It's Good to Be Back!

I can’t remember an April when my fingernails were as dirt free as they are now. But all that was remedied as I started through my mail on Tuesday and uncovered all the seed packets that had arrived in my absence. Even BEFORE I opened the seed packets, I went to the potting bench and set up some seed trays and put the dirt “on to warm” on a mat in the guest bathroom.

Artichokes should be started in mid February if you have any hope of tasting one by September. Here I am in mid April just starting the task. I have two new varieties this year … they are both from Peter’s Seeds and Research … called Northern Star and Emerald. They say the Northern Star is bred to overwinter and produce the following spring April – June in northern climates. I’m game. Then Emerald is freeze resistant to 0 degrees and should produce this year. Oh what I would give to have a lush perennial field of artichokes like I saw in the Loire Valley and in Provence. As if there isn’t enough heartache in being a New England gardener just trying to coax a red tomato out of the ground, I have to introduce winter angst by being obsessed by artichokes!

So it is good to be back and focused on the garden once again. Besides artichokes, there are some other goodies in my cache of seed packets.

Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin, Candy Roaster Squash, a Sunburst Patty Pan, and two varieties of beets: Early Wonder Tall Top and Detroit Supreme. Those are just the highlights.

More to come soon. It’s good to be back.