much needed dirt time

I just spend some much needed time in my garden. I have been out there every day, watering and checking on things, but today I got good and dirty. I finally got some of the flowering plants that I bought at the Botanical Gardens into the ground.

I am having so much fun watching my little garden bloom. My lemon tree has lemons, my strawberries will probably turn red and ripe this weekend (when I am out of town!), and my beans are just ready to come out. It is a new experience to grow some of my own food and I am hooked. I have always had a few little herbs, but nothing like this. I think that I will be able to put my tomatoes outside in a week or so. Then things will really be going! I can make an entire salad out of things that I have growing back there. My vases are also going to be full of cut flowers come summer. Brown eyes susans, columbine, Cosmos and Zinnias...so pretty!

How is your garden coming?

Reading, writing and ...eating?

This is for you, CJ!

This article from The Kitchn on the best food to eat while reading. I thought it was cute and I know that we all love to read, so I thought I would share.

btw-MORE little plants sprouting up every day. Oh how the rain of late has been good to me and my little green friends.
This weekend-botanical gardens Plant sale-old Bruno's at Brookwood-CJ, Emily and I are going at 11 on Friday. Come join us! We are meeting out front. I am hoping for some fruit trees and plants. Lemons and berries. Which leads me to a question: What is it your dream to be able to grow? For me, it is probably berries and avocados. and grapes.

Oh Happy Day!

Yesterday I got home from work and, like everyday, I went to my garden first to check on things (yes, I am a dork). I peered into all of my little pots to make sure they were moist enough for some good germination action. Then, in my arugula pot, I saw it...SEEDLINGS! A patch of tiny 2 leaved green goodness. I actually shouted my glee aloud, yelling "their here, it's happening!" to Carrie, who was visiting. We both got excited (obviously me moreso). I was unsure of growing anything from seed, especially anything that I may want to eat, but so far...success! A summer of fresh greens. I am keeping my fingers crossed for my little seeds germinating indoors, all warm and moist in their miniature plastic greenhouse...and for my beans and other greens trying to make it outdoors as well.

My herb garden is spreading like crazy! I may have to transplant my mint, as I think it is crowding out the oregano and thyme. The damp weather has been so good for the little guys.

I feel like a proud parent on talent show day! Soon I will be inviting everyone over to pick up some veggies.

When it's good, it doesn't seem so bad

I didn’t have to get far into Alice Waters and Chez Panisse, a book by Thomas McNamee, before I began planning my own pilgrimage to the Berkeley restaurant. Now, only days after completing it, Elisa and I have have subscribed to a community-supported agriculture farm and are looking forward to cooking with locally-grown, seasonal vegetables ourselves.

OK, I can’t give Alice Waters all the credit. Elisa and I started talking about this weeks ago. And honestly, I may never have done it if she hadn’t done the research, the phone calling, the math. But I am very excited that she and I will be splitting this local produce without increasing our grocery bills!

We’re joining Grow Alabama, and our plan (which we’ve been told is just enough for two single people) works out to just $11 per week. I spend about $100 on groceries monthly, and half of that is produce, so I feel good about this new venture.

Cooking seasonally has also been on my mind lately. I’ve slowly started to attempt figuring it out, just by paying attention to cost. (Did you notice that Publix’s asparagus recently dropped from $3.99 a pound to $1.99?) And The Cook and The Gardener, a cookbook by one of my favorite food writers, Amanda Hesser, focuses on seasonal recipes divided by months.

Bring on the leeks, the cabbage and the snap beans. I’m ready.

I couldn't wait until tomorrow to post this

I just bought my first round of heirloom seeds! From Seed Savers Exchange , a non-profit which sells heirloom seeds at a great price. Here is a blurb from their mission statement:
"Seed Savers Exchange is a nonprofit organization that saves and shares the heirloom seeds of our garden heritage, forming a living legacy that can be passed down through generations. When people grow and save seeds, they join an ancient tradition as stewards, nurturing our diverse, fragile, genetic and cultural heritage."

um, YES! I bought kale, tomatoes (2 varieties), tomatillos, arugula, beans, lemon balm, flowers. And all for $33 including delivery. that is way good for heirlooms.

I still need to figure out a way to test the ground, otherwise it will be container love for me! I am anticipating a great, challenging, hopefully somewhat rewarding spring and summer full of learning and eating!

I am planning on starting them indoors. Martha Stewart has great ideas for how to do this (in eggshells!) and DIY growing lamps. As does You Grow Girl (incidentally, I use this book every single day) Where on earth are growing lamps going to go in my apartment? Looks like the cart in my closet is going to get another use!

Now I need to figure out how to get a chicken, cow and goat in my backyard area...