Product Tests and Book Review

I am testing "potato bags," a soft circular bag that claims to have excellent drainage in order to grow potatoes. When I was in England, I picked up some gardening magazines and they were very popular in the ads. One mag tested the product and said it worked well. I've bought the American equivalent and I'll give it a test.

Have you seen the new DK book, The Kitchen Garden? It's a beautiful book and fun to look through. However, the information is not accurate for the Minnesota climate. That's not to say that some of the information cannot be applied here; it's just that it shouldn't be the primary source for the zones 3 and 4 gardens. For example, the book says to harvest rhubarb in March. The only thing we harvest in March in Minnesota is snow (this spring being the exception).

Another garden item this spring is the Sun Chips compostable bag. I put it in one of my compost heaps March 15. I'll post what happens later.

No Fooling

Today is lettuce day. I shall eat some lettuce from my garden. No fooling. I am going to try this overwintering technique again this fall and see if it works again. (It could be a one-time weather-dependent success.)

The crocuses are looking good. I love this time of year because all those bulbs I've planted in the fall and forgotten pop up for a delightful feast for the eyes.

Should I Water?

We've had an interesting spring in Central Minnesota. With the rapid snow melt, some areas flooded. In my yard, we had a mini lake of melted snow and rain. Yet now we are under a burning ban, due to the dry, windy conditions. So this leads to the questions, should I water or not?

Here's what a gardener should consider: Is the soil dry on the surface? How deeply does the soil moisture go? Do I have good drainage in the dry area? When is rain predicted?

For me, I am not going to water what was under water since it is clay soil and retains moisture. Also, I am not going to water the grass.

What I am going to water are the raised beds on a south-facing slope. The soil seems dangerously dry, and I do not want to damage my strawberries and blueberry planted there.

I was lucky enough to hook up my rain barrel during the March thunderstorm, which filled it. I have a feeling that I will use up that water. Rain is predicted for Friday so I will hopefully restock my water supply then.

I've got bulbs and perennials peeking through the garden beds. Spring is definitely here.

Garden Update

While it's chilly today, I took advantage of the recent balmy weather to remove some of the mulch from my garden beds and to trim the trees. We trimmed some oaks so I gathered the branches, some of which were tree-sized themselves. I pruned the apple trees (I have a very difficult time pruning--I never know what to cut and what to keep!). Also, I found some lettuce. Yes, that same lettuce that I nibbled on the first of December last year. I had left my plastic cover in place and the snow covered it. I peaked under the plastic and there were a few leaves growing. I suppose the root systems survived. Will they survive this next blast of cold air? I can only hope. Maybe I'll be eating fresh garden lettuce in March!

Bad, Bad Girl

I am a bad girl. After yesterday's thunderstorm (yes, lightning and thunder and heavy rain!), I hooked up my rain barrel. I know it's too soon, but I wanted all that beautiful fresh rain. Later in the spring, the rain washes tree pollen off the roof, turning my rain barrel water green--a side effect of living in the woods. Now I will carefully watch the temps since I don't want a cracked rain barrel!

Jealousy

Is is possible to be jealous of a country that is shrouded in mist and fog?

Well, I am. When traveling to England and France, I was jealous of the green grass and the daffodils that were just pushing through the ground. After browsing through the gardening magazines I bought in the U. K., I am jealous of their close-knit gardening community, which is probably because they share similar growing conditions, unlike here in the U. S. where we have everything from the tropics to tundra.

Yes, I am green with envy. Mostly I am jealous of the greenhouses--glasshouses--which I have coveted for too long. Really, even if I won the lottery, I wouldn't be able to have one at my home because we have so many trees. The main reason for my jealousy is that I could be working in the garden now.

Yet, if I lived in a different climate, maybe I wouldn't get nearly as much writing done because I'd be outside all the time.

A Flurry of Seed Catalogs

As the snow deepens here in Central Minnesota, a flurry of seed catalogs hits my mailbox. I am definitely not complaining. I love the bright, cheerful colors and the possibilities that each catalog represents. I, too, can have a garden full of healthy produce and a rainbow of lovely flowers.

One complaint I have is the high shipping costs. I will pay more for certain varieties that I want, but I used to buy from several catalogs. Now I choose the seeds I most want, figure out what other packets I can buy, and then cut myself off before the next tier of shipping costs rises. So, catalog companies, your shipping and handling fees are limiting my purchases and limiting the number of catalogs from which I buy. Some things that I consider are if the seed is Northern grown, if the company is mindful of the environment (sometimes that means organic), and if the company is family owned or non-profit or independent of large agribusiness (such as Cargill). I like to vote with my money.

What will I order? I'm not sure. I still have some seeds from last year, and I saved some seeds, too, so my order will probably be smaller this year as compared to last year. Yet I still enjoy perusing the catalogs and dreaming of spring.