Cucumbers started

There is an app for that, but paper is still so darn nice.

The cucumbers are going in today (and some a week ago). There well be much pickling this year of things go according to plan.

Pea season nears

The first planting of peas (Feb 8) are blossoming rapidly now. These are Super Sugar Snaps here, the best snap pea I've come across.

2nd salad

The first salad was eaten before the camera crew arrived. This salad is composed of backyard sourced lettuces, chard, chives, oregano and raspberries (via the freezer). The tomatoes and cottage cheese  were imported.

Cutting potatoes

Cutting potatoes for planting. Two sprouts per piece, says grandpa Larson.

Beautiful germination

A soil block site told me that there was no reason to cover the seeds when using blocks. It went on to say that there's plenty of  moisture in the block to let it germinate properly. I've tried this a few times and can say that it  works very well (lettuce is especially quick to germinate in this fashion). It also gives you a great perspective on what is going on just after germination. I find these little broccoli beautiful.

Newly emerged broccoli

Bolting toward Harvest Monday

Even though the overwintering crowd has started to bolt toward the barn doors, they remain plentiful and tasty.

The Brussels Sprouts are popping open in small explosive blooms, spurring me to pick clean a few of the plants. Nature works, though. I didn't get them all. Some had bolted entirely, some I just missed. These would bloom if left to their own devices, and may still, though it will be from the compost bin.

One cabbage came indoors, the last remains in the field, its seemingly chaotic splatter of long-packed-together leaves reaching in every direction. The chard is putting on new growth, the kale stretches skyward and the rest of the garden residents are trying to remain unseen as they edge toward the doors.

Spring is near, though it is under a cover of frost this morning.

Leeks, sprouts, spinach and chard await the pizza stone.
The sauce is from our canned summer stores.

We still have squash in the larder. This pint is being
dried to satisfy work snack cravings.

(Go see what else is bolting at Daphne's Harvest Monday site).

Sprouts for breakfast

I continue to try to eat my way through what remains. Our Brussels sprouts, leeks, and garlic join with some tasty mushrooms for breakfast.

Harvest Monday

There is more cabbage and Brussels in the garden than it seems. That's not to say that I can feed an army, or our small family day-in and day-out, but there is certainly enough that I need to work it into as many meals as I can during the week. That works out to lunches during the weekday and a couple evening meals. It is a good problem to have.

Spring is amazing. I suppose that goes without saying, but here I go. The longer days and nudges toward warmer temperatures have brought new growth all over the garden. The Purple Sprouting Broccoli looks noticeably more lush. The peas I put in the ground on the 5th of February are poking out of the ground. And the remains of winter Brussels and cabbages are starting to open in preparation for active bolting. Our kale is also preparing to go. We have some time, but the end is approaching.

It has been a good winter ride and now the sprint through Spring is upon me. No, its not a sprint. It is steady, even pacing. Now to have the discipline to maintain a good pace..

A beet in the hand.. also worth two birds in the bush?

The brassica dreams of seeds

Spaghetti for dinner. Just add red sauce.

Only a couple more to go.

A lunch buddy for days

Planting - Lettuce / Broccoli

Broccoli, take three

I started the first round of lettuce and spring broccoli this evening. I've had nothing but problems trying to start broccoli the last two years. Those years, I started the broccoli outside in the greenhouse. I think the wide swings of temperature in the greenhouse were too much for the young broccoli. This year they are in the house with nice stable temperatures. I'm interested to see what I get this time around.

Soil Blocks

I've had great success with soil blocks and will use them for everything that can be started in them. Last week I started tomatoes in 2" blocks. Today I used the 3/4" blocks for lettuce and broccoli. Blocks of this size are easily out grown, but they are also compact and allow me to start a lot of single seeds, resulting in more than enough plants, even with spotty germination. As it turns out, I've had great luck with germination in this manner and will have enough starts to share with all interested.

3/4" soil blocks - 160 total

Top Row (Left->Right): 

• Mascara Lettuce (x20); Territorial Seed
• Drunken Woman Fizzy Head (x20); Territorial Seed
• Marshall Lettuce (x20); 
• Italienischer Lettuce (x20);

Bottom Row (Left->Right)

• Valmaine Lettuce (x20)
• Fiesta Hybrid Broccoli (x20) (Pelleted)
• Broccoli Sampler from Cedar Grove Nursery (x20) (Not sure the exact variety)
• Blank, for now.

Spinach dreams - planting

The garlic bed, center, got some companions today:

Left to right:

Mustard - Wild Garden

Spinach - Spaulding (x3)

Spinach - Olympia (x2)

Behind them is our winter bed of kale & collards. In front is a Purple Sprouting Broccoli that its showing good spring growth.

Harvest Monday

We, through not aggressively eating our way through the garden, are still pulling much from it.  There are still beets, a few cabbages, loads of kale & collards, green onion, and Brussels. The carrots are mostly gone and the last of the broccoli was picked and its bed cleared in preparation for peas.

This post is part of the Harvest Monday collection over at Daphne's Dandelions. Head on over to see what is left of other people's winter gardens.

From a Brussels' point of view

Cabbage and Brussels on the block for the wok

Spring fever, first planting

We've been experiencing a full-on spring weekend. The sun was bright, non-shady areas warm. We planted the first round of peas in response. It isn't terribly early. They normally go in around Presidents day.

What went in:
10' each:
  Alderman (west, bear row)
  Super Sugar-Snap