Found: Seeds in Triscuit Boxes

Triscuit wants everybody to experience 'home farming.' They included basil or dill seeds in 4 million boxes, providing seed cards inside marked boxes. My mom is the one that pointed this promotion out to me, and gave me two basil seed cards. I hope to plant them soon.

I think this is a creative way to spread the word about gardening, especially for kids who will be able to see how easy and [in my mind...miraculous] it is to grow a plant/vegetable from one seed speck.

For more information on Triscuit's collaboration with urbanfarming.org visit www.triscuit.com/homefarming

Disclaimer: I am not sure if this promotion is still running; just check your local Triscuit retailer to find out!

FRESH Movie & Local Event

Produced and Directed by Ana Sofia Joanes, "FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet.

Among several main characters, FRESH features urban farmer and activist, Will Allen, the recipient of MacArthur’s 2008 Genius Award; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma; and supermarket owner, David Ball, challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy."

In addition to the film screenings nationwide, there is a local event at Boston University:

Farm to Fork: A Panel Discussion About How We Get The Food We Eat
Wednesday, June 16 2010
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Boston University's Sargent College
635 Commonwealth Ave., Room 101 Boston, MA 02215
Tickets $10 (includes voucher to see film)

Click here for more information and to find a screening of the film near you!

Introducing...the Garlic Scape

They are so cool! In all its curling wonder, I experienced garlic scapes for the first time as my German White Garlic gets close to maturity! Since this is a hardneck variety, it produces a scape, a long, thin shoot that is initially curly. Scapes will eventually straighten out, harden and produce a flower - taking some of the plant's energy away from the bulb. Harvesting them before they straighten serves two purposes - a culinary delicacy & encouraging bulb growth.

On Sunday, I picked 17 scapes (out of 21 cloves planted last fall). I know that at least two plants are on the smaller side, but I should doublecheck how many plants there are!

I had heard that many people use scapes in stir-fry, on pizza, or make pesto. I am hoping to try pesto later in the week, but tonight I used the scapes as a pizza topping! I first cooked the scapes for a few minutes in the oven with a little salt & evoo. Then I placed them on my pizza (homemade pizza dough, sauce, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese & homegrown basil).

yumm........it was delicious!

Note: as pretty as the curled scapes look on the pizza, it was very impractical when trying to cut and eat it! I ended up cutting up the scapes in smaller pieces and putting them back on each pizza slice!

Perfect Growing Weather?

After being away at a conference in Kansas City, MO for a week I visited the garden yesterday. I could not believe how much everything had grown! I think the great weather we have been having has kicked the plants into overdrive. Some of my veggie plants almost doubled in size (or so I want to believe). Unfortunately, it also meant that the weeds grew even faster! I spent a lot of time weeding my perimeter beds and in "the addition" - because, of course my SFG boxes were weedless!

My potato box is now complete and filled to the top with soil. I anticipate them starting to flower by the end of the month (when I will check for new potatoes). I appreciate the cautionary comments from Leslie of dreams and bones, " I have found that soil that is too fertile tends to yield lots of foliage but no spuds. So as you add dirt, make it dirt, not some extra enriched soil." This is a lesson that I may have to learn this year, sine I used a mixture of free compost and store-bought potting soil. The plants definitely grew fast (planted on 4/18; first sprouted on 5/7) - way faster than anticipated, which may not be a good sign! I still wonder if there are any spuds in there! Hopefully the mystery will soon be solved!

I love getting comments and tips! This is what blogging is all about-sharing and learning!

In other growing news, my two corn varieties are coming along nicely!

Brocade Sweet & Japanese Hulless Popcorn

Here is my first 2010 harvest comprised of lettuce (Salad Bowl & Mesclun Mix), Sugar Snap Peas, Basil...and something else that is so special it needs its own post (to follow shortly!)

In not so great news...my Everbearing Strawberry plants appear to be growing well and producing small berries, but critters have made any red berry inedible to humans. I placed some bird netting over the plants two weeks ago, but it is not stopping smaller pests. Also, two of my cucumber varieties, recently bought and transplanted, did not make it. With sadness, I pulled up my shriveled Diva & Burpless seedlings (varieties that served me well last year). However, I decided to try two new varieties: Sweet Success & Straight Eight!

Hang on Little Tomato

Have you heard of the 'little orchestra' Pink Martini? I have been wanting to check them out for a while now because I heard that they provide a unique musical experience crossing many cultures and music genres. When browsing the CD collection at the library last week I came across an album of theirs, Hang on Little Tomato. How fitting!

Here are the lyrics to the title track to their Hang on Little Tomato album:

The sun has left and forgotten me
It's dark, I cannot see
Why does this rain pour down
I'm gonna drown
In a sea
Of deep confusion

Somebody told me, I don't know who
Whenever you are sad and blue
And you're feelin' all alone and left behind
Just take a look inside and you will find

You gotta hold on, hold on through the night
Hang on, things will be all right
Even when it's dark
And not a bit of sparkling
Sing-song sunshine from above
Spreading rays of sunny love

Just hang on, hang on to the vine
Stay on, soon you'll be divine
If you start to cry, look up to the sky
Something's coming up ahead
To turn your tears to dew instead

And so I hold on to his advice
When change is hard and not so nice
You listen to your heart the whole night through
Your sunny someday will come one day soon to you

Pink Martini, 2004 http://pinkmartini.com

My First Year as a Gardener

How time flies while gardening! One year ago today, I picked out my community garden plot in the Fenway Victory Gardens! Overjoyed by the challenge and desire to grow my own veggies, I transformed a neglected piece of land...

May 2009

...into an organized and bountiful flower and vegetable garden!

May 2010

Throughout the past year I put in countless hours and enjoyed many great harvests. I was introduced to the incredible world of gardening through blogs, books and fellow gardeners. My garden was a place to relax but also gave me a workout. I am so fortunate to be part of the Fenway Victory Gardens and still amazed of this hidden gem in the heart of Boston!

2009 in review

As I enter my second year as a gardener, I look forward to continuing my gardening education, experimenting with new veggies & techniques, and getting more involved within the FVG community! Bring on the veggies!!

It's Farmers Market Season!

Farmers Market, Brooklyn, NY

Farmers markets in metro Boston area are starting to open as the growing season gets going! My goal this year is to finally make it to the 'infamous' Haymarket in downtown Boston on an early Saturday morning!

Do you know where your closest farmer's market is? If not, you can use Local Harvest to find one! In Massachusetts, www.massfarmersmarkets.org is a great resource!

Lots of additions!

The past few weeks have brought a lot of additions to my garden, but not to my blog. My most exciting update is that my potatoes are growing! I always have a little uncertainty when planting by seed and wonder, "is anything happening?" I was not sure quite how long it would take for the Bintje potato plants to push through the soil. I anticipated 3-4 weeks, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the first leaves after 2 1/2 weeks!

Bintje Potatoes (planted 4/18) on 5/7 & 5/16

In other news, I added a yellow bistro set so I now have a place to rest my tired feet (and back) and also a place for guests to sit! I am attempting to grow grass so that I have something soft to run my toes through! In addition I now have a blue, triangle shade 'sail' to have provide some sun protection as my garden provides no shade. This design allows me to take it down and put it up easily. I look forward to many mornings, afternoons, and evenings here! Come on over!

Sunday was a BIG planting day! Our last frost day came late this year, as temps dipped back down into the 30s and 40s last week. However, with the beautiful weekend weather, I was anxious to fill the rest of my SFG boxes! I had finished my research and knew which type of vegetable/herb/plant I was going to plant in each square foot! I made most of my purchases at Russell's Garden Center in Wayland, MA. I went there for the first time last year and was blown away by their variety and quantity of vegetable plants! In addition to my garlic and potatoes already planted, I am trying a lot of new things this year: watermelon, eggplant, butternut squash, corn and all new varieties of tomatoes and peppers.

Here is what I planted on Sunday, except for a few sown on 5/11: [s] = seed; [p] = plant

Nasturtium - Fordhook Favorites Mix [s]
Fennel [s]
Basil - Sweet [p]
Lavender - Provence [p]
Bean - Black-seeded Blue Lake Snap Pole Bean (planted 5/11) [s]
Corn - Brocade Sweet; Japanese Hullless Popcorn (planted 5/11) [s]
Cabbage - Market Prize [p]
Squash - Butternut [p]
Eggplant - Hansel [p]
Watermelon - Sugar baby [p]
Cucumber - Diva, Burpless, Northern Picking [p]
Pepper - Carmen, Giant Marconi, Italian Pepperoncini [p]
Tomato- La Roma II, Yellow Pear, First Lady, Green Zebra, Sunsugar, Sungold [p]

Unfortunately, I lost track of which square I was working in and dug up a few beans. I am hoping a few still come up!!

I still actually have 4 squares still unaccounted for and am thinking of getting two more basil plants and two more tomato plants to ensure I have enough for my anticipated canning and pesto-making adventures!

SFG Boxes (5/16/10)

a lizard in the garden overview

Patience is a Virtue

Tonight I braved the Monday night grocery store mobs to get a few essentials for the week. Despite my great love for Trader Joe's, I painfully purchased cucumbers, mache, avocados, fresh salsa, and sweet potatoes, most of which had been imported from Mexico. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that starting in a few short weeks I will enjoy fresh, organic vegetables grown by yours truly.

So remember...be patient; it is worth the wait!

a lizard in the garden turns 1

How time flies! I celebrate my one year blogging anniversary today!