La Belle's Hobby Farm: Garden and Seed Update

In my opinion, if 100% of the people were farming it would be ideal.
If each person were given one quarter-acre, that is 1 1/4 acres to a family of five,
that would be more than enough land to support the family for the whole year.
~ Masanobu Fukuoka, The One-Straw Revolution

F

riday I took advantage of the warm weather and finally planted my “start indoors” seeds.  The weather here in Virginia has been so weird: snow one day, eighty degrees two days later ~ I’m not too worried that my wee seeds won’t be ready for the move to the big kid playground come May.  They will be hardy transplants by then.

I bought organic biodegradable pots, so they’ll can right in the ground and some organic seed starter:

and with some plastic containers (ok not the best idea ~ no drainage holes) and some old popsicle sticks (this does not mean I condone my mom’s hoarding tendencies!), voila!

In other news, my little sugar snaps are growing up so fast!  Hooray! 

You have to understand ~ I am always late putting these babies in the ground.  It was a rush to the finish, but I did get them in early enough to enjoy the cooler spring weather.  Now we’ll just wait and see if they produce pea pods.  Even if they do not, the greens are delicious in salad.

Also, the lettuce Pearl planted also popped up:

as well as what I thought was spinach but now I’m not so sure:

Any ideas?  This is why staking the name of your crops is important: not just so you know what you’re harvesting later, but also for crop rotation.  Obviously, my garden plan was more of a garden suggestion.

In the end, it’s all good.  It’s all deliciously good.

Oremus pro invicem,

~ Mikaela

What seeds are sprouting up in your garden this week?

La Belle's Hobby Farm: Fickle Spring Planting

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold:

when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. 
~ Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

Since the "Frigid" cover reveal was yesterday, I’m publishing my Garden Post today.

 

K

eeping a journal is a useful habit, especially when gardening.  I don’t remember a March being this unpredictable, but then, I haven’t been keeping track.

But seriously: snow two days after it was 60 degrees!?!?

Needless to say, tt has been hit or miss getting my direct sow seeds in the ground.  If you work the ground too soon, it clumps up and hardens and the seeds suffocate.  You wait too long, and the seeds forget to come up.

And let's not forget my social calendar.  My extrovert side needs people as much as my introvert side needs to be alone in my garden.

And so it was that on March 16, my friend Pearl and her wee ones came down to help me plant some seeds.  Between insane schedules and traffic, I endedup getting ready for a dinner, and she ended up planting a few seeds.  Meanwhile, her youngest (an introvert) quietly sampled some fine organic dirt (yum!) and her oldest talked a blue streak about the cats, the dog, and every blade of grass she stepped on (definitely an extrovert).  They were both absolutely adorable.  Remember: no age is too young to be exposed to gardening!

So both sides of my personality were pleased with the day's outcome.

So what got planted?  Well, not all the direct sow seeds had come in, so what we did have and what we had time to plant went in: lettuce and spinach.  Then this past week, I added two rows of sugar snaps and prayed that they would remember to pop up.  I hadn't planned on putting lettace and spinach in this garden, so the garden plan now looks like this: 



M. Deigh Revised Garden Plan from Garden Planner

This past weekend was a good weekend to plant, but I was busy buying hats (I really need to tell you about my latest addiction!) and didn’t spend any quality time in the dirt.  However, with Easter coming this weekend, I hope to get more weeds pulled, more seeds in the ground, and some in little pots!  Will post pictures next week!

Oremus pro invicem,

~ Mikaela

It’s not too late, I swear!  What didn't make it into your garden?

La Belle's Hobby Farm: The Season of Squash

Winter squashes are the forgotten vegetables. 
Almost no vegetable is as easy to grow or keep. 
With fertile soil, full sun and ample water, vines take off.  
And after plants become established, they're so carefree,
it's easy to forget them until fall when their rediscovery makes the harvest that much sweeter.

~ Andy Tomolonis

I

t is almost frightening how quickly the days are growing shorter.  Next week it will be October already.  Where has September gone?

Perhaps there are gardeners who view the encroaching chill of Autumn with a wary and resentful eye.  But I find it a peaceful and bountiful time. 

It is the season when apples ripen and literally fling themselves at our feet.  It is the season when spinach, kale, and lettuce come into their own, the cooler temperatures being more to their liking.  It is the season when the earth begins to make preparations for a much deserved winter nap.   



photo credit: V.J. Matthew, 123rf.com



It is the season of squash.

Alas, although I harbor a grand passion for cucurbita pepo, especially the small ones known as sugar pumpkins, I failed to plant my seeds on time.  So this year I will have to rely on more schedule-conscious farmers for my jack-o-lanterns, pie punkins, and gaily decorative gourds.

In addition to my wee tommy toes harvest, I will be “putting by” the last of the long summer harvest: tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and beans.  This will entail a trip to the farmers’ market early on Saturday morning. As half extrovert, I love people, but can’t stand crowds.  I prefer to stroll through the tents and chat with the farmers about their crops, their lives, some even share their dreams.  It’s also a great way to learn about farming: when is the right time to plant, which crops like how much shade or sun, how much acreage do goats really eat, how long does it take for things to ripen.

Whether I’m crazy for wanting to grow my own food.

The answer to that last is a definite “no”, but at least after my first summer of trying my hand at it, I know what not to do next spring.  And that leads to the best part of autumn and the winter months looming just ahead: walking a more subdued landscape, planning out the new beds, and pouring over seed catalogs.

So that next year, I can grow my very own Great Pumpkin.

Oremus pro invicem,

~ Mikaela

All this talk of squash makes me very hungry.  Friday: autumnal recipes!