Spring Renewal

I am back from a blogging hiatus. The hiatus was not something I planned, but the short, cold, dark days seemed to decrease my motivation to blog [or at least publish, as I started about a dozen posts.] However, spring is officially here and I welcomed it with open arms. Being that it was sunny and 70 degrees in Boston on Saturday, it would have been hard to ignore it! Birds were singing, EVERYONE was outside and new growth has popped up around the city!

On Saturday I attended the 35th Annual Gardeners Gathering. This is a spectacular, free event open to all local gardeners. Gardeners ranged from community to container, young to old, and new to master. It was great to meet other local gardeners and share tips.

Before it started I visited my plot to check in on any spring growth. This was the first visit in well over a month. Growing were...

(Yarrow, Garlic, Crocus)

Although I missed planting peas on St. Patrick's Day, I got them planted Saturday. I planted the same variety as last year - Sugar Snap. They were just so tasty and easy - with no preparation needed to eat them! With the days getting longer I look forward to visiting more often. I still have a lot of work to do to finalize my 2010 garden plan. However, two definite new additions (and experiments) this year will be potatoes and corn!!

Free Gardening Workshops in Boston!

Happy New Year!!! I gladly welcome 2010 as it will provide me with another year (and chance) to grow fresh produce in the city. I learned and accomplished so much in 2009 and and cannot wait to develop my skills in 2010.

I was happy to discover that the date for the 35th Annual Gardeners Gathering has been announced! I attended this event last spring before I received my plot assignment! I learned the basics of gardening, discovered the wonderful world of vermiculture/worm composting and heard about the benefits of raised beds! Now that I have gotten my hands dirty, I cannot wait to see what I learn this year!! I highly recommend attending if you are a gardener - or want to be gardener - in the Boston area!!

Here are the details, taken from the Boston Natural Area Network website!

Saturday, March 20, 2010
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Curry Student Center, Northeastern University, Boston
Click Here for Directions Free Event, All Welcome
Walk-in Registration

The Gardeners Gathering is an annual citywide event for community gardeners and other garden enthusiasts. Held in the spring of each year, the event is a welcome kick- off to Boston’s upcoming gardening season. The event is filled with informative and fun activities and workshops. Gardening and green space organizations are present to provide current program information. Door prizes are awarded and pre-ordered seeds (provided by BNAN) are distributed. All are invited to join more than 300 community gardeners to welcome spring.

There will be Community Gardening Workshops for Beginner and Experienced Gardeners. Networking, Door Prizes, Info Gallery, Community Garden Awards, and More!

One of the typical highlights of the Gardeners Gathering is Mayor Thomas Menino’s greeting and presentation of the annual Community Gardening Awards. BNAN is grateful to Northeastern University for hosting the event each year and to the City of Boston for its ongoing support of community gardening.