Monday, May 3rd, 2010
Last year I endeavored to grow a gourd in hopes of creating birdhouses and water dippers and other fun crafts from the fruit.
Birdhouse Gourd Seeds
As it turned out, I had very mixed success.
I began by planting seed purchased from Irish Eyes. I planted about a dozen in sterile soil in the greenhouse, and only one germinated. I coddled that baby along until it was warm enough to move it out in the garden where I planted it to grow along the wire fence mixed with scarlet runner beans, sweet pea, and butternut squash vines. A vision of loveliness, I imagined. And, truly, the combo was beautiful and fragrant and somewhat rewarding. But, I won’t be growing the gourds again.
Read on to learn about the on-going rewards that came from growing this plant as well as why I don’t intend to grow them again. (more…)
Tags: birdhouse, birdhouse gourd, bottle gourd, butternut, chickadee, gourd, irish eyes, pests, rats, scarlet runner bean, seed saving, squash, winter squash
Posted in birds | 2 Comments »
Friday, January 1st, 2010
It’s New Year’s day, which means there’s a lot of football on the tv and not a lot happening in our household. I like my first day of the year to start slow.
Closed Hoop House Keeps Brassicas Growing in Cool Weather
On a lazy, indoor day like this, when rain is flying in 25+mph winds and our hoop houses threaten to fly away, I can get lost for hours reading through seed catalogs, reviewing past year’s plans, successes and failures, and fine-tuning my future edible garden programs. And, that’s exactly what I did today. And I’m glad I did. Monday, I’ll call in my seed orders, and by the time I return from an early January visit with family on the East coast, my 2010 seed should be here just in time for my first indoor seed date of January 25, 2010. Yep — that’s when the brassica (and other seeds) first get sown indoors under lights with a bit of supplemental bottom heat. I have to wonder – are you ready?
(more…)
Tags: baker creek seed, basil, bean, beet, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, chard, cilantro, corn, edamame, edibles, feed the hungry, food bank, garden coach, garden mentors, garden planning, garden seed, garlic, grow a row for the hungry, harvest for the hungry, irish eyes, lettuce, pea, seattle veg, seattle vegetable gardening, seed, seed catalog, spinach, squash, tomato, vegetable garden
Posted in Edible Gardens | 2 Comments »
