Broccoli harvest & March kale spring broccoli garden

On this Sunday, I was able to harvest some Broccoli and admire the garden and blooming trees. 

This broccoli grew throughout the winter, so it will probably be tough, and it seemed to have been close to flowering; but I haven't ate thr broccoli heads yet.

In the garden, I also have curly kale growing; and my grandpa said the kale leaves were tender as he had been picking and eating some of the leaves. Haha. *But he doesn't eat "rabbit food" he says*

There are so many forsythia bushes and peach trees blooming in my neck of the woods. In the grandparent's yard, various perennials were blooming and this blooming cherry tree and magnolia...

Amongst the broccoli and kale plants, I was able to plant onion bulbs and radish seed. Here are some pictures of the broccoli heads before harvesting...

Sometimes in gardening, you realize you're not getting your "money's worth"--it can quickly become an expensive hobby. And that was the case for these broccoli seedlings... I bought them from a store--and spent lots of time, energy, and money to keep them alive and growing...But in the end, it's worth it for the joy of a sunny spring day to harvest some food...

March Spring Flowers & Mulching Garden beds

On this March evening, it became warm and sunny. So, after work, I headed over to the nearby greenhouse to buy a scoop of mulch. Once I applied the mulch over each garden bed,  I snapped a couple of pictures of the daffodils and hyacinths that are blooming at the food forest garden. This garden is full of different types of daffodils.

In a couple of the garden beds, I still have kale, swiss chard, cilantro, onion, and strawberries growing. This kale as well as the other veggies have survived through the entire winter. They have a beautiful green color.

Each garden bed got a layer of mulch today, but it wasn't enough. I'll have to get a full scoop next time to cover around the fruit bushes, flower gardens, and fruit trees.

While spreading the mulch, we also had a fire, and dropped off the compost in the main compost pile. I recently added some carbon material to it, as well as old potting soil. Adding existing soil normally helps speed up the decay of these composting materials. 

When you have a day like today, you can't spare a moment. You must do all you can outside before there are longer days of gloomy weather. For every 1 warm, sunny day, there are 3 to 4 rainy, cold or cloudy days here. 

After today, we are expected to have another week of rain, but I'm going to try to plant some onion bulbs, peas, and radish seed in the garden Sunday. 

It is still quite cold at night. So, in April, I will be more inclined to plant some lettuces, and have decided to hold off on planting a lot of greens because of this. What makes it harder, is that I can longer regularly take off the transparent plastic every morning and cover plants at night which would protect them through the cold and frost. Because I am living on a different property now, a lot of my gardening tasks have been delayed, slowed or challenged in some way. But I digress! And so should you! Gardening is crucial, it is life, it is what gives me life. 

Remember to take rest, and sit on your porch in the sun with your libations and watch the sun go down. I had a mojito, haha!

March growing & Springing into Gorgeous Life!

On these warm days, I have been sitting my houseplants outside so they can soak up some sun and warmth. On cold days, I try to pamper them with fertilize, water, cleaning their leaves, inspecting and touching them, or rearranging them. 

I am SO ready for Spring, seeing the magnolias bloom, crocus, daffodils, tulips. You know, tulips are my favorite, as I have a designated tulip garden. Flowers are slowly blooming, but it was a rough winter, I must say, worse than previous winters for at least the last 8 years. 

Of course, you know my grandma decorates for every holiday, and her Spring decor is always the most cheerful. I took a snapshot of her porch, but this is not her only decorated scene--when she decorates, she goes all out, her whole house and yard are always covered in decorations. 

I started a garden calendar to coincide with the farmer's almanac. I have been planting by this moon growing calendar, as I do every year. I try it all, so to speak.

At the beginning of March, I planted broccoli, kale, tomatoes, peppers and herbs such as cilantro, dill, parsley and basil. These are under grow lights; and on warm sunny days this week, I have been putting the trays of seedlings outside for 2 hours before the sun goes down, then take them back to their spot indoors. 

I have been giving the seedlings 12 hours of light. I wish I had bought two sets of lights per seedling tray, because one light just makes seedlings grow leggy towards the center of the light instead of straight up. 

I am starting to water the plants from the bottom as well. It is recommended to do this watering method, so I'm experimenting. 

One big mistake I made already was using garden soil which is not recommended for seedlings. Instead, it is recommended to use a spilled mixture of peat moss and perlite. I used these 2 components but really didn't think the seeds would sprout in those conditions. Adding the garden soil created a moldy environment, I believe--especially when watering from the bottom and (maybe) being overzealous with the water because I had not tried this method before. 

I am hoping, though, that these seedlings still grow brilliantly, despite the mold and legginess. I also planted 9 strawberry roots in pots, and planted flower seeds in pots.

I'll keep y'all posted! Happy planting, folks!

With the flower seeds, I soaked them overnight in water, and I highly recommend this method. Again, this is the year of garden experiments! 

In one pot, I planted passion flower seeds, then Amaranth, Lavendar, and Columbine in separate pots. 

January garden updates

January, 2021. I hope you are having a great new years so far. Make your new years resolutions! I have mine: save more money, eat the healthiest and most vibrant food.

Additionally, my resolutions are to continue growing my food forest making it bigger and better, and do good in my community. On Martin Luther King Jr Day, I volunteered some time at the food pantry where I live, and hopefully created a bridge with a community leader to do more good work this year and the future.

The Winter time is different for everyone. It's pleasant or miserable to some because it's cold, it's beautiful because of the snow or ugly because of the slush. To me, winter is a time that is neither pleasant nor miserable, beautiful nor ugly. It is a time when you get things in order. For me, I am getting things in order for my gardens in the upcoming months when the season turns to Spring. 

As you may know, I live in Zone 6, there's not much you can grow over winter here unless you take many precautions.

There are rows of kale, radish, broccoli, and cilantro still growing in my gardens which I have kept covered for protection. But, who knows if these veggies will survive with only cloth and plastic over them in the next months of Winter.

Most of my garden tasks for now consists of making compost and cleaning the outside gardens, and caring for my indoor tropical plants. This week I mended broken coffee mugs and planted in them. 

My indoor plants keep me motivated and inspired to continue growing throughout the cold, dreariness of the Winter months. They give me hope for life, sustainability, and happiness. I make sure to keep them warm, add soil, fertilize, clean them, pick off dead leaves, etc. 

I have 21 indoor plants. That is constantly changing too, because some die, some bear more "pups" and sometimes I buy plants, sometimes I'm gifted plants. There's always something to do with your indoor plants when you have many of them. 

It is almost towards February. There are plenty of things you can start growing indoors. I never have luck starting early! I suggest starting the last weeks of February in starting lettuces and brassicas, but I have more luck growing these directly from seed in the outdoor gardens. Radishes, cilantro, spinach, prefer cool weather, so you van directly sow them in Mid March. 

Stay warm, safe, cozy, and happy planting!