Stocking up before the harvest...

I have been gardening for a few years now-- perhaps six, maybe seven. It's been fun to go from container gardening (well, drowning) tomatoes on our apartment balcony to full-blown gardening in raised beds.

One of my biggest problems in the last two years has been keeping up with the harvest as it comes in. I've had a few (okay, maybe more than a few) bowls full of peas, tomatoes, etc. that have spoiled on our counter.

I was inspired by Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle to do more preserving. I've gone from taking six hours to make six pint jars of salsa to getting twelve pints of tomatoes preserved in two hours.

It was in that spirit that I made a book order tonight. I'm a few weeks out from a ten day road trip to Florida (four days in a minivan, folks-- I NEED some pages to turn while I listen to the Cars-Madagascar-Bob the Builder marathon). My reading list includes Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, Carlo Petrini's Slow Food Nation: Why Our Food Should Be Good, Clean, and Fair, and Alice Water's The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution.

My hope is to be even more inspired to put up my fresh produce.

Sprouts!

My Amish Paste tomatoes have sprouted already! Whoa-- I really wasn't expecting it this quickly. It's time for me to order the water bags and get them going.

I want to get the Amish paste seedlings somewhat independent before before I start more seedlings. I'm thinking of starting some yellow tomatoes (Powers Heirloom) next.

These little sprouts caught me off guard. Yeow!

And so it begins...

The seed starting, that is! I know that the Zone Gods are frowning upon me as I defy them. I'm a zone 7-- 7B, to be exact. I'm close to the water, to the East, West, and South. Therefore, with the moderation of temperatures due to the water and with the miracles of a water bag, I think that I can push my luck.

I do want to give you a bit of background, as well. For years, I have been failing at seed starting. I got the compostable peat pots, and I dried them up. I got the seedstarting trays with the covers, and I overwatered to the point of growing molds instead of seeds.

This year, I'm going with my old tried and true terra-cotta. I love terra-cotta pots and I'm attempting to start tomatoes. I am hoping that this year, I'll be successful in my efforts. If I am, I'll have some tasty tomatoes to can and make into salsa!

Frost

This morning, I woke up (alone, since both my husband and my son were sick and sleeping) and came down the stairs. I looked out the french doors to the backyard to see that my garden beds were frosty. Except for the portions in which I had sown peas over the weekend. I love how observant gardening makes me.

And I noticed on Monday as I watered my pots of peas outside that there is germination goin' on. Man, I love fresh garden peas! If only it were days rather than weeks to go!

A Fresh Start

Last year, in my third year of gardening, I decided that I should keep a journal. I realized that if I documented my failures and successes, then I would not keep re-inventing the wheel.

As I planted yesterday, it occurred to me that I could get a fancy bound journal, but that I will not keep up with it. So, I'm going to keep my records here. I was inspired to keep my journal by Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

Last weekend, I began my planting for the year. I purchased three big terra-cotta pots from Ikea. They've been set up next to our garage doors. (Why in the driveway? Because I forget about my plants and seeing those pots will remind me to water.) I planted Green Arrow peas in the pots and put 4-foot stakes in the pots. Only two have been planted so far, because I ran out of potting soil.

Yesterday, I planted four types of peas in one of my raised beds. I planted Little Marvel, Oregon Giant, Carouby de Mausanne (love these gorgeous heirlooms!), and more Green Arrow. Both Oregon Giant and Carouby are snap peas while Little Marvel and Green Arrow are shell peas. I'm very curious to see how it goes, because I'm trying seeds from Johnny's Selected Seeds and Seed Savers this year. Last year I purchased seed from Gurney's and did not have good success. (I could have attempted to get a refund-- but I decided not to order from them again instead.) My goal is to collect seeds from the Carouby this year, because I picked them up on a whim at Target (the Sean Conway seeds) and they don't carry them this year.

Anyway, there is more to come. I look forward to sharing it with you!