nesting

1st Crop

Last week we had our first harvest of the season. Check out these crazy colorful radishes. These seeds were sprinkled in our 'back lane extended raised garden' a few weeks ago. We used Westcoast Seeds 'Easter Egg' Radish Blend. Hence the multitude of colors. Only a few biters through the roots, but overall very tasty and spicy. These bad boys are really good in salads, sliced super thin and mixed with mint and arugula topped with a tangy lemon vinaigrette. Radishes are the quickest growing crop second to some greens like mixed lettuces and such. They are a great seed to do with kids, as they are so fast growing and really easy for little guys to pull at. The growing season has just begun...

Sore Little Hands

Most gardeners by this time of year are feeling the aches and pains through their hands. O's hands, despite the many types of gloves and waxes he puts on prior to work, are hurting bad! Some days they are so rough and cracked that he can barely stroke our cat, Jasmine without taking off a layer of her fur.

These are a few of my favourite creams to sooth after a long days work. Unfortunately most of them are pretty girlie smelling and not up to O's stamp of approval. Any ideas out there from fellow gardeners and workman alike for a good, heavy duty hand cream made for a manly man would be appreciated.

This is my bed time cream, the smell is sweet and soothing and I love the name: 'The Charmer'. I picked this up Anthropologie.                                                                                                                                                             

This is my purse cream, a small tub that goes a long way. I love the healing power of olive oil. Now if only I stocked up more when we were in Italy.

I always associated Crabtree & Evelyn with older ladies, like moms, but this cream is super rich and fresh, and is the perfect cream after a long day in the dirt.

Spring Has Sprung

The other day I was reaching into our big corner cupboard, in the kitchen, where we seem to store a lot of those items that don't get enough use or are just simply too large for any other space, and out popped this crazy tentacle.  At first I thought I had come across a dead mouse, or worse a rat. This long tale- like thing looked very much like a rat! Then I looked closer and remembered- Potatoes! Check out these guys.

Back in the winter I had stored some fingerling potatoes hoping that the depths and darkness of this cupboard may produce some 'offspring' and... sure enough! I was so excited, as I often buy my seedling potatoes from a supplier and had never tried from scratch.

So with Spring upon us, we planted them up, in our back lane raised beds, where root veggies and corn grow tall and lush all summer long. Raised beds against a south facing fence, 1' deep and 2' tall, are a great space saver for those with not a lot of 'garden bed' in their own back yard. Plus these veggies are all grown underground or in husks so the yucky lane dust doesn't effect them. So far no veggie thieves either!  This is our tribute to using every inch of our land. Because, well lets face it the garden doesn't have to stop inside the gate!

Ready. Set. Grow. Happy Easter everyone.

Seattle Garden Show 2008

With all this yucky rain, we have really been itching for spring and some garden inspiration. So, O and I headed down south to the Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle. We took a break from it last year, so we were pretty excited to see what was in store for 08'. Lots of great goodies. We managed to complete it in a day and were definitely inspired by some great ideas. Some of the highlights:

1.0 Going Native:

It seemed a few years back the overall theme was bulb mania, this year it was replaced by lots of exhibits featuring indigenous plantings and mild mulches, which as we all know requires little maintenance and drought tolerance- an easy recipe for any urban gardener. One we loved: A Weekend Adventure- by New Leaf Creations.

2.0 Eat Your Greens:

Thanks to the Northwest Horticulture Society we were so thrilled to see that a large amount of the show was dedicated to kitchen gardens. From small container arrangements to large potagers this was definitely my favorite part of the show.

I was just as ecstatic when I saw the live chicken coop at the Seattle Urban Farm Co display. This was way to cool for its own good, with a vegetable garden lined brick pathway, edible green roof, mini orchard, farm kitchen and the beloved livestock. Way to go guys!

3.0 Contemporary Arrangements:

We always seem to gravitate to the modern, but there were so many great container arrangements this year. Check out these sleek planters.

 4.0 Think Green:

Sunset sponsors this event, so I felt like a kid in a candy shop trying to make sure we made enough time to hear some of the speaker series. The most memorable was, by one of their editors Lauren Bonar Swzey who spoke on the design savy sustainable gardens she has visited over the years. Can we say job envy!

5.0 Designer Spotting... And A Little Bit Of Crush Really:

To say that I didn't go bright red and a bit sweaty would be completely lying, when I got to meet one of my favorite international designers Jamie Durie. He was just as gorgeous and lovely in person. I talked with him for a bit about his books and even scored an autograph. O was thoroughly embarrassed for me.

6.0 Monrovia Plants:

Monrovia is in my opinion one of the best plant suppliers out there. If my long desired job at Sunset doesn't pan out, I think these guys would be my second choice. It was great to see some of the new species they have developed. Two that intrigued us were: Baby Bliss Flax Lilly and Wates Golden Pine. Now if only our nurseries carried more of their stock.

7.0 Farmers Rock:

We talked with some great suppliers in the 'Marketplace' but our favorite couple were from Half Moon Bay, CA. Farmer John Muller and his wife Eda run a pumpkin farm and and distribute Franchi old world heirloom seeds from Italy. We bought up some gems and successfully managed to smuggle them back home, yippee!

8.0 Classic Designs:

I have been on a serious search for some girlie- as- girlie- can- be- rain- boots. I finally found them at the Smith and Hawkins booth. As much as I am ready to see the rain disappear, maybe a few more days wouldn't hurt, so I can sport these cutsies.

9.0 Eco Friendly Products:

Two real interesting products caught our eyes. One is a non toxic organic pesticide spray that has packaging reminiscent of Method, called Pharm Solutions made locally in Washington State.

The other was a  5 gallon compost tea brewer made from a company called Keep It Simple.

10.0 A Resting Place:

After being on our feet all day we were ready for a seat and a tall one. We found the perfect answer in Ballard at Kings Hardware- a local watering hole that serves cold local brews and mini little burgers. A nice end to a great day.

 

Get Crackin'

It seems that I have come across a new idea for the 'Aloe Test Garden'. Call me crazy but I would love to house our very own Chicken Coupe. O thinks I'm nutz, and says that If I think the sound of an alarm clock is bad, then imagine chicken calls before sunrise. Crazy as it may be, how fun to have our own flock in the backyard, daily hunting for eggs and fresh home cooked omelette's all within a 50' radius. I would name my hens absurd names that your children would later thank you for saving them the humiliation. Names like: Lucinda-May, Carlita, Ruth and Matilda.

The other night over a family dinner we got onto the topic of chickens, the debate about brown eggs versus white, and if one was nutritiously better for you then the other- by the way the answer is, no. It seems that hens with white feathers and white earlobes lay white eggs, whereas hens with red feathers and matching-colored earlobes lay brown eggs. It got me pondering a somewhat, potentially city-dwelling question, that some farm bloggers out there may in fact laugh in my face.

If the hens know there is no rooster in site why do they continue to lay eggs? Could it be that these feathery ladies are not much different than their counter part female humans.

I will continue to plot out a spot in our back garden for my little girls and their ever so stylish house, nestled in between the unfinished shed and the tomato patch, quietly sitting where no city official or strata council member would ever  hear or see them. And in the meantime I will have to settle with my favorite brand from Capers: Rabbit RIver Farms where I can be assured the animals are treated fairly and get their daily run abouts, not too mention taste so very fresh! And I will continue to vicariously live through the postings from Sunset's blog, where in Menlow Park, California they are doing this very same thing.

Special Delivery

We have an old fashion mail box post at our house. You know the kind you see when you cross the border to the states. The ones that are on a stand, and have a little red flag to indicate when full. We found it at an old antique warehouse in seattle and fell in love with the idea. I can remember the first day we actually had the mailman deliver- we were very excited.

Well, I was just as excited when I reached in the other day and pulled out the 2008 Westcoast Seeds Catalogue. As many die hard gardeners can share, this is like Christmas all over again in January. Leafing through the juicy booklet, discovering new seed varieties and secretly plotting my vegetable patch somehow gets me through these dreary winter days. I must say the more I grow, the more I learn, and the more confident I get with seed planning. As there is only so much room in our little backyard, this year I am committed to growing only what we will actually eat. So for now the beautiful, colorful, big cabbages will have to find room in our perennial beds!

A few varieties I am looking forward to trying:

Beets- 'Chioggia' (Italian Herritage)
Broccoli- 'Purple Sprouting'
Carrots- 'Rainbow Blend'
Corn- 'Serendipity'
Eggplant- 'Fairytale'
Scallopini Squash- 'Sunburst'
Lettuces- 'Tangy Mesculan' and 'Buttercrunch'