Toddler tomato
In the spirit of dog years and fast-growing plants, this tomato seedling at about 10 days from germination is a toddler, or maybe more an infant. Root, stem, then leaves push out of the seed and up to the light, … Read the rest
Spring
This winter in a couple hours
This is the difference that a few days, or even a couple of hours, can make with our everchanging weather. Not the greatest illustration, and in reverse order (the snow shows up better on the right side of the photo): … Read the rest
Kale under cover
Kale and Brussels sprouts are tucked away under floating row cover (with straw-mulched garlic in the back). This is usually to protect them from flea beetles that can devour the seedlings. This year, unfortunately, it’s also a deterrent to the … Read the rest
Early mini-harvest
A small harvest of spinach and bok choi for dinner! It’s always a pleasant little shock to taste the first of the season’s garden-fresh veggies. After the winter months when the only fresh produce is grown in faraway lands, it’s … Read the rest
Pellets of goodness
One person’s low-interest bin of unidentified golden-brownish stuff, is another’s stash of pelletized alfalfa goodness. This is plain old alfalfa, the plant in the pasture that cows especially love, dried and compressed into pellets. No additives, nothing but dry plant … Read the rest
Bonus onions!
Leftovers from the previous season can turn into a delicious spring surprise! These onions grew from ones that were overlooked during fall harvest, and in a spot that hasn’t yet been tilled. There’s an official name for this: volunteering. Strictly … Read the rest
Onion sets
Tiny onions, grown the year before, pulled up early and dried out, are known as onion sets. They’re a bit of a shortcut. Pop them in the ground, and they begin growing again. Starting onions from seed gives you a … Read the rest