Give Peas a Chance! March 17

Franklin Community Garden

Spring Celebration 

&

 Pea Planting Demonstration

Saturday, March 17th

@ 10 a.m.

Cost: Free

Location:

King Street Memorial Community Garden

located at King Street Memorial Park in Franklin

Sponsored by:

The Friends of Franklin Community Gardens, Inc

All are welcome to attend!

The Friends of Franklin Community Gardens will celebrate the beginning of the 2012 spring season by hosting a Pea Planting demonstration at King Street Memorial Community Garden on Saturday, March 17th beginning at 10 AM (weather permitting). 

 

March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day, is the traditional day in New England to plant spring peas.  Free seeds will be available while supplies last. 

 

Garden Coordinator Chris Clay will lead this educational event. Learn about pea types, planting requirements, trellising options, and more.

Get your garden off to an early start by planting a spring crop of fresh sugar snap, snow, or shell peas this year

 Give Peas a Chance!

Rain date: Sunday, March 18

 www.franklincommunitygardens.org

 

Contact: Chris Clay @ hakai2@gmail.com  

Got Seeds? Plant some this weekend! Really! Winter Sowing 101

I know, I know, it's February, just barely into the first week.

And you have your packets of seeds ready to go because:

A) you are super-organized and ordered them early, 

or, like me,

B)  have plenty left over from last year that did not get planted (spinach!),

or perhaps

C) you planted heirlooms and saved your own seed (A+ for sustainability!)

or

D) all of the above (seed junkie!)

You see them at the store, taunting you: "Buy Me." 

(and me and me and me.....)

But you have only so much space to start seeds inside. 

Not enough for everything you want to start.

And maybe no grow light, or only one, or no sunny windows, or bad luck starting seeds.

And anyway, it's too early.

Nope. Wrong.

Start some anyway.  Now. 

Not Inside, 

Outside.

Vegetables, Herbs, and Flowers

Annuals and Perennials.

Yes, you can.

It is called winter sowing, and right now, this weekend, you can get started.

But there is a hitch:  You need to do this in containers that have a lid. 

Find some.

Examples:

Gallon water or milk jugs,

Plastic take-out containers,

Plastic shoe boxes

You get it.

I am not going to write a winter sowing primer here on this blog, instead, I'm going to point you toward those who have already written about it and let you have fun learning more.  

http://wintersown.org/  

the place you want to start.

http://www.wintersown.org/wseo1/Seed_Lists.html

the seed lists

Franklin, Ma is in zone 6A

(yes, it changed, USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map)

The Winter Sowing Discussion Forum on Dave's Garden

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/coldsow/all/#b

be prepared to get hooked.

Kevin Lee Jacobs in Connecticut has done an excellent job listing which vegetables can be winter-sown in February, March, and April on his site

  A Garden for the House 

He is in the same zone as Franklin, 5B-6A

Here's the post:

http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/01/what-to-winter-sow-and-when/

According to Jacobs, these vegetables and herbs can be winter-sown in January and February:

Spinach

Kale

Brussels sprouts

Peas

Broccoli

Thymus serpyllum (Creeping Thyme)

Salvia (common sage)

Oregano

Cilantro

 

You can even winter sow tomatoes next month and they will be hardier for it.

Are you inspired? Good.  

Now go forth and sow.  

have fun,  

-Amy

Groundhog Math

You say Groundhog.

I say Woodchuck.

photo credit

 groundhog (Marmota monax)


Some say Marmot, Whistle-pig, or Land Beaver.

A groundhog is a rodent.

Rodents = Trouble.

(sorry, Mickey M.)

***

Here's some garden math for you:

Rodent + Garden = Damage.

If 
Groundhog = Rodent


Then
Rodent = Groundhog.

***

Groundhog + Garden = Damage.

And If
Groundhog + Groundhog =

 Groundhogs to the Nth power, 

Well, I'm not a math wiz (science is more my thing)

 but I think it is safe to conclude :

Then 

Groundhogs to the Nth power = Nightmare on Garden Street.

***

Here's hoping those fur beasts sleep all through the rest of winter

 and forget to wake up come summer as well!

happy groundhog day, friends!  -Amy.