper, strawberry, tomato. Enemies: Onions stunt bean, pea. Allies: Chamomile and summer savory improve growth and flavor. Pigweed raises nutrients from subsoil and makes them available to the onions. Sow thistle improves growth and health.

PARSLEY - Companions: Asparagus, corn, tomato

PEAS -Companions: Bean, carrot, corn, cucumber, radish, and turnip. Allies: Chives deter aphids. Mint improves health and flavor. Enemies: Garlic and onion stunt the growth of peas.

PEPPERS -Companions: Carrot, eggplant, onion and tomato

POTATOES - Companions: Beans, cabbage family, corn, eggplant, pea. Enemies: Tomatoes and potatoes are attacked by the same blight. Allies: Horseradish, planted at the corners of the potato patch, provides general protection. Marigold deters beetles.

PUMPKINS - Companions: Corn, melon, squash. Allies: Marigold deters beetles. Nasturtium deters bugs, beetles. Oregano provides general pest protection.

RADISHES -Companions: Bean, carrot, cucumber, lettuce, melon, and pea. Allies: Chervil and nasturtium improve growth and flavor. Enemy: Hyssop

SPINACH -Companions: Cabbage family, strawberry

SQUASH- Companions: Corn, melon, and pumpkin. Allies: Borage deters worms, improves growth and flavor. Marigold deters beetles. Nasturtium deters squash bugs and beetles. Oregano provides general pest protection.

STRAWBERRY- Companions: Bean, lettuce, onion, spinach, thyme. Enemy: Cabbage. Allies: Borage strengthens resistance to insects and disease. Thyme, as a border, deters worms.

TOMATOES - Companions: Asparagus, carrot, celery, cucumber, onion, parsley, pepper. Enemies: Corn and tomato are attacked by the same worm. Mature dill retards tomato growth. Kohlrabi stunts tomato growth. Potatoes and tomatoes are attacked by the same blight. Allies: Basil repels flies and mosquitoes, improves growth and flavor. Bee balm, chives and mint improve health and flavor.

Borage deters tomato worm, improves growth and flavor. Dill, until mature, improves growth and health. Once mature, it stunts tomato growth. Marigold deters nematodes. Pot marigold deters tomato worm and general garden pests,

TURNIPS - Companion: Pea

Happy Earth Day - A Little History

The idea came to Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Inspired by the student anti-war movement, he realized that if he could infuse that energy with an emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution, it would force environmental protection onto the national political agenda. Senator Nelson announced the idea for a “national teach-in on the environment” to the national media; persuaded Pete McCloskey, a conservation-minded Republican Congressman, to serve as his co-chair; and recruited Denis Hayes as national coordinator. Hayes built a national staff of 85 to promote events across the land.

As a result, on the 22nd of April, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.

Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, city slickers and farmers, tycoons and labor leaders. The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. "It was a gamble," Gaylord recalled, "but it worked."

I hope that you take this day not only as a reflection of where we came from 42 years ago but as a call to move forward to continually make our world a better place to live and work in.

Clean Up, Rain and Christmas in April

Today was a clean up day. All those loose ends that we put off doing other chores were finally attempted today. Not all were completed. But a good portion of them were crossed off the “honey do” list.

The rain drops visited us late this afternoon and it is nice and steady this evening. We really needed it. Due to it being so dry, the forest fire level had been set at extremely high for quite some time.  Joe is burning brush this evening and the ashes will get spread in the “lasagna” walkways.  I completed layering rows 1 and 2 this afternoon.

More seeds arrived by mail. When that happens, it feels like Christmas . The starting trays were rewashed. It will still be raining for a few days so the seeds will probably get planted tomorrow.  I’m so excited to have found some heirloom tomato seeds.  My paternal grandmother was originally from Europe and always grew these amazing Russian tomatoes. They were huge, juicy but not drippy, and the sweetest tomatoes you ever tasted. I will be planting the variety called Marianna’s Peace in anticipation of the same success she had. Thank you TomatoFest.com!!  If you get the chance please check out their web page. They have over 600 varieties of heirloom tomatoes. They also have some great varieties that grow well indoors. I’m certainly going to be ordering some of them and attempt to grow them all winter long.

One thing I’m addressing this year is pollination. With the decrease in the bee population, pollination has been an issue for many gardeners. We need those babies in order to have our plants set fruit. I toyed with the idea of keeping bees. But opted for a little easier method this year. I’m planting some extra flowering plants to attract them.  I already have lupine, shasta daisies, and black-eyed susans. I’ll be adding some new england asters, coneflower, marigolds and zinnias. I still have plenty of room around the garden for them. And they will make a nice addition to my cut flowers for home and for our executive tenants.

I finally sat down this evening to finish working on my planting plan. I began by making a list of everything I have as seedlings. HOLY MOLY!  When a friend of mine said she had become carried away with starting her seedlings, I chuckled.  Wait until she reads my list. She can slap me for my snickers. But I think all of us who love to garden are guilty of this. We can always share those extra plants with a community or senior center garden. They would certainly appreciate it.

Herbs – sweet basil, italian cooking basil, cilantro, dill, parsley (Italian flat leaf), horseradish (family heirloom), thyme (French), oregano (italian), garlic,

Greens – swiss chard (white giant), collards (georgia), spinach (bloomsdale long standing), lettuce (simpson, ruby, tall utah)

Brussel sprouts (early king), eggplant (early long italian), snap peas (sugar ann), broccoli (calabrese), cauliflower (snowball), garden bean (kentucky wonder), turnip (golden globe), beet (ruby queen), cuke (national pickling), pumpkin (casper, big max), watermelon (fordhook hybrid), fennel (hinojo), onion (sweet sets, white bunching), summer squashes (gourmet mix), pepper (Italian fryers), asparagus (Martha Washington) potatoes (Yukon gold, red), squash (acorn, butternut, spaghetti), carrot (touchon), radish (fire and ice)

Fruits – rhubarb (family heirloom), raspberries (family heirloom) blueberries (early, mid, late)

Flowers – sunflower (summer cutting garden mix), shasta daisy, cosmos, zinnia (cut and come again, dwarf), marigold, coneflower (mix)

Tomatoes – kellogg’s breakfast, plum lemon, tiny tim, white queen, marianna’s peace, neves Azorean red, yellow pear, roma, sweet snack hybrid, sun sugar

Granted that the fruits and perennials are already established. The only planning I'll be doing this evening is the rotation planting of the vegetables. Grabbing the graph paper now.

Planning Your Garden

It is this time of year that most gardeners have their seeds started. The early birds here in the north country may have their soil ready for planting. Others already have their cooler weather crops in.

We have our beds ready quite early for the north country and it is time for us to map out where everything is going. I keep an accurate record each year of where things are planted so I don't repeat plant. Crop rotation is one of the key things to do in order to cut down on disease and depletion of soil nutrients. I have found two great writings that aid in rotation and planning. The first is a pdf file from the Washington State Department of Ecology. It is a "rotation for dummies" type of article full of charts and solid reference material. www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ehcsg/pdf/CSG_VegeGarden_sglpg.pdf

The other is an on-going blog site from another north country garden across the border in Vermont. I had the pleasure of hosting the owner of Sweet Grass Farm for a writing sabbatical. She writes for High Mowing Organic Seeds, one of those great blogs that is like opening a personal home garden magazine. You may want to bookmark the link for the step-by-step approach on garden planning. http://www.highmowingseeds.com/blog/garden-planning-a-step-by-step-approach . I am so grateful for the high quality seeds that they develop, test and make available.

REMEMBER ~~ Your garden will only be as good as your soil, the plan, and the seeds you use. All of this preparation is worth its weight in fresh veges!

Thank You From The Bottom Of My Pants

I'm always looking for new and interesting ideas for planting. I ran across this one on Pinterest this morning and had to chuckle. It reminded me of when my three daughters were young and wanted to learn to speak spanish. They would tease and say "Grassy Ass". Thank you girls!

Hope it makes you smile too!

Spring Warm Up

I have to yell to the mountain tops that I love my husband. He shares my passion for gardening and getting dirty. He spent two days getting the 18 garden beds that were in the "lasagna" areas prepared for the spring. Then he put a black poly down on three of the beds along with hoops that will be covered with a clear greenhouse poly to create mini hoop tunnels to get a jump on our warmer weather crops growing season. This week saw the planting of peas, spinach, broccoli, brussel sprouts, early bunching onions and cauliflower

For those of you not familiar with lasagna gardening or new to my blog, it is the best organic way to grow. I use no additional nutrients for my soil with the exception of an occasional boost for those crops needing it during setting fruit. It is super easy and garners no special tools. I rotate the walkways and planting beds each year. In the walkways being used that year, I continually add layers of brown and green. Layer 1 should be corrugated cardboard or newspaper. Layer 2 should be organic "browns" - ex: fall leaves, shredded newspaper, peat, and pine needles. Layer 3 should be organic "greens" - ex vegetables scraps, garden trimmings, and grass clippings (we do not treat our lawns). Layer 4 should be "browns". Layer 5 should be "greens". Final layer should be compost or manure.

Trust me when I say that when you plant in that walkway next year, it is like planting in black gold. It is the best garden dirt you will ever work with. It is full of nutrients that are just waiting to hold the roots of your tender seedlings and see them all the way through the harvesting of their fruit.

So go grab a piece of dirt and some sun screen. Have fun!

Today I received this email from the CEO of Burpee. It was written so well and I'm sure expresses the feelings of most of us "home gardeners" that I had to share. Thank you Mr. Ball and have a wonderful spring!

"Easter in the Garden": Essay by Burpee CEO George Ball

After all, let's remember that Easter, spring and the garden are inextricably linked, together forming a richly wrought tapestry interwoven with deep, ancient historical, symbolic and religious meanings.

Spring is the season of salvation. The dead of winter, is, metaphorically, the death of our souls; the time when plants die, and animals go into hibernation. Life is on its knees. Even our thoughts change from active to reflective. Sometimes in winter, when our light-deprived selves have exhausted our psychic pantry of serotonin, the death can seem actual rather than metaphorical. By winter’s end we haven’t just taken stock of our situation, we’ve used most of it up.

At this time of year, just as my thoughts turn to Easter, I think of gardening, and as soon as I think of gardening, I'm reminded of Easter, and then I'm back to gardening, and then back to Easter, and so forth. If my toing and froing sounds like spring fever, well, it is.

Thus, Easter, spring and the garden represent thresholds: moving from a suspended state to new beginnings. In Easter, we transition from sinning humankind to a future of salvation; with spring, we emerge from a still, slumbering, gray season of scarcity to a season when nature takes on vibrant new colors, textures and sounds. With the garden, we experience the shift from poverty to plenty.

Now is the time we look away from the past and turn our focus to the future. Easter lets us look forward to salvation, spring to summer, the garden to what we must do to sustain ourselves. The passage from Phillipians comes to mind, where St. Paul speaks of, " Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead."

Whether gardeners or not, religionists or not, at this time of year we all feel the renewal of life: new hope, illumination, the uplifted spirit. We revel in the longer days, the marvels awaiting us out of doors: the pageant of colors, the cantatas of birdsongs, the elixir of fragrance in the air.

Easter is not the only link between religion and the garden. The roots of religion are universally agricultural. Mankind's earliest writings were, in one sense, agricultural manuals, in another books of religious instruction, so entwined were the two concerns.

The garden is not merely a great metaphor—it is the first metaphor. From a biblical perspective, we all began in the garden. You might recall Adam, Eve and the awkward matter of the apple of temptation, humankind's original and greatest sin. Disobeying their Creator's strict instructions, Adam and Eve partook of the apple offered by their serpentine interlocutor.

God promptly exiled the couple from the paradisiacal Garden of Eden, and sentenced the pair, their descendents, and all mankind—to what? Gardening! Yes, the never-ending punishment for our greatest sin is to become a gardener. By casting out Adam and Eve, the Creator gave his children the responsibility to create their own lives. Rather than lolling about the paradisiacal garden, we've been working in our own earthly gardens ever since.

Though our worldly realm may have its cares and woes, diseases and pests, lives and deaths, we get to do it ourselves. And when reason fails us, or fate strikes a stunning blow, we don’t so much pray to God as we do talk to God. This is because it is God who asks the questions, who challenges us every year in the spring.

Original sin was the beginning of reason. The point of reason is that mortals are, in effect, never saved. One has to save oneself with God looking on—which is how he helps. And after saving yourself — just like in the airline oxygen mask instruction—you turn to help the weak and defenseless, aka your fellow human beings. Nowhere is this spirit more eloquently expressed than in the garden—home, community or public. Brother helping brother; neighbor helping neighbor — what a miracle!

As Henry David Thoreau, that American original, once observed, "Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.

Happy Easter.

Spring Has Sprung

It’s Good Friday and the sun is warming the soil. We are hoping to be able to till this weekend and get those rows going north to south to maximize the sun exposure. There is one area of the garden that is still very wet because it drops off a little and I was seriously considering bringing in some additional soil and supplements for that area. There is also a scrub tree that is on the east side of the garden that we had left last year in our hurry to just get established. We will be removing that this spring. Forecast is for sunny and in the 50’s. Let’s hope it follows through. One never knows living in this area of country.

The blueberries have buds swelling and I will gather the pine needles from the front of the property to spread around them for some additional nutrients.

The seeds that were started have now begun to sprout. I have them nursing themselves inside the 3-season porch that is south facing. Help from two large grow lamps help keep them warm at night. I started several varieties of lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, brussel sprouts, squashes, dill, parsley, basil, eggplant, catnip, cauliflower and broccoli. In two weeks I will sow another crop of lettuce.

There is no greater feeling than watching those young plants stretch themselves upwards. It is like a rebirth each time one pops up. We will hold their hands and keep their feet firmly planted until they bear their fruit. Then we will save their seeds and bring them back to life again next year.

So many people are planting gardens now. I was seriously thinking of organizing an organic seed swap in my area. I’ll have to put it out on my Facebook and post up some signs. I’m so excited that a friend of mine has organized a CSA (community supported agriculture). She is including fresh eggs, fresh soap, and fresh chickens with her fruit and vegetables. I wish more people would do this. To expand the CSA movement across the country would help eliminate the need for trucking our food supply and lessen our carbon footprint.

Seeds, seeds and more seeds

Exciting time for the garden. Even though the snow is falling like crazy, March 1st is only 2 days away. Time to start our seeds to accommodate our very short growing season.

Today I will be pulling out all of the seed trays, making sure they are clean and free of disease (a very important thing to do). Looking forward to getting the fingernails dirty.

What I did this winter

First I must throw my apology out to all for not uploading my blogs this past fall. I took pictures, wrote them and never posted them. Everything happened so quickly with the harvests coming in, the freezing, baking, drying and baking. It was an awesome first season with my northern garden.

This winter has brought us the enjoyment of savoring the fruits of our labor. They have certainly saved us lots of cash along with the satisfaction of knowing we grew it ourselves and they do not contain any unnecessary preservatives.

That brings me to today. A cool, crisp winter day where the sun reflects brightly on the raised beds so it feels like spring. Maybe it is the birds singing or maples beginning to run. I’m sure it is the seed catalogs and seedling trays that I’m looking at that are making this an exciting time. I don’t know about everyone else, but those seed catalogs really get me anxious to get the garden going.

The time this winter has been used well. Some bird houses have been rebuilt. The roto-tiller has been serviced. As well as both lawn mowers. Inventory on the hand tools has revealed that some of them needed some repair and reinforcing which was done promptly. Hopefully, this will leave us with an uneventful planting season.

I’ve taken a good look at which plants did well up north and which ones I want to leave off my “honey-do” list. Visions of fresh peas, spinach, herbs, tomatoes,and italian peppers are running through my brain. I shall work on my calendar this week and begin to start some seeds. I will post which kinds I have chosen as I discover them myself.