The Plan

This is a very cold month. Early seedlings (eggplant, herbs) have been started, and Spring gardening layouts are in the works. After laying greenhouse plastic over one of the beds I was expecting to plant cold weather greens there this month. Every few days more snow would fall and I lost motivation. I did not measure the temperature of the soil under the plastic. Soil temperature is one of the tasks I have not been diligent about. I am hoping to change that this year.

I watched a Masterclass with Ron Finley and was re-inspired to grow and share food again. There is a tension I hold inside of me between the privacy of the garden (which I adore and heals me) and a desire to build a community and share a harvest. A neighbor has been promoting a shared approach to growing and sharing foods this season. I think I should push myself to get out there and be more in and of this community.

February 2023

February Tasks

  • Place the polyurethane on the garden beds to warm up soil for cool weather crops. 
  • Measure the temperature of the soil – not completed
  • Stratify Butterfly Pea – Blue Queen Seeds
  • Stratify Milkweed Seeds (Common and Showy)
  • Plant the following:
    • 2/18- Butterfly Pea – Blue Queen
    • 2/18- Eggplant – Black Beauty
    • 2/25- Cilantro – Slo-Bolt
    • 2/25- Coleus – Pinto Mix
    • 2/25- Lavender – English Tall
    • 2/25- Lavender – Munstead

February 12, 2023

Yesterday I laid out greenhouse plastic over the Southern vegetable bed to warm the soil. I pruned Hollyhock and Milkweed canes to the ground and cleaned up the Sea Holly stalks. 

Purchased from Botanical Interests:

  • Lettuce – Buttercrunch
  • Kale – Lacinato – Dinosaur
  • Kale – Dazzling Blue

I also thinned the Rosemary and Tamarillo seedlings to a single plant per pot. 

February 15, 2023

I am soaking 4 Butterfly Pea seeds for planting tomorrow.

I planted: 

  • Planted 2 Eggplant – Black Beauty
  • Planted 6 Coleus – Pinto Mix
  • Planted 4 Lavender – English Tall
  • Planted 4 Lavender – Munstead

These were planted in new root trainers. 

February 22nd

Stratified the Milkweed seeds in damp paper towels in a tupperware container in the fridge. 

February 26th 

Planted in root trainers:

  • 4 Cilantro
  • 4 Dill 
  • 4 Zulu Prince Daisies

Planted in individual Pots:

  • 4 Mint (mix variety)
  • 3 Sage

I planted two rosemary and two mint sprigs I have been soaking in a spice jar filled with water in soil. We bought these from the store ages ago and I am surprised at how rigorously they have rooted. I am amazed at the willingness to survive after being picked, placed in plastic, transported to the shop, packed in the refrigerated section of a grocery store to be bought by us to sit unused in our fridge. Once placed in tap water, it only took a few weeks to root. 

I also snipped some hen and chick babies from their mother plants and placed them in soil. 

All is sprouting from the planting on the 15th, barring two Blue Butterfly Seeds and all four English Lavender seeds.  

I am toggling back and forth on buying some plants that have failed for me before…..I want them….

Meadowsweet (Filipendula) and Astrantia. I would also like to procure some Dahlias for the summer. 

Well, that was easy: Purchased 2 Dahlia Akita tubers and one Astrantia Major Superstar from Dutch Grown, and one Meadowsweet plant from Brecks.