As Spring quickly approaches the seasonal isle in my local stores start filling up with seeds. It seems like more retail locations in my area are catching on to the growing seed frenzy because I’m noticing displays in various new locations this year. The image shared to the left is the new Martha Stewart collection I snapped while at Home Depot last week. Marthas’ collection is keeping it simple featuring many of the basic seeds for veggie and flower gardens.
When I think basics while collecting my seeds to start in the greenhouse I’m thinking cold harvest favorites that can be started in March in the raised beds. As long as the soil in these beds are unfrozen and turn-able, I will be starting various swiss chard, onions, peas, radishes and lettuce. My favorite spring blooms like allisum and pansies will be started in the greenhouse for a late April planting out in that cold frame bed.
Share Fertilizer Friday
Not Sure What This Would Do For My Soil Experience
This year I’m noticing more gismos like this soil tester collection by Ferry Morris. If you are reading my blog and can help me or direct me to some information you would recommend about these kits / tools I would be greatly appreciative because I’m not sure how these would help me and my growing experience.
This large but extremely lightweight bag of soil m alternative by Burpee is labeled eco-friendly and made from coconut fibers. I mix up my own soil that is mostly made up of broken down compost from our rabbits we raise here in the garden – greenhouse. I’m curious to find out more about this product so I wouldn’t be surprise if by the end of the seasons I’ve purchased a bag just to be able to cure my curiosity. If you’ve used this product … I’d love to hear from you!
Before I break into song and dance ‘ these are a few of my favorite things!’….. I want to recommend these garden treasures that I highly recommend for any garden. This variety of Allysum was just amazing last year. The blooms trailed out of my raised beds draping almost 8″ reminding me of the Proven Winner variety : Snow Princess. Last year I forgot to start my Cardinal Climber and summer in the veggie garden just wasn’t the same. This beautiful vine pairs up great on a trellis with the Burpee seedless cucumber vine. When the cucumber is done in early July due to the heat of the summer the cardinal vine will help shade it promising a few more blooms as well as cover up the dying cucumber with its lush green leaves and striking red blooms all the way into the first frost.
Sorry for the dark cell phone images but this time of year from the greenhouse that is what you will find on my site. While the sun is out and the greenhouse is heating up to the high 80*s I’m too busy cleaning , planting and maintaining the green growing in the greenhouse. In the image above you will see the new leaves arriving on most of my hibiscus and lime shrub as well as recycled Proven Winner containers being used to winter over some of my favorite herbs and annuals. The orange crown is a gift from my greenhouse sister up in Canada. I’ve had this treasure which lights up in the evening as a lucky reminder that there is someone growing along with me up in Canada - Thank you sister Glenda!
On Tuesday, February 28th I ask that you join Glenda and myself at 6:30 p.m. ET on the Growing Success Webinar being sponsored by Corona Tools. Glenda of Tootsie Time .com and I will be sharing information about growing year-round. Stop over at the Corona Tools Website to register for this event and find out about the other free web sessions that have been going on this past week.
Webinar ID: 623-367-526 – Growing Year-Round – hosted by Brenda Haas and Glenda Duchak – 6:30 PM ET
We couldn’t have been more lucky with the weather we are experiencing. The beautiful blue skies and t-shirt perfect weather is making it easy to spend every minute of daily light out getting the treasures that will be spending the winter in the greenhouse in their place. It is the first year in the 2 years I’ve been growing year-round that I don’t feel rushed. Focusing on food and herbs this year more then annuals because being able to have healthy products our family can live on is more important to me. Moving the soil, tools and containers needed to transplant the herbs to the greenhouse is super easy with my red wheel barrow.
Last year the herbs that I knocked the outdoor soil off and transplanted in clean containers with freshly mixed compost / soil produced the most harvest. Maybe the landscape soil was tired and needed conditioning? I’m learning as I grow and using what helps me produce the healthiest yield.
I went a little crazy with the seed planting this past summer and I have an over load of rosemary, basil and oregano. The basil never does well in the greenhouse once January arrives and you can only use rosemary in so many dishes so I need to limit myself to what is being transplanted.
The really cool thing about using the wheel barrow as my planting station I can take it indoors if it starts to sprinkle.
If you winter over herbs what do you enjoy transplanting or growing from seed during the cold months?
HELP ME OUT …. click on over to Corona Tools Webpage and vote for my photo in their “Thats How I Roll” competition.
It appears cold weather is moving in early this year bringing unseasonal temperatures at night and possibility of frost is in the forecast. If you are like me and wait till the last minute working best under pressure you know that it isn’t too late to get a greenhouse up NOW so you can continue your growing experience.
If The Look of A Greenhouse in Late September Doesn’t Win Your Heart ……. It Isn’t Meant To Be
All Summer while visiting garden events and garden centers I’ve been seeing an increase in availability of greenhouses. Everything from simple plastic with PVC frames online to sturdy extruded aluminum frame 8 ft. ceiling structures are readily available.
Featured above is an image of a section of my outdoor growing area on the south side of my greenhouse. Look close into the vent that is open to see that the house is empty. This weekend I will be working around the clock to finish last minute planting and re potting containers that will be joining me in the greenhouse this winter. Luckily, I have more space in my home thanks to a new sun-room which will hold my large tropicals and a large fish tank is going in my greenhouse for natural watering purposes. If the thought of growing year-round is appealing to you then please check out the podcast below that I recorded early today with my growing sister Glenda. Glenda is my mentor when it comes to growing under cover while it is below zero outside. She is the talented garden / interior designer who shares over at TootsieTime.com We are the owners of Growing4Seasons.com where we share our experience of growing year-round.
Nothing grows as healthy as my lettuce mixes in the greenhouse. I usually have at least a dozen container growing at random times so we can always enjoy a fresh mix on the dinner table. For information on the seeds I use and my greenhouse conditions read more HERE or click on the image to the right.
Some of my favorite seeds to start in the greenhouse year round would include Endive Green Curled Ruffec Seeds , Mesclun, Mixed Salad Greens Seeds andRed Sails Lettuce Seeds all from Homtown Seeds. These seeds can be purchased year round or I have stored lettuce seeds for up to 2 years in the right conditions. However, the seeds never make it past the first year season because I enjoy growing them constantly to feed or family and bunnies!
Vinaigrette For Green Salad
I was first introduced to making my own salad dressings while visiting my dear friend and fitness guru Bari who happens to be a fabulous healthy instructor in Orlando, Florida. You can visit her blog at Bari’s Healthy Living Tips. Of course I had to take and add my own spin to the recipe she introduced me to.
My Green Vinaigrette
Ingredients
3 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
4 tablespoons good salad vinegar
Kosher salt,freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of ground parsley
1/2 cup good olive oil
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, garlic, herbs,vinegar, salt, and pepper. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil until the vinaigrette but try not to ‘beat to death’!
Place the salad greens in a medium bowl and sprinkle with chopstick cut carrots. Over the top of the salad add enough dressing to moisten. Sprinkle with a extra herbs if desired but be sure to serve immediately.
I don’t believe I can think of anything more healthy then growing your own organic veggies at home and serving them up with healthy ingredients. The dressing I shared above is best served fresh but I have also stored the extras’ in a tightly sealed canning jar in the refrigerator for up to a week. This salad featured above was served with my Rustic Autumn Roast.
Be sure to start your lettuce seeds today and be prepared to enjoy a fresh green salad in 3 weeks!
On Tuesday, February 28th I ask that you join Glenda and myself at 6:30 p.m. ET on the Growing Success Webinar being sponsored by Corona Tools. Glenda of Tootsie Time .com and I will be sharing information about growing year-round. Stop over at the Corona Tools Website to register for this event and find out about the other free web sessions that have been going on this past week.
We couldn’t have been more lucky with the weather we are experiencing. The beautiful blue skies and t-shirt perfect weather is making it easy to spend every minute of daily light out getting the treasures that will be spending the winter in the greenhouse in their place. It is the first year in the 2 years I’ve been growing year-round that I don’t feel rushed. Focusing on food and herbs this year more then annuals because being able to have healthy products our family can live on is more important to me. Moving the soil, tools and containers needed to transplant the herbs to the greenhouse is super easy with my red wheel barrow.
My Green Vinaigrette
