PNW: February 2013

Try the dwarf curly kale. It is readily available.

My first year of SFG I used Bonnie Bell starts of winterbor kale. Daggone stuff lasted through the summer, including a 2 month period where I was overseas and just left a sprinkler on a timer. Then it survived the entire winter until it finally bolted during the late spring. I ate kale a lot that year.

Kay

I planted kale here last year, quite late from seed (mid June?) it lasted till November, and even into December. I'll check the types tomorrow.

Tomorrow I am mulching in rabbit manure again, and then I am planning on planting some lettuce, radishes, peas, and carrots. Plus do some flower bed seeding (poppies and hollyhocks). It might be a bit early but the sun is WARM! My garlic is popping up, and I swear the elephant garlic I planted last fall is growing an inch a day.

As I type this I heard frogs outside my window, how cool is that? Spring is on it's way here!

Hello Spinwind, what a kewl name for a gray coast gardener . North or south coast?

I still have kale hanging on in the Toy Box. Posted a couple of pics and smoothie recipes on my facebook page. I was going to pick up an avocado and make a kale smoothie after school (been eating too many salty and sweet snacks, gotta get back to the earth) but like you said, the sun was so warm and the day just enough longer that the puppy walk lasted longer than it has in a while. Had a school dinner to go to last night and time for clipping kale vanished in a lovely sunset. Hey! I heard frogs last week too. Made me so happy.
Look at the garden basket my son made for me. I can gather and hose veggies off outside. He gets cinnamon rolls! Thursday’s brisk wind has shifted from SE to NNW so I suspect we are on the backside of yesterdays storm. To my delight the temp stayed above freezing instead of the horrible 25F that was predicted. 45/32, no rain but yesterday's brilliant sunrise will be hidden in Friday fog (The Toy Box in Everett)

Hi Debs! That gardening hod is so cool - just like the fancy ones from Territorial! Neat. (I found you on facebook. )

So in my pursuit of garbanzo bean flour, I drove clear across town yesterday to visit New Seasons Market (found the flour and now want to move just so that store can be my every day grocery store). While wandering around in wonder at the fantastic selection I stumbled upon a little revolving rack of seeds from Territorial Seed Company and Seed Savers Exchange! Oh my! A chance to pick out just a few packets without paying shipping... how could I resist! I chose two Kales: Winterbor and Nero di Toscana (the latter being one I thought I remembered Nonna.PapaVino recommending).

I now have an embarrassingly large assortment of salad greens seeds and need to get crackin' on my setup. Sunshine that actually feels warm has been a strong motivator to get outside and clean up/re-organize out there, but other duties have had to take precedence. I'll get there.

P.S. Debs, do you know my plans for lunch just so happen to include a recipe that uses one egg white, and then I see on your facebook that Braided Cinnamon Wreath that uses one egg yolk. Coincidence? Methinks destiny. Off to the kitchen I go.

Hi Lavender Debs, I am south coast, almost into Oregon on the Long Beach peninsula. The weather here is always mild, I love it! This is my first full year at this house, we moved in May of last year. I can't wait!

My day was a little different than planned, I ended up building 2 new beds, a 3X6 for tomatoes along my cedar fence (south facing, so it should keep them nice and warm), and a 3X18 bed along a short fence. I plan to plant potatoes on one side and squash on the other. I then laid out a 3rd bed along the boat house. It faces south, and has the dark boathouse behind it, but is exposed to animals, and moist ground since it's right by the lake. Not sure what I will plant there, maybe just flowers, but we'll see.

I also went shopping and bought seeds and seed starting things, I wasn't going to do that this year, but I couldn't resist. I've got tomatoes, eggplant, basil, brussels sprouts to start.

Tomorrow I am fencing in more of the acre, and need to spread soil and work on filling beds. I may also if I get time build a bed for blueberries along the fence that I am going to be building. Just have to get time to cut the wood. I am down to around 30 pieces of my free fence boards, I am trying to get them all gone by summer.

How did the wreath turn out gwennifer? I planned on using my usual sweetbread recipe so I didn't even notice that there was more to this than just how to cut and shape the dough. Thanks for the heads up on my own post (or share as the case may be)

Aww, Spinwind, the South beach is beautiful. The bird life (which is what draws us to the longbeach) is amazing. I never think of any area in western Washington as mild but I think you are right. The last few times I made the trip was for the spring clam dig, but I do remember that the weather was fair compared to Everett. But that wind! Wow. I will think of your tomatoes often.

Hi Spinwood
Your garden sounds wonderful. Having to have a fence is a wonderful problem in that you have several hundred feet of something to trellis plants on.
We have an acreage that we have had to fence, so we have used cattle panels, so we not have at least a few hundred feet of trellis.
I originally put my blueberries along side the fence, but then my husband felt that as the blueberry trees grew there would be a part of the bush we would not be able to pick from, so I put the raspberries there.
We lived in Bandon, coastal Oregan for several years and the thing that grew the very best was blueberries. I guess the soil was a bit acidic. They grew huge quickly.

February 10 I was sure that today would be as dull as the day before. The sun burst through the fog. I had my first real day out in the garden cleaning up a box for peas and fava beans. Ran out of steam before the compost got turned, but it was still a good day.

The Toy Box Blog holds a few more details and pictures but this picture tells the story.
For A Kale Smoothy

NICE! I am jealous of your fresh leeks. I so hope mine overwinter and grow come spring!

Lavender Debs wrote:How did the wreath turn out gwennifer? I planned on using my usual sweetbread recipe so I didn't even notice that there was more to this than just how to cut and shape the dough...

Debs, I wish I'd thought to use my trustworthy King Arthur Flour sweet dough recipe and just use the method for shaping the dough. I won't be trying this recipe again. I think maybe some of the instructions were off or a step was missing? Shouldn't there be an additional rise after shaping the dough? The method was easy enough. My wreath looked much prettier before it baked. During baking it spread and flattened out and cracked. And even though I baked it a good ten minutes less than the recipe called for, and turned down the heat sooner and tented it with foil, the finished product was overbaked and dry. Everyone tried a slice, it softened enough when reheated in the microwave, but I threw the rest away. Still had fun making it with my 4 y.o.


I was also a good girl and took advantage of the dry and fairly warm day to finally get outside and clean up my garden that I abandoned last fall. Look what I found when I dumped out the carrot top hat:

These were leftover Rainbow blend carrots that I planted shortly after carrot week last spring! They were just not growing and the few that I finally pulled were so puny I ended up just ignoring them and didn't bother re-planting in fall. That yellow one was the only one left with a visible top and I pulled it before dumpng the box. What a suprise when I pulled that fat sucker out! Good grief! I used a few of the orange ones for the 1/2 cup shredded carrot in the zesty turkey turnovers I made for lunch today. Still fresh and sweet. Amazing.

oh my :drunken: love the pictures and the harvesting that is going on in this thread!!

hoping the weather keeps up and the sun stays around

we have lots of clean up work to get the beds ready for plantings

we also found a 4 way apple tree and some other fruit trees.....really hope we get to go get them tomorrow

our seedlings are doing great!

happy gardening
rose

GWYN what beautiful carrots, I just gotta try a few new colours this year
and what a great braid.
Rose, one of our trees is a 3 way, too soon to tell much yet, but should be interesting.

we also found a 4 way apple tree and some other fruit trees

This spinach in my cold frame has potential as far as a meal in the near future. I am going to hold off and let it get a little bigger. I am :scratch: trying to figure out if I should be planting something else now.

I love all the veggies you guys are getting!

I worked in the garden for a ridiculous amount of hours over the weekend, loved every minute. I'll get some photos, once the sun is shining.

I moved and extended the fence. We will be planting some vining things on it too, but the problem is 100 feet of it is lake facing. I can't block the vie through the fence (it's woven wire so it blends into the landscape). But, I think some low growing flower, and herbs will go there. I looked and it seems like it should be things 2 or 2.5 feet or lower. I do have a long line that is fairly close to the woods. I'll be paying close attention to see how much sun it really does get, as the entire backyard has eastern exposure. It might get enough to grow some berries on the fence there.

I build a 3X18' bed for blueberries and started dumping rabbit compost into it (rotted hay, bunny berries, and rotted alfalfa pellets they spill). I found out a local nursery has a pretty nice soil mixture available (30% compost) that I might use for some filler. I'm sleeping on it for a few days to see. I'll add some peat to that bed too since it will be a blueberry home.

I also planned out my new duck pen, and how to design a chicken coop in my rabbit area. That will end up being my compost since the critters keep eating my kitchen scraps. I may as well hire a few chickens to do that job.

And NOW I am debating about painting my beds before I plant them... Different colors.. Now that I have it in my mind the idea won't quite quit. The hard part is it's not like I can just paint one and stop. If I paint them I have to really commit and do all 16... Plus the 2 flower beds out of the same boards. Hmmm.

Just thought I would post a garden update for the PNW. I planted peas on the 12th and have followed up today with more radish, arugula and spinach. I now have two 2'x8's planted.
I have evidently had success with the celery overwintering, I removed the cloche today and ate a small stalk and it was good, I am hoping it continues to grow through spring. I will try and have better timing this year and would like to grow more. I will be starting my tomatoes soon and need to start sifting compost pile #3 as it is ready to use.
The rest of the fall/winter 2012 garden has survived also, it has been nice to get the occasional salad during the winter months. I think the Mel's Mix actually keeps getting better as it ages from year to year. Happy Gardening everyone!

small update on our 2013 family gardening

The weather today was WONDERFUL!

We were able to do some cleaning up outside in the beds

Seedlings are doing well

Cole crops, Lettuce and spinach



Onions & Leeks



we havent been able to get our fruit tree's just yet....hoping in the next few days....we are so excited for spring to be here..... ...garlic is up along with other flowering bulbs...

happy gardening
rose

Always nice to hear from you spinwind and happycamper! Looking good FamilyGardening! Your seed flats looks so organized... Love it. GWN, I love that open fence, so pretty.

Speaking of fences, spinwind you mentioned growing low things along the fence so as not to block your view - Oregon Sugar Pod II's only get 24"-30" tall and are very prolific and you can plant them in spring and again in the fall.

My oh my was it gorgeous out yesterday. Sadly I did not step outdoors until nine pm - and then just to check the mail and pull the car in the garage. I posted my vinyl SFG bed and trellis on craigslist with no results so far. Shucks.

I'm giving away free carrot seeds to anyone who posts a picture of their SFG with high-rise box in the Carrot Week thread. Head on over and check it out. I'd love it if some of my fellow PNW'ers took part.

I picked up the free strawberry popcorn seeds from Baker's Creek (their facebook promotion) along with some lipstick peppers to try. Will be growing the popcorn in the big buckets we did potatoes in last year - planning on hand pollinating and maybe trying the Three Sisters thing. Didn't your kids do that last year FamilyGardening? You'll have to remind me how it works.

Enjoy the 3-day weekend everyone!

February 19 : Took a peek under the kitty cover which becomes our poly cover come winter-spring. The garlic is doing great! Last fall I realized that I better start saving the best of the cloves to replant. That means that this bed is a mix of soft neck and hard neck garlic (how homey is that?). I'll be looking for a few scapes this spring.

I finally got a tray of greens started (school=YUCK), the early spring potatoes (russets, LaSoda, Santonila and two kinds of fingerlings) are chitting in the green house. Both trays of onions are in the green house and look great. FINALLY the shallots are starting to poke their green heads up!

Did I mention the new green house? Even tarragon is making a strong come back in there! Whoo-hoo!

Debs....who is getting eggs again.
Chitting Spring Potatoes Second Quarter of the Snow Moon, time to plant the first peas. In Everett; Clouds but only 10% chance of rain. Breeze from the NE. Sunrise at 7:07- one minute shy of 10 and a half hours of daylight before the sun sets at 5:38... sounds dreamy.

Looks great Debs! Congrats on the new greenhouse and our ladies are finally laying again too

Debs your garlic looks great!...wow...mine our just thin little green tips coming up....

what else is growing in with the garlic?...almost looks like broc's or cauliflowers there to the left of the screen.....your kitty cover seems to be doing very well!

glad to hear the nuggets are giving you some eggs

im wondering if we should move our cole crop seedlings out to the green house :scratch:

happy gardening
rose....who loves Debs toybox!

Thanks Roo!

Rose I just put this pic on my FB wall. The tray on the left has lived in my unheated greenhouse for about a week now (given a weekly soaking of fish tank water). On the right is the tray that has been in my kitchen window a couple of days too long. (kitchen sink water). The difference seems dramatic to me. Since you have a green house I would sure move them out.

Those are broccoli I planted in late summer, I forget what kind. I was lazy (or working at school full time, I forget which). The square was refreshed with bagged compost instead of homegrown. The garlic grew in homegrown compost. Because of the kitty-poly cover I did not bury the lot with leaves for winter. Or was that because I was working and did not have time to get out and gather leaves? humm, this working stuff is the pitts.

Debs...who loves longer days so that she doesn't have to choose between putzing in the garden or walking the puppies after school.
It was so nice out yesterday that Ray got the fruit trees trimmed! We are still in the 2nd qtr (waxing) of the snow moon, plant some peas. Weather Underground says that today will be like yesterday but with rain... how does that make it like yesterday? 46/37 with 40% chance of rain. More wet clouds riding in on the SE wind. The day lights up at 7:05 and stays light until 5:40

I'm not seeing Kale in the ANSFG book. According to the thin-to spacing, I'd only do one per square, but if I'm harvesting baby Kale as a cut-and-come-again crop, what would you recommend for spacing? Four per square? Five (like a dice)? Nine?

the book says you can plant four swiss chard per square....so if you think your kale would stay about the same size as chard would then i would do four per square.....

happy gardening
rose....who is finishing her garden calander using Mels time tables & charts....

I agree with Rose as to the spacing for your kale. I've planted chard and kale 4 per square with great results!

FYI, I've discovered that kale transplants beautifully. Last year or the year before, to make room for summer crops, I moved the kale plants to a spot in the shade. Although they initially looked quite sickly, eventually they took hold and thrived well into the summer.

has anyone planted their sugar snap peas yet?

i have been reading back on our 2012 threads.....*so fun!*
and i think we planted ours the 4th of march 2012.....but if i go by Mel's chart and use April 15th as our last frost date....it puts us planting our sugar snap peas around march 10th?

also i think some of you may plant your in feb??

when are you all planting your sugar snap peas?

happy gardening
rose

I have planted my peas already this year. Peas are hardy and can be planted 4 to 8 weeks before the last frost date (depending on who you ask). I plant peas each year 8 weeks before last the last frost date since they are cold hardy and don't mind being covered by snow.
The traditional time to plant peas in the PNW is President's Day which is what I follow. I have planted as early as the last week in January in the past and they seem to take the same amount of time to produce as the mid February planted peas. Have fun!