Looks like Spring

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First day of Summer

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Yesterday was the first day of Summer, and most of the garden is doing well. It has been providing us with salad greens for the past couple of weeks, along with fresh kale. The early salads were and Asian mix, and if I had the seed packet, I would tell you what was in it, but I don't. It was spicier lettuces that showed up early and began flowering recently. One day it wasn't, then it looked like it might and them boom! Flowers. Jen is leaving them around for the bees while we plot where we are going to plant the next round of lettuce.  Aside from the Asian mix, we have some buttery soft lettuces, and again I don't know what the names are. I'm sure Jen could tell you but I can't. Those are not flowering and seem to be a never-ending source of fresh salad greens. Its been pretty great and we'll be planing more of those.  Greens are easy though they grow early, and you eat them. What's really cool is the salad turnips were ready, and we ate some already. Look ...
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Catching up on reading this winter...

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I just finished Terry Silber's book "A Small Farm in Maine", which is the story of her and her family making the transition to a farm in Maine and living fully from their farm. The book is interesting because Hedgehog Hill Farm was in Sumner where I grew up. It was much drier than I expected, although I suggest it to anyone who gardens or is considering farming, and I believe she was a better writer when it came to teaching instructional things. I think this because I also purchased "Growing Herbs and Vegetables From Seed to Harvest" Terry & Mark Silber) which I have been pouring over and it is very thorough and well written. As a side note it is a little weird because I worked at Hedgehog Hill Farm when I was in high school. I loved it, and a combination of working there, my own love of plants, a short but full lifetime of gardening, becoming a vegetarian, and interest in medicinal quality of plants sent me in the direction of going to school for botany. I ...
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Pest of the year so far goes to....

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Well, a quick update on pests and the weather. Aphids are decreasing in numbers after hitting them with "Safer Soap" from Paris Farmers Union. An approved for organic garden option that appears to get approval from lots of people. Squirrels have been hiding out and not digging in the garden, probably due to the horrible weeks of rain. Which brings me to our worst "pest" so far, the rain! We lost our melons (there is still one pathetic looking vine, but I think it will not produce melons before it gets too late. We lost our kale, lettuce and spinach to the rain as well, just started getting yellow, it did not mature correctly and got bitter while still small. We tore it all up and stared new this weekend. Hopefully this will get us going into the next weather pattern ans we will get more sun and better looking crops. The tomatoes, basil, and peppers are looking a little weak as well, but the couple days of sun gave them a boost. Cabbages, broccoli, brussel sprout...
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