Earth Hour

Tonight, 8:30 pm local time (yes, where you are)
World Wildlife Fund is asking individuals, businesses, governments and organizations around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – Earth Hour – to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate commitment to finding solutions.
Won't you join us?

Too busy to blog

Oh yeah, it must be spring! We have been starting seeds, weeding,

watching the bulbs come up, moving seedlings outside to the greenhouse

during the day and back in at night. It has been cold here at night!!

The rain came yesterday, hopefully it will lure my peas out of the ground.
So we don't have to do more of this...

I'll check on that a bit later today.

Isn't it pretty?

A Vegetable Garden at the White House

An idea whose time has come..

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/20/dining/20garden.html?em

The article says they will not be growing beets, as the President doesn't like them,
but we'll grow another row here in our corner of the Garden State..
just in case he changes his mind. ;-)
I never liked beets until we grew our own. There is nothing like it!
Now, the Obama's have no real experience with a garden, and they are giving it a try,
how about you? Yes, I realize they have a staff, but your lack of staff should not hold
you back. Just make it small enough to handle, we started out quite small.
Maybe this week I will post those old photos of our first garden here.
We just get bigger most every year. Because we just have to grow the Purple Haze
carrots too!

First Day of Spring

It's the first day of spring.

My plan was to bring my hot cup

of tea outside and watch the birdies.

It is snowing.

So I am sitting inside watching the squirrels eat

the bird's food instead.

Life, as they say, is what happens when you make plans!

Ode To Spring

It snowed today

Again

Like yesterday

And once more

Snow tomorrow

A harsh winter

That's what they say

Colder than it's ever been

Snow like we've never seen

Spring... it will be late

But I will wait,

for like fate

Spring always follows

Spring always comes

Spring has never failed me

Even under 6 feet of sorrow

No matter how long I burrow

Spring somehow always finds me

by Sonya Florentino

The Wearin of the Green

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

We celebrate it here with the traditional wearin' of

the green...at least in the garden. ;-)

These are the bulbs coming up near the fig tree.on the side of the housenear the edge of the vegetable garden

Princess walking out this morning to fill the bird feedersWe move the flats out to the mini green houseThis flowering almond will be gorgeous pretty soon.Happy St Patrick's Day!

An Irish Blessing
(A Blessing from St. Patrick)

May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, May the rains fall soft upon your fields, And, until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

(Traditional Irish Blessing; origin unknown, although some attribute it to St. Patrick.)

Direct sowing

Yes, it's official. The gardening season is in full swing here

in our little corner of the garden state.We cleared off the old leaves,etc.

Dug up the last of the carrots. The peas (shelling and snow peas)

and beets seeds are in the garden. The seedlings are spending the days in the greenhouse.

The slate we picked up from my Grandparents over the winter, has begun

to be placed around the yard (instead of piled near the garage).

I will try to get the radishes sown today. We are expecting some rain tomorrow.

Spring is coming

I can feel it. The forsythia are getting ready to bloom the green house is filling up

the bulbs are coming up

my daughter's seedlings are popping up

so are Farmer Dad's

and our seeds are here from Johnnies.

I'm ready to plant..at least in my mind.

The sun is shining

and all the plants are outside for some fresh air.

It is warming up enough to open the windows

and walk outside without a coat. The greens are enjoying it,

and the crocuses are out.

Yesterday was still gray and snow covered.

But the cardinals were at the feeder, and that always brightens my day.

The same could be said of this lovely Paper white sitting on the kitchen table.

The living room will have a bit of bloom to cheer it soon as well.

These plum branches are just about ready to open up.

We might have been inside keeping warm, but ,George, the "cat next door"

was hard at work, patrolling the grounds. Don't fear for the birdies, he is not a bird cat.

He takes care of any rodents, the doves and other birds don't mind him a bit.

Maybe, because he has birds in his house, he does not bother the wild birds.Or, maybe there are enough rodents in the neighborhood to satisfy his need to hunt.