Spring Planning in the Snow

It has been sooo cold here over the past week. I can't take it anymore, I feel like a popsicle. It keeps snowing a little bit at a time so my poor partner has had to go outside and shovel just about every other day. Good thing he is Canadian and prides himself on his shoveling skills! He keeps bragging about how our sidewalk is the most ice free of the block. Haha I'm so annoyed that it has only been accumulating about an inch. I love snow- so if it is going to be this cold at least we could get enough snow to take the day off and go sledding or build a snowman or something!

The only things keeping me warm are my dog and thinking about what I'll grow in the spring. This is the first time I've ever tried growing seeds inside to plant out in the spring so it should definitely be a learning experience. I'm researching the best varieties to order and drawing up a plan of how to rotate my beds. Looks like the is a 50% chance of 32 degree weather on April 20th and a 10% chance by May 1st. So like last year, I'll plant the warm weather crops the first weekend of May, but the cold weather crops could probably go in as early as April 1st. That seems kind of late though...I think I'll have to do a little more research on that. In any case, I better get to ordering my seeds in the couple weeks so I can start growing them inside in March.

Edit: Aha! I just found this additional planting calendar from the farmer's almanac that even tells you when is a good time to plant in accordance with the moon. http://www.almanac.com/garden/plantingtable/index.php As I suspected, it says to plant the cool weather veggies like chard and beets in mid March. It still says not to plant beans until mid April. I thought they should go out earlier than that. Hmm. I've never grown any beans except those scarlet runner beans last year that didn't do well at all, so this is completely new to me. I'd really like to grow haricot verts this year. I'm thinking almost definitely Emerite Pole Beans, or maybe Straight N Narrow. I might try Soleil bush beans too. I think I'll have to call my friend the Master Gardener and my brother to find out what they think.

Here is a picture of my dog playing in the snow in the meantime. Today he was eating the flakes in the air as they fell. Too cute. :-)

It's Alive!

Well, it was as of January 1st anyway. I don't know what will happen to the plants with the below freezing temps we're having this week. Guess we'll see after the snow melts.

It was pretty cool to see them alive in January. Especially the Roman Chamomile in the herb garden. It spread like wildfire! I didn't plant any of the green you see in this pic- they all spread from one plant I put in last summer. I will probably have to pull some out in the spring it spread so much.

You can kind of see the strawberry plants in the background too. Quite a few babies came from one plant I had in a pot- the runners spread out and established themselves in the ground next to the pot. I think I may work with this development and turn that area into a strawberry bed since they seem to like it. The two thyme plants towards the left of the picture don't look so good though. I hope I didn't cut them too much and they recover come spring!

I also really love this picture of the budding Red Romaine.

Inauguration Day Postcard for Peace Campaign 2009

Happy New Year 2009!

OK so the following isn't exactly garden related but I'm going to post it anyway.

Coming soon: the New Year's Day harvest pics (we got kale, spinach, 3 baby carrots and parsley) plus recipes for wonderful lavender & calendula bath salts and potpourri holiday gifts!

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Inauguration Day Postcard for Peace Campaign 2009

The current national US Dept. of Peace campaign action is to send postcards to President Elect Obama on Inauguration Day asking him to make funding violence prevention programs a top priority of his presidency.

Some suggested ideas you can use or adapt:

* Make violence reduction and prevention a top priority in your first term
* Violence prevention is cost effective
* Invest in proven methods and research on best practices
* Strengthen peacekeeping efforts at home and internationally through diplomacy and humanitarian assistance
* As part of the Department of Peace campaign, I am urging that violence prevention and peacebuilding programs and policy be one of the top priorities of your legacy.

For more information, click here: http://www.thepeacealliance.org/content/view/610/36/

In addition, the New York DoP chapter suggests that you ask 10 "key community leaders" to send postcards. These are people who represent many others, such as the president of a nonprofit organization, college professors doing research on nonviolence, hospital administrators, clergy, etc. Research shows that support from key leaders is most effective when lobbying for a cause. Think about who you might know in your community and ask them to write a postcard too!

Collect as many postcards as you can between now and January 20, 2009!

VERY IMPORTANT: Please let me know in the comments if you collect any - it will help our campaign keep track of results.

On January 20, 2009, mail all of your postcards to:

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenuew NW
Washington, DC 20500

Thanks for reading - feel free to pass on to anyone you think might be interested!

Happy New Year 2009!

This is what I harvested today, January 1st, 2009. It is baby carrots (odd that they are still baby since I planted them in May, 08), parsley, a bit of baby spinach and kale. I can't even believe all of these things were still alive, without any row covers or protection whatsoever! Next year I hope to get some Agribon and extend the harvest even further. But in the meantime, it sure made a nice addition to my New Year's Day feast.

I always make sure to eat lots of greens & lentils, since both are supposed to represent money for the new year. Not that I am really into money or material things, or very superstitious- but I figure it can't hurt for fun, especially when it tastes really good! So along with sauteed greens (usually chard, spinach & kale w/ garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes and a spritz of lemon juice), I have some lentil salad and Texas Caviar made with black-eyed peas. Not only does all of this make great road picnic food for my annual New Year's trip to relatives in Canada, but it should make me good to go as far as luck and fortune in the new year!

I am reprinting my Texas Caviar recipe here, even though it wasn't grown in my garden. Next year once I get the row covers in effect I think we could have several of the ingredients fresh from the garden- so it is something to aspire to for 2009!

Good fortune, love, and happiness to all of you and your loved ones in 2009. (even if you didn't eat any beans and greens!)

Texas "Caviar"

This recipe is copied for a free recipe card I picked up in a Texas Wholefoods store around 99 or 2000ish. I've made it almost every New Year's Eve since - if not every one - it is that good. If you don' t like any heat at all, it isn't for you- but most people would consider it relatively mild as written. If you like things very spicy, you can always add more diced jalapeno, habanero, or whatever kind of hot pepper you have.

1 & 1/2 cup chopped seeded tomatoes (1 & 1/2 medium tomatoes from my notes)
1/3 cup green onions, thinly sliced (6 thin from my notes)
2 Tbsp canned chopped green chiles
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (15.8 oz) black-eyed peas, drained (and rinsed, from my notes)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill. Garnish with jalapeno slices and cilantro sprigs, if desired. Serve with baked corn tortilla chips, toasted pita, etc.

Makes 3 cups, about 14 servings.