Happy Seedy Saturday!

Seeds, glorious seeds!

I LOVE Seedy Saturday.  I missed this great event last year, as I was travelling in Germany for work. While that was a thrill, and an excellent opportunity, I sorely missed the bustle and fun of buying, trading and giving away seeds!  There's something magical about the promise of summer bounty held in tidy little packages... hundreds of varieties of fruits and vegetables, all boasting unique traits and qualities that make them special.

I'm bringing peas and beets for the exchange table, and if you happen to pick up one of these packages, I hope you'll say hello in the comments below!

If the whole thing is new to you, find out more about Seedy Saturday at Linda Crago's Tree and Twig Farm blog here.  Seedy Saturday wouldn't happen in Niagara if not for Linda's boundless energy and enthusiasm.  She'll be there, and when you see her, make sure to say hello!

 

2012: The Year That Wasn't

Planting seedlings LATE in May, 2012.

2012 didn't happen in my garden.  Not really.  My season began with an injury... I sprained my ankle while chasing my other passion, roller derby (more on that later), and was hobbled when it came time to turn soil, plant seedlings and generally start making things happen out there.  With a late start in May, I never really found my garden groove and ended up with a half-assed, sorry shadow of what Mo Farm was meant to be. Hey, it happens.

The weeds were atrocious, my peppers didn't pep, the lettuce bolted and went to seed, and the zucchini never even got sown.  What did I learn from this?  Not a damn thing!  (haha) I'm not dwelling on my failed season, or even lamenting it.  I frequented the farmer's market, I spent more time with friends, and now, with the 2013 growing season on the horizon, I'm approaching my garden plans with a renewed energy and a better vision of what I need out of my landscape.  First and foremost in my planning - LOWER MAINTENANCE!  My world isn't about to get any less hectic, and in order to make the most of my time in the garden and to get the most yield out of my space, I'm reducing the turf, increasing the mulch, and turning my little beds into raised beds this spring.  I'm also going to look seriously into simple drip irrigation systems, invest in rain barrels, and figure out a way to keep the damn dogs from running through my tomatoes!

So... sound good?  Do you forgive me for abandoning you?  I can't wait to start the adventure again in 2013.... Seedy Saturday is next weekend!  Are you in?


 

Getting Back to Sun & Soil

 
Is there any better feeling? 

It was a long, hard, bitter winter for my family and I. While the weather wasn't too harsh, our cicumstances were... we fought depression and boredom. We fought with eachother. We fought with our finances.  We fought cancer.

The ultimate reward for a season of hardship is the catharsis of dirt under nails and sun on shoulders as we get back to the soil.  The sweat and flex of muscles as we strip away the old, turning over the earth to plant a new beginning, is like a healing ritual that seems capable of fixing anything and everything.  This past long weekend was the 'official' start of the gardening season for many, and I dove into my garden for the first time this year with an intensity I had forgotten was possible.  With aching back and tired legs, I sat on the soft grass on Monday afternoon as the sprinkler watered my newly-sprouted pea seedlings and emerging mesclun greens with a smile on my face and a warmth in my heart that I had missed.  


It feels good to be back.


What are you growing this year?

Spring?

It must be, because my seeds are here!  It's been a loooong winter for my family and I, and I've been miserable at updating the Mo Farm blog.  But it's a new season, and a fresh start, and I cannot WAIT to be back in fresh air, sunshine and soil.

Looking back at last season, I'm already behind! I'll be sowing my first round of seeds this weekend, (a solid week behind last season's schedule) and you can start too!  Check out this post from last year for everything you need to sow & grow from seed!  And stay tuned... because Spring is here!

 

Homegrown Holidays

There are few things I love more than decorating for the Christmas season.  That said, it's been tough to get into the spirit so far, but last week I set my mind to creating a welcoming entrance.  Call it peer pressure, because my neighbours spare no expense or effort in offering a carnival of lights, glowing deer and garland!  I decided to skip the fanfare and focus on what I love most - the understated beauty of natural materials.

I built arrangements for my cast-iron urns using birch poles, banded willow branches, greens, some dried accents from the garden centre and cuts of dried 'Limelight' Hydrangea, plumes from my ornamental grasses and Sedum heads from the garden.  I'm truly thrilled with the result.

I searched high and low for a wreath that I liked enough to spend money on, but found nothing!  Instead, leftover greens from the arrangements, a few pine cones and a re-purposed ornament that I bought for my tree made a perfect alternative.  Tied together with some jute twine from the shed, it makes me smile every time I come home.

How are you decorating for the holidays?