Spring Garden Update

It's my birthday today, and I thought it would be a good time to share an update from my own garden where I spend as much time as possible - I just realized I haven't done an update yet this year! Most of these pictures are actually a couple of weeks old, so by now some things are a lot bigger - especially the peas, which have far outgrown their wimpy trellis, and have become a tangled mat of inter-woven vines - they're finally blooming now though! I'll try to post an updated picture of those soon. Most of the other stuff hasn't changed all that much though, although I'm on to the next crop of mustard greens, and lettuce and green beans are starting to take off.

My garden this year is largely an experiment - partly because I'm growing a bunch of stuff I've never grown before (or at least haven't grown in Ohio), and partly because I'm following more of a succession planting model, as learned from Eliot Coleman's excellent books on year-round gardening. One thing bolts or comes to harvest time, and comes out, the next goes right in (along with some fertilizer), as opposed to my usual more lackadasical approach of just letting things run their course and die down before I do anything new with the bed. I hope to make the most of my little space using this method, and so far it seems to be working quite well.

Check out the April pictures below, and I'll try to post some updates soon! (Hyacinths and the pea trellis were from March.)

Happy Hyacinths (March).

Cute little home-made pea trellis.

Baby peas beginning their journey upwards!

Mustard & Onions - after a rain.

Garlic I planted last fall - looking huge & healthy!

Strawberries behind critter netting (they're a lot bigger now).

Winter CSA Goodies

Image via WikipediaThink there's no way you could get fresh local veggies in the winter where you live? You could be wrong. Really wrong!  We've posted a few articles on here lately about CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture), but maybe you're thinking there's no way there is one in your area. Well, maybe not, but with the growing popularity of CSAs in the last few years, there have been a number of winter options springing up.

For example - see below post, on the goodies from one of Tucson's local winter CSAs (this was what shareholders received last week):

Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010 – Week 3 of 11
Navel Oranges, Butternut Squash, Purple Top Turnips, French Breakfast Radishes, Curly Mustard Greens, Baby Kale, Spinach, Green Onions.
Publish Date: 12/14/2010 15:59
http://www.tucsoncsa.org/2010/12/wednesday-dec-15-week-3-of-11/

Image via WikipediaOkay, you're thinking, but Tucson isn't exactly the heart of the snowbelt....  Well, I can tell you that I live in central Ohio (really not a year-round warm climate, to say the least), and last week I got a big lovely bag of sweet potatoes, collard greens, swiss chard, salad mix, sprouts, mushrooms, apples, and winter squash - all grown organically and within less than 2 hours from my home. While there may be a bit less variety than in a summer CSA share, I'm definitely still well-fed on fresh local produce, even throughout the winter months (in fact, my grocery shopping is cut more than in half now). (Sorry - these pictures aren't from mine - I forgot to take one; I will try to remember to take one of my next share, and post here soon.)

Here is the CSA I am currently a member of, if you are in the Central Ohio area, and are interested in learning more:

Athens Hills CSA: December 8th Newsletter
Nestled in the hills of Athens County, lies a 120 acre farm - the home of Green Edge Organic Gardens & the Athens Hills CSA. CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, is a way for you to have a direct relationship with the farmer who ...
Publish Date: 12/08/2010 11:40
http://greenedgegardens.blogspot.com/2010/12/december-8th-newsletter.html

Next month I will also be signing up for several months of local meats, again through a CSA.

Visit www.newholisticliving.com/csa.html to learn more about CSAs, and find out how to find one in your area. And you, too, may be able to eat local, even during the non-gardening season!