Insane Year ! ! ! !

I can't believe it's almost August.  Okay it basically is, and it's crazy.  This year has been so crazy I don't think I would have even been able to keep up if I had this in my notebook like last year.  Maybe a little better, but let's face it probably not.  I got off to such a great start.  On time, seeds popping up like crazy, even a head at some points.  And then mother nature decided that something wasn't right and started dumping us with rain.  It's amazing how much time you lose even when you think you wouldn't get much done.  So behind I fell and soon fell even further behind. 

So far though a few successes of experiments, and others not so much.  My seeds didn't generally like my nice cold basement with the light hanging above them at least not long term (it probably could have been closer).  However I have found that they absolutely LOVE the corner of my driveway (top of the list for next year).  Still haven't had any luck growing peppers from seed.  I'll be sticking a few in my 3-tiers to see if they do anything at all.  On the other hand though I bought some egg plants this year and I am THRILLED that there are real egg plants growing.  So far 1 purple and a few white ones.  I swear they get bigger by the day.  The new blue podded peas that I tried were awesome.  Great producer and so tasty.  Those are a keeper.  Who needs boring green ones when I can have these.  Now just to keep the dogs from eating them.  I also finally manged to get lettuce out of my garden.  Now I have to work on spreading it out and getting it constantly. 

I've had terrible gardeners block this year, but finally did manage to get at least something in the ground for our new two spots out front.  Hopefully pictures will follow shortly.  I almost think the last one I did was just too perfect.  It'll be a tough act to follow. 

2011 Has Started ! ! ! !

The 2011 gardening season has officially started.  We had our first day of 70 degree weather on Friday and that was more than enough to get everyone into the a serious case of spring fever.  Once that first nice day happens that’s it, it’s all over.  The snow has pretty much melted, the pond is thawed and there’s no hope of getting out there again this year so I say bring on the sunshine.  This past weekend was nice enough for jeans and hoodies.  We were able to get about half our of vegetable garden turned over and get the manure in.  We cleared a small section next to the fence so that I could get some peas in.  And we were able to get around the pool fence cleaned in the areas that I wanted to get some peas in as well.  All in all not a bad Sunday.  This will be the first year I’m growing peas on our chain link fence.  This was primarily driven by a desire to free up as much space in the actual veggie garden as possible.  I grow things on the fence anyway might as well as something edible off it.  And of course it snows today so we’ll have to see if snow really does make them sweater.  So far in this year is some spinach, garden peas, blue podded peas, snow peas, yellow snow peas and sugar snap peas.  I’ve never gotten them in this early (on time) before so I’m pretty excited to see how they do.  Hopefully they will start filling in the fence for some privacy as well. 

Found out I’m actually late on starting some seeds this year.  They are new ones that I’ve never grown before, but I thought I was being so good.  Oh well guess I’ll have to play catch up this weekend.  Pictures to follow later at some point I'm sure. 

Favorite pictures from Winter

This year has been crazy.  I think I can only remember one other winter growing up where we had this much snow.  I may have a love hate relationship with my house, but I absolutely LOVE my neighbors.  There’s no doubt that up here in New England we have gotten slammed this year with snow fall.  Usually getting about a foot each time, and lets face it that’s a lot of snow to move.  Our neighbor had been great and done our drive way a few times.  This is great for two reasons; (1) obviously it helps us with time, and (2) the snow blower actually blows the snow away and spreads it out.  One of our neighbors was taking care of the ends of driveways after the serious dumpings. 

If we actually were shoveling all this I highly doubt we would have anywhere to actually put the snow by now.  As it is the piles at the end of our drive way are at my shoulders (I’m 5’ 1”), and the pile at the end had got to be taller than me.  I got excited because it kinda started to melt, but that didn’t last long.  You still can’t tell where things are with all this snow. 

But we have gotten some really cool pictures.  I love the table and chairs we have with the ice melting through it.  Just looks cool. 

Inappropriate office plant?

 The amaryllis, I think, is a beautiful flower.  I haven’t quite decided if it’s really worth the space while it grows, but if you get the one with the really huge flowers it’s totally worth it for the flowers.  However, we were informed that some employers think it is a very inappropriate office plant because it can be viewed as offensive.  I would never have gone there with the amaryllis before that, but now that it’s been said I can see it and will never look at it the same way again.  So while we can grow it in our office trust me the jokes have already started.  We’ve played ring around the amaryllis, and are you bigger than an amaryllis to name a few.  Such a beautiful flower, and now it’s the bunt of all jokes.  I guess some people are just way too ????? yeah I can’t even come up with something here so I’ll just laugh.  Enjoy! 

These ended up not being that big as far as flowers went, but they have provided way more entertainment than I think I flower should have.  These pictures were taken back in January, but We still ahve some going in the office.  

Wow Time Flies By!

So apparently this whole online thing will take some getting use to.  I can’t believe it’s already been a month and a half since I last actually put something up here.  WOW! In the meantime though there are officially only 30 days left of tax season 2011.  So far it’s been a rough season on my plants and an even rougher season in the office.  That being said there is never a dull moment and things are as lively as ever.  Now if only we could go out and play in the great sunshine that has finally decided to break free.  My garden has already started to wake up I’ve got green onions and I think saffron poking through already.  I can’t wait to get the peas and spinach into the ground this weekend.  Summer here we come.  : )

As much as I might love gardening I do not like spring.  It’s chilly, it’s wet, my dogs are mud carry pains in the butts, and I’m stuck in the office with a serious case of spring fever.  The weather is also very sporadic this time of year and you never know what you will get.  Today was 60 (and fabulous), tomorrow is supposed to get up to 70 ( I see an afternoon walk in my future) and I wouldn’t be surprised if we dive back into the 30’s any day now. 

My plants are hanging on, but I think they’re getting a case of cabin fever as well, and frankly I can’t blame them.  I have had the worse winter ever as far as bugs go.  I have no idea where they came from, or how they got to some of the plants that they are on.  Right now is always especially hard, but we’re almost through tax season, and then in a very short time they will be back outside soaking up the sun. 

So to catch up on the last month I’ll be going backwards a little bit.  Oh well live and learn and maybe I’ll start getting into a regular habit as I get my life back. 

A nice little field trip to Logee’s was originally scheduled, but even after everyone else backed out I still had to make the trip.  I’m glad I did.  It’s so easy to forget how much a garden is constantly changing.  Logee’s is no exception.  This trip I was reminded why we always try to hard to make it in January before things get a little too crazy for me; the lemon tree.  The smell is out of this world.  The flowers smell absolutely incredible, and of course so many of their other flowers are blooming right now. 

As you walk through the paths it hard to figure out where some of the smells are coming from, and sometimes you just can’t find them.  All of this is what makes the trip so great.  I got an amazing photo of a passion flower. 

Couldn’t figure out which one is actually was, but decided that it didn’t really matter.  I wasn’t planning on getting sucked in, but with a 20% off coupon that’s exactly what happened.  Not too bad.  I only left with 4 plants.  Too passion flowers, a new berry that caught my husband’s eye and a mystery hibiscus.  Obviously we couldn’t figure out which hibiscus it was, but after looking at the possibilities we decided that we could probably live with the result.  We’ll have to wait and see what we got. 

Two of my favorites were in bloom when we went.  The hibiscus (this was on one for sale), and the puff flower.  I just think it looks so cool. 

Catalogs Catalogs Catalogs ! ! !

People don’t seem to like January too much.  It’s after the hustle and bustle of the holidays.  The days are short the bills come due and if you’re in New England you get walloped with snow this year.  However, if you’re a gardener January is awesome.  All the catalogs start to come.  Some are old friends that you get every year, and some are new ones that just pop up.  And your favorites you sit by the mail box and just wait for like a little kid.  Some I always order from others I just love flipping through to look at all the pretty pictures and new varieties.  Some of my old favorites are Burpee and Dutch gardens.  While my newest ones are Baker Creeek, Comstock Ferre, High Mowing and Abundant life Seed.  Also online is reimer seeds.  Totally cool site and has ton of varieties of hot peppers if you like them.  Gotta love a cold winter’s day dreaming of spring time.