Spring Snowshoeing

This was early April, and now in late April we could begin to plant our gardens--and many have. I'll probably wait until May. Someone said the other day that she never plants until Mother's Day. I think that may be a good rule of thumb, since often I get too excited and plant early and seeds rot. I love spring peas, so that will be my first item I'll put in. My friend Mike said he thought he'd go over and start pulling weeds. We did have several days of 60-70 degree weather, but it's colder again and even a prediction of snow. My friend, who's in this picture, said he was in sleet the other day. That was nearer to the Olympics, but there you have it. Late spring coming.

Ciao! Flower

Early Garden Tricks

I like to plant early--in fact, everything I do I'm in a bit of a rush. I'm actually cutting out coffee for just that reason. Perhaps I could slow down a bit, have a little breathing time. Anyway, if you want to get a jump on spring, don't forget the coldframe. Perhaps it should be called a hotframe. What I mean is, you can put a piece of glass, an old window works well, up against a south facing wall and plant some greens or some radishes, or start something, like lettuce plants. If you block the ends with plastic, you'll get a nice little hothouse and you'll be surprised what happens. If it is against a cement foundation, the cement will heat up. You can put brick against the wall too, they will hold extra heat. Have some fun with this idea. And look at these simple instructions: Building a Garden Cold Frame

Ciao! Flower

Zamboni

Sounds like an African greeting, Hello there,my friend, but what it really is is Broccoli-Raab. I planted it earlier this summer and it did little. That and the bok choi, only produced a couple of small plants. But it can be sown again in late summer, so I'll replant. The seed packet, which my cat thinks is a new cat toy, it's the shaker sound that intrigues him, says it is best planted in a sunny location in "fairly rich well drained soil." This is the problem, I'm betting, the lack of "fairly rich well drained soil" in my garden. For those who don't know, Broccoli-raab (Rapini) Zamboni has small flowerbuds and leaves that spice up salads and can be steamed as greens. I thought that it would taste like broccoli, but it tastes a little more cabbage and mustard-like. It's good and grows quickly.

The other plant I'll sow is Italian Parsley. This one is nice, in that it is flat-leafed. The curly parsley is harder to clean. The flat only takes a quick rinse, then chop and throw in with the zucchini and onions and tomatoes and sauce, and viola, spaghetti sauce. I made this type of sauce frequently when the kids were little. They loved it. I seasoned it up with fresh basil and parsley and garlic, salt and pepper and oregano, and it was the most delicious sauce one could ever wish for, chunky with fresh vegetables and delicious.

The other great dish I've been meaning to tell you about comes from a great cookbook called Recipes from an Ecological Kitchen Saute a bunch of kale in olive oil with three cloves garlic. Add water, raisins, cinnamon, and toasted pine nuts. Season with tamari. This one is so delicious that even someone who says they don't eat greens will yum it up.

Everyday, I eat greens at three meals. Greens are higher in calcium than milk products, and as I am dairy intolerant, they are a good bet for me. At breakfast I make an omelet with spinach or broccoli, at lunch a salad and protein, at dinner, steamed vegetables and chicken or fish or beef. My naturopath says that eating carbs between meals will lower cholesterol. I've been doing this for over six months now. The next time I get my cholesterol checked, I'll let you know if it works or not.

Okay, onto my editing group. Happy gardening and enjoy midsummer.

Ciao!