It’s raining and cool, a good day to write. The carrots, spinach, lettuce, pak choy, and swiss chard are happily growing in the shelter of the greenhouse (a gift from my marvelous fiancé). The weather is perfect for them with cool night temperatures in the low 50’s and daytime temperatures in the mid 60’s. I plan to start the next planting of leeks in a few weeks. I love greenhouse gardening. I used to get depressed around this time of year because I knew my growing season was coming to a close. Now autumn is a happy time because I have a whole new growing season to begin that will extend well into the winter.
There is still enough warm weather left to continue outdoor gardening too. The brussell’s sprouts are getting larger and the second round of kohlrabi are developing nicely. The broccoli plants are just beginning to develop heads which seems pretty late to me, but the stalks are almost as tall as I am. I guess I will just have to wait and see how they turn out. I might need a shorter season variety for next year. I have started a fall crop of broccolini, which might work out a little better for me. It’s a good lesson to learn for next spring.
The tomatoes are still coming in. I have more paste tomatoes growing than I have all season. I hope they have time to ripen before the weather gets too cool. I like to be able to make some sauce for winter. I am no longer allowing them to set flowers. I want them to put their energy into the tomatoes that are already there. I check almost daily and pinch back any new flower buds.
The pretty Tete Noir cabbages have reached their full size and have been picked. I love red cabbage and look forward to sautéing them in butter or shredding and tossing them in a salad.
The raspberry plants were getting out of control, so I made a new trellis from heavy duty garden stakes and chicken wire. After I had all the stalks neatly trellised, I cut about a dozen volunteers that had found their way back to the dirt and set roots from the tips. I think I may know a few people who will be interested in giving them a good home.
While one part of gardening season is ending, the next is just beginning and there is so much to look forward to!
Be sure to visit my photobucket page to check out all my garden images:
http://s1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc457/PittsburghGardener/
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
The last days of Summer
August is gone and it feels a good deal like Autumn. It put me in the mood to cut up the pumpkins I have been storing and roast the seeds. Pumpkin seeds have always been one of my favorite snacks which is the main reason I grow the Snack Jack pumpkins instead of pie or jack o’ lantern types. The other reason is space, they take up far less room and are easy to trellis.
The golden and red raspberry plants that I planted in the spring have been growing all summer and have finally put on a few berries. I can’t wait until they ripen! The black berry brambles gave me quite a few berries earlier in the summer, enough to share with the chipmunks anyway. Blueberries and strawberries were sparse, but it is their first year too, I won’t judge them too harshly just yet.
I’ve started some fall crops, like kohlrabies, carrots, radishes, and beets. I plan to get another round of spinach and lettuce started very soon. The dwarf pak choy I grew last fall did so well that I plan to double the amount I plant this year. I think I should also be able to get in another round of leek. Even if it doesn’t make it to full maturity, it will still be wonderful in fall and winter soups and tossed in with skillet potatoes.
The sunflowers are a big hit the bees and the birds. Every time I walk out the back door, gold finches and chickadees scatter in a chorus of chirps and chatters. The marigolds were also a favorite of the bees. I’ve collected some seeds to see if I can grow them again in the spring. They are a hybrid variety, so who knows what I will they will look like if I can get them to germinate. It’s always fun to try anyhow. The zinnas took most of the summer to start blooming but now that they have, they looks so cheery and lovely, they were certainly worth the wait.
Even as summer draws to a close, I know that there is still planting and harvesting to do. It may feel like fall, but until the snows come, I plan to do and grow as much as I can, and enjoy my garden each day.
Remember, you can check out images from my August garden at http://s1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc457/PittsburghGardener/August%20Garden%202011/
The golden and red raspberry plants that I planted in the spring have been growing all summer and have finally put on a few berries. I can’t wait until they ripen! The black berry brambles gave me quite a few berries earlier in the summer, enough to share with the chipmunks anyway. Blueberries and strawberries were sparse, but it is their first year too, I won’t judge them too harshly just yet.
I’ve started some fall crops, like kohlrabies, carrots, radishes, and beets. I plan to get another round of spinach and lettuce started very soon. The dwarf pak choy I grew last fall did so well that I plan to double the amount I plant this year. I think I should also be able to get in another round of leek. Even if it doesn’t make it to full maturity, it will still be wonderful in fall and winter soups and tossed in with skillet potatoes.
The sunflowers are a big hit the bees and the birds. Every time I walk out the back door, gold finches and chickadees scatter in a chorus of chirps and chatters. The marigolds were also a favorite of the bees. I’ve collected some seeds to see if I can grow them again in the spring. They are a hybrid variety, so who knows what I will they will look like if I can get them to germinate. It’s always fun to try anyhow. The zinnas took most of the summer to start blooming but now that they have, they looks so cheery and lovely, they were certainly worth the wait.
Even as summer draws to a close, I know that there is still planting and harvesting to do. It may feel like fall, but until the snows come, I plan to do and grow as much as I can, and enjoy my garden each day.
Remember, you can check out images from my August garden at http://s1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc457/PittsburghGardener/August%20Garden%202011/
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Hot and Humid July
The fourth of July has come and gone and the summer seems to be flying by. My pumpkins are already streaked with orange! The zucchini are ripening at a steady rate now and I am harvesting more cucumbers then I know what to do with. The Little Sweety cantaloupes and Blacktail Mountain watermelons grow larger with each passing day. Sometimes the difference in size from one day to the next is almost startling! I hope to have a time lapse video of one of my cantaloupes from my plant cam to post later this summer, if all goes according to plan. I am not nearly so intimidated by curcurbits as I was at the beginning of this growing season. I now feel confident that I can have success with these crops by choosing the right varieties. A little research is all it takes, then just give it a try. If it doesn’t work out, simply keep trying until you find what works best.
The tomato plants are loaded with blossoms and tomatoes, but I have yet to pick my first ripe one. They are all still very green. The blackberries have changed from green to red, and I am watching them closely now. A chipmunk has made his burrow directly behind the brambles and I will be a real challenge to get the first sweet, ripe berry before he does.
Petunias are in full bloom now, and I am ridiculously proud of them. I will likely try to repeat my success next year. The sunny marigolds and sweet little black violas will definitely be worth another go as well. I may add snapdragons to my list of annuals to start next spring. My Nan always grew them when I was small, and I loved to make their little “jaws” open and snap shut again. They also make a nice addition to a summer salad as they are edible.
In the shade garden, the columbine have faded, but the bleeding heart continues to bloom and hardy geraniums have opened in all shades of purple. The plumbago has many buds and I am anxiously checking each day for the first of them to bloom. Such a deep shade of blue is extraordinary and eye-catching which makes it one of my personal favorites.
The daylilies are fading fast, but the Orienpet Lilies are just beginning to flower, and the fragrance is intoxicating. Summer may seem to move by quickly, but there is still so much left to do and see, so much more that is still to happen. Happy gardening!
Check out my late June/early July garden images! http://s1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc457/PittsburghGardener/Late%20June-Early%20July%20Garden/
The tomato plants are loaded with blossoms and tomatoes, but I have yet to pick my first ripe one. They are all still very green. The blackberries have changed from green to red, and I am watching them closely now. A chipmunk has made his burrow directly behind the brambles and I will be a real challenge to get the first sweet, ripe berry before he does.
Petunias are in full bloom now, and I am ridiculously proud of them. I will likely try to repeat my success next year. The sunny marigolds and sweet little black violas will definitely be worth another go as well. I may add snapdragons to my list of annuals to start next spring. My Nan always grew them when I was small, and I loved to make their little “jaws” open and snap shut again. They also make a nice addition to a summer salad as they are edible.
In the shade garden, the columbine have faded, but the bleeding heart continues to bloom and hardy geraniums have opened in all shades of purple. The plumbago has many buds and I am anxiously checking each day for the first of them to bloom. Such a deep shade of blue is extraordinary and eye-catching which makes it one of my personal favorites.
The daylilies are fading fast, but the Orienpet Lilies are just beginning to flower, and the fragrance is intoxicating. Summer may seem to move by quickly, but there is still so much left to do and see, so much more that is still to happen. Happy gardening!
Check out my late June/early July garden images! http://s1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc457/PittsburghGardener/Late%20June-Early%20July%20Garden/
Monday, June 20, 2011
The long days of June…
June has been very kind to my gardens. An early wave of hot days and very warm nights has given the tomatoes and cucurbits a jump start, but cooled off quickly enough to keep the brassicas and peas comfortable. Rain hasn’t been abundant, but certainly sufficient.
I have already harvested radishes and a couple of kohlrabis. Tiny watermelons, cantelopes and pumpkins are developing and some Rond de Nice squash are half way to full size. A few Marketter cucumbers are a little over 3” long, and the plants are lush and thriving, unlike last years cucumber plants. Gardening can be a lot of trial and error and a lesson was learned and will not be repeated. Some varieties just aren’t built for this climate.
The Polish Linguisa paste tomato plants that I was concerned about have proven themselves much stronger than I initially gave them credit for. The leaves are delicate looking, but the stems are sturdy and thick and already have an abundance of tiny, long, green tomatoes hanging from them.
I found that I prefer bush-type green beans to pole beans. The bush beans take up less room and the beans are easier to find and pick before they get too starchy and tough. The pole beans I have grown in the past have been so tall and thick that the beans got lost in all of the foliage and twisting stems. Many of the beans I found too late and decided to just leave them there to mature and use for the next year's seed. I have a lot of pole bean seeds that I am not sure I will use. Maybe I can swap them for some type that would be more useful to me.
The tiny petunias I started this spring are grown and planted in containers. I can’t believe how big they have gotten! The Marigolds and Nasturtiums are in bloom with all their warm summer hues. The Black-eyed Stella daylilies that line the retaining wall ( a welcome handout from a neighbor) are loaded with bright, cheery lilies. Hard green berries cover the Blackberry plants and the raspberry plants have grown considerably. Sunflowers that line the privacy fence are at least 3’ tall and will provide lots of food for the birds by summer’s end.
It’s been a great gardening season so far. I can’t help but think this may be my best vegetable garden yet!
PS. The bold, italicized text links to images on my Photobucket page, or you can just search "pittsburgh gardener" at photobucket.com to view my albums!
I have already harvested radishes and a couple of kohlrabis. Tiny watermelons, cantelopes and pumpkins are developing and some Rond de Nice squash are half way to full size. A few Marketter cucumbers are a little over 3” long, and the plants are lush and thriving, unlike last years cucumber plants. Gardening can be a lot of trial and error and a lesson was learned and will not be repeated. Some varieties just aren’t built for this climate.
The Polish Linguisa paste tomato plants that I was concerned about have proven themselves much stronger than I initially gave them credit for. The leaves are delicate looking, but the stems are sturdy and thick and already have an abundance of tiny, long, green tomatoes hanging from them.
I found that I prefer bush-type green beans to pole beans. The bush beans take up less room and the beans are easier to find and pick before they get too starchy and tough. The pole beans I have grown in the past have been so tall and thick that the beans got lost in all of the foliage and twisting stems. Many of the beans I found too late and decided to just leave them there to mature and use for the next year's seed. I have a lot of pole bean seeds that I am not sure I will use. Maybe I can swap them for some type that would be more useful to me.
The tiny petunias I started this spring are grown and planted in containers. I can’t believe how big they have gotten! The Marigolds and Nasturtiums are in bloom with all their warm summer hues. The Black-eyed Stella daylilies that line the retaining wall ( a welcome handout from a neighbor) are loaded with bright, cheery lilies. Hard green berries cover the Blackberry plants and the raspberry plants have grown considerably. Sunflowers that line the privacy fence are at least 3’ tall and will provide lots of food for the birds by summer’s end.
It’s been a great gardening season so far. I can’t help but think this may be my best vegetable garden yet!
PS. The bold, italicized text links to images on my Photobucket page, or you can just search "pittsburgh gardener" at photobucket.com to view my albums!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Rain, rain....
The rain hasn’t let up much this month and I haven’t been in the garden as much as I would have liked, but it seems that the garden hasn’t really missed me. It has taken care of itself just fine. The rain and warmer evenings have provided conditions that seem to have made everyone’s gardens green and lush.
My vegetable bed is flourishing with tall Catskill brussels sprouts, gray-green Romanesco broccoli, and rich purple Tete Noir cabbages. The Marketter cucumber plants are short still, but getting quite bushy. Last weekend was sunny, warm and ideal for finally getting all of my tomato plants and eggplants in the garden. This is my first year growing sauce or paste tomatoes and I chose a heirloom variety called Polish Linguisa. So far the plants look healthy enough, if not a little delicate next to my other varieties. My favorite, the Black Krim tomatoes, have thick, stocky stems and an abundance of dark green foliage that would make most other tomato plants seem a little anemic, so I am not too worried about Polish Linguisa’s just yet.
The one pumpkin plant that I am growing this year, called Snack Jack (a small variety with little flesh but has a large amount of seeds that have no shell), has already been trellised and is growing quickly upward. The Slenderette bush beans are loaded with flower buds and the purple Vienna kohlrabi’s have doubled their size just this passed week.
I think it may still be a bit cool for the Black Tail watermelons and Little Sweety cantelopes as they look healthy, but haven’t done much growing since they were planted out. It is my first time growing melons as well. Something about the curcurbit family has always seemed very challenging to me. I find that they are susceptible to so many pests and diseases that trying to keep them healthy but still organic is an uphill battle, but it won’t stop me from trying. There’s more to gain than lose.
The tiny Petunia plants I started are looking like real, normal sized plants now, but aren’t quite ready to leave the protection of the green house. The marigolds and nasturtiums, on the other hand , were outgrowing their pots. I planted the King Theodore nasturtiums in a container for the back patio garden over the weekend, and this passed Wednesday after work, I planted the Sun Splash and Disco Mix marigolds around the Autumn Cherry tree in the front of the house.
There is so much blooming right now, it’s hard to let my eye rest in any one spot in the yard. The columbines and pyracantha are in full bloom. The standard bearded irises are loaded with buds and just beginning to flower. Clematis have begun their long season of blooming, and the blackberry, blueberry and gooseberry flowers will soon bring sweet fruit. The buds on the Snowbell are fat and ready to burst open in all of their glory any day now. I can hardly wait.
My vegetable bed is flourishing with tall Catskill brussels sprouts, gray-green Romanesco broccoli, and rich purple Tete Noir cabbages. The Marketter cucumber plants are short still, but getting quite bushy. Last weekend was sunny, warm and ideal for finally getting all of my tomato plants and eggplants in the garden. This is my first year growing sauce or paste tomatoes and I chose a heirloom variety called Polish Linguisa. So far the plants look healthy enough, if not a little delicate next to my other varieties. My favorite, the Black Krim tomatoes, have thick, stocky stems and an abundance of dark green foliage that would make most other tomato plants seem a little anemic, so I am not too worried about Polish Linguisa’s just yet.
The one pumpkin plant that I am growing this year, called Snack Jack (a small variety with little flesh but has a large amount of seeds that have no shell), has already been trellised and is growing quickly upward. The Slenderette bush beans are loaded with flower buds and the purple Vienna kohlrabi’s have doubled their size just this passed week.
I think it may still be a bit cool for the Black Tail watermelons and Little Sweety cantelopes as they look healthy, but haven’t done much growing since they were planted out. It is my first time growing melons as well. Something about the curcurbit family has always seemed very challenging to me. I find that they are susceptible to so many pests and diseases that trying to keep them healthy but still organic is an uphill battle, but it won’t stop me from trying. There’s more to gain than lose.
The tiny Petunia plants I started are looking like real, normal sized plants now, but aren’t quite ready to leave the protection of the green house. The marigolds and nasturtiums, on the other hand , were outgrowing their pots. I planted the King Theodore nasturtiums in a container for the back patio garden over the weekend, and this passed Wednesday after work, I planted the Sun Splash and Disco Mix marigolds around the Autumn Cherry tree in the front of the house.
There is so much blooming right now, it’s hard to let my eye rest in any one spot in the yard. The columbines and pyracantha are in full bloom. The standard bearded irises are loaded with buds and just beginning to flower. Clematis have begun their long season of blooming, and the blackberry, blueberry and gooseberry flowers will soon bring sweet fruit. The buds on the Snowbell are fat and ready to burst open in all of their glory any day now. I can hardly wait.
Monday, May 2, 2011
April Showers…
April showers have indeed brought May flowers, and from the amount of rain we got in April, we should see a heck of a lot of flowers this month. Even with rain almost every day, I still managed to get some good work done. The flower beds have been cleaned up and are weed free and topped with a layer of double shredded hardwood mulch. Trees and shrubs were transplanted. Once the vegetable garden got a dose of compost, the snowpeas, bush beans, beets, cabbages, brussel sprouts, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower were put in and are doing nicely.
I’ve also started my annual flower seeds indoors and they are coming up surprisingly quickly. This year I am trying my hand at growing petunias from seed. I wasn’t too sure how that was going to work out. When I opened the packet and saw how tiny the seeds were (they look like grains of fine sand) I was a little skeptical that I would be able to get them to germinate, but a few days later, I had the smallest sprouts I had ever seen and they are continuing to grow ever so slightly bigger and stronger each day.
Outside, my dwarf irises are taking off. Colors ranging from pale blue, deep purple, bright yellow, soft peach to baby pink are all in bloom. It’s a beautiful site from my kitchen window and makes doing the dishes less of a chore. The Japanese Snowbell (styrax japonica) that I planted 2 years ago finally has flower buds for the first time and I couldn’t be more excited. The first time I saw a picture of a snowbell, I knew someday I had to have one. Zone 6a, which is the hardiness zone I am in now, is just barely warm enough for this particular tree, so it requires a little babying to keep it happy. The first time I tried planting one, it was hit by a late frost and it never recovered. My current snowbell gets wrapped in burlap if there is any chance at all of frost once the leaves have opened. Lesson learned.
The garden is always in flux and nothing stays the same for very long. The Autumn and Yoshino Cherry trees are done blooming, and tulips, fritillaria, and daffodils are dying back to make room for columbine and daylilies. Asiatic lilies and hardly gladiolas grow taller, and the pyracantha is getting ready to bloom. The glorious rainbow of dwarf irises will be gone soon, and something else will come into bloom to steal the show. Everyday in the garden is something new and wonderful but it never lasts long, so take time and enjoy every bit of it.
I’ve also started my annual flower seeds indoors and they are coming up surprisingly quickly. This year I am trying my hand at growing petunias from seed. I wasn’t too sure how that was going to work out. When I opened the packet and saw how tiny the seeds were (they look like grains of fine sand) I was a little skeptical that I would be able to get them to germinate, but a few days later, I had the smallest sprouts I had ever seen and they are continuing to grow ever so slightly bigger and stronger each day.
Outside, my dwarf irises are taking off. Colors ranging from pale blue, deep purple, bright yellow, soft peach to baby pink are all in bloom. It’s a beautiful site from my kitchen window and makes doing the dishes less of a chore. The Japanese Snowbell (styrax japonica) that I planted 2 years ago finally has flower buds for the first time and I couldn’t be more excited. The first time I saw a picture of a snowbell, I knew someday I had to have one. Zone 6a, which is the hardiness zone I am in now, is just barely warm enough for this particular tree, so it requires a little babying to keep it happy. The first time I tried planting one, it was hit by a late frost and it never recovered. My current snowbell gets wrapped in burlap if there is any chance at all of frost once the leaves have opened. Lesson learned.
The garden is always in flux and nothing stays the same for very long. The Autumn and Yoshino Cherry trees are done blooming, and tulips, fritillaria, and daffodils are dying back to make room for columbine and daylilies. Asiatic lilies and hardly gladiolas grow taller, and the pyracantha is getting ready to bloom. The glorious rainbow of dwarf irises will be gone soon, and something else will come into bloom to steal the show. Everyday in the garden is something new and wonderful but it never lasts long, so take time and enjoy every bit of it.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Woodland Wonder
I just returned from a vacation and while I was away, I started to think about what would be blooming back home. My thoughts quickly turned to all the beautiful spring wild flowers of Western Pennsylvania. It was the native wild flowers that first sparked my fascination and obsession with plants.
Nothing compares to wooded hillsides carpeted in white and burgundy Trilliums, or streambeds lined with Trout Lilies and Jack in the Pulpits. Hepatica in white and shades of lavender and pale blue grow on rocky outcroppings with the most interesting shaped leaves in rich maroon and deep green. Bright white Bloodroot seems to glow in the sunlight along the remnants of old train tracks. The rich forest soil above the riverbanks is home to feathery leaved Dutchman’s Britches, Wild Bleeding Heart, deep purple Larkspur and tiny Spring Beauties. I can hardly imagine a more beautiful place than a Pennsylvania woodland in April.
While I know that these delicate and stunning plants wouldn’t be happy in my flower beds, I was inspired by them. I have developed a strong appreciation for species tulips and daffodils and made plenty of room for them in my gardens. They are not quite as flashy and are much smaller than hybridized forms, but they have such a quiet elegance that one has to stop and take time to enjoy their simple beauty.
The weather is unpredictable (usually damp and chilly) and the leaves are not yet on the trees, but April in Pennsylvania is a marvelous thing.
Nothing compares to wooded hillsides carpeted in white and burgundy Trilliums, or streambeds lined with Trout Lilies and Jack in the Pulpits. Hepatica in white and shades of lavender and pale blue grow on rocky outcroppings with the most interesting shaped leaves in rich maroon and deep green. Bright white Bloodroot seems to glow in the sunlight along the remnants of old train tracks. The rich forest soil above the riverbanks is home to feathery leaved Dutchman’s Britches, Wild Bleeding Heart, deep purple Larkspur and tiny Spring Beauties. I can hardly imagine a more beautiful place than a Pennsylvania woodland in April.
While I know that these delicate and stunning plants wouldn’t be happy in my flower beds, I was inspired by them. I have developed a strong appreciation for species tulips and daffodils and made plenty of room for them in my gardens. They are not quite as flashy and are much smaller than hybridized forms, but they have such a quiet elegance that one has to stop and take time to enjoy their simple beauty.
The weather is unpredictable (usually damp and chilly) and the leaves are not yet on the trees, but April in Pennsylvania is a marvelous thing.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Out like a lion...
At first glance, the garden in March seems to be fast asleep, but on closer inspection it becomes apparent that much is happening! The Witch Hazel has set forth flowers, crocuses begin to open in all hues, daffodils and tulips push leaves up to gather the sunlight of lengthening days and hellebores open their exquisite blooms. Even day lilies are beginning to make an appearance.
It isn’t just flowers and shrubs waking up. In my 8' x 8' unheated greenhouse, spinach is sprouting. Strawberry and raspberry plants, purchased at a discount late in fall, have been wintering over and getting a head start on the new season. Before the first frost last year, I moved a large, low container of ruby chard into the greenhouse in an attempt to get a longer harvest, and was pleasantly surprised to find that it continued to produce the whole winter through.
Indoor seed starting is also under way. I've started seed collected from last year's garden, as well as trying a several new varieties of vegetables for my raised-bed gardens. Catskill Brussels Sprouts and Tete Noir Cabbages are among the newcomers. There were also a few contenders that I tried last year that won't make it into the garden this year. Suyo Long Cucumbers were a big disappointment with very poor production. Perhaps this variety is just not a good choice for western Pennsylvania’s growing conditions.
Persimmon tomatoes will also not be making a repeat appearance in my garden. Not because they did poorly, in fact the plants were vigorous, healthy and very productive with large, beautiful, apricot colored fruit. Unfortunately they were too meaty and lacked enough acidity for my taste. In a small garden like mine, pretty doesn’t cut it, veggies need to be practical too. I did however collect plenty of seeds for friends and family who prefer that kind of tomato to plant this year in their own backyard gardens. Instead of the Persimmon plants, I plan to double the amount of Black Krim tomato plants that I started last year. It is a tough variety from the Russian Crimea region along the Black Sea. With a good gel-to-flesh ratio, nice acidic balance, and slightly salty flavor, they have secured a place in my garden for many years to come. This variety also continued to produce well late into the season, plus the deep maroon color looks beautiful in the garden!
For now I must be content to let the spring bulbs and flowering trees do their thing and tend to my tiny seedlings. It is too early to do much gardening other than transplanting trees and shrubs (which I have already done: one Korean Spice Bush Viburnum and one Coral Bark Japanese Maple) and planting those few plants in the garden that will take the cold, such as lettuce, spinach, leek, and peas. But it is certain to be a wonderful beginning of a busy and (hopefully) productive gardening season here in the Pittsburgh suburbs.
It isn’t just flowers and shrubs waking up. In my 8' x 8' unheated greenhouse, spinach is sprouting. Strawberry and raspberry plants, purchased at a discount late in fall, have been wintering over and getting a head start on the new season. Before the first frost last year, I moved a large, low container of ruby chard into the greenhouse in an attempt to get a longer harvest, and was pleasantly surprised to find that it continued to produce the whole winter through.
Indoor seed starting is also under way. I've started seed collected from last year's garden, as well as trying a several new varieties of vegetables for my raised-bed gardens. Catskill Brussels Sprouts and Tete Noir Cabbages are among the newcomers. There were also a few contenders that I tried last year that won't make it into the garden this year. Suyo Long Cucumbers were a big disappointment with very poor production. Perhaps this variety is just not a good choice for western Pennsylvania’s growing conditions.
Persimmon tomatoes will also not be making a repeat appearance in my garden. Not because they did poorly, in fact the plants were vigorous, healthy and very productive with large, beautiful, apricot colored fruit. Unfortunately they were too meaty and lacked enough acidity for my taste. In a small garden like mine, pretty doesn’t cut it, veggies need to be practical too. I did however collect plenty of seeds for friends and family who prefer that kind of tomato to plant this year in their own backyard gardens. Instead of the Persimmon plants, I plan to double the amount of Black Krim tomato plants that I started last year. It is a tough variety from the Russian Crimea region along the Black Sea. With a good gel-to-flesh ratio, nice acidic balance, and slightly salty flavor, they have secured a place in my garden for many years to come. This variety also continued to produce well late into the season, plus the deep maroon color looks beautiful in the garden!
For now I must be content to let the spring bulbs and flowering trees do their thing and tend to my tiny seedlings. It is too early to do much gardening other than transplanting trees and shrubs (which I have already done: one Korean Spice Bush Viburnum and one Coral Bark Japanese Maple) and planting those few plants in the garden that will take the cold, such as lettuce, spinach, leek, and peas. But it is certain to be a wonderful beginning of a busy and (hopefully) productive gardening season here in the Pittsburgh suburbs.
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