Countdown to Spring: Sunflowers

Sunflowers are striking--flowers with brilliant colors of sunlight in summer atop tall stems. New gardeners may not know that sunflowers are surprisingly versatile. Yes, some varieties grow as tall as 15 feet with bright yellow flowers, but there's more! Some grow only two to three feet tall, some branch out to include several flowers per stem, some are fuzzy (such as Honey Bear,) and colors range from yellow to gold to mahogany to wine-red. Here's a couple of tricks for planting.  Soak the seeds overnight.  Sprinkle cayenne pepper around the newly planted seeds to keep away the critters that like to eat the seeds.  If you live in an area with wildlife, once the seeds start to ripen, protect the flowers and the stems.  One year the stems were knocked over and the flowers half-eaten (we suspect raccoons).  For an impressive salad, add the edible flower petals. 

Winter has descended, but...

Winter has descended, bitter and cold, but I'm already paging through seed catalogs.  I'm curled up in blankets, true, but I'm thinking about spring.  I know I'm supposed to embrace winter.  People advise getting outside and enjoying it, but with this bitter cold and icy walkways, I'm stuck inside until we get more snow for my snowshoes and the weather warms up enough so skin doesn't freeze in ten minutes. I'm not the only who thinks about spring, right?  So I'm going to do a weekly countdown to spring on this blog. I'll focus on some of my favorite flowers, the ones that grow well in my neck of the woods here in Minnesota. Look for new entries on Fridays. For a preview, the photo is a frog on purple basil. Not a flower.  But I love basil! #countdowntospring 

Winter Begins

The snow has arrived, a record for Minnesota.  Twelve inches or so cover the ground here. On the left side of the photo is my lettuce if you look carefully (under the twelve inches of snow). Alas, my growing season is over. 

Questions for You

I'm considering a new creative project (gardening/writing). I need your help with two questions. The answer may be the same for both, but maybe not. What's your favorite veggie? Which veggie appears in your meals the most?

Last Carrots and Signature Veggie

I harvested the last of my carrots for the season. Today is a beautiful day, sunny and warm. As a Minnesotan, I know the snow could come any time, so I'm taking advantage of today's good weather. The carrot varieties are Atomic Red and Rainbow.  Today's entry will end with a unique signature--a carrot in the shape of an L.  

Garden Review

Looking back that this gardening season, I can recommend Indigo Rose tomatoes.  Those I shared with fresh tomato eaters liked them tremendously, and since I tend to eat my tomatoes cooked, they did well in a sauce, which had a purple tint to it.  It was a bad year for my pea pods, since disease took over partway through the season.  I'm not too worried since I'll rotate my crops, as I do every year.  Slenderette green beans were amazing once again.  Overall, my garden reflected what the weather conditions gave it--and sometimes the weather wasn't so good.  But I got plenty of delicious veggies for my family.  The cool weather herbs are still looking good as is my second crop of lettuce and greens.  The photo above is a native maple tree footsteps away from my front door. Below is a photo of Haralson apples, which were prolific this year ( and yummy!). 

My Morning Walk

I'm one lucky gal because this is the view on my morning walk as I leave our driveway. The leaves are beginning to turn colors now, and the mornings are crisp and cool, perfect for walking. This walk is good for my body and even better for my soul.  

And here's the lettuce that I planted mid-summer.  This fall crop is so good because it doesn't have the bitterness that happens when that summer crop gets too hot.  Delicious! I recommend planting a second crop for anyone who loves lettuce.