Anyone who thinks that gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year. For gardening begins in January with the dream. ~Josephine Nuese

I don't know about you but I am counting down to the first day of spring, March 20!  Regardless if the groundhog sees his shadow (6 more weeks of winter) or not on February 2, we are more then half way through winter!

This is a good time to inventory your seeds and seed starting supplies.  Look through seed catalogs and decide what it is you want to grow.  Order your seeds now so you have them in time for indoor starts and direct sowing come spring/summer!

 How old are your seeds from previous years?  Most seed packets have a "packed for" date stamped on them.  Beets and peppers have a "shelf life" of about 2 years.  Beans, peas, and tomatoes are good for about 3 years, while some greens, squash, and cabbages are good for 4 years.  Then there are seeds like onions and celery that you may wish to start fresh each year.  Keep in mind that the quality of your seeds and how they have been handled and stored will also impact their viability from year to year.  If in doubt, test your seeds.  Wet a sheet of paper towel.  Take 10 seeds from the seed packet and place them in the center of the towel.  Fold the towel into quarters and place it inside a plastic bag.  Knot the open end and set the bag next to a sunny/warm window.  After 10 days remove the paper towel from the bag and check for sprouting.  If more then half of the seeds have sprouted, the seeds are good. Less then half you may want to purchase new seeds (or take a chance).  

Do you have everything you need to start seeds indoors?   Most important is your growing medium.  You will need either seed starting mix, grow pellets, or make your own with sphagnum peat moss and vermiculite.  Almost any type of container works.  I have used yogurt cups, take out containers, egg cartons,  made my own paper pots, and bought commercial seed starting products as well. Your seeds will germinate best in a warm location (70-80 degrees), or use germination heat mats.  Once your seeds start to sprout you will need a good light source. This can be a window or under a light (cool white fluorescent) suspended 3 to 4 inches above the seedlings.  (Poor lighting will result in leggy plants.)

The average last frost date (LFD) in my area is between April 7 (50% chance of a frost) and April 23.  If the ground can be worked, cold hardy plants can be set outside 3-6 weeks before the LFD.  It is also possible to direct sow spinach, peas, beets, kale, and radishes at this time.  (Unless using cold frames or hoop houses etc., all other starts and seeds go in the ground on or after the LFD.)

Sow enjoy the spirit of gardening in January while dreaming of spring!

 

 "There are two seasonal diversions that can ease the bite of any winter.  One is the January thaw.  The other is the seed catalogues."

-  Hal Borland

SEED BOMBS FOR POLLINATORS

In 1973 Liz Christy  took balloons and filled them with fertilizer and seeds. These seed grenades were thrown over fences, in empty lots, and hard to reach or off limit places.  The idea was that they would sprout, grow and beautify the neighborhood.  This was the start of the Green Guerrillas and the Guerrilla Gardening movement. Since then the balloons have been replaced by biodegradable containers, or, the seed balls or bombs contents is now encapsulated in clay or other absorbent material.

When making your bombs, choose seeds that are ideal for your growing area or zone. You can make bombs for sunny locations, and separate bombs for shady locations.  You can choose annuals, perennials, flower or vegetable seeds.  You can mix various seeds, provided they have similar growing needs.  Also, the type of seeds will determine if your bombs should be tossed in the fall/winter or spring/summer.

Seed balls are fun, quick and easy to make.  The clay runs about $8 (500g) a bag, the seed starter mix $4, and $7 on the wildflower seeds.   You will also need water, something to measure with (or your hands) and a mixing bowl.  For mixing, I went with 5 parts clay to 1 part dirt/compost and 1 part seeds.

Gather clay, compost, potting soil, or seed starter mix, and your seeds.

Also known as potters clay.

Seed starter mix

Seeds that are good for the pollinators. 

Zoned for my growing area.  

I used a 5:1:1 ratio.  Add enough water to moisten, like mud.

Sorta looks like cookie dough.

I made about 200.

Allow to dry for about 3 days.

FALLS MIGRATION and WINTERS COLD

Fall means shorter days, longer nights, cooler temperatures, falling leaves, migrating birds, and that winter is around the corner.  Once temperatures drop to about 50 degrees, I start to make and put out suet for the birds. 

 

For the birds that migrate to warmer climates, suet helps these birds to fuel up prior to the start of their journey.  For others that are passing through, it can provide a much needed pit stop for refueling!

 

 Birds have a high metabolism to begin with, requiring a lot of energy.  They get that energy from their food.  During the colder months, more energy is burned off to maintain body heat.  The harshness of winter and lack of food, results in a depletion of energy reserves and a weaken immune system.  This can lead to disease and eventually death. 

 

  Suet is high in protein and calories, making it a good food source and providing much needed energy for our feathered friends!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SAMHAIN-SUMMER'S END

 

  The shorter day length and cooler temperatures signals an end to the summer garden.  With the exception of cool season vegetables, or the use of hoop houses and cold frames, most heat loving plants have stopped producing or died off. 

Planting garlic is the last "garden chore" of the current season and the new start of next years garden.  Garlic should be planted early enough to develop roots, before the ground freezes, but not too early that you develop excessive top growth.  In our area, garlic is planted between Columbus Day and Halloween.  However, I have planted garlic into November with good result.

 

 

 

This years choices.

Hardnecks and softnecks  

I added a little wood ash

Crack apart the bulbs just before planting the individual cloves.

Plant 6"-8" apart and 2"-4" deep.  (Pointy side up.)

My helper

Dibbler/Bulb Planter

Green shoots 1 week after planting cloves.

Mulch
 

 The shoots will die back after a hard frost.  Add more mulch, covering the entire growing area.  Come spring, pull back on the mulch to expose the new shoots. 

“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” Anthelme Brillat Savarin

 

As my husband and I sat down to eat dinner tonight, I realized that most of the food came from the garden! 

 

 On the Menu:

 

Sauté greens with onion and garlic...(all three from the garden)

 

Bread and Butter Pickles

 

Penne Pasta with Tomato Sauce

 

YUMMY!

 

 

 

 

“You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces — just good food from fresh ingredients.”

~ Julia Child

A DOE, THE BUCK, and TWO FAWNS

NO BLANCHING NEEDED-SAVING AND FREEZING PEPPERS

 

 

I first heard about freezing peppers from a elderly neighbor.  He would simply wash the pepper, pat it dry, place in a zip lock bag, and put it into the freezer.  It can not get any easier then that! 

 

Since then, I have come across several different versions, all just as easy.  Although freezing whole is an option,  I prefer to cut mine prior to freezing.  It is up to you on how you would like to do this.  Maybe think about how you may use the peppers in the future.  With that in mind, you could slice them into strips, chop them into little pieces, cut them into rings, or even half's. 

 

 

 

Wash the pepper and pat dry.

Remove the stem.

I sliced this pepper into rings.

Seeds and membrane removed.

Place on a cookie sheet in a single layer.

Place in the freezer for about an hour.

After about an hour, remove from the freezer and place into individual zip lock bags.  I like to write the type of pepper, quantity, and date on the outside of the bag with a permanent marker.  Remove as much air as possible. 

Place the smaller zip lock bag into a freezer bag.  This will help protect from freezer burn.  Burp out as much air as possible.



Use the "first in, first out" method when using frozen peppers.  These peppers are good for about a year, or before freezer burn sets in.

 

 

 A cautionary note;  be extra careful when handling hot peppers.  Wear gloves and do not touch your face, especially the eyes and mouth.  If they are small enough, you may be better off freezing them whole, or cut into halves only.