seedling update

These seedlings are starting to grow fast. I am looking into using a fertilizer (bone & blood meal or something else) on a % of these to get them up to seasonal par. This requires some research though as I normally don't fertilize my seedlings. Since this is experimental, I plan on tracking the growth rates and charting the results for future use. We'll have to see if this really happens though. 

Four-Season Harvest

Eliot Coleman's book Four-Season Harvest is a good read to get into the winter garden game. Coleman presents imaginative ways to overcome many seasonal limitations, which can help even the most seasonal gardener comprehend ways to extend crops. Simple graphics are detail rich enough to make Edward Tufte proud of Coleman's 30'x65' garden. As an added bonus this book clearly guides the reader through various structural designs and implementations of cold frames, tunnels and root cellars . Plus there is a good section on composting -- a must for a real gardener :-)

Coleman, Eliot. (1999). Four-Season Harvest.

Pre-season gamble

This season should have never happened. My now 10 month old boxer destroyed what was growing in the garden -- all but the herbs. I fear that what is left will not withstand the lonely days when Kate is banished to the backyard. All full pots were overturned, leaving only the sad remains of once beautiful plants and functional clay pots. Discouraged, I abandoned the idea of growing anything. Until a coworker enthusiastically mentioned his plans for his garden. Grand plans were coming together for him and I could see that this was going to be a great season. So, I got excited about planting again. After mulling over my options I reluctantly talked about seedlings and how I always grow my tomatoes from seed. Come to find out he doesn't grow much from seed. So, like a good lamprey eel, I have a beneficial relationship with a guy who has a pretty sweet layout but no plants as of yet. We'll see how this works out but I am hopeful and excited again.

There may also be some room in front of the house to grow some plants but I haven't really decided what to grow there. -- maybe giant sunflowers & corn!