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Hanging Out with My Friend Heather from Massachusetts and Pictures of Her Winter Garden

By Mavis Butterfield on March 26, 2017 · 15 Comments
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If I had to pick just one thing about New England to love… it would be that there are 4 distinct seasons. We don’t get that here up in Washington state. And let me tell you Bob, I am totally looking forward to each and everyone of them when we finally bust out of here someday.

I love that the ground could be frozen solid for months at a time.

So you can REST. And do other things.

Heather told me that cabin fever is a real thing over there. And that you need to plan “projects” to do during the winter months so you don’t go nuts. So far this winter she has taken a beekeeping class and a sewing class to learn how to make an apron. She’s made soap in her crockpot and now she’s thinking about building a greenhouse with one of her neighbors.

I could totally do that. I’d probably spend my winters hooking rugs by the woodstove, trying my hand at wood carving and make candles to give away as gifts and to use throughout the year.

I would so love to jump on board that whole mindset… and I think the drastic changes in weather would help.

Everything is go go go around here…

And I’m ready for a change.

I had so much fun this past week on the east coast. Looking back though all the photos I took I can barely stand it.

Heather! You are AWESOME. Thanks for much for your hospitality, sitting around the kitchen table for 3 hours each night and putting up with my bringing boxes of pastries into you house and making everyone eat them. 😉

I had a blast.

~Mavis

A Week in Garden Photos – March 13th – 19th

By Mavis Butterfield on March 19, 2017 · 1 Comment
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It rained all but 1 day last week {surprise, surprise} so most of our gardening was crammed into one day. 😉 The puggle princess and I did get a chance to plant a few things though. Onion bulbs, lettuce and round 1 of our sugar snap peas went into the soil. With the ground being so soggy I decided to plant the first batch of peas in a gutter. The gutter has drainage holes in the bottom and once the plants get about 3″ tall I’ll transplant them to the raised garden beds. This method has worked for me in years past so I thought I’d give it another try.

Lucy, she’s such a good helper.

It’s hard to see much of anything in the bed this early in the season but so far we have planted fava beans {about 2 1/2 weeks ago} yellow onion bulbs {about 50 of them} and 2 packets of lettuce mix.

Check out our oregano plant. Ain’t’ she a beauty? Do you have oregano in your garden? How’s it doing?

I’m travelling next week so I won’t get a chance to plant anything, but when I get back, carrots and radishes are next up.

Have a great week everyone,

~Mavis

A Week in Garden Photos – March 4th – 12th

By Mavis Butterfield on March 12, 2017 · 4 Comments
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I so wish I was the person who could put a positive spin on nearly an entire week of gloomy weather. But I’m not. Seriously. 7 days of rain in a row is too much for anyone to handle. Even for this girl who has pretty much lived in the Pacific Northwest all of her life. I was able to get the back patio totally pressure washed though. So that was nice.

Because of the rain I wasn’t able to apply the Wet and Forget to the roof this past week but I’m hoping there will be a break in the rain at some point {meteorologists can be wrong, right?}. We’ll see. I did however spread a yard of pea gravel in the pathways on the side of the house so I feel like even though the weather isn’t cooperating fully, I’m still getting things done here and there.

Let’s talk about those fava beans I planted a few weeks ago. My garden assistant Lucy the puggle dog dug up a bean for me and it looks like they are moving along nicely. Had I soaked the beans ahead of time, they might be popping through the soil by now but that’s okay. With all the wet weather we’ve been having I’m glad I didn’t. Planting fava beans and peas this early in the season can be a little tricky, and if you do it too early {or give them too much water} they’ll rot.

Just about the only bit of green {aside from the garlic shoots in the garden boxes} is the winter kale I planted last fall in the galvanized steel tubs alongside the house. I think I’ll keep the kale there and really give it a chance to grow until about early May when it’s time set tomatoes outside.

Plans for this week in the garden:

  • Plant peas, lettuce and carrots.
  • {Hopefully} spray roof with moss killer
  • Pressure wash the driveway
  • Figure out how much mulch I’ll need for a light dusting in both the front and backyard
  • Clean up the strawberry bed

Spring…. It’s right around the corner. 😉

Have a great week everyone,

~Mavis

I use Botanical Interests Seeds in my kitchen garden. You can check out their website HERE, order their new 2017 Garden Seed Catalog.

Planting Guide – Starting Peppers from Seed

By Mavis Butterfield on March 8, 2017 · 6 Comments
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Peppers are another one of those plants that can be a booger to start from seed.  Once you master it, though, it’s like the gardener’s version of creating fire {picture that scene when Tom Hanks finally gets a fire going on Castaway}.  The key, I think, is to make sure that they stay nice and warm while they are growing.  They like warm soil, warm leaves–who knows, maybe that’s why they end up being so warm on the tongue?

I grow peppers for salsa, and other canning recipes, but I also like to dice them, freeze them, and then toss them as needed into soups, stir fry, etc. as needed throughout the year.  I don’t know about you, but paying $.79 for one of those suckers {on a good day} seems silly when they will grow so nicely right in my backyard.

I like to grow enough peppers that I have a wide selection of “heat” to choose from.  Here are a couple of my favorites:

  • Ancho/Poblano {mildly hot}
  • Italian Marconi Golden {sweet peppers}
  • Sweet Cherry Blend {again, sweet}
  • Early Jalapeno {a little heat, but not too much}
  • Sweet California Wonder {your standard bell pepper grocery store type pepper}

How to Grow Peppers from Seed:

To start peppers from seed, know first off, that they are slow growers.  That’s a lot of the reason I start them so early.  Also, as I mentioned above, they like nice warm dirt, kind of like tomatoes.  So, fill your containers with grow medium, water them well, and push the seeds down about 1/4″ deep.  Cover the seeds with dirt.  Set your grow light about 3″ above the soil line of the containers.  This will heat up the soil, just the way zee peppers like it.  Maintain that height {3″ from the top of the plant} throughout the growing process.  Peppers do not tolerate abuse, so water them regularly, but do not let them sit in soggy soil.

If you start them this early, as I do, you’ll likely need to transplant them to larger pots and place them back under the grow lights.  You’ll know when the seedling starts to look a little crowded that it is time that they get transferred to a “big boy bed” or, if you are looking for more literal:  a larger pot.

Peppers will not tolerate low temperatures so wait to transplant them outside until the danger of the last frost has passed and daytime temperatures are at least 65 degrees.  When you do transplant them, they will benefit from some reinforcement.  Tomato cages work great.

When are Peppers Ready to Harvest?

Harvest peppers when they have reached full size and developed to desired color.  To harvest peppers, cut them off at the stem using a sharp knife.  I highly recommend wearing gloves if you are harvesting the hotter varieties, as unknowingly touching your face or eyes after handling peppers is not a very fun lesson to learn.  While most of the heat is in the seeds, there is certainly still some present in the skin of the pepper.

Random Facts That Will Impress No One:

Bell peppers are the only member of the pepper family that do not produce capsaicin, the chemical that causing burning and hot sensations in the pepper.

Capsaicin, found in hot peppers, is a great anti-inflammatory.  It can help with sore muscles and pain.

Christopher Columbus brought chilies back from the Caribbean.  He named them “peppers” because of their bite…similar to pepper{corns}.

Do you start your peppers from seed?

~Mavis

P.S. For a gardeners take on pepper recipes, check out Tender by Nigel Slater.  It’s packed full of over 400 recipes that come straight from the garden.

A Week in Garden Photos – February 28th – March 3rd

By Mavis Butterfield on March 5, 2017 · 13 Comments
The links in the post below may be affiliate links. Read the full disclosure

When Mrs. HB and I stopped by Wilco this past week to check for onion starts we noticed they got a new shipment of chicks in. It was hard not to pick up a few more and bring them home.

I’m beginning to think baby chicks are like potato chips… you can’t have just one {or five}. 😉

We had originally stopped at Wilco to see if they had onion bulbs in stock. They did! Along with potatoes, garlic and a bunch of other planting goodness. I’ve started onions under grow lights before but this year I got a bit of a late start planning our garden beds so I’m going to plant onion bulbs instead. The end result is the same and bulbs are about a gazillion times faster, with the only downside being there aren’t as many varieties to choose from {usually just yellow or red onions}.

The store also had their first round of plant starts out too. I didn’t buy any though… it’s still too cold. But still, it makes me happy just seeing plants on the shelves again.

If you are wanting to plant new strawberry, raspberry or blueberry plants this year, check your local nursery. Mine had them all in stock.

Asparagus, rhubarb and horseradish was there too.

Mrs. HB’s seedlings under the grow lights in her laundry room. Everything’s coming up nicely don’t you think? It’s her first year using a grow light setup and she’d thrilled with the way things are coming along.

My big project for the week was fixing the pressure washer and then pressure washing the back patio. This week I’ll do the driveway.

And then… it’s time to spruce up the walkways with a fresh layer of pea gravel.

SPRING. I love all the outdoor projects and sense of satisfaction of a job well done it brings. It’s my favorite time of year.

What’s new in your neck of the woods? Are YOU working on any new garden projects?

Have a good week everyone,

~Mavis

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