GrowCookEat

Over on the Goodlife (Eats) blog, Katie has started a weekly 'GrowCookEat' post- which every kitchen gardener, might just want to participate in :).

I started my garden a few weeks back- back when it was cold and I thought the weather would never warm up ;)  It has warmed since, and promises to stay pretty much that way, although they have changed our forecast since this morning :)
So I thought I would do a last minute post about my garden, and then try to keep up with weekly posts.  It is always interesting to see what is happening where anyway!


On to the garden!

FRUIT:  I have plenty of fruit in the garden growing, whether or not I get to eat it is another matter entirely!  Closest to the house, and housed in a pot, is my fig tree.

Right now it is little more than twig-stems and these tiny leaves.  I was thrilled, because last year I had a cold snap that just sent it back to the ground.  I can't say that I have had any decent fruit yet- this will be my third year, but I do indeed get figs :)  Tiny figs!  I am hoping for something better this year...

I have two blueberry bushes.  It is debatable whether I will get much out of them this year as I JUST bought one and the other has yet to flower much.  But I live in hope :)  You met the pawpaw (again) in my previous post, so next up are the raspberries...

Just getting ready to flower!  These were a delightful gift from my friend Molly- and now they are going wild!  I must have dozens of new canes shooting up just these past few weeks!  I love that (shame the ants like the raspberries too!).

As a companion, there are my (or the kids' rather) new strawberry plants...

They share a bed with my chives (also seen in a previous post) and the future herbs I hope to host in this same bed.  I am waiting for our herbs galore festival, but I already have a list!  The kids are quite excited to see these berries already!

Further over on the hill, the Trifoliate Orange is beginning to show its fruit.  I showed the flowers from just last week, the heat made them last just a few days!

And now on to the vegetables!  I showed the broccoli and potatoes earlier- nothing spectacular about the broccoli, but the potatoes are really doing well!  I hope I get lots of potatoes- I get very mixed luck with them!  (It is dependant on weather).

But there is almost a bed full of them and I am always hopeful!

Here is one of the onions... well shallots actually :)  These are pretty experimental for me... a new thing to my garden (at least in that I managed to plant them on time, I think I might have tried them once before...)  They are tiny, taking up a very small portion of the square foot they were in.

You can see how big it is :)  There are several shallots in each square, I think 4, so they should all be coming up soon!

Swiss chard seedlings.  I have 4 squares, each with 1 allocated plant.  This one of course is waiting to be thinned :)

Carrots.  Also waiting to be thinned ;)  I am waiting for the second set of leaves on my seedlings, by the way, before I thin much!

 Spinach.  Three squares with spinach.  I am hoping these do well, I love fresh spinach!  especially with strawberries!

 Lettuce- another three squares with lettuce.  In both cases there are about 4 plants to each square, and I have planted them in a spot which will eventually have shade as the weather warms and the pawpaw grows leaves :)  This is important to these cool weather crops which get bitter with heat and tend to bolt.  You can see this lettuce mix is one with a red tint- heirloom variety!

Beet seedlings.  They look almost identical to Swiss Chard seedlings (so I might have my pictures mixed up LOL) because chard is essentially beet leaves!  I thinned these after taking the photo!

In the next couple of weeks I will be getting ready to plant corn, beans and limas... and of course, my herbs :)
I also hope to pick up 2 tomato plants, indeterminate, one cherry and one large!  Keep watching!

Spring-Summer-Spring-Summer

Back on the rollercoaster rider of a Virginian spring- today in the 80's, tomorrow the 60's, 70's the next day, then back up to the 80's.  I am still a little worried about my seeds- cool weather crops don't like warm weather much.  I really should know this by now!

The peas are really growing now... it's just about time for me to go appropriate their trellis and put it up for them to grow up :)  I am beginning to regret this variety, I should have gone for the more heat tolerant one again.  I do have some of those ready for a autumn crop...

My potatoes and broccoli are really coming along.  I have yet to get the bed set up with the new sides here, but you can see how the broccoli (back row) and potatoes (all the other squares) look.... I am hoping the hot weather is going to dissipate and let them all grow a nice crop of little potatoes :)

I have shown pawpaws on my blog before- this is the annual flower shot :)  The bottom one is newer than the top- and we now have three pawpaw trees in bloom.  I am not happy about the third- it is in a BAD spot!  They are extremely difficult to re-locate though.

The lilacs are already blooming- just stunning.  I love their scent.  And they are such pretty flowers, I am thinking of drawing them :)

Even the roses are getting ready to bloom!  Typically these roses are May or June bloomers, so to have buds in early April is a little early!  But that's the weather for you.

Right now though, everything is coated in a sticky layer of pollen.  There are several culprits, but here are the two main ones in my garden...

White Pine.  The flowers are quite something aren't they?  These are wind pollinated trees, so the stuff is blown hither and yon all around the neighbourhood.  It is truly unfortunate for us that there are two right in our front yard- they are not especially nice trees!

The other culprit is a birch- in this case a paperbark birch.  These 'catkins' are the birch flowers- another wind born pollen bearer!  I am not as upset with this one- because I truly love birches- and the 'paperbark' is fascinating.  Wonder if it makes for a good canvas...

There are signs of my lettuce, beet, chard and onions popping up, and I believe I saw a carrot or two this morning as well.  I also found two 'wild' lettuce and chard plants growing in my beds- volunteers from other years.  I wont complain though, I love these little visitors!  I'll save posting pictures of those until another day :)

Spring- or Summer...

It is currently 90* outside- yes on the 6th April.  No, that is not normal, but then neither is it atypical for Virginia, where our spring weather is a roller coaster of up-and-down temperatures.  The weather forecast is for 64* on Friday, so you can see the change!

The only problem with prolongued periods of warm weather in spring, is that the pollen count goes WAY up, and then the family starts coughing and sneezing until the offending tree (our white pines) stop production.
We do have some GOOD things though... for instance, the 'helicopter' seed of the red maple is a lot of fun...

These were sitting in my kitchen, courtesy of one of the kids!

Then there are the spring flowers... amazingly beautiful and stunning in colour.  From violets (above) to peach blossoms (below)...

There are the trifoliate orange blossoms...

And my pea seedlings...

And then there is the garden itself... its prettiest time of year!

Speaking of Square Foot Gardens

I just wanted to share a resource a friend shared a few weeks back, that I really must pass on.
You might have noticed the lovely Square Foot Garden logo on the sidebar...

THAT will link you to THIS site... which is a pot pourri of information and resources for you to use with your square foot garden!

Definitely take a trawl through the site, you will find so much to offer!!

A Peek at My Square Foot Garden

I suppose I should share some of what is going on in my garden- we have managed to get out there the last few weekends- despite the fact that we have had a year's worth of rain in the last few months!! The local weather man says that since November, we've had 60% of the yearly total, and should we have had it all as snow it would be 300 inches deep!
But I digress, back to the garden :)

About 2 weeks ago, I repurposed an old mailbox we had sitting under the back porch. We just replaced the mailbox post out front, and now we had the old one, kind of feeble, but still useful. We have been using the old box for years, so it seemed quite logical when my son suggested putting it outside of the garden, to do just as he suggested.

I painted the mailbox beautiful bright colours :) Because I think they are pretty and because I wanted it to obviously NOT be a mailbox in use for mail ;)

Inside are stored garden tools- the small ones- and the kids' gloves for gardening. Plant labels, twine... you know the kinds of things!

Here is the working garden. Through the arbour, down the path- you are in the middle of my square foot garden. Not all have grids yet- I need to work on those!

This one in the front has the new raised bed frame around it. Eventually they will all be like this. Those are peas in the front there, and the recently added soil is covering Swiss Chard :)
The back one has 4 squares shallots, 3 square lettuce, 3 squares spinach, 3 squares beets... and 3 spare squares.

The grid in this bed is actually a tomato tower. It is a great temporary grid! Those 4 squares are carrots. Behind it are potatoes and broccoli and the one in front will eventually house beans.

The yearly Easter garden sits in front of newly planted strawberries and transplanted garlic chives. I need to clean up our gravel some though...

So there it is, a sneak peek at what is happening in my central Virginia garden :) How is your garden growing?

Signs of Spring Outdoor Hour

I was excited when I saw Barb's challenge last week was 'Signs of Spring'. Because- well because we'd been watching them ourselves!! Somewhere in the house, the kids have journalled their signs of spring.
Unfortunately I think they might have had their work appropriated for display!

First sign of spring in our garden (apart from weeds) is always my sorrel:
It has a tart lemony flavour, and one day I will find a recipe that is great to use it for LOL One of my first plants of the year is my first edible too :)

The hyacinths were next to appear. This is a bulb which has been in the garden a few years- which is why it doesn't look as full as normal ones. Typically hyacinths do this. Still smells good though!

Speedwell and it's cultivated cousin, this particular Veronica sp. are frequently the first bloomers in the garden. I like the colours of the cultivated one better- the flower near the top on the right is in front of one of the wild ones, so you can see the contrast :)

I have never planted daffodils- we transplanted these from some wild ones growing down our hill. I love them for what they mean- it's spring!!

If you look back in my files, you'll see other photos of our Vinca major from years past... it always blooms early :)
The Bradford pear blossoms are beautiful- but they really don't smell very nice! Still, they look good on camera ;)

My kids HAD to have some strawberry plants. I think they are hoping for a crop- well they'll definitely get a couple of berries if nothing else :)
The best part about the first few days of spring, is that it finally gets warm enough to sit outside and draw.

And I actually have things to draw!! You can see I have actually drawn some of the things I photographed :)
I can tell you now, we also have grape hyacinths and a few peach blossoms. Photos to come later!!


P.S. Yes, there is a new look to the blog, I am still working on it though, so it might well change :)
Blogger has allowed new template adjustments, so I am messing with them ;)

Signs of Spring

Signs of Spring
Originally uploaded by Spinneretta

It happened suddenly. The weather hopped up 10 degrees, maybe as much as 15 degrees between one day and the next, and spring arrived.
The first week of March was cool- in the 40's and 50's (that's between 4 and 12 degrees C). By the second week we were hitting the mid 60's (17C) to low 70's (22C).
Spring is here. We'll ride the rollercoaster of temperatures between the mid 50's to mid 70's over the next month, before gradually evening out into our summer temps by the end of April, but in the meantime, we are going to enjoy the progress of spring.

I have already seen my first crocus- hidden down in the woods and discovered by the kids. In some parts of the neighbourhood, daffodils are blooming- while they remain stubby leaves in my beds right now. My Hyacinths are ready to put forth flowers, though they will never be the showy blooms we got that first year (apparently that is perfectly normal, though I do wonder why).
So on a warm, but overcast day, I sat outside and drew some signs of spring.
I do it every year now.
A year ago, the crocus and daffodils were out and our neighbour's Bradford Pear was in blossom I have the pictures to prove it.
2 years ago I have pictures of me doing the gardening :) I didn't have a scanner then, so I have to actually look at my journals :) According to those, we first got into the garden in mid February and by this time in March, the trees were all blossoming and the henbit was out. So you can tell we have had a longer winter this year!!
In my picture, you can see the wild speedwell (the cultivated is not yet blossoming), purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum), daffodil leaves and Pennsylvania Bittercress (Cardamine pensylvanica).

Cowbirds

Cowbirds
Originally uploaded by Spinneretta

With the arrival of warmer weather, we took the opportunity to put our solar powered fountain back out. This has always been a huge draw for the birds, and sure enough we were inundated with them.
Even when I am outdoors, sitting at the patio table, the birds will happily come and drink from the fountain just a few feet away from me!
So while in the garden one day, I decide to draw the fountain and any birds that visited.
Of course THAT day, the kids stayed near me and no birds would visit while they wriggled around, so I drew the pair of brown-headed cowbirds that had visited the day before :)

I can't say that cowbirds are my favourite bird, they are notorious for their bad behavior- they are the cuckoos of North America!! The females lay their eggs in other birds nests, usually at the expense of the other bird's own offspring!

seeds

seeds
Originally uploaded by Spinneretta

I was thrilled when the weather forecasters told us what the weather would be like this week. Sunday was about 60 degrees F (about 15 degrees C) which is warmer than it has been for AGES. An unusual cold winter for us- normally we see warm patches here and there, but not this year.
Today they say it will reach 74F (23C).
So it is not too surprising that I got out my seed packets and planted some seeds- in peat pellets inside :) Truth be told, most of these could probably go outside too, BUT my square foot beds are not quite ready- the snow covering them and the rain after just made this happen a lot later than normal!

The kids helped me plant the seeds- DD was especially excited because she is looking forward to eating them all ;)

Moon Pillar

Moon Pillar
Originally uploaded by Spinneretta

The other day, we were out and about after the full moon had risen. It was a beautiful moon- but most astonishingly, it had a shaft of light above and below it- rather than the usual corona.
I asked my weather expert (yes he is 10, but he is really into this LOL) and he tells me it is called a "Moon Pillar".
I was not able to draw it on site or take photos (we were never stopped in a place where it was visible :( ), but I had my memory- and I used it (and my watercolour pencils) to record it when I got home :)

First Signs of Spring

The weekend just gone by, was finally warm enough to get some yard work done. Usually we've been able to do this work during January- on the one or two warm weekends then, or earlier in February. This year it was almost March, and I was beginning to despair of ever being able to get the garden beds ready in time. I am still not sure they will be ready, but it wont be because *I* didn't try!
I took the opportunity the following day, to record my hard work with some new watercolour pencils. I am not absolutely familiar with them yet, but I shall enjoy learning to use them ;)

First I drew the garden beds I had so lovingly prepared. They are 4' by 4' square beds. Eventually I hope to have a taller and thinner frame so I can nail my grids to them, because yes, I am planning on another square foot garden :)
The beds were originally 4' by 4' squares, then I merged them into two long beds. Now I have taken them back to 4' x 4' squares because I just liked them that way, and my husband said it was a more useful shape :) We'll see!
That right hand square on the lower right is one I am planning to use for salad stuff- it gets shady in the summer allowing me to keep the produce going longer.

I have yet to make the back bed into the two 4' by 4' squares. I am hoping to get to that this coming weekend :)

March begins a very vibrant time of year in the Virginia garden. We can already see hyacinths, daffodils, crocuses and irises popping up- and in a few weeks they will be blooming. Right now, the maple trees are the main thing blooming. You can see a haze of red buds surrounding the limbs of the trees- and one might be able to imagine them to be like cherry blossom. They aren't of course, but in a way they are just as beautiful. For when you see them, you know spring is not too far behind!

The birds are beginning to pair up, and birdsong has been very familiar in the garden the last few days. In fact, I heard one particular bird that sounded a whole lot like my daughter- screaming! I have yet to see whether it is a natural call of a jay or something, or a mockingbird, mocking a certain someone who screams a little too often...

Paper Bark Birch

Yesterday the weather finally warmed up- it was the warmest day we'd seen since January 28th- which was warmer :o None the less, it FELT warm after days of temperatures in the 40's and lower!
So we all went outside to wash the car (all that salt and snow dirt) and I had hoped to do some gardening, but parts of the garden beds I wanted to clear were still covered in snow.


Instead I settled in the front garden and drew a picture of our paperbark birch. A friendly mockingbird stopped by for a short visit and I draw him in ;)

The bark on this tree peels off, and was once popular with European Hornets, although we have not seen them for the last couple of years. I think I blogged about them before :)

Red Winged Blackbird

Red Winged Blackbird
Originally uploaded by Spinneretta

I had to get some more photos of birds recently- so many of my others were not quite good enough- the bird was not in a good position or there was snow in the way... so yesterday, when this fellow appeared, I grabbed my camera and got a few good shots.
He has not got his summer plumage yet- his 'epaulette' is still kind of yellowy, with just a flash of red at the top.
Since it was warmer, he is not as puffed up as my other birds, and his glossy plumage was certainly challenging to capture :)
A mockingbird and some starlings accompanied him on the feeder- although I like the mockingbird, I was not too thrilled with the others (or the squirrel that seems to think I have provided him with a free lunch).
I am definitely looking forward to some spring!!

Pine Warbler

Anniversary Pine Warbler
Originally uploaded by Spinneretta

This is not a certain identification of the bird by any means- but this bird and the previous one are new visitors to our feeder. This one actually comes every winter, and was initially mistaken for a goldfinch because of it's bright yellow colouration.
we eventually figured out that it was not a goldfinch changing it's feathers, but something else- and it was at the suggestion of someone else that I think it is a warbler. I keep mis-calling it a 'siskin' but checking it in my book it most definitely is NOT!

Myrtle Warbler (Feeder bird #3)

Myrtle Warbler (Feeder bird #3)
Originally uploaded by Spinneretta

Or at least that is what I have tentatively identified it as. It and the pine warbler are not regular visitors to the feeder under usual circumstances, but what with the snow recently, these two are seen somewhat regularly!

Cardinal

Cardinal
Originally uploaded by Spinneretta

I am planning a series of pictures of birds at our feeder in the snow... this is the second bird- the cardinal was below the feeder.
I have seen quite a few new birds with our recent snows. Two warblers (a Pine Warbler and a Myrtle Warbler) are not common feeder visitors at all!!
I have plans to draw them too :)

Bluebird

Bluebird
Originally uploaded by Spinneretta

It's that time of year again- the bluebirds are house hunting!
Two males visited our feeder this week- and were unable to get the food in our 'squirrel proof' feeders. I was upset- the place we bought the feeder from had assured me that the bluebirds would fit. Not so people!!
So I adjusted the feeder a little, and in the meantime got a number of photos of the birds- allowing me to draw them :)

We have had quite a bit of snow this winter- which means my bird photos have been quite good- I'll be back later to share some :)

Nature Journalling...

You know, sometimes I forget to update this blog, even though I am still recording nature in so many ways :) So I thought that I'd use this opportunity to show off some nature pictures, and some new resources I ran across :)

These little frogs are all over our garden- I think this one was a tree frog- we found it on an old stump and it's feet looked like tree frog feet :) I know next to nothing about North American Amphibians though...

it's windfall time of year here- raspberries are out for the second shot and pawpaws are falling from the tree- WITHOUT being pushed by squirrels!! They are actually delicious! I recommend growing them (two or more) in your garden :)

These caterpillars are mildly poisonous- the side spines sting like mad! I have a photo of him too ;)
There you go- he is only about an inch long, and he is eating a persimmon leaf. Apparently they like orchard fruits :)

I should really learn to make jam with these- there are so many!


and I actually got a number of these this year too :)

Now for some new resources:
An excellent nature notebook resource, the Nature Sketchers blog is a great addition to the Flickr group. I highly recommend checking out the individual artists on there too- most have their own blogs.
In fact, Elizabeth Smith just started her own nature art blog, and it looks to be a fantastic place to find a nature journal :)