Starts vs Wintered Over!

The measuring stick is placed on the surface of the soil...so, these baby lettuce starts are only about 3 marks high.  Now...see what I just found in my little greenhouse outside...

These are about 6-7 marks high

and with no effort on my part at all!

These are my other favorite green - they grow outside without needing any protection at all!  And, as you can see...they are about 4 marks high.  Which is all they ever get anyway.  This is a very small, low to the ground, growing green.

My spinach (started indoors "against" the suggestions of the seed company) is about 3 marks high.  And, so far, they seem to be doing okay outside in the little greenhouse.

In the past, I rarely got spinach to grow at all!

Although, there is one variety that I grew successfully last Summer in the shade UNDER my tomatoes...I'll share those in May or June when I get them going.

These are sorrel - I have them growing wildly all over.  Only  had to put them out once as seedlings (and only one plant, too)...as it goes to seed and self-propagates wonderfully in our climate!

I highly recommend a large, clean tool shed.  By the way, the white pumping container typically used for spraying chemicals has NEVER been used as such on our property.  It was given to us and sits untouched, because - so far - we have never had the slightest trouble with anything except anthracnose on the apple trees.

As you can see...the slugs are happy to find Nature's bounty, as well.  This Kale plant is growing in the greenhouse and is about 2 feet in diameter!  What's nice is that the slugs we found have been eating IT instead of our more tender greens.  We'll begin the Slug-Boat in late April and early May.  Maybe 3 cruises through the garden and we'll be virtually slug-free for another year!

Here we have found BURIED TREASURE!  A very sweet and crunchy carrot from last year that went well with some peanut butter!  And, around it, our spinach starts have found a new home...we'll track their progress to see how this method works.

Bon Voyage Everyone!

We hope you enjoy many warm and sunny Spring days this April!

I'm thrilled to have this table on the porch this year so I can do more of my food prep outside and the starts and potting up projects will be so much easier, as well!

Spring 2011 - Here We Come!

This is my favorite view this time of year...

The grass is greening...the stevia is waking up...and we've got our lights

and new plant babies growing, growing, growing!

As you can see, we keep our lights VERY close to the seedlings.

DO THIS!  So often, I see seedlings about 4-6 inches away.  The trick, of course,

is to have your lights "easily adjustable" - we've done that by using hooks and chains

to hang them and then it takes about 2 seconds to lower or raise the lights.

Here we have mixed greens, broccoli and cabbages, and even spinach.

It says to plant spinach outside - but in our climate, I never get good spinach.

This way, I don't risk damaging or traumatizing the seedlings when I replant them, and I hope we'll have decent spinach - it's an experiment!

Which, of course, is how one finds the tricks of any trade.

Chard!  Yeah!  And, can you believe the color they have,

even at this young age?  Of course we have Kale which wintered over, but the Chard always gets killed off in the Winter freezes.  

Meanwhile, our garden is already filling up without our help because of all the plants that have naturalized over the last 6 years.  Next blog entry will discuss this...and we might have to turn the manure and discover just how many worms you can find in a bucket of "nature's fertilizer."

Making Salad out of Spring Greens & How about green tomatoes?!

Hello Everyone!

It has been awhile since I've posted!  Summer does that to me.  However, what we call Summer up here on Vashon Island would fall under the heading "Spring" in most of California.  I imagine you know what I mean..

But, is this a bad thing?  Not really.
Every year is a blessing to be appreciated, every month is a gift, and every day is a present.  As long as we keep this in mind, it'll also be easy to see all the good that comes with a cool Summer...

• Did you plant snow peas this year?  I am STILL picking them out of my garden - on a hot year, they are gone by June.
• Did you plant lots of tomato plants?  Well, this is our opportunity to practice growing them without ever feeling exhausted by too many tomatoes to keep up with!  (that's a stretch...I know)

But...

• How about the fact that the Fall Berry Season will be super plump this year?  Let's spend our canning energy on lots of jam that can last for years on the shelf...then on a hot year, we put up a couple or so years of tomato sauce, etc.
• I STILL have homemade applesauce from a bumper crop we had four (that's right - 4) years ago! 
• This has been the perfect year for SALAD out of the garden - while our lettuce finally bolted (most of it), my chard is soft and young, my kale is delicious, and I'm still enjoying brocolli and cauliflower and cabbage from our Spring planting.

Long story short - don't let the weather people fool you.  THEY say sunny is a good day and rainy is a bad day - we'll pumping water that is 1,000's of years old our of our aquifer on a hot day is NOT my idea of a great plan for a Summer evening!  Every rainy day is another drop INTO the aquifer...and that means another generation that can happily live on this beautiful island.

Today, as we begin the Fall properly, I'd like to toast a perfect, Northwestern Summer...here's to ya, Mama Earth!  Job well done!

Warmly,

March

Our Berries Are Headed to Strawberry Festival!!

Yum!!

We just got a call from a food vendor who wants 

to make syrup from Vashon Strawberries

for Strawberry Festival!

How fun is that?  So...our luscious berries (frozen

and fresh) will bring joy to many this coming

festival weekend!

Thanks, Nanette!

Viva la waffles with 

REAL Vashon Strawberry Syrup!

Winter Subscriptions Available NOW!

From our Farm to Your Pantry...

A Four Month Subscription

to wholesome & delicious, organically grown, family farmed

Spring & Summer treats during the Winter Months

for your and yours!

While many people enjoy the fruits of the abundant 

land we live in...not all of us have the time necessary 

to preserve the bounty!  

Esperanza Farm Winter Subscription

$350

November - February

-------------------

(1)

Once a Month Pick-Up!

(These items are "non-perishable," so you can come by just once a month

and pick up your goodies!)

(2)

Surprises in every box!

(Every month you'll get a different flavor of:  tea, fruit leather (perfect for kid's lunches), 4 jars of jam, apple pie mix, and 4 jars of frozen berries - perfect for yogurt, smoothies, pie,

on ice cream, in oatmeal...and more!)

We're taking Subscriptions NOW! 
(Early Sign Ups Allow More to Join)

Contact March Twisdale
Phone:  473-1643 
Email:  Esperanzavashon@gmail.com

Lights of Springtime

OUR LIGHTS OF SEEDLING SPRING!

This is one of those frames that comes with a large plastic cover - for outdoor greenhousing.

We find that it grows mold when used that way - we never use the plastic.

The metal tray under the whole thing is a blessing - keeping our wood flooring safe and dry.

That's one of those oil spill catching things they sell at car supply stores.

Our seeds LOVE living in a south facing window with no shade trees around the house.

These lights are special - ask at the store which will work for plants - and we've got them mounted on 

long pieces of wood which then have screws for the chains to go around.

This system allows extremely quick and easy lowering or raising of the lights - CRUCIAL!

To really get good effect, you need the lights no more than 2 inches from the top leaves

of the plant.  It takes a bit of organizing, but it's worth it.

Some things to keep in mind:

(1)

You want to plant seeds in waterproof trays that will all grow to about the same height.

If I put tomatoes (tall) and basil (short) in the same tray - then you see the trouble with the lights, right?

(2)

The heat of your home is getting a "second use" by keeping the seeds warm!

(3)

Seedlings take some time (not much) but they save tons of money!

Just our tomato plants alone, when ready to go into the garden, would have cost us $200 

if we bought them from someone else!  AND we got to choose our own varieties.

We'll talk more about this in the early Winter!

Happy Summer for now...

Cultivate a Seed Bank you'll LOVE eating!

Do you pull up all of your carrots?

Do you yank out those darn lettuces once they bolt and turn bitter?

Do you spend time "weeding" out old plants that are going to seed?

STOP!

Have you heard of the advice to continually sow successive generations of plants?

This lengthens your harvest period and increases your yield, right?

WOULD YOU LIKE THE PLANTS TO DO THIS FOR YOU?

If you say YES, then do what we do!

Leave in several of each plant variety...and let them go to seed!  Once plants

have established themselves "wildly" in your garden, THEY will naturally offer

up several "crops" per season...all on their own!

Right now we have the following, and you can too, after one year of "letting them bolt!"

(1)

We have Strawberries full of ripe berries AND new plants 

just getting started (with everything in between).

(2)

We have fully ripened chamomile AND new babies just a few inches tall.

(3)

Some of our "wild" lettuces went to seed back in early April,

some are going to seed now, some are about to go to seed, 

and a ton are babies or just perfect for the salad!

(4)

We have parsnips almost in seed,

parsnips that are almost ready to harvest,

and some that are just getting started.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

AN OVERLY CLEANED UP GARDEN IS A LOT OF WORK

& NOT NECESSARILY THE BEST FOOD PRODUCER!

LET THEM GO TO SEED!