Happy New Year–The Gardening Season for 2013 has begun!

I am looking out at a cold winter landscape with barren trees, a bit of snow still here and there and a grey and white sky; not much green or growing.

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First off , well-chosen new year ! The holiday brouhaha has passed . We celebrated the solstice and now the wearisome demise of winter as the day are mature longer , slowly yet certainly . Although the winter atmospheric condition is upon us , and we have a few more months to go with possible freeze temperatures , for us nurseryman , the 2013 gardening season is beginning .

I still go out to the garden almost everyday … well the woodpile is decently next to it , so I have to . It has been fairly tidied up with dead plants and interest removed , as well as the tomato cages stack . The “ garden people ” , our three bird-scarer still galvanise me occasionally , when I arrest them out of the corner of my eye , however , they do n’t seem to deter the herd of deer , which wander the woods and fields looking for something dark-green to eat on . Fortunately , they are not interested in the fall - engraft ail , which is 2 - to 3 - inches marvelous . Which reminds me – that I need to go out and surround the little flora in the wrangle with mulch – now that they are up and showing .

trust it or not , I still have some greens growing under my row of short hoops cover with garden fabric . The Charles Percy Snow did press it down so that it was laying mightily on the plants , so we removed them to shake off the snow . There is still scratch , collards , kale , parsley , cilantro ( though colour a little purplish - brown ) , Wasabi rocket salad , common beet with greens and we commit the last of the carrots for supper night before last . Oh they were soooo sweet and crunchy ! These late - harvest veggies are not only a delight – it is inspiring this gardener to think about building a hoop star sign big enough to take the air in . Eliot Coleman ’s books are an inspiration for having a hoophouse in the winter .

The south side of our passive - solar home is a 24 x 8 - groundwork glasshouse . It mostly domiciliate my houseplant , cacti and succulent and legal tender perennial like rosemary , bay , eucalyptus , pelargoniums , hibiscus , lemon grass , guava , jasmine , palm tree , banana tree , etc . This does not allow much room for flatbed for growing seedlings . I do have a few of them run low with salad super C like lettuce , rocket and spinach . This lightness - filled elbow room full of plants exchanging O and carbon dioxide with we humans , turn over me great delight during the winter months . harvest herb and salad and eat them within the 60 minutes is true garden - to - kitchen wealthiness .

Another practice this metre of year – although I do it throughout the yr – is maturate sprout right on the kitchen counter . I have been grwoing sprouts for decades and have used a quart , canning jar with a piece of cover over the close . A few years back , I got a three - level sprouter and I can grow three kinds of sprouts at the same time . It is near the cesspool so I think to irrigate it a few time each day , and voila , brisk unripened sprout in just two - to - three days ! Although I like alfalfa and mungo beans , my darling is the hot Japanese radish and mustard greens admixture , and of trend , the helianthus seeds are so nutty - unspoilt . This is so easy and the food is inhabit and refreshful ; I advance you to sprout too !

I receive many of the catalogs mentioned in late web log post , as well as the ones on Ruth Dobsevage ’s one-time lean , A Bumper Crop of Seed Catalogs . Three that are not on those lists , that I go to for herbaceous plant ( and more ) and you would enjoy are : Horizon Herbs ( Oregon ) atwww.horizonherbs.com ; Richters ( Canada ) atwww.richters.com ; DeBaggio Herb Farm and Nursery ( Virginia – no mail order – you must go visit ) atwww.debaggioherbs.com .

The International Herb Association has chosen Elder as Herb of the Year for 2013 . ( www.iherb.org ) Their new rule book will be release this month and I will station details as soon as it is off the presses . Meanwhile , I will carry info and a formula or two , both culinary and medicinal , in my upcoming blogs to keep this ancient plant . I will be journey about the area to give lectures on Elder , so remain tune up .

Last , though , not least , for those of you in the Baltimore - Washington area , you are in luck ! I have upcoming course of study at the Creative Alliance in Baltimore in January and February . I will be teach a repetition , two - part class with mixologist , Connor Rasmussen from Woodberry Kitchen , on using and make aromatic bitters.https://www.creativealliance.org/events/2012/bitters-truth-aromatic-adventure

We are also offering a class on making look infusions , shrubs and cordials.https://www.creativealliance.org/events/2013/spirit-infusions-shrubs-and-cordials

And for those of you who take to escape from off the wintertime doldrums , come to my Cabin Fever Class!https://www.creativealliance.org / events/2013 / cabin - fever - cocktails

cheerfulness to a glad , healthy and herbal 2013 !

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