The Great Garlic Scape

The summer solstice is right around the corner, which means the garlic in the garden is ready to give us a little preview. Here come the garlic scapes! For the next week, maybe two, each garlic plant will produce a single flower stalk, which begins as a tender, green shoot, and grows long and curly. If picked before the stalk gets tough, scapes are a delicacy, with a milder garlic taste than the bulbs. Gardeners need to clip the scapes off to keep energy going to the bulb anyway, so the dozens of dishes we can make with the scapes—pastas, salads, omelets, soups—is a huge bonus. And if you're not growing garlic in your garden (maybe you will now!) you can usually find scapes in farmers' markets seasonally.

Spring Chicken Muscle Rub

Need to soothe sore muscles from all that gardening? Try the Spring Chicken Muscle Rub featured in the May/June issue of Hobby Farms Chicken Magazine. Thank you Hobby Farms!

Help Save the D. Landreth Seed Co

"Purveyors of Fine Seeds Since 1784" and America's 5th oldest continuously operating company, the D. Landreth Seed Co. needs your help. For the first time in their near-230 year history they are facing bankruptcy and are looking to spread the word about their company in the hopes of saving it through sales of their 2012 Heirloom and Vintage Seed Catalog and the resulting sales.

The catalog contains detailed histories and descriptions of their heirloom and vintage seeds plus additional historic information from their archive of antique catalogues dating back to 1839. "This catalogue contains more original historic horticultural information than any other resource currently being published. For the passionate gardener, it will be a valued resource. For the novice gardener, it is an absolutely critical tool and for anyone who is blessed with a love of history and a yearning to be in the garden."

Please visit their site and lend your support.

spring cleaning

There’s something so instantly gratifying about cleaning out the gardens in the spring. The memory of last year’s blooms leaves an imprint in the winter debris. With each stroke of the rake the memory gets squirreled away, breaking ground for new dreams to grow. Little surprises poke their way through the earth to greet you and remind you how the labor of these dreams often sprouts the biggest rewards.

Missing my Gardens

I'm exhausted today. We went to an inaugural ball last night and stayed out past my bedtime. I don't know if it's all the celebrating for our new Pres, or my busy day, or the blasted cold weather, but I'm feeling wiped. The winter, with its beautiful piles of snow and frigid temps tends to wear on me around this time. I miss my gardens. When I don't have my gardens taking up my attention, I notice my house becomes really small and annoyingly dirty.

I guess I'll take out my garden journal and start planning and dreaming of the moment I can get my hands dirty instead of giving a rat’s patooty about the dust balls.

P.S. That pretty little peony is from my garden. I transplanted a bunch in the fall and can't wait to see the results.