Spring is coming...

 Sunchokes, trying these again after the total failure last time.  These however came from Joseph Lofthouse and are part of his landrace project.  The box arrived yesterday and wow is it full! He claims the box has at least 10 different varieties in it and I believe him.  They will get split between my house and a friends house.  A few in the box were already producing green sprouts so those will go in a pot for now.

 Also in the box were a few "walking onions" that actually looked a lot  like shallot or potato onion bulbs.  One of those clusters went into my "onion bed" which also have bottle onions, other walking onion varieties and an elephant garlic plant.  

Apple trees are coming to replace the two we lost last spring.  This time they are a SnowSweet and a Starkrimson Red Delicious.   The serviceberry has survived the winter and we really need to figure out where it will live.  

More strawberries are in my plans but this time they are all Alpines and wild species started from seeds so need to see how that works for us. 

Ashley and I have reconnected thanks to a family meal with her sister who had come up from Georgia for a visit.  Turns out she still remembers all my different colored tomatoes and wanted to know if I was still growing them.  She and her DH have offered to help in the garden and I will help with their small area they have.   It should be fun. 

Tomato list has been modified a bit to really show off the varied foliage and tomato types  for the kids.  Currently in my seed starters waiting to be transplanted into cups are 14 varieties of tomatoes

1. Urbikany - these were a very pleasant surprise.  I found a 20 year old packet of seeds. I put them in a damp towel until they showed signs of life then planted them into a seed starter. Out of the 10 seeds in the packet I have 5 strongly growing seedlings and one late seedling that is just now coming up.  This is a normal leaf det plant with red tomatoes used for both eating fresh and canning
2. Cherokee Tiger - these seeds were from the MMMM Swap and labeled as being collected in 2017 so 8 years old.  I only started 5 using the same method for the Urbikany.  So far I have two nice seedlings one the proper chartreuse color and one with normal colored leaves. I am growing this dwarf to show off the chartreuse color so will only pot on the chartreuse colored tomatoes.
3. Fuzzy Wuzzy - another grown for the foliage which is fuzzy this dwarf has slightly fuzzy yellow and red torpedo-shaped with pointed ends.
4. Shadow Boxing - another odd one I am growing to show the kids. This one is a dwarf tomato that has antho in both the leaves and the tomatoes.  So there is a dark purple to near black over lay on the red tomatoes and dark leaves with a bit of a purple over tone.
5. Dark Stripe Micro - despite the name this is a dwarf not a micro dwarf. It is a multiflora which means it produces large  clusters of flowers that turn into a large number of cherry size tomatoes. This one makes lots of dark tomatoes with metallic green stripes. 
6. White Zinger - a dwarf plant making pale yellow/white elongated odd shaped tomatoes. Being grown for the color and shape of the tomatoes
7. Spanish Dancer - is a trailing or hanging basket tomato.  It makes torpedo shaped yellow and red striped large cherry tomatoes.
8. Elf Tears - my second trailing or hanging basket tomato.  This one make dusty pink tear drop shaped cherry size tomatoes
9. Whippersnapper- my third trailing or hanging basket tomato.  This fairly common tomato makes plain red round cherries. 
10. Big Hill - A normal leaf det plant this one makes large bicolor (red orange and yellow swirls) with a sweet fruity flavor when at their best.  Can be bland and badly cat faced in bad years.
11. Blaue Kasachstan - the seed is from 2020 and had poor germination but I do have one seedlings that is doing well. This is an indet plant that needs a trellis and makes medium to large size dark colored tomatoes. 
12. . Dark Orange Muscat - is also an indet plant which will need a trellis.  This one is a cherry that is an odd dark orange with and interesting flavor.   
13. Northern Lights - my third indet tomato for this year.  It produces medium sized round slicer bi colors great for fresh eating.
14. Russian Saskatchewan - This one is an interesting Canadian heirloom.  It makes red saladette to slicer size tomatoes and is under 20 inches tall.   

Long time no write

 Another spring is approaching and we did have some successes with our plans for last year. 

While the dogs continue to run rampant over my improved soil I did manage to get a small square fenced in OUTSIDE that area.  So instead of my well fenced improved area I have a 15 by 15 ft square of unimproved soil.  The three trees I ordered were planted inside that small area and I have the room around them.  Nope it is not the plan I have envisioned but it it what I got.  Two of the apple trees didn't survive our spring/summer weather but one was doing well before winter... 

One thing that did work out MUCH better then I expected was the Greenstalk.  We have two set up in the tree yard.  They are on each side of the gate so easy to harvest.  They will be even easier when we get the spinning bases installed. Honestly I love these which is why I have bought 2 more that we will set up in the spring.  This one had strawberries, tomatoes, nasturtiums, peppers, and baby bok choy all in a 2 ft square space.  Yep love um but make sure that is good quality potting soil you fill them with. 

The other stalk had beans, lettuce, and tomatoes in it.  The concrete pad is actually a large stepping stone and was used to ensure the Greenstalks had a level base so the watering system inside would work properly.  

The two new ones will be set along the fence and yes will have the spinner bases also.  One is a pale bright green, the other is a deep red violet. I can hardly wait for spring to get them in place. 

While I lost at least of 2 of my 3 trees I am not too badly upset.  I am hoping the other tree will survive our winter and start growing with vigor in spring.  If it does I will get another tree to provide pollination for it and see what happens. 

There is a lot of open space inside the small fence but most of the soil is totally compacted and hard to dig or even for weeds to grow in.  I have two plans for the area.   One is to toss out root crops and see if any takes and can survive that area to help break up the soil a big.   I am also planning on using that open space for Squash.   I have a vining type summer squash landrace that needs room to sprawl.  IF It is happy to grow in that dirt it could be a nice soil cover and later a chop and drop plant when winter gets here.   I may also try a couple of hills of bush winter squash giving each about a 3 sq foot sq space to sprawl and grow happily but I have a feeling I will need to fertilize and give them a bit of care to get them going and staying happy

The Greenstalks will have beans, lettuce, bok choy, strawberries, and some mini tomatoes,  PLUS whatever we need room for ....  

Potatoes in the front yard, corn near the squash even if that is icky dirt...  Tomatoes, greens, and root crops in the metal beds. 

Spring is coming...

 It is still very early in the gardening season here so you can imagine my pleasure when I spotted 3 plants up from the  Catawissa walking onion topsets I was gifted this past fall.  This is one of three places I planted them so there is now hope that some more will pop in in those beds.  And now I need to check the beds that I put garlic bulbils into at the same time... 

We managed to get over to the city compost facility and have the back of the truck filled with compost to work into the garden in the back yard this weekend IF the weather lets us.  They are calling for snow showers and/or "breezy" weather that translates to only 10 to 15 mph steady but some gusts could be as high as 30 mph...    I still need the topsoil/compost blend the city sales but they were out and can't make more until the winds let up...  So I will be calling daily to see if they have managed to make some (the high winds affect their ability to use their machines to make the blend).   That is what will go in the lovely metal beds so we can use all of them this year. 

My apple trees for the back yard will be shipped sometimes in the next 7 days so we need to get their space ready for them.   And also a place for the serviceberry bush that will be in the box with them.   

Seed potatoes are here and have been set out to chit, potato seeds are sprouting, and I will be starting to harden off my seedlings which include tomatoes, peppers (both sweet and hot) brussels sprouts, marigolds, rosemary, and a single baby rhubarb plant from the one seed I found :).

New information and new plans...

 I recently stumbled over a video on putting in a Grocery Row Garden that sent me hunting for more and more information.  

Upshot of all this hunting was me buying two kindle books "Grocery Row Gardening" by David the Good and "Grow a Little Fruit Tree" by Ann Ralph.   

Seriously look the videos up they are really interesting.  Now mind you David the Good does say this is more an idea then a proven concept as most of them are currently in the southern part of the US.  So in a more ways then one we will be breaking new ground and adding to the information about this style of gardening but everything he does makes such perfect sense. 

In his system the beds are 4 ft wide with 3 ft walkways between them.  You include small fruit trees (hence the book on growing little fruit trees) and bushes or cane fruit IN THE BEDS in fairly specific places then plant around them... producing a garden that does double duty as annual veggie garden and as a very small orchard.    LOVE this idea and Toli loves the idea of growing his own fruit...  

When it warms up we will go out and measure out the place I am thinking of converting to this method and hmm maybe a single row in the front yard...   

It is still winter so garden dreams abound, check back in a few months to see what really happened. 

What was I thinking?

 I have spent the last few years learning about permaculture and land races and other not quite mainstream gardening ways.  And I have been learning a whole new language and way of thinking about growing vegetables.    

So this year I took the plunge and got some of these grexes, landraces, and some packets of  seed mixes that are all the same species.  The thing with all of these type of seed is to plant as many as you have room for, select the ones that do the best in your garden to save seeds from.  Of course for most of us taste is as important as how well it grew.  So this is a very different type of seed saving then I have been  doing for my tomatoes.  And really does take a huge shift in attitudes to be able to go yep that makes sense.  

For this year I have 

From Going to Seed:

Kale - blend of seeds from gardeners all over. 

Corn - blend of seeds from gardeners all over

Potato seeds (yes they can make seeds) - blend of seed from gardeners all over

Summer Squash mix - lots of different types of pepo and some hybrids with other types of squash. This should be interesting to grow out. 

From the Experimental Farm Network:

Maxidiwiac' (Buffalo Bird Woman) Summer Squash - a mostly bush squash breeding population that has been selected for squash that you can dry for winter use. 

Maggie x Provider' Bush Bean Breeding Mix - this is a breeding population of a string bean and stringless snap bean.   The eventual goal is to find a pink podded snap bean with no string. 

Wild Garden Chicory mix - this is for a friend to help give her some fresh flavors in her salads.

From Wild Mountain Seeds

Speedy Dry Bean Grex - grown on the Western Slope at over 7000 ft altitude so should work well here. 

Ping Tong shaped Grex - this is an eggplant grex that produces long thin eggplants that should grow here.  Looking forward to some fresh eggplant.,

Plus I got a couple of their tomato varieties they have been developing to grow in their growing conditions. 

From Quail Seeds

Vibrant Joy Bok Choy Mix 

Cottagers Kale

And sigh I have no idea where I am going to put all these things PLUS my tomatoes and flowers.  

Wonder how many of my friends and family will let me grow things at there place... 

New year new dreams and hopes

 Those metal beds from last year are looking very pretty but many still need bales of dirt and compost in them.  Of course the bottom half in most of them is filled with wood chips which mean we are only putting about 6 to 10 inches of dirt in any of them.  We will need to top them off each year for a while the chips breakdown and settle but still saved us lots of funds for now.  As you can see those beds have made  huge change in our yard. 

The square bed to the right will have corn in it this year.  There is a smaller round bed to the left that will hold squash bushes.  My tall blue one will have trailing vines and hanging basket tomatoes.  That leaves me four 3 by 6 ft beds for my tomatoes and beans.  We are talking about putting an arch over the sidewalk and putting pole beans and scarlet runner beans in there with lettuce and greens on the side away from the sidewalk. 

 I am limiting my tomato plants this year and most will be dwarfs which don't need staking  I will have 3 vining tomatoes, Velvet Red a fuzzy red cherry, Marbled Mystery a bi color tomato and something called Extravagante Rouffiange a fuzzy brown with green stripes from Belgium.  

The dwarfs will be Dwarf Mandurang Moon an ivory/white cherry. Wooly Kate an indet dwarf with fuzzy yellow tomatoes with  blueberry colored shoulders,  Gandalf a bi color dwarf with yummy heart shaped tomatoes (late but very prolific) and probably Large Barred Boar or similar large fruited tomato.   Hmm what was I saying about limiting my tomatoes...  I count 7 varieties and those are the outside tomatoes...  I do hope to have a lot of my little micro dwarfs in the 1 to 3 gallon grow bags scattered around the yard.

Garden 2023? well maybe....

 The front yard is looking pretty with all the new, still need to be filled metal beds... back garden is cleaned up but the fence is still not fixed  so I keep having to let Lani out as she can get into but not out of the garden area.  LOL She reminds me of Jazz when she was still very little and could go through the holes in the fence wire but couldn't figure out how to get back out the same way.   Of course little Duchess knows how to got both into and out of the garden through the fence... 

However the potatoes and onions have been sitting in the house for a few weeks now waiting for those beds to get ready. Last week I picked up a few seedlings from the Fort Collins Nursery and from the local Master Gardeners plant sale which means I have 7 tomato plants and 7 cauliflower seedlings to get into the ground also.

Then this weekend Makaila was over and climbed over piles of things to reach my seed starters for me and I managed to clear a path to my growing table so while they are 2 months late I did get some tomato and pepper seeds planted.  Now comes the wait to see how many of those make it outside but I still have until June right?