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Saturday, February 21, 2009

Planting Greens


I got a powerful hunger for spring greens, folks.
Yesterday was greens day. I planted several lettuces, mustard, arugula and kale. Pak choy and other oriental greens will follow shortly. They're a bit more sensitive to spring frosts, and will bolt if the temps are too cold. I broadcast the seed in small rectangular peat containers (six fit to a flat) in a mix of compost, peat, sand and perlite. When they've come up and gotten a little size to them I'll transplant them into cell packs until they're ready to plant out, sometime in March. It's time to plant spinach and beets - we're waiting till the ground's dry enough to turn.


I also planted some mixed colors of yarrow. It's a staple in early bouquets. My old patch is getting crowded and weedy, so I'll start fresh with new plants this year.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

June Bouquets


Yesterday I planted snapdragons, feverfew (it makes a great filler for bouquets), two colors of rudbeckia and some dwarf hollyhocks that bloom the first year and hopefully will work for bouquets for the market. I plant Rocket snapdragons, mixed colors, that are tall and must have support but bloom their little hearts out in June and into July for gorgeous, sweet smelling bouquets. Later I'll be planting my other staples: tall blue ageratum that blooms from spring till frost, zinnias and many more I'll list as I plant them.


Other news: remember I told you that a secret world was about to be revealed? Well, the time has come. Welcome to Minglemist, wherein some acquaintances of mine, retired biology professor T. P. Dunlap and his young housekeeper-secretary, Madeline Brown, are at this very moment discovering dragons, fairies, nasty hobgoblins, elves, snuffleworts and many other interesting characters, including, of course, Robert the Onion Ghillie. I'll let Madeline take over from here, as it is her job to get the postings out to me.


ENTER!

Friday, February 6, 2009

Meet Robert, the Onion Ghillie


Robert lives in a secret world recently discovered by a retired biology professor named T. P. Dunlap. More about this world will be revealed shortly, so stay tuned. Note the nectar-sipping dragons visiting the flowers, because this secret world is full of them, and others, in all sizes and varieties.
It's funny that Robert turned up just now, because it's time to plant onions, and that's what I'll be doing tomorrow. Today I've sifted peat moss and baked compost. There is still ice on the ground, but today was close to 60 degrees, so that will help matters. There are rivers running down all the hills.