The cherries are coming

See the big tree in the middle? My Princess is right under it...Need to look closer? Can you see them? Not all of them are red yet, but the ones that are..

They are beautiful!

They are so delicious too...if you can reach them...

If the birds and squirrels get to them before we do, well, we'll just hope we get some plums first. ;-)

The plum is a dwarf, and we can all reach up and pick from it, the cherry was here way before us, and

it is not a dwarf variety. It is also on it's "last legs" according to our arborist, but neither of us can ever

bring ourselves to cut it down. Yes, it shades the tomatoes and such, but it is so pretty, and we always have high hopes that we will get to the cherries first. When we do, it is so worth it!

Happy Easter

The weather was perfect to enjoy a cup of coffee outside today in my little corner of the Garden State.

Farmer Dad and I sat and enjoyed the flowers blooming all around us...

Then we got busy transplanting some swiss chard,kale and lettuces into the garden and

some other seedlings into larger pots inside the mini greenhouse.Between working, enjoying the view,and chasing the frisbee around with our Princess, the

day passed quickly. Soon it was time for Momma to head inside to start Easter dinner.

Good music and a glass of wine are a must for me. I made a loaf of bread in the morning, so I passed

on making rolls or biscuits for dinner.
Lamb Oso Bucco,Greek potatoes, asparagus and a cabbage salad.

What did you celebrate this weekend? How did you celebrate?

I hope you are all enjoying the spring!

In my garden

Have you all been enjoying your time in your gardens so far this spring?

We sure have in our little corner of the Garden State!

I have peas, lettuce, mustard greens,spring onions,arugula,radishes,carrots,beets,fennel,broccoli rabe, swiss chard,kale,asparagus,garlic, and onions in the ground.

I have broccoli,cauliflower,brussel sprouts and potatoes ready to go in.

I love being in the yard during spring..all the trees are flowering and lovely.

What do you have started? Planned? Planted?

Too busy weeding to blog

just take a look around for yourselves... the weeds are trying to take over the yard. I spend so much time trying to stay ahead
of them, that I have no time to blog or to visit your blogs. This makes me sad.

Remember me telling you the pumpkin was taking over?

It has some competition from my favorite winter squash of all...

Butternut Squash!!

We are actually getting some tomatoes this year...although not as many as I would like. How are your gardens doing? Have you been canning? I have been canning green beans and

shredding squash and zucchini to fill the freezer for winter goodness.

Hopefully I will have enough tomatoes to can soon. The weeds are growing after the rain we have been getting, so off I go to pull them out by their little roots!

My apologies my friends...I will be by to visit with you all soon. I promise!

The pumpkin vine that took over

Did you ever think it would be nice to grow a little pumpkin for your kids?

One vine. Just one vine. How much room could it possibly take up in the family garden?

Farmer Dad and I argue over this each and every year as the seed catalogs start arriving.

Me, "Wouldn't it be nice to have an Autumn party here for all our friends with children and

let them pick their own pumpkins?" Him, "We don't have the room for that. Pumpkins take over the whole yard!!"

Me, "You're crazy! One little vine. How much room could it take?"

Well...this year I grew a pumpkin. Because I am the one who starts most of the seeds anyway.

It grew. I tried to figure out where to put it. (Farmer Dad usually gives them away when I grow them.)He told me this year I could plant it in the space between our yard and garden and our next door neighbor's yard and garden.

Can you see it? I thought...the ground hog might destroy it being outside the garden fence and all,but it grew survived the various animals (bunnies,ground hog,raccoons etc) and it grew.Sometimes I remembered to water it and it kept growing. Now, I had in my mind that this vine would crawl slowly along the side of the garden and gently turn into the side, depositing pumpkins onto the lawn (I am not a fan of the lawn anyway) and it did. It also grew back towards the lilac tree (and up it)In fact, up is where it wants to be.Up the garden fence, and up over my tomato plants.Can you see the "mass" of green that is the "one little pumpkin vine" I planted?Little adorable pumpkins started growing.

They are so cute!! Do you think I should admit to Farmer Dad that he was (gasp!) right about the pumpkin vine taking over??

Someone new moved in

We have a relatively small backyard in the suburbs, but we have always had a lot

of wild life we are happy to share our little corner of the Garden State with.

Last week there was a bear in our neighborhood. Yesterday we discovered someone

new moved into the cherry tree in our back yard.

Just when I thought I had outsmarted the bunnies and the chipmunks were my biggest problem this year. (the chipmunks are KILLING me right now!)

I guess we will get used to him just like we did the Opossum family,snakes,hawks,owls,woodpeckers,cardinals,doves,bugs,rabbits,bats,chipmunks,squirrels and occasional deer and wild turkey, and all the neighborhood children.

I love my wild life, but I am missing the neighbor's old cat,George who did a lovely job keeping the chipmunks under control until he passed away this spring. I guess we will get used to our little racoon as well. Do you consider such creatures pests or neighbors?

Here is what we are growing

Raspberries ... Peas...onions..shallots..

hostas

Some tomatoes died...but we started more..

Princess picked out some flowers..

OK..We have a lot more growing on around here now, but I have been busy gardening

and there has been no blog time. I will try to get caught up soon.

My Birthday Weekend

I got a lot of work done in the garden this past week...radishes, scallions,swiss chard, and beets
all got planted.

There was time for a coffee outside while the kids played.

Reading by the fire..

We started tomatoes and green beans inside and I will have to get out and get pictures of

the asparagus, lettuce and peas all coming up nicely.What is coming up in your garden?

What do you have planned? New crops? Anything you decided not to grow this year?

Best birthday gift this year? Farmer Dad and the Princess captured the Ground Hog and

entered him in the "Ground Hog Protection Plan". I beg for him to set the trap every year,

and then feel terribly guilty when the little thing is caught and squeaking in the have a heart.

I am sorry I can not post a pic of the capture, the very nature of the relocation plan demands

the utmost privacy. ;-)

Planting onions in the Garden State

It was a lovely Spring day here in our little corner of the Garden State on Sunday.

My Princess and I planted the onions and shallots right in front of the peas.

I actually only did the first row, and then she took over. She measured and

planted them all.

Doesn't she look proud? If you could see my face, you would see I was even more proud of her.

"I'm really getting the gardening spirit!" she told me when she finished.

Then she helped Farmer Dad direct sow some lettuce. It was a good day!

I hope you enjoyed your Sunday wherever you are and whatever you did!

(HUGS)KateinNJ

Seeds for Change Sowing Millions Project

Seeds for Change is giving away 100 million packets of their own certified organic seeds

to inspire people and organizations just like you to do impactful things in their communities through organic gardening!! Simply follow this link and sign up to receive your free seeds

(there is shipping and handling) and for every packet ordered they will donate a packet

to the American Horticultural Society. I ordered mine, and I encourage you all to do the same.

The Sowing Millions Project gives us all yet another chance to "put our money where our mouth is".

;-) It is raining here in our corner of the Garden State today, the daffodils are up and the hyacinths

are too. I can't work outside, but I can start some seeds and dream about all the delicious and nutritious organic veg we will be eating in the summer. What are you doing today?

The Luck of the Irish

Spring is just around the corner... Farmer Dad was talking about taking out our cedar trees. I'm hoping he won't.

Princess loves picking out what kind of flowers to plant in her first pair

or rain boots. You can hardly see the frogs anymore. :-(

Farmer Dad moved my Grandfather's old water fountain where the

little cherry tree was (it did not make it through the winter).

We are planning on getting a solar pump for it.

We all spent the last two afternoons raking and weeding the yard.

Princess and I picked up some flowers and seed potatoes and asparagus

and peas. We also got a replacement cherry tree.

Normally I would have planted my peas today, but I didn't have any.

That is why we have Saturdays. ;-)

Happy Spring...Happy Planting!!

May the Luck of the Irish be with you all!!

Spring is just around the corner...