What's Growing: Scallions

Compared to last Spring, the year of monsoons in the Northeast, I feel pretty organized. That could change quickly so I hope I didn't just jinx myself.

The garlic is looking amazing. I have planted lettuce in between the garlic because I read it will discourage flea beetles who moved into my garden last year. You could use a row cover to prevent these tiny pin prick holes in your lettuce leaves but I just can't bear to cover up any of the garden. I want to see green and growth. The lettuces are just beginning to grow.

I've already been harvesting herbs especially chives and garlic chives.

This worked out well for me: Last fall I simply cut down my cilantro and laid it over the bare dirt where I wanted it to grow this year in a criss-cross pattern as a sort of over winter mulch. Now I have a nice crop of cilantro already coming up! I think I'll try this method with the basil as well this fall.

The peas I planted around St. Patrick's Day are finally coming up and looking good. Borage and calendula have freely reseeded themselves all over the garden. There are worse things. This year I will be planting Cardinal Climber among the peas so that when they're finished, I'll have some pretty flowers that the hummingbirds (who just came back this week!) will also enjoy. Hopefully in the full sun of the Potager they will bloom into summer.

Each fall I dig up as much of the horseradish root that I can and then only plant a few smaller roots. This prevents the horseradish from taking over.

New for me this year, scallions. These tiny grass-like blades are my first ever scallion crop. These are salad scallions great for eating raw or lightly sauteed. They are green and red. I can't wait to see the red ones. (Salad Scallions, Delicious Duo from Renee's Garden).

Indoors, my seeds are not the most robust but now that night temperatures are a bit warmer, I'll start keeping them outside. They should fill out with a couple of warm, sunny days. Next year I hope to invest in a good seed-starting lighting kit.

Strawberry fields forever, that is exactly what I have. Wild strawberries cover the Woodland Edge floor. Ever bearing strawberries are creeping into every corner of the Potager. Hopefully I can beat the birds to a few of each but probably not enough for six cups which is what this wonderful, easy balsamic strawberry freezer jam recipe requires. The rhubarb is looking larger this year. Last year I moved it to this spot where the soil stays more moist. My favorite rhubarb recipe is Heidi Swanson's recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble – I'll be making this for Mother's Day.

Radishes, kale, swiss chard and spinach have also been sown in the Potager and their tiny first leaves are just beginning to push through the soil. Right now it's raining and the garden is receiving a good soaking. 

What's Growing

I still like to wander outside and stroll through the garden, especially along the paths of the potager even though not much is happening. Today is cold but sunny. I notice the swiss chard has finally wilted but the broccoli rabe still looks edible. Sunflower stalks are still standing for the birds. The little snow we had has mostly melted. The ground is crunchy.

I harvested some of these carrots just last week for a favorite soup. I was able to clip some fresh thyme as well. The strawberries are red and green – colors of the season.

I was sure to plant lots of garlic. This time with space between rows for sowing lettuce come spring. I marked the rows with sticks and whatever I had on hand. Hopefully the garlic will deter any flea beetles from tasting my lettuce next year.

Inside I am trying to keep a few fresh herbs on my kitchen windowsill. This sill receives the best light in the house. So far, parsley, cilantro and basil are still growing. I usually reserve this spot for my two rosemary pots but this year they are on the kitchen table. I love to rub their leaves.

Beside the rosemary I am forcing paperwhites. Dirt still clings to their shoots. I am looking forward to their blooms and heavy fragrance.

I also have some in this fun pot I received as a gift. Hopefully this face will grow long, flowering hair. What a great gift idea for any gardener ... a beautiful pot and paperwhite bulbs.

This winter I hope to try my hand at sprouting – anything fresh. Let's see if sprouts will be on the menu by next month!

What's Growing

Things are sure getting off to a slow start this year with the wet spring we've had. It continues to rain. I have yet to plant four of my beds. Hopefully by the end of this Memorial Day weekend I can say otherwise. As you can see I have quite a few seedlings and plants still waiting to be planted.

Not sure if these "milk jug green houses" are more weeds than seeds right now but looks like I have a few good candidates, anyway.

This sad 'Brandywine' tomato seedling is missing the sun almost as much as me

Hope this brussels sprout takes off and doesn't float away.

Sweet 'lipstick' peppers, oh how I hope you grow. My hot peppers are still in a little green house made from salad containers. Better for them I think considering I ran the heat this morning.

I read that once you plant calendula, you will never have to buy seeds again. These are all 'Flashback' volunteers from last year. I have also read that if you want your calendula to stay true to form, you should buy seeds every year. We'll see how these look in bloom. I'll be eating the flowers in salads – when I get my lettuce mixes growing.

A very brave 'Easter Egg' radish seedling.

I will be digging up all of this horseradish this fall and only replanting only a few roots to keep it from taking over (I hope anyway, if it grows.)

 

Snap peas that I planted late March. Looking good and starting to climb.

The garlic is also looking good.

The perennial herbs, garlic and common chives and tarragon, are coming in okay although I'm sure they would appreciate a better draining soil right now.

My new blueberry bush looks promising and is guarded by our old chiminea that sadly cracked during a backyard fire last fall. I think the chiminea will age gracefully in the garden.

The rhubarb is taking off this year. It looked pretty sad last summer in its first year so I am happy to see it doing better.

The ever bearing strawberries are spreading nicely. I hope to have a few berries soon.

I better get to planting the rest of the potager and hopefully will be able to share more with you next month.

What's Growing

Inside my seedlings continue to grow. The scarlet runner and purple hyacinth beans are really taking off. I've had to pot them up. I need to address the tomatoes next. They really should be potted up. The peppers are just starting. I had been putting all these seedlings outside on my covered front porch a couple hours a day for better sun but it has stayed so cold here that some of them actually shriveled right up and died! (Sort of like spring.) I have been keeping them indoors all day since then. Most bounced right back. Hopefully next week will warm up a bit. I am sure they can't wait to get their roots into the earth. How hopeful I am when I look at these starts and think of Earth Day. What better way to celebrate than to expand the garden, feed its soil and us, too!

Outside (in the near freezing cold) my milk jug plantings are just sprouting – so far hyssop and larkspur.

Back in the potager, things are starting to happen.

Rhubarb

Strawberries

Tarragon

Garlic Chives & Chives

Garlic

Snap Peas

This year I planted my peas really early after reading that in the Northeast, peas should be planted after St. Patrick's Day. I think that may be why my peas have not always done so well. Hopefully, this year, starting out in the cold (and it is c-c-cold), they will do better. We sure will find out!

What's Growing

I just harvested my first ever garlic crop! I have it drying in my shed for about two weeks. In its place I've planted parsnip seeds.

Soft garlic harvest.

Hardneck garlic harvest.

I also just pulled my spinach which began to flower and will plant some more. I had to capture this rainbow of swiss chard - var. Multicolor Bright Lights - before I planted again. (Don't mind the stalks that I've already munched! My favorite so far? Swiss chard sauteed in olive oil with garlic and bacon over pasta topped with a good grate of parm cheese.)

Cabbage head - Ruby Perfection.

Baby brussels.

Bean blossoms and beans! (Purple Royal Burgundy.)

It's beans and butter for dinner!

Climbing cukes, Northern Pickling Cucumbers.

Sweeties! And sweet they are ... yum!