Cold Climate Gardening

I mean, Johnny’s loves me. I happened to be looking at tomatoes online tonight (which is early for me!), and lo, I discovered Valley Girl! Despite anything anyone says to the contrary, I am going to believe this tomato was developed just for me. (I am a girl, and I am living in a Valley.) Assuming it works as advertised, it sets fruit under both extreme heat and extreme cold, matures early, and is crack tolerant. It’s also supposed to be productive and flavorful. And it’s not a tiny tomato. It’s only everything I’ve ever wanted in a tomato! (Hopefully, it will prove itself worthy of that title next year.)

And, in case anyone is wondering, I have …

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Not much.

As is my habit every spring, I test my seeds to see whether they’re still any good, or if I need to buy new ones. This is a very easy thing to do–you stick half a damp paper towel in a little plastic bag, drop in ten seeds (5 if you’re starting to run short, or if they’re big seeds, like squash). Write the date you started them, and wait to see what sprouts.

Almost every year, 10 out of 10 or 9 out of 10 seeds sprout without fail. I though that perhaps that was exclusive to Johnny’s, but my Fedco seeds had the same result.

My one bug-a-boo is Seeds of Change.

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Hi gals, isn’t it fun to dream of gardening when it’s raining too much to set foot in the garden? And, yes, Betsy, this is not the end of winter. In Boundary County we can have snow & freezes every month of the year so it’s not over yet. It’s a very rare Farmers’ Market that doesn’t see snow in May, & my last freeze date is about June 10th. Probably closer to May 30 for Heather.

Veggie sowing–carrots, parsnips, radishes, celery root & parsley root all like to be direct sown, as well as dill, borage, coriander. You’d lose far more than you’d gain. Peas mid-late March to April, beans & corn after the …

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As I’m beginning to get started on my seed order this year, I remember that I meant to post on potatoes. Last year, due to the fascinating varieties offered by Fedco, I ordered my potatoes from them instead of Johnny’s. Most of you probably know that Fedco is divided into several distinct branches; the seeds ship from Fedco Seeds, the potatoes from Moose Tubers. Well, much to my disappointment, I am not nearly so happy with the potatoes as I have been with my seeds from Fedco, and will be ordering my potatoes from Johnny’s this year (last year prices were almost exactly the same, and I trust they haven’t changed).

I don’t recall ever getting a less than perfect …

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Denise Kemp writes:

My brother-in-law gave me an artichoke plant this spring that was given to him. He told me that I need to lift the plant in the fall but didn’t have any details on whether to take the leaves off or leave it in dirt or newspaper or what so I’m not sure what to do with it after I lift it. I live in Michigan in Zone 5. Do you know what to do with the plant after it’s lifted?

Anyone who knows the answer (or wants to offer an educated guess) please respond in the comments. Thanks in advance.

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It’s NOT A CORNFIELD. Oh, how could you be misled? How could you be so uncouth, so uncivilized, as to not recognize it for what it is: a work of art. Sigh. Only in California* could 28 acres of growing, living Zea mays be not a cornfield! There are two things about this that really irritate me. One, they didn’t grow edible varieties of corn. Given the poverty and ethnicity of so much of Los Angeles, why couldn’t they have grown corn that could be ground into masa harina, and either sold at a discount or given away free to the local residents? Instead it is an ornamental corn that will be converted into “biodegradable containers.” How like a …

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That is, if I am even capable of writing something short. Brevity just isn’t my thing.

The first frost is probably on its way tonight, as evidenced by the heaps and heaps of flowers I cut and brought in. Oh, and the still, clear night air, and the rapidly approaching chill. This is slightly late for our first frost, but I am certainly not complaining, particularly since last night was the first night I slept under a real roof in over 4 weeks. (As Mom mentioned earlier, I’ve been sleeping out in a tent in the front lawn as we undergo renovations.) A light sheet carelessly tossed might protect tomatoes, but they don’t protect delicate little girls! At 43 degrees of the last morning we were out, we could already see our breath inside of the tent. I wasn’t cold (except for sometimes my nose) as I had 4 blankets and one heavy duty sleeping bag, plus the tent, but nonetheless I wasn’t eager to experience frost first hand.

At any rate, as the gardening season for us has basically come to a close, I figured I ought to write a post.

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