You can barely see the head of Toad in her shelter. She has built a fine home in a nicely planted hens-n-chicks basket. She is always home. A reliable stay-at-home type or perhaps weary of the outside world. She doesn’t say which. We like having her, although she has taken the planter off the market.

Another welcome guest was found creeping and hopping among the weeds and mulch. Cat, enjoyer of all creatures, poses as hand model with the tiny praying mantis. It’s nice to have a few new friends on the farm.

There has been lots of stress leading up to this first market. Laminated price tags, banners, props, signage, a new iphone with a credit card app- these details have consumed me over the last week.  I have a checklist of 40 odd things that need to go in the truck with me- and this doesn’t even include the plants!

The other day I practiced setting up the canopy by myself and was not able to do it, even after consulting some youtube videos. Jeanne of Jeanne’s Soaps in Marion always helped me last year when I was struggling- I wish I could bring her with me to Des Moines (and I wish I had a bar of her lavender rosemary soap!) Alan stepped in and figured it out- but I am still left with doubts as to whether I can pull it off solo.

Fitting a canopy, tables, trees, plants and bouquets in a vehicle is tricky. Last year my dad built me a removable shelf, so that tables and canopy are one level and plants on another. Taller trees will have to ride in the cab with me. I predict that will just barely be able to wedge myself into the driver’s seat, as was often the case last year.

This is a planted chair I made and took to the market last year. How did I ever load this?

A newly planted chair I will attempt to load.

Emerging Cat Grass

And so, I give you an emerging garden collection. I went out into the gardens in search of new growth. It’s a cute time of year. Everything seems so manageable and in its place. Some seeds, like the radishes and beans, are just coming into being.  The broccoli and lettuce, on the other hand, has been around for a while now. Amazing salads have been consumed. Enjoy. Click on the thumbnail images for an expanded view.

Today I sewed 20 grow bags. From this season forward, anything woody will be planted in a grow bag and grown in a cell of a concrete block. Growing trees and shrubs in bags made of spun landscape fabric, whether housed in concrete or not, allows roots to be air pruned, spurring the development of thick fibrous roots and preventing roots from circling, like they most certainly will in plastic pots. The concrete keeps the roots cooler in the heat of summer, and helps hold in moisture. We tried this growing method last year with a few black pussy willow shrubs and can report that this resulted in beautifully branched plants with healthy, well-developed root systems. We also planted a number of small trees in the grow bags and have concluded that yes, they grow much better this way. The bags are easy to make, but a little monotonous, which is why I stopped at 20.

I’ve been enjoying looking at the pussy willow lately. Some of the catkins are peeking out of their casings! We are currently growing  4 varieties:   Japanese Fantail, Giant, Black and Heirloom Purple. And we will be planting the following new varieties this year: a low growing weeping pussy willow (Salix Kilmarnock), a pink variety of Giant Pussy willow, as well as 6 other willows grown for stem color, a few having the added bonus of catkins. Willows are so wonderful!

This afternoon I went outside and begun the task of pruning volunteer mulberry trees to a more pleasing shape. I have come not to resent these trees as I did in the beginning, since they are among the few capable of germinating and growing rather quickly in brome grass, without needing mulch or extra water from me. In a mostly treeless slice of land like ours, a shapely 20 foot mulberry is welcome. There is another invasive, fast-growing tree around here that I still do not like: the Siberian Elm. Any suggestions on how to get rid of it are more than welcome!

And what did Alan do today? Spring cleaning and a great job of it! Keep up the good work, Al!

I think it’s mostly all there, yet it seems short. What am I missing? Anne has already pointed out the lack of swiss chard in a rainbow of colors. We might have some seed remaining from last year though – I need to check on that. Same goes for spinach and radish. I now wonder if I shouldn’t order another variety of sweet pepper. I purposely left off pumpkins. We finished last year with too many squash beetles – I’m hoping that taking a year off will confuse them.

I am a bit saddened that the hot lemon pepper seems to have disappeared from the catalogs this year. It was a great spicy pepper. Also still need to order the mushroom plugs, but if I understand the recommendations, these need to be dealt with upon receiving so they will need to wait for March or April.

SUHYO TK CUCUMBER
BIG RAINBOW TOMATO
KELLOGGS BREAKFAST TOMATO
TOMATOBERRY GARDEN TOMATO
DETROIT BEET
DRAGON LANGERIE BEAN
Antohi Romanian > Sweet Specialty Peppers
Fairy Tale Eggplant
Carson Beans, Bush > Yellow, Round Pod
Amadeus Broccoli
Habanero
Hot Paper Lantern > Hot Specialty Peppers
Skyphos Lettuce > Butterhead/Boston > Red
Allstar Gourmet Lettuce Mix
Amethyst Improved > Basil
Genovese > Basil
Nelson > Carrots
Sunburst > Squash > Patty Pan/Scallop
Sugar Ann > Peas
Fall Green Manure Mix > Cover Crops/Farm Seeds

Special thanks to Nick and Jamie for the gift of Johnny’s Seeds this year. The garden thanks you.

These are great for arrangements, weddings, or anywhere you need a natural accent. The colors are super vibrant when fresh cut and kept cold. They will dry to more muted colors, yet will continue to add a pleasing contour to an entrance way, a lonely corner or table top. We recommend large clear vases to display the complete stem, but these branches look great in any type container.