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Today Post::harvest

2009-11-09T13:16:00.013-08:00

These are the vegetables I harvested on Sunday. Four big hairy celeriac roots (below is before I trimmed the them), a couple potatoes, a couple red cabbage. Also some nice lettuce and escarole and a bunch of baby bok choy. The celeriac are one of the first crops planted and the last ones harvested. Very slow growing

Today Post::impression of the woods

2009-11-09T13:16:00.012-08:00

The woods look like a Monet painting now. This photo is from last Sunday. Skippy and I followed an old stone wall instead of the path so I would see all the leaves up close. I did a little PhotoShopping to make the picture look more like the woods looked to me. Spots of color. Lots of filtered light. Pastel shades.

Today Post::New post

2009-11-09T13:16:00.011-08:00

Giant acorns, bromeliads and dodgy mayors Another conference in Mexico, or perhaps I should say 'congress' as that is the word they use. I roll up right at the end for a final keynote, so I don't get much sense of what has been going on, except that it is about preserving

Today Post::beets and squash for dinner

2009-11-09T13:16:00.010-08:00

I started with the first recipe contributed on my beet post: borscht. Never having made borscht before, I was surprised by the combination beets, celery, garlic, carrots and dill. I even found a last sprig of dill in the garden. It was easy to make. And tasted great. While I was cooking, I made my favorite squash

Today Post::Blazing Red Berries and Fuchsia Pink Fireworks.

2009-11-09T13:16:00.009-08:00

When we think of Autumn in the garden we think foliage, we think evergreen and we think berries. This plant has all of this and much, much more. Often overlooked the Cotoneaster is somewhat of a garden stalwart. It provides everything you want in an evergreen shrub. It has form, provides structure, year

Today Post::spreading compost and other winter preparations

2009-11-09T13:16:00.007-08:00

A beautiful warm fall day for garden work. We were out cleaning up the yard and gardens - getting ready for winter. My main project was COMPOST. My old wood compost bins have finally composted themselves. After 10 or 15 years. Two homemade untreated fir bins. I pulled off all the old decayed wood, then carted the

Today Post::skippy in the garden

2009-11-09T13:16:00.005-08:00

Today Post::photos of my garden plot

2009-11-09T13:16:00.003-08:00

escarole and winter radish kale, fava beans, Boston lettuce, red romaine and spinach asparagus, red cabbage and parsnips savoy cabbage and mixed fall greens My raised beds are beginning to look clean and organized again after the profusion of plants that overtook them this summer. The garlic is planted and covered

Today Post::New post

2009-11-09T13:16:00.001-08:00

I added a copyright notice to my posts. At least its clear now that they are my posts: Pirate Blog.

Today Post::Breaking news: The invasion

2009-10-31T16:14:00.012-07:00

Okay, so maybe I’m being just a little bit over dramatic but I rarely get the opportunity. When I got to the office today I found this little creature, beautiful as it is, attached to my leg. I removed it and then it occurred to me. Could this be a Harlequin Ladybird, Hamonia axyridis? It was most definitely

Today Post::rows of fall crops

2009-10-31T16:14:00.011-07:00

When Skippy and I visited Waltham Fields, we walked through the CSA fields as well as the community plots and experimental station. These are photos of the CSA fields. Rows and rows of colors and textures. The last crops, enjoying the late fall sun. Local farms are finishing up their seasons now. Last crops are

Today Post::botany of desire - on PBS yesterday

2009-10-31T16:14:00.010-07:00

I set the time and date on my calendar. And it was a great show. I read the book “Botany of Desire” by Michael Pollan, a while ago. A very good read. And the show on PBS was very good also. Lots of exciting information and footage - for a gardening fanatic anyway. I wrote down a few things that struck me: “What are

Today Post::My Australian Adventure: The Final Installment

2009-10-31T16:14:00.009-07:00

Yes, you can breathe a sigh of relief as this is the final post in my Australian series. It’s been great to blog about some of the sights I have seen and the garden’s I have visited. Saying that it has been incredibly difficult leaving pictures out and deciding what to blog on as most pictures could become a

Today Post::garden surprise - a saffron crocus blossom

2009-10-31T16:14:00.007-07:00

What a surprise in the back garden today! A stunning saffron crocus. I planted a few of these fall blooming bulbs many years ago and they never fail to startle me. The stamens are an unreal intense piercing orange. A color all of its own. And the blue petals are so gentle in contrast. Soft and quiet with a fine

Today Post::the search for the prettiest leaf

2009-10-31T16:14:00.005-07:00

Today Post::bright fall cosmos

2009-10-31T16:14:00.003-07:00

It seems that cosmos are the latest spots of color in the garden this year. My marigolds and zinnias are long gone. These cosmos are at the Cambridge community garden I visited yesterday. I like the bold magenta tones.

Today Post::Where the plains meet the mountains

2009-10-31T16:14:00.001-07:00

An end to some extensive travelling in the US in Colorado, visiting Lauren Springer and Scott Ogden, consummate plantspeople both, with an immensely richly planted and very naturalistic style garden in the burbs of Fort Collins. Its odd looking at the planting here, as it is such a mix of the familiar and the

Today Post::Roll on November ...

2009-10-26T09:45:00.021-07:00

This was the week that the temperature dropped 10°C overnight. Last Sunday I went to the garden centre wearing only a T-shirt (well, no - I had trousers on too, but you know what I mean…) Today I’m sitting at home with the heating on and I’ve still had to put on a long sleeved jumper (that’s a sweater for anyone

Today Post::When Pets Become Pests ...

2009-10-26T09:45:00.020-07:00

It’s not every day that a London bird makes the evening news on Italian TV. But the other night there was a short feature on the bird which is probably now the most frequently seen visitor in my London garden - the rose ringed parakeet. I posted about them two years ago, the last time I was in London, talking about

Today Post::goggle satellite map of Belmont Victory Gardens

2009-10-26T09:45:00.019-07:00

This is an aerial snap shot of our community gardens that I came across today. Looks like late in the day on about April 18, 2007. The resolution is amazing! I can see that I had cleared and turned my plot, but there’s no fence up yet. Seems to me Google had a lower resolution version last time I looked.

Today Post::please tell me your beet recipes

2009-10-26T09:45:00.018-07:00

I have 12 pounds of beets to eat! Do you have any great recipes? Please add them or a link below. I usually bake beets in foil at 400*F for 40 min or so - until they’re tender. Then cool, peel and slice. The other day I mixed them with other roasted winter root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, celeriac, fennel and

Today Post::My Australian Adventure: Sydney Botanical Gardens

2009-10-26T09:45:00.017-07:00

Prior to visiting Sydney I had one special place in mind to visit. It wasn’t, as you may think, the Opera House or the Harbour Bridge, which are extremely popular tourist attractions in their own right. The predicted, and later confirmed, highlight of my visit was to be Sydney Botanical Gardens! The

Today Post::vegetable gardening books to read

2009-10-26T09:45:00.016-07:00

I have a big pile of edible gardening books that Timber Press sent me. I am looking forward to sitting back and reading all of these. Nothing like a good gardening book on a cold winter day.

Today Post::not my year for apples

2009-10-26T09:45:00.015-07:00

Last year I carefully covered all 5 of the apples on my little Fugi tree with stockings. They ripened perfectly and were delicious. But, not being convinced that this was necessary, I left them uncovered this year. Hmmm. All four apples this look terrible. I don’t know what caused this. But I think I’ll cover them

Today Post::autumn walk around the pond

2009-10-26T09:45:00.014-07:00

I have a new toy. A Flip video camcorder. Here’s my first movie. Starring Skippy. He doesn’t do much. It was a very lazy walk around the Pond on a beautiful day.

Today Post::My Australian Adventure: St Mary's Cathedral

2009-10-26T09:45:00.013-07:00

When out walking in Sydney I stumbled upon the rather imposing and impressive St Mary’s Cathedral. Leading up to the Cathedral I found a series of square planters filled with colourful bedding plants that made a great use of the space leading up to the entrance. I hope you enjoyed the

Today Post::A sorry sight ...

2009-10-26T09:45:00.011-07:00

I’ve always had pelargoniums on the balcony. Common as muck they may be, but in full bloom they’re glorious. And with a bit of protection they will not only over-winter, and but also sometimes keep on flowering . If you were reading this blog a few years ago, you’ll know that I had one container of salmon-pink zonal

Today Post::garden blog PIRATE site

2009-10-26T09:45:00.009-07:00

Check out this pirate site! Gardening Realm Boo! Is it just me they’re stealing from? Do you recognize your material here? I didn’t not give my permission for them to use my material and I left comment today for them to remove it. Lets see if I get a response. By the way, thanks to Mostlypurple for finding this

Today Post::ornamental kale with yellow leaf

2009-10-26T09:45:00.007-07:00

Today Post::pumpkins

2009-10-26T09:45:00.005-07:00

Jarrahdale pumpkins Baby Pam pumpkins Long Island Cheese and Cinderella 'Rouge Vif d'Etampes' pumpkins pumpkins from my garden this year Big Rock pumpkins pumpkin from Spain - Calabaza RoteÑa So many varieties! I’ve been confused about when a squash is a “pumpkin”? I’ve read that a pumpkin is, by definition, a

Today Post::taking stock of my larder

2009-10-26T09:45:00.003-07:00

I’ve been mostly just stuffing vegetables from my garden into my larder this fall. Thought I’d take stock. My larder (Merriam-Webster “a place where food is stored”) is mostly in the basement. It consists of a root cellar (a small ‘fridge), a deep freezer, a couple big baskets, some hanging small baskets, and

Today Post::a beautiful day in the garden

2009-10-26T09:45:00.001-07:00

Today’s harvest is a big pile of carrots (Bolero and Oxheart), the last of my beets (White Detroit and Lutz) and a few more potatoes. My garlic is all planted. Lots of it. Four orders of garlic is a LOT! I’m looking forward to a big harvest next summer. I mulched it with salt marsh hay that has saved well for a

Today Post::how to make popcorn

2009-10-13T19:13:00.002-07:00

Plant seeds in spring when ground is warm in well prepared soil. Pick when silks are very dry. Pull back husks and let kernels dry. Test kernels often. When they pop well, share them. Remove kernels by pushing them off the cob with your thumb, starting at tip. Put about 1/4 cup of kernels in a big pot with cover.

Today Post::pumpkin bread

2009-10-13T19:13:00.001-07:00

Recipe: 1 cup spelt flour2 cups white flour1 tsp each baking powder, baking soda, salt1/2 tsp each nutmeg, gingerdash each ground cloves, allspice2 tsp cinnamon 4 eggs1 3/4 cups sugar1 cup vegetable oil2 tsp vanilla 4 cups grated fresh pumpkin (peeled)1 cup raisins1 cup walnuts Combine dry ingredients and set aside.

Today Post::And the winner is . . .

2009-10-11T00:28:00.001-07:00

Those of you who follow my blog will know that I like to give things away from time to time. Most recently I posted a competition to win an amazing pair of Felco secateurs in association with Dobbies.com. I would like to thank everyone who entered the competition and apologise for my later than planned

Today Post::skippy and my pumpkins

2009-10-10T14:23:00.005-07:00

Today Post::Gretta's late blight advice

2009-10-10T14:23:00.004-07:00

At the Seed Swap last weekend, Gretta (a local farmer, Shared Harvest CSA) talked with us about Late Blight. Her advice is to compost or dig in the tomatoes but make sure you remove all potatoes. The potatoes are the potential for spreading spores next year. Late Blight can overwinter in live plants (i.e. the potato

Today Post::Weeds...

2009-10-10T14:23:00.003-07:00

One of the advantages of balcony gardening is that you don’t get weeds. Not having a garden means that, of necessity you’re using bought - and sterilised - compost, and though the odd thing will float in on the wind, it’s relatively rare. Tip the soil into your container, pop in your plants, and that’s it for the

Today Post::cheers to the harvest - winter radish martinis

2009-10-10T14:23:00.001-07:00

My first homegrown winter radish! These are a special group of radish that need to be grown while day length is shrinking. They should be planted in late summer to mature about 2 weeks after the first frost. I pulled a few of mine a little early, but more are still in the ground. I planted these when my popcorn

Today Post::end of the season harvest

2009-10-09T19:05:00.001-07:00

(click on the photo for vegetable names) It was a good day for harvesting. Sunny and dry. No frost is in sight yet, but the days are getting so short and the warm weather crops aren’t growing any more. I spread everything out before packing it into bags. I picked all my chiles, eggplants, squashes, onions and

Today Post::so true

2009-10-07T16:14:00.006-07:00

“In spite of weird weather and diseases, this land has been good to us this season.”New Hampshire CSA Farmer, Jenny Wooster

Today Post::garden notes

2009-10-07T16:14:00.005-07:00

I’m way backed up on recording my garden activities. I have about 500 photos to sort, maybe 10 topics to post. I’ll gradually get to posting these in the next few days (I hope). Here’s a quick summary. - A writer and photographer from the Boston Globe came to my house yesterday to see my garden produce and check out

Today Post::sliding garden planner

2009-10-07T16:14:00.004-07:00

Hannah just sent me this link for Clyde’s Sliding Garden Planner on my/Skippy’s On-Line Garden Planner page. It looks really cool. I sent in my $5 to try this out!

Today Post::Berries

2009-10-07T16:14:00.003-07:00

When I left England, there wasn’t much in flower in the garden but it was full of berries. Red ones, orange ones, purple ones and white ones …. everywhere you turned there was a mass of colour. Folklore would have it that an abundance of berries in autumn heralds a hard winter, and if my garden is anything to go by

Today Post::popcorn in jars

2009-10-07T16:14:00.001-07:00

The seeds started falling off a few of my ears of popcorn, so I put them into jars.

Today Post::So why do we all love prairie?

2009-10-06T10:43:00.001-07:00

I have just finished taking a party of Gardens Illustrated readers around the Midwest – based on Chicago and St. Louis. It's been more or less the same group who have accompanied me to Holland, Germany and Sweden before – so something of a reunion, and all rather jolly. Wonderful hospitality in the Midwest – you

Today Post::seed swap was fun

2009-10-05T02:22:00.002-07:00

We are rating the 1st Belmont Victory Garden Seed Swap and Giant Vegetable Contest as a very fun success. Despite the terrible weather. I stopped counting at 12 attendees, but suspect about 20 people came. In rain coats and umbrellas. Gretta informed us all about local gardening. We consumed lots of pumpkin bread and

Today Post::winners of the giant vegetable contest!

2009-10-05T02:22:00.001-07:00

Julia and Rebecca easily won the Giant Vegetable Contest at the Belmont Victory Garden Seed Swap and Garden Harvest Celebration yesterday. They entered a 20.6 lb pumpkin grown by Belmont High School Girls Cross Country Team. They ran up at the last minute to see if they were in time for the contest. They were.

Today Post::Hummingbird Hawk-moth

2009-10-03T14:22:00.002-07:00

Mum, come quick - there’s a thing on your plants! And what a thing. It was a Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) - an insect which visits the balcony occasionally, but is by no means common. If I see one a year I’m lucky, and this was certainly the first I’ve spotted this year. Excuse the

Today Post::mail ordered garlic

2009-10-03T14:22:00.001-07:00

Two of the garlic varieties I ordered have arrived. I’m still waiting for two more from a different company. I hope to have lots of garlic next year. I love the look of great big heads on the right.

Today Post::flowers in my garden

2009-10-01T22:16:00.005-07:00

Today Post::Oh my goodness ...

2009-10-01T22:16:00.004-07:00

I am, as a close friend of mine would say, gobstruck. Now I know what they feel like on Oscar night. You know, they’re sat there at their tables trying to look as if they’re really enjoying themselves while someone a lot more famous jokes around and fumbles with the envelope. Smiles are fixed on with Bostik and they

Today Post::Skywatch Friday : Alps

2009-10-01T22:16:00.003-07:00

Last week, I flew back to Milan from London. It was a beautifully clear day, with almost no cloud, providing wonderful views of Europe below. The white cliffs of Dover, the Seine winding through Paris, the Eiffel Tower and Versailles - they were all clearly visible. Despite oohing and aahing for most of the trip

Today Post::another flower

2009-10-01T22:16:00.001-07:00

Hardy Hydrangea, Hydrangea Quick Fire™. This is a new bush in my front yard. Its been in bloom all summer. I’m wondering where I could squeeze in more. It started blooming as a white lace cap and gradually turned pale pink, and now a deep rich pink. Wonderful.

Today Post::harvest - russet potatoes and broccoli

2009-09-30T02:40:00.003-07:00

Big Russets and a serious head of broccoli. I feel like a real farmer. I really enjoy running down to the garden instead of the supermarket! We ate these immediately. Pan fried potatoes, sliced thin and steamed broccoli. Yum!

Today Post::more basil harvested

2009-09-30T02:40:00.002-07:00

This is the basil I harvested on Saturday. We trimmed the leaves off the stems, added olive oil and processed it. Its waiting in the fridge now til I buy pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. Then we (i.e. my husband) will turn it into pesto and freeze it. Its a bumper crop this year and should easily last us til next year

Today Post::honey CSA

2009-09-30T02:40:00.001-07:00

I think this may finally happen! Last year, I read somewhere about a honey CSA. Since honey’s one of my favorite things and since we had poor pollination last year, this seemed like a super idea. I’ve been looking around for a bee keeper and finally came across a woman who maintains beehives and is interested in

Today Post::marigolds

2009-09-28T14:23:00.005-07:00

This has been a fantastic marigold in my garden this year. I don’t know the name, but I think I bought plants at Bonny’s Garden center. I was thinking of collecting seeds, but these may be hybrids, so I won’t bother.

Today Post::garden webs

2009-09-28T14:23:00.004-07:00

I hated to ruin the beautiful spider webs as I took down my tomato plants.

Today Post::my popcorn is delicious!!!

2009-09-28T14:23:00.003-07:00

I tested a few kernels of popcorn and they popped well we made a batch (1 ear). Small bright white kernels. Add salt and melted butter. First thing, we brought it to my 17 year old. Here’s the conversation: (I put the bowl down near him…. Munching sounds start…. more munching sounds..) “Do you like it Sam?”“Hmm”(

Today Post::tomato hornworm killed by parasitic wasps

2009-09-28T14:23:00.001-07:00

Among many fascinating sights I found clearing out my garden. But too ugly to post a large photo. Garden Rant has a nice post describing these.

Today Post::recent harvests

2009-09-27T03:47:00.004-07:00

These are some of my harvests from the past couple weeks. I picked one small but delicious Sugar Baby Watermelon. I was very pleased with this and will plant these again and try to do better next year. I had two plants and will try 6 next year. The tiny little melon on the plate with the watermelon is the single

Today Post::a beautiful gardening day

2009-09-27T03:47:00.003-07:00

Today I cleaned up my side yard garden. What a fantastic day. Chores:- Photograph in the morning light everything that was blooming.- Photograph all the spider webs.- Harvest basil, soybeans and cucumbers.- Pull, bag and dispose of all the tomato debris.- Pull and compost the peas and stack the pea poles.- Support

Today Post::bluebirds in the gardens

2009-09-27T03:47:00.001-07:00

Bluebirds! Just passing through maybe. Flashes of blue and russet. I definitely saw 4 of them today, and there may have been a whole flock of a dozen or so. They are quite shy and I didn’t have binoculars. We have a great bluebird restoration program at Rock Meadow. But this year was not its best year. There was

Today Post::stir fried green beans

2009-09-26T02:22:00.026-07:00

I’m growing four types of green beans this year: - Shunguang’s long Chinese pole beans (the best)- Fortex pole beans (very nice)- Provider green bush beans- Royal Burgundy bush beans They are growing in next to my house in reduced sunlight (about 11-3pm). They do well here and are always ready for a quick vegetable

Today Post::Dead Man's Lagoon

2009-09-26T02:22:00.025-07:00

Have you ever fallen in love with a place at first sight? It happened to me last week. After we’d gone back to Italy, my son and I went back to Eraclea Mare for a week at the sea. We’d been there last year and loved it (see here), but what we didn’t realise was that we’d missed the best bit. Eraclea Mare is situated

Today Post::Bright Spots in the Garden

2009-09-26T02:22:00.024-07:00

I’ve been back in England for a week, thinking that we might finally get the finishing touches put to the house and get it ready for letting again. But it seems that every time we do one thing, another ten problems arise - and rather than finish off decorating the bathroom this week, we’ve had to strip it down to

Today Post::fall asters

2009-09-26T02:22:00.023-07:00

Sun (actually lack of it) dictates when asters bloom. They’re obligate short-day plants, meaning they need several weeks of short days to trigger flowering. They’re native New Englanders that are in full bloom now. (BTW, I’m an obligate long-day gardener, meaning that I’d rather sleep all day in the winter. Like the

Today Post::garlic and cover crop order

2009-09-26T02:22:00.022-07:00

A couple days ago I ordered: Great Garlic Combo - 8 oz of Duganski & 8 oz of Susanville from Territorial Seed Co. 8 oz = about 30 cloves. I think this may not be enough garlic to produce enough to eat and plant next year. I didn’t grow enough this year. So I’m ordering from Johnny’s:Garlic, New York White (softneck,

Today Post::pumpkin support

2009-09-26T02:22:00.021-07:00

I haven’t been to check on my garden plot in several days. When I was there last, I put up a quick support for my biggest Jarrahdale pumpkin that was hanging from the vine up on the fence. The fence is plenty strong to support the 12 lb expected weight, by the vine was starting to tear. The support is a tomato cage

Today Post::farming in belmont???

2009-09-26T02:22:00.020-07:00

I was surprised to drive by this sign today. Farming in Belmont!!! Where? Belmont is “a town of homes” - suburbia - 5 miles from downtown Boston. Not much open land, even less farm land. Our lot is 1/8 acre at most, like those around us, and unfortunately much of the soil lead contaminated, like all New England

Today Post::Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - September 2009

2009-09-26T02:22:00.019-07:00

September is a month of change. Summer is ending and Autumn (Fall) is most definitely on the way. The pictures in todays Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day illustrate the good, the bad, and the ugly (not necessarily in that order) that September brings. Sedum spectabile ‘Autumn Joy’ is romping away. As the name

Today Post::broccoli

2009-09-26T02:22:00.018-07:00

I think I’m going to give up on fall broccoli. My spring broccoli seems to produce all year long. It seems that next year I should just double my spring planting and forget about the fall crop. That’s certainly easier that way. I find that some of my plants produce big heads in early summer, then produce side

Today Post::garden notes

2009-09-26T02:22:00.017-07:00

A beautiful clear fall day in the garden. My mom says there are frost warnings for her area tonight. So early! She lives 50 miles northeast of me. Temperatures in my garden are predicted to go down to 42*F tonight. No frost, but chilly. I’ll have to remember that frosts are just around the corner. I started cleaning

Today Post::A new find and possibly a new species!

2009-09-26T02:22:00.016-07:00

Last night I watched an episode of ‘Lost Land of the Volcano’, a BBC series in which a team of scientists, cavers and wildlife filmakers venture deep in to the heart of the remote tropical island of New Guinea to explore a giant extinct volcano - Mount Bosavi. “What has this got to do with a picture of an

Today Post::garden red sauce

2009-09-26T02:22:00.015-07:00

I just made my 17 year old son his late night snack: meatballs with red sauce and pasta. (Its exhausting keeping a teenage boy fed!) And, thrill-of-thrills, he complimented the sauce!!! So, this reminded me I forgot to note my red sauce here (made September 4). Being a non-tomato year, this year’s version includes

Today Post::Back to Cambo

2009-09-26T02:22:00.013-07:00

Scotland has always had a reputation for being more ‘European’ than England. Nowhere is this more true than at Cambo House, near St. Andrews where head gardener Elliott Forsyth has gone for Dutch and German-inspired naturalistic planting in a big way, wonderfully framed by the walls, old apple trees and surviving

Today Post::The cautious Canna

2009-09-26T02:22:00.011-07:00

The cautious Canna ‘Tropicana’ has finally bloomed and with perfect timing it appears! The Canna had thrown up a flower spike and I was hoping it would have bloomed sooner than it did. I had originally planned to add the Canna bloom to my last post ‘Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day - September 2009′, however, it’s

Today Post::Pause for a Meme

2009-09-26T02:22:00.009-07:00

We interrupt usual service to discuss the most important component of this blog. Yes, that’s right, ignore the vegetation for a while, and let’s talk about Me! Lynn from Indigo Gardens has tagged me in one of the nicest Meme’s yet. I’m extremely flattered by Lynn’s kind words and nomination as her

Today Post::Hints of Autumn

2009-09-26T02:22:00.007-07:00

Summer doesn’t want to die this year. I came over to England with a case full of warm clothes, but I’ve not needed them. It’s been warm and sunny. Not too hot - but warm enough to be out in a t-shirt. Perfect gardening weather But we’ve reached the autumn equinox and from now on we’re heading for winter, whatever

Today Post::Skywatch Friday : Sea and Sky

2009-09-26T02:22:00.005-07:00

If you want to go surfing, the Adriatic coast is not the place to be. The wide flat sands mean the water is extremely shallow - in some places you can walk out for a good distance from the shore and still only be up to your knees. Put this together with the relatively enclosed geography of the sea, and if the

Today Post::photos of my plot

2009-09-26T02:22:00.003-07:00

Today Post::michael pollen

2009-09-26T02:22:00.001-07:00

A new article from Michael Pollen : Big Food vs Big Insurance. I’m looking forward to reading this latest article, connecting the current health care/insurance debate with agribusiness and how we eat.

Today Post::tomato survey at Mother Earth News

2009-09-25T23:32:00.001-07:00

Mother Earth News is inviting tomato growers to take their new Top Tomato Varieties online survey. Their goal is to combine everyone's tomato-growing experience and advice into an article for Mother Earth News, with emphasis on the best varieties for different regional growing conditions. All gardeners who grow

Today Post::fall thoughts

2009-09-25T18:13:00.006-07:00

Fall often surprises me with how fast it comes. Of course, I’d never be ready to finish with summer. But it does seem that in one day, all of a sudden, the summer garden turns into a fall garden. Whether I’m ready or not. Its mostly something to do with the lighting I think. I’m trying to figure it out. When I take

Today Post::tomatoes

2009-09-25T18:13:00.005-07:00

A sad day - I removed half of the blighted tomatoes in my home garden (hopefully I’ll get to the rest tomorrow) and actually bought tomatoes (!!) from the Farmers Market. I was pleased to see they are only $2/lb now. Tomorrow I plan to make another batch of red sauce. My last batch is being consumed very fast. This

Today Post::wasps - ouch!!

2009-09-25T18:13:00.004-07:00

I ran into this wasp nest yesterday while weed whacking the paths at the community gardens. Its underground. The entrance is just inside the fence of someone’s plot. I ended up with 4 or 5 stings that hurt like crazy. Fortunately I’m not allergic. However, I think this is probably the same nest Jennifer found the

Today Post::Wow! I've been nominated ..

2009-09-25T18:13:00.003-07:00

OK, well - I was going to ignore it. I mean play it cool and not make a big deal of it. But then I go into other sites and see they’re all yelling VOTE FOR ME! Well, if the competition is going to be brash about it, then perhaps I should say something … I’ve been nominated for the 2009 Blotanical Awards, for the

Today Post::Skywatch Friday : Buzzard

2009-09-25T18:13:00.001-07:00

While we were at Eraclea Mare, we went on a lot of long bike rides - through the fields, around the lagoon, and along the river path. On one of them I spotted a buzzard (buteo buteo) circling far overhead. It was a perfect day : bright blue skies with patches of fluffy cloud, and as he circled he passed from one to

Today Post::butternut squash harvest

2009-09-10T22:44:00.001-07:00

This is my butternut squash harvest this year! Minus the 3 I’ve already given away. 23 squashes - 60 pounds total. I’m looking forward to enjoying lots of squash this winter. I had 5 plants, I think. So that’s 4 or 5 squash per plant each averaging 2 1/2 lbs. The biggest squash are 4-5 lbs and the smallest ones are

Today Post::giant belgium tomatoes

2009-09-09T14:22:00.003-07:00

A real prize! Two Giant Belgium tomatoes are ripe on the vine. Looks like this plant will only produce 3 or 4 fruits this year. They are bigger than last year’s and very meaty and sweet.

Today Post::a disastrous year for massachusetts farming

2009-09-09T14:22:00.001-07:00

“Governor Deval Patrick today asked federal officials to declare most of Massachusetts a disaster zone for agricultural production losses, which are expected to amount to tens of millions of dollars …. He said the state estimates it lost more than 30 percent of the value of its tomato crop, about 50 percent of the

Today Post::seed swap day

2009-09-08T19:08:00.000-07:00

I’m organizing a Seed Swap Day and Harvest Celebration at our Community Garden on Saturday, October 3. Stop by if you are in the area. If you want to donate free seeds or prizes for a giant vegetable contest, let me know!

Today Post::full corn moon

2009-09-08T19:07:00.003-07:00

There’s a beautiful full moon out there these nights. The September full moon name is the Corn moon, however, the full moon closest to the Atumnal equinox is called the Harvest moon, and sometimes the September moon is the Harvest moon. This year, September's moon falls on September 4. The equinox falls on

Today Post::photos from last week

2009-09-08T19:07:00.002-07:00

Today Post::peeling a watermelon

2009-09-08T19:07:00.001-07:00

This is a watermelon from Piccadilly Farm, but I had to post the photos of Elaine peeling it. I’ve never seen a watermelon prepared this way. (And I’ve never seen an yellow watermelon!) Once peeled, you can just cut off slices from the top. Delicious! As always, I tried a slice in a martini. Maybe the best martini

Today Post::zinnias

2009-09-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

Benary’s Giant Purple zinnia (Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

Today Post::purple hyacinth beans

2009-09-08T15:46:00.007-07:00

As I was admiring the honey bees fighting over my purple hyacinth bean flowers, a big female ruby throated hummingbird joined in the feast. I almost dropped the camera! A very busy patch of purple color in my vegetable garden. Seeds are from Botanical Interests

Today Post::unpollinated corn and corn ear worms

2009-09-08T15:46:00.006-07:00

You’ll have to click to see these photos larger. They’re too ugly to show full size. I composted the under pollinated ones and cut the wormy tips off. This was the only ear that still had the worm in it. Others just had the worm damage.

Today Post::35 ears of popcorn drying

2009-09-08T15:46:00.005-07:00

I husked and hung 35 ears of popcorn. I picked about 50 ears total, but many were not pollinated. That’s what I get with a small corn patch I guess. I enjoy the different colors. I planted two varieties: Faribo White Hulless and Baby Golden. I’m wondering if the multicolored ears were pollinated by both of two