Tomato planting is on schedule

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Today I wanted to go to the garden and take some photos, but I changed my mind once I felt the ferocious wind. It was only 33 degrees out there. In the few pauses between breezes, however, I could feel a confident intensity in the sun. Spring definitely wants to break through.

Inside yesterday, we started a few more seeds. I planted snapdragons, lobelia, calendula and sage. Michael started his tomatoes, using a very meticulous procedure. He first poured the seeds onto a piece of paper and selected the plumpest specimens with a tweezer. Then he put them in water to see if they would sink. (Apparently, if tomato seeds float, it means they are hollow and won't germinate well, if at all.) He planted two kinds: San Marzano and Brandywine.


Michael created this color-coded schedule for the things he wants to plant this year. This is hanging on our refrigerator.

Macro Photography

Thursday, February 23, 2006

I found this wonderful photo album by Hans Van Rafelghem. Take a look at the garden plants. I just about sneezed when I saw his photo of the dandelion. I mean, to have the ability to make even the weeds look good, now that is great photography.

He also has a a nice photo of calendula. And the Centaurea montana is one of my favorites. The color is out of this world.

I am trying to learn how to do photography like this.

What's new this year?

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

My mother-in-law, in an e-mail last week, asked, "What are you planting new in the garden this year?"

My greatest hope is that we will have fresh strawberries. I found a few runners that were cast off by other gardeners last summer. They have since settled quite nicely into our vegetable plot. Upon seeing them there, Juan, our well experienced but sometimes overly critical gardening friend exclaimed (with his exasperated Argentinian accent), "What are you guys doing? Strawberries invade everywhere! Next year, this whole section will be full of strawberries!"

Meanwhile, I was thinking to myself, 'Great! Perfect! If only I could be so fortunate to have strawberries growing everywhere!'

There is nothing like a fresh-picked strawberry. Michael predicts that none of them will ever make it back to our apartment. I will eat them right on the spot.

Other edibles we are going to try this year are edamame (soybeans), bok choy, and romaine lettuce. Michael is looking forward to expanding the herb garden and growing lots of tomatoes. He likes the San Marzano variety in particular. They are the type that is used in classic Neapolitan pizza sauce. I am hoping we have an abundant crop, and many delicious pizzas in our future.

In the flower section of my garden, I am going to try globe amaranth, hyacinth beans, Chinese lanterns, and larkspur. Last year, I planted a whole package of larkspur and saw not a single one. Maybe this year will be better.

I am also looking forward to a return showing of my tried-and-true favorites: dahlias, cockscomb, sunflowers, and calendula.

Mom and Dad's Greenhouse

Monday, February 20, 2006

This weekend Michael and I were in Pennsylvania to visit my parents and celebrate my dad's 65th birthday. Here are a few of the things that were blooming in their greenhouse.

Bougainvillea...


An orchid...



... and a begonia.


This is mom's cat, Freckles. He liked to defy the house rules and jump on the dining room table to smell the Valentine's Day flowers.

SITESEEING: Italy

Thursday, February 16, 2006

I love watching the Winter Olympics. And not just this time around, but every four years. I am somewhat of a fanatic about it. For one, I love winter and I like to watch all of the amazing things people have invented to do on snow and ice. And two, I love the Olympic Spirit -- when the athletes dig in deep and give it everything they've got, whether that means 1st or 21st in the end.

In the Olympic frame of mind, I decided to take a web tour over to Italy. I wondered what kinds of gardens I might find. If I lived in a city in Italy, I know I'd want to adorn my dwelling with a container garden like this one.

Somewhere outside of the city, there is a field of irises at the foot of a mountain. Check out this photo: Favignana Flowers. Isn't that beautiful?

And, because I could never be on a low-carb diet in Italy (or anywhere for that matter), I would hope there is a panetteria nearby. Yum!!

Frozen Brussels Sprouts

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Here is one of my brussels sprouts. I planted these late last summer and left them in the ground in hopes that they would overwinter. (But this might be pushing it).

I was never a big fan of brussels sprouts. They were always in the category of lima beans – the undesirable vegetables my grandmother would coax me into eating by saying things like, “You need these. They will make your eyelashes grow long,” or “They will give you rosy cheeks.” She was a good saleswoman. I ate brussels sprouts only because they were supposed to be good for me.

That was until Juan, a fellow gardener, gave me a handful of brussels sprouts he had grown on his own last year. They were the scrawniest-looking brussels sprouts I had ever seen, but I felt compelled to at least give them a try. I simply steamed them and added butter and salt. They turned out to be the freshest, crispiest, most delicious brussels sprouts that ever crossed my lips! In that moment, I was converted. I decided to grow some myself.

If these frozen brussels sprouts don’t make it, I have a new batch waiting in the wings.

First Snow

Sunday, February 12, 2006

My wish came true! Last night, winter arrived in force. Here are a few pictures Michael and I took at the garden this afternoon.