1 year since my sisters passing

Tell me, is everything unplanned?
Is all so unexpected that I just can't understand
We run so hard and always end up in the same place
"Glad that went so smoothly" - well that never is the case
One day - doubtless, cloudless, bright
We'll shake away the shadows of eternal night
It's just the storm before the calm
Like the life held in your palm - it's clay, one day

And you stand there, with ashes blowing past
Dipping into gilt-edged love that will be made at last
And the gold you spend and the hastening end
That you throw into the sea
Coming back a hundredfold, there's no guarantee

We'll walk and be like giants, we'll all be honest men
I go back to my blindness so that I may see again
A woman standing on a hill is gazing out to sea
Dreaming of a new age waiting there for me
I call her from a distance and she smiles into the sun
And men and gods begin their dance, for their time has begun
And holy wars extended and battlefields of pain
Are washed away, forgotten in the perfect rain
Princes, kings and humble things are well-worn and content
Messengers come everywhere, envoys have been sent

Steve Kilbey 
born 9/13

photos

nothing a little BT won't fix.

bread & butter zucchini pickles

SARAH & TOMATOES

DAILY ARTICHOKE PHOTO

DAILY ARTICHOKE PHOTO

1ST IN A SERIES OF PHOTOS SHOWING THE

DEVELOPMENT OF AN ARTICHOKE HERE IN DAYTON  MAINE

GARDEN PHOTO'S MID JULY

CUKES TRELLISEDCARDOONWHAT I DID EARLY SUMMERITALIAN LARGO SQUASH

PLANTING RUSH

Seems like i'm 2 weeks behind when i'm really 2 weeks ahead.
28 Tomatoes in the ground.
Still to plant: 30 tomatoes.50 peppers,artichoke & cardoon seedlings.
Brussels sprouts.
Last but not least:cukes & squash.

peas 4th of June

peas have blossoms

POLE BEANS

Took a chance and planted pole bean seeds today.
Emerite,rattlesnake,merango romano,purple pod,saving my last few fortex
for sure warm temps.
Also put out a few cardoons & 1 artichoke.
Fava beans went in Monday,probably a little late. 
Super leggy tomatos are in the breezeway hardening off.
Okra & peppers still under the lights.
Hops have sprouted.
Peas are about 6" tall.
Carrots kale,beets swiss chard,lettuce all doing well.

HOPS

Planted nugget hop rhizome last sunday.

asparagus

Wanted to post some asparagus photos but i lost
them & then i ate the asparagus.
very early.

Spring Snow

rat tail radish

Started rat tail radishes http://rareseeds.com/cart/products/Rat_s_Tail_Radish-697-79.html
and a whole bunch of basil & some italian parsley.

lisa's gardens (early)

photos

tomatoes

artichokes

okra,brussels sprouts

Okra in the incubator,along with cactus mix that the kids planted.
Too windy to do much outside.I would like to plant some more carrots,
beets & maybe another row of kale.
Brussels sprouts seeds are in the coldframe (  unheated breezeway) along
with the artichoke plants that need a few weeks of 50 deg weather
in order to produce chokes as an annual.
Peppers & tomatoes are under the lights in the homemade greenhouse (photos soon)
Yard & raised beds are pretty much cleaned up.
Lisa's flower beds look great,lots of blooms already.

UPDATE

Planted lettuce (jericho) & some arugula.
Forgot to mention starting cardoons http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardoons
a week or two ago.
Malabar spinach is not doing well,not sure what the problem is.
Next into the incubator: okra,hope to make okra pickles.

PEAS & KALE

Peas (burpee burpeeana early) &
kale (wild garden mix) in the ground today.

About 3/4 of the 72 pepper plants have
germinated thus far.

tomatoes

Started tomato seeds about a week ago.
Looks to be 100% germination.
Pretty good considering about half of the 72
I planted were last years seed.

DELICIOUS
MARTINI'S ROMA
OPALKA
TAXI
PRUDENS PURPLE
PINAPPLE
SUPER SAN MARZANO
COUSTRLEE
YELLOW BRANDYWINE
JET SONIC
JAPANESE BLACK TRIFILE
& A RAINBOW BEEFSTEAK MIX

FLOODING

Seed starting

Started peppers yesterday.Tomatoes later today.
CAL WONDER
RAINBOW MIXED BELLS
CANARY BELL
PEPPERONCINI
ACONCAQUA
SWEET CAYENNE
ALMA PAPRIKA
ANAHIEM
VOLCANO
EARLY JALAPENO

Finally, there seem to be but three Ways for a Nation to acquire Wealth. The first is by War as the Romans did in plundering their conquered Neighbours. This is Robbery. The second by Commerce which is generally Cheating. The third by Agriculture the only honest Way; wherein Man receives a real Increase of the Seed thrown into the Ground, in a kind of continual Miracle wrought by the Hand of God in his favour, as a Reward for his innocent Life, and virtuous Industry.

Benjamin Franklin,, April 4, 1769

Spring on Cape Cod

MALABAR SPINACH

Just planted malabar spinach seeds.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malabar_spinach

Got some decent vines last year despite the weather.

Benefits from the early start.

The indoor seed starting greenhouse thingy is

done except for the poly & casters.

Greenhouse Rough Frame

Homemade Greenhouse

Started my homemade mini greenhouse today.
Photos soon.

artichokes, mesculin mache and leeks

american flag leeks
trust me they are there

mache,meculin mix & arugula

emerald artichokes

raised beds under the snow

not pretty is it