It was about to kill me, but I have patiently waited to plant my summer veggies in my small garden until the first week of May. One of my gardening buddies, Bill Hitt, says to wait until after the last possible frost date, May 15, but I am trusting that Mother Nature will protect my eagerness. Another friend, Ed Morris, said that one year he was unable for some reason to plant … [Read more...]

  When I went to buy some onion sets from Southern States a month back, they didn’t have any. They said they forgot to order them. But they did have some red onion sets. Why not?  I bought a bundle of 100 tiny plants and put them in the ground. Last week, I pulled up a few to go with a salad I had made, mainly to add a bit of color. They were the best spring onions I have ever eaten – … [Read more...]

  Last summer, as I was planting the last row of my small vegetable garden space, one of the pepper plants I had put in went belly-up. With some prime space now available in that row, I found a decent looking pepper plant at the Corner Store Nursery. The pot label said, “Anaheim Pepper” and was listed as a hot, chili pepper. I’m not crazy about hot peppers, but several in my family are, so … [Read more...]

  May I interrupt this newsletter with a message from our sponsor – well, not actually a sponsor but a company you should be aware of in your gardening and birding adventures. It’s Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm. Over the past 10 or 15 years, I have dealt with numerous pet stores and worm companies as I always supplement my bluebirds’ diets with meal worms, especially at nesting time. My … [Read more...]

I had waited patiently until mid-March to begin my early garden – lettuce, onions and peas - and I decided to till it myself, by hand. After downing the required 3 Ibuprofen, I set out to the task. With my first plunge of the shovel, I was surprised at how easy it was. Each shovel full returned the same experience. It was almost as if the garden had already been plowed, and it had. By the worms I … [Read more...]

  Jonquils don’t seem to care whether it’s cold or warm, dry or wet, snow or sleet. Come February, they’re coming out of the ground. The hearty little flowers are now blooming across the state. There is often some confusion over the exact name. Jonquils, Daffodils, Narcissus? Technically speaking, several flowers fall under the scientific name, Narcissus. Jonquils and daffodils are … [Read more...]

In years past, I would have already had pots in my windowsill with tomato or squash seeds. Trouble is, when the little fellows have sprouted, grown a bit and would be ready to transplant, the ground is too cold. If the frost doesn’t get them, they simply languish in the cold soil. This year, I’ll be patient. Though I recently saw some tempting seeds on display, I am resisting the urge to … [Read more...]

Fellow gardeners, in a month and a half we’ll be planting mustard greens, lettuce and spring onions. The garden season is fast approaching. However - will this be the year you keep deer and varmints at bay, or will they once again come and mow your garden down? May I recommend a company called DeerBusters, a manufacturer of easy-to-assemble components to keep the deer out of your … [Read more...]

Snow is a good thing – not only for all the school children who relish a few extra days off to break out their sleds and toboggans, but it is an essential element in growing flowers and vegetables. We “backyard farmers” need snow to turn out a successful harvest come summer and fall. The recent snow will blanket our gardens and when it melts – we assume it will melt eventually – our small plots … [Read more...]

  Frost is coming. It always does and puts a dagger into most of the vegetables in a backyard garden. But early this week, before the frost, I picked 4 of the prettiest tomatoes of the season. I suppose my little garden had saved the best for last. They were near perfect in size, shape and color, except for the one Heirloom tomato. Heirlooms are almost always a little gnarly, but this one … [Read more...]