I set out my Mason bees today. I put the tubes of bees in a box, with a small hole in it, so they can escape, but won't nest in those tubes again. The lady at Knox Cellars said to put them out when the temperature is reliably above 50 degrees during the week, and it looks like this is the week!!!!














My seedlings are doing quite well. Since it finally warmed up, I decided to plant out the Kale and Broccoli today. They've been out hardening off for a couple of hours each day for several days, so I expect they'll be fine.














Arugula, scallions, cranberries, and sweet alyssum are working well.














My onions have gotten floppy, though - I'm not sure if I should trim them or not.













And finally, my bokashi composter arrived this weekend. I've finally started loading it up! I'll let you know how it goes.














All in all, a good weekend for gardening!

Bokashi composting

Not much going on outdoors, except for more bulbs coming up. My compost bins outdoors are still mostly frozen, so I'm quite overloaded with food scraps. Even the worm bin indoors is full.

I've decided to look into Bokashi composting, another indoor composting system. It seems to have the added benefit of not being susceptible to the stupid fruit flies that have gotten into my worm bin.

If you're interested in learning more, these websites are great:
BokashiCycle
City Farmer
Kitchen Garden Foods

I had a hard time finding a good place to buy from, but I eventually settled on this place as the closest possible place (Missouri):
http://www.midlandprobiotics.com/category_s/245.htm

You can also order from Arkansas:
http://www.promolife.com/yard-and-garden/composters/bokashi-bucket-compost-system/prod_1780.html

And Nevada:
http://www.bokashicycle.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=BS&Category_Code=PRDS

And Arizona:
http://www.arbico-organics.com/1202401.html

Or even, make your own...
http://www.cityfarmer.org/bokashi.html

Beautiful day!

Beautiful day outdoors today!

I spread around some alfalfa and kelp meal. I put out some grass seed, too, but I'm starting to think it might have been a bit early. I hope the birds don't eat it all. I also cleaned up excess mulch around the garden. I need to order compost soon!

My crocuses are blooming in startling profusion! I even saw a bee outside today. I can't imagine that it was a honey bee, but it sure looked like one.

I set out my seedlings to harden off for about an hour today. They distinctly resented it. I've watered them with "bio-tone" which is supposed to contain beneficial root microbes. I hope it helps. I also sprayed them with a weak (0.5%) solution of Kelp fertilizer. That's also supposed to help with root growth. I want to get my winter crops put out soon!

Tomorrow is the first hearing for the Hen Warrant, to allow hen-keeping in Arlington. Eeep! Speaking in public makes me nervous. At least I've practiced.

I can't wait for spring!

Let the gardening commence!

Spring is finally here, hooray!  Today my "little sister" from the Big Sisters program came over and we planted my first seeds of the season - PEAS!  She also wanted to look under all the rocks for snakes.  Apparently she talked her grandfather into buying her a corn snake, much to her mother's dismay, and wanted to find a friend for it.  So cute!

I have flowers blooming!!!!

Snowdrops:

Crocus:

Witch hazel:

I even found a fly busy drinking nectar and pollinating the witch hazel!

And I also got my new Mason Bee house set up.  I got it from Knox Cellars.  Native pollinators, your hotel is open!

Just in case the native bees can't find me, I got a few starter bees.  They're still sleeping in the fridge.  My husband thinks it's hilarious that they're in with the butter dish.

And finally I pruned, pruned, pruned.  All of last year's dead stalks have been cut down, and the roses have been cut back.  I left any stalks with seeds still attached laying on the ground, but the rest went into the compost bin!  

Now, I just have to wait for the aparagus!!!

Garden Dreaming

I called my blog "Pam's Garden Dreams" for a reason... I am a total day-dreamer!  Not to say I don't do work, too, but with weather like the ONE FOOT OF STUPID SNOW we've been having lately, all I can do is dream.

I'm dreaming of...

A garden that produces enough to can for the winter, or maybe even to sell at the farmer's market...

A house I designed myself, with a real live root cellar...

A lot big enough to have real, live trees, in addition to a garden...

A small, diverse orchard with the best tasting apples ever...

The taste of fresh raspberries right off the vine...

Picking my first asparagus EVER...

Friendly bumble bees moving into my humble bumble home...

A couple of hens in a cute little coop with real, truly fresh eggs...

Maybe actually getting a farm of my own one day...

A yard where I can actually see wild animals, maybe fox or turkeys (but not deer!)...

A peaceful place to call my own...

Seeing my little lettuce seedlings sprout into tasty tasty salad!