Herb Fest

Yesterday we went to the annual festival put on by local gardening and horticultural groups in Mattoon, the neighboring town to Charleston. It's called Herb Fest. Being from Colorado, the word "herb" still has a different primary meaning than culinary plants, but beyond semantics, the festival is a highlight of spring. The day was cool and rain was falling, but the turnout seemed robust. I was looking for a few plants I have been unable to grow successfully from seed: thyme and oregano. The nice Amish folks we bought sage and rosemary from two years ago were there, and we decided to pick out four different plants for the herb garden. I picked up a nice variety of thyme called "Porlock". It had the thymiest scent to its healthy leaves. We picked up a Lady lavender plant... I haven't been able to grow lavender from seed either. I was thinking about buying another oregano, but they didn't really have any cool varieties, so Rich suggested we try two new herbs. He picked out patchouli and I picked out lemon verbena. I didn't know patchouli was even a plant. The one we picked out looks a little rough-for-the-wear (but I think it will come through just fine)... the plant is about four inches tall, with quarter-inch diameter leaves that are dark green and rough to the touch. And rubbing the leaves definitely releases the unmistakeable scent of patchouli. I am thinking that it will add amazing scent to our homemade bath salts. The lemon verbena smells just awesome...so lemony and yet so green. I will use it for both cooking and for other things (infusing alcohol and adding it bath salts, for starters) as well. Rich had said we'd spend just ten dollars, and these plants were $2.50 each, so we were good. On our way back to the car, we passed the Master Gardener's stall where we bought the really cool Rattlesnake Master plant we have growing outside our kitchen window. They had a huge selection of perennials and we were drawn to these cool-looking Torch Lilies. We bought two. I was glad we bought a couple of new plants, as that's the main reason I like to go to Herb Fest. On the way out, I did see some really cool oreganos (one was an almost sea-foam light green color), but we had already spent more money than we had meant to... I am looking forward to planting these six new plants and hopefully watching them thrive!
Below are pictures of the Torch Lilies, Lemon Verbena, then Patchouli.

Rain, rain, rain

It rained all day today. Over the past few weeks, we have had a lot of rain, with today's half-inch, the total for April is 8.5 inches. Things are wet, soggy, and very, very green. The plum and early apple trees turned their blossoms out this morning. In the raised beds, the peas are several inches tall and looking hopeful. (Last year, after I planted 500 pea seeds, I was left with zero pea plants due to the early heat.) This year, we haven't had much heat. We woke to frost a few times this week. Nothing major...but winter has definitely been hanging around longer than it did last year. The garden still isn't tilled. I am not sure when that will happen... I can't imagine a tractor being able to make the rounds without getting stuck in the muck. So we wait to get busy outside.

But inside, things are growing very well in the seed room. Not everything has germinated yet, but every morning when I water, I am greeted by new plants unfurling their leaves under the lights. There is a tomato forest (see the picture below), and the second picture is of the gorgeous little salad burnett plants. I just love the shape of their leaves. The third picture is a close-up of some of the tomatillo plants (purple and green!). I love the fuzzy stems on the tomatoes and tomatillos... Today's last picture is of some of the lettuce I have growing in the seed room... it is definitely looking like leaf lettuce to me. Every time I water it, I imagine pouring olive oil and balsamic vinegar on it, tossing it with some salt and pepper, and eating it.

Brussels Sprouts

Well it seems I can't grow Brussels Sprouts. Granted, my seeds were one and two years old, but 100% of them germinated, and they all got more than two leaves. And then they all just wilted and died. Damping off, I believe. The second year in a row that this has happened. The first year I tried to grow Brussels Sprouts, I actually got them large enough to transplant them into the ground, where they were killed by cutworms. But at this point, I feel that these are a variety of plant that it is just impossible to grow.

These types of setbacks I am becoming used to the more I farm.

That said, my 2013 farm is doing alright so far. Last week when I planted out in my raised beds, I had been under the impression that we would be getting a few days of rain over the course of the week. None of that rain fell. But, knowing those seeds had just been planted and hopefully uneaten by birds, rabbits, cats, or dogs, would chill out, waiting for the rain. It is now predicted that up to 3" of rain will fall this week, in warm weather thunderstorms... if that comes to pass, those seeds should be pushing out of the ground by this time next week.

Life in the seed room, Brussels Sprouts not withstanding, is going well. I kept the heat off while I was out of town, and our friend kept the seedlings and the soil blocks watered. But not too much grew. A few of the eggplants have now pushed out. Some of the tomatoes and peppers have grown third and fourth leaves. The cabbages are starting to look like cabbages, and the lettuce and mesclun are looking fantastic. And today I started four more flats of seeds... peppers, tomatoes, ground cherries, hollyhocks, lovage, salad burnet, and more tomatillos. Over 264 plants started in the seed room today, along with about 64 giant parsley plants I direct-seeded in a new plot next to the herb garden. I am expanding the size of the garden once more this year. If all goes well, you all will be able to enjoy this garden this year.

As I write, the window in the living room is open, and the southerly breeze has just turned cool... we are supposed to get several days of periodic thunderstorms. Today was over 70 degrees, and after a morning and afternoon doing garden work, Rich & I went to our friends, Sam & Kate's, for the season's first BBQ and bags... it was heavenly.

Below, pictures of a few of the seedlings (cabbages, lettuce) taken on Tuesday... Happy Spring, and it looks like I will be buying my Brussels Sprouts once more.

Spring under Snow

Last Saturday was gorgeous: sunny with temperatures in the upper 50's. I took the opportunity to get out in the garden and get it in shape for the upcoming season. I pulled out the cages, trellises and stakes I used last year. I piled up and composted the zinnia and okra stalks, and pulled up and composted the tomato, pepper, and eggplant skeletons. And I dug up and composted the rotting cabbage leaves. (A few days later I discovered that we have a very large groundhog living in the barn, and feasting on those cabbages... We're thinking of calling him Hutton Harry...) I also weeded the raised beds I never got a chance to deal with last summer, and filled them with sheep manure I got last fall. (The raised beds are in the first picture below, and the garden in the second.)

The next day we got an early spring blizzard: about twelve inches of snow fell Sunday covering everything in a heavy, drenching blanket of white. I spent a snowy snowed-in Monday building soil blocks and starting eggplants in them. Checking on the Brussels sprouts, cabbages, lettuce, basil, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants growing in the warm seed room.

This Saturday is supposed to be warm (upper 50's) and will be a perfect day for me to start some cool-weather crops in the raised beds: peas, lettuce, beets... I can not wait!

Growin' of the Green!

It's a cold and blustery St. Patrick's Day promising snow. In the seed room, it's still warm & humid and smells lovely: of soil and little plants. The Brussels Sprouts and cabbages that are up are nearing two inches tall. (See the pictures below...) Lettuces and basil are beginning to grow like gangbusters. The peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants I've planted haven't germinated yet, but I expect them any day. Looking back at last year's garden journal, it seems this spring is so far more typical: cooler and wet, so things outside are coming up slowly. Last year at this time, it had been so warm that I was already feeling weeks behind. Right now, I am feeling like I am right on track: plants growing in the seed room, the garden still untilled and dormant. Soon, though...maybe after this upcoming week of cold weather, the farm will burst alive and I will be out there, making food. I can't wait!

The Garden Lives On!

I know that it's been since Thanksgiving since I posted, and that I may have lost some of my readers. But it's a new year, and I've got a renewed energy for the garden. All of my seeds have been ordered, and most of them have arrived. I ordered from new seed companies this year: Southern Exposure, Botanical Interests (out of my home state of Colorado), Sustainable Mountain Agriculture (out of Berea, KY, who specialize in heirloom seeds collected from Western North Carolina and Eastern Kentucky), and Territorial Seed Co., out of Oregon. I also ordered from some of my standbys: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek, Pinetree, and Hudson's. I can't imagine ordering from only one catalog!

A few weeks ago, I cleaned out my seed room and started lettuces, some basil, cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts. Some of the seed is from last year, and even the year before, but already most of it is up. This past Sunday, I started seven varieties of peppers as well as my paste tomatoes. It feels so rejuvenating to be putting seeds in soil once again. Stepping into that brightly-lit room and feeling the warmth from the heater and smelling the rich earthy scent from the soil, it's like walking into spring. Especially when it's so cold and blustery outside. There are hints of spring... The grass near the house is starting to turn green and thicken up, and the daffodils and crocus and tulips have pushed their green arms above ground. Last week I was in Nashville, where the flowers were blooming and the air had that unmistakeable scent of life on it... So it's getting closer... Near as I could tell, spring is in Northern Kentucky, inching its way into Southern Illinois... Soon, soon... Perhaps the most obvious sign of spring are the birds. Every morning, I wake up to new bird calls and more feathered friends in the yard.

I've got big plans for the garden this year... Last year I harvested more produce than the year before, and that, despite the drought. (Luckily, I was able to water!) But this year, I'm going to spend some time really prepping my raised beds to grow greens, onions, potatoes, beets, and carrots. All of these struggled in the heavy clay soil in the garden proper. I am bringing in more flowers, and hopefully building a sitting/eating area in the garden itself, so folks can really enjoy the beauty of the garden. I am also hoping to market my produce once again, either at the market or through social media, or both. And Charleston is getting a second farmers' market this year: on Saturdays at the County Fairground. Hopefully there will be enough farmers selling to keep it vibrant.

Well, thanks for reading, and I hope you will join me on this year's gardening adventure at Three Persimmons Farm!

Happy Thanksgiving

Foggy morning.


We woke to fog this morning. The kind of thick fog that makes it feel as if the whole world you live in is entirely present.  Like there's nothing else beyond... There were blue skies past the fog, but it kind of felt like a snowglobe. I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. I know that I am grateful for my wonderful partner, my family and my friends. I am grateful to live in such a beautiful place and glad I get to share it with you all. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, spent with loved ones lingering over good, real food. Hopefully locally-grown... 

For me, Thanksgiving isn't really about the big turkey and trimmings meal, it's about friends and family getting together and sharing their lives. Telling stories, laughing, remembering. It's the first day of the holiday season, which for me isn't about shopping, but about being with loved ones, about special treats, cocktail toasts, and remembering good times and making new memories... I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season.