Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Visiting Wonderland

Tick Tock Tick Tock...Wonderland..New York...Central Park..oh what a great visit! A week away, 'time out' from the garden to explore a city I barely know and a park that covers over 800 acres. Kwanzan and Yashino Cherry, Callery Pear and Eastern Red Bud (Cercis Canadensis with it's amazing bloom along the tree trunk) were outstanding. A tapestry of pink and white froth covered the landscape; Magnolia petals fluttered to the ground; emerging lime green buds shone from the overhead branches of maple, oak and American Elm. It wasn't just the canopy of trees that thrilled, but also the faces of the many people who passed by, smiles lighting up, reflecting a perfect day. We are each a gift I thought, celebrating our uniqueness, but also, celebrating what we hold in common, the pure pleasure of a beautiful spring day in a most magnificent garden.

And there was Alice, waiting to be discovered, near the Conservatory Water. A bronze child with the likeness of the sculptor's daughter, cast perfectly. I can't imagine her any other way but as she is, sitting with her long arms, high forehead, and well rubbed nose. Don't you agree she is perfect!

I felt like Alice that first day in New York...pulled on one hand by coach time tour constraints, my heart longing to cover every part of Central Park right there and then. The Mad Hatter whispered.... "back on the bus"!   Two afternoons found me back there, each visit as wonderful as the first introduction.

May I make a shameless plug for Showcase Productions. It was truly a pleasure, being part of their Spring in NYC Theatre Tour. (Don't miss "Kinky Boots" if you go!) Showcase Productions is a Not for Profit Society who raise funds through tours and productions, which help students pursue their goals through sponsorship and scholarship.

But back to the tick tock tick tock..like White Rabbit racing through the woods, time did not stand still for the garden back home. The electrical conduit hoops over the second raised bed have worked quite well as you might recall this was the first year I tried to extend the season there. It worked equally as well as the first raised bed covered with the Lexan and cost less... plus, I put it together myself..ahem..ahem.
The photo shows dwarf Kale..last year's. Looks kinda sad but I am getting early greens from them and this will continue for awhile until they want to make this year's seeds. Kale are biennial...that means..first year greens, second year the plants will still have greens but will want to make seeds. But they won't do that for a month yet I hope. Scarlet Kale has already germinated inside the picket fence garden..more say about that in another post. Behind the Kale sticks are spinach seeded late last year and this year. There's also some Asian Choy and Cabbage gone to flower, carrots, arugula, garlic and some mizuna here and there and new sprouts which you can't see. So, ripped out the old stuff from last year after the above photo was taken...and this is the bed tidied up below, seeded with Albino Beets, and Red Red Oak Leaf Lettuce (Thanks N for the seeds).
So much has germinated in a short time. I am rather thrilled with the Red Pak Choi which enjoys cool weather, as well as beets and Purple Mizuna. The chard has also germinated and Lolla Rossa Lettuce should be ready to pick and thin in about two weeks. All of these are under the hoops in the fenced garden, seeds in the soil mid March. As I have greens germinating too close together, they will be thinned and potted up or replanted elsewhere. (click on highlighted words to follow links) Cold frames are a great place to start your seeds to transplant early as they are pretty well 'hardened off' when you move them out of their environment.


purple mizuna
It's truly a glorious time of year....so I do hope you have had a few minutes to throw some seeds on your soil...push those peas in the ground (soak first in the house to awake them). Remember Mr. Radish..he loves the cold, and Ms. Spinach..oh she does as well. Alice says..."it's all a wonder!"

33 comments:

  1. I agree with you, Bren: late Spring / early Summer is the best time of the year for the garden. So full of promise!

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    1. It truly is, full of promise. Thanks Mark for your comment.

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  2. Hi Bren, I am so glad to hear that you enjoying your break and discovered the delights of central park along the way. Garden season is off to a flying start here if only the sun would stop playing hide and seek:)
    Paul

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    1. Paul, I am late replying to the comments so I do hope by now, the sun has blissfully been shining on your garden and, of course, your life.

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  3. Now that's what I call Wonderland. Just shows good ideas spread all over the world! (Do you know I have the same plastic piping!)

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    1. Mal...I am thrilled to know we have the same plastic piping idea. Heaven knows where I came up with it..could have been your blog or???? But it works really well and was cost efficient compared to the ubuild lexan cover The Cap made. Thanks for your comment.

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  4. The wonderland photos are beautiful. I am so jealous of the gardening photos! I will begin planting mine this weekend. This will be the first year for me adding Kale to the garden.

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    1. Thanks Staci..your comment is so appreciated. You will love Kale!! Wonder what kind you are growing. May I make a comment about using it..as you might have a lot. Note that it is very water repellent.

      If I have a lot..I whiz it in the food processor which turns it into little bits of confetti (not mush). Then, I put in a plastic baggie..flatten it thin..and freeze flat. All winter long when I want to put some in soup or add to anything like burgers etc...I just 'break off' a piece. I am partial to Scarlet Kale and Tuscan Kale.

      Thanks for your photo compliment. It's really greening up out there now.

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  5. Lovely post and very imaginatively written - glad you had a great trip to NY, and returned home to find your all seeds flourishing.

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    1. Rosemary you had me feeling quite lovely with your comment.. imaginatively written. ;-) I do let that imagination run wild sometimes!!! Yes, NYC was a joy but glad to be home and in the garden.

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  6. how lucky to visit New York! We keep talking about going since it's so close now (as opposed to hundreds of miles away :)). love bronze statues and Alice is perfect. sounds like you had a glorious time. Thank you for the reminder about the peas and spinach, I knew there was something I was supposed to be doing this evening when outdoors but things got away from me.

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    1. We had a really great couple from PEI on the coach..he wasn't sure about taking a bus tour but by the end of it, he really enjoyed the journey. Nice folks. Maybe you can put it on your list of get away options for spring. It was a pretty wonderful tour, coming into NY and passing the park and seeing the trees in bloom. Truly awesome..a great break. That and going to the theatres and the Met!! Oh..right ..shopping too )))))

      Things are getting away from me in the garden as well...The Cap says..all in good time..

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  7. Hi Brenda. You're home!!! I am mad about Alice and you got to see my favorite Alice in Wonderland statues. I really hope to see them in person some day. I have seen the Tim Burton Alice movie no less than 30 times. LOVE IT!!
    Your garden looks amazing and as usual I am inspired. With the alpaca manure in the garden things are growing about three times faster than the last two years. A well things would always look kind of pale and pathetic. This year....nice dark green.
    I will be following what you do very, very carefully.

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    1. I didn't know you were mad about Alice!!! But I think you have an Alice in your garden don't you?

      Thank you for your compliment re the garden. We used some top dressing the last few days and already I can see the plants saying...Hey..we love you..thank you!!!

      Good growing Erin. Love following your adventures in your oh so fantastic zone...the best in Canada you say...YUP..the best.

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  8. I would love to see the statue of Alice. It has been many years since I last visited New York. Your holiday must have felt like a real break! I love that you were able to take us from the big city and the theatre right into your garden. I am still weeding when I'd like to be planting, but the weeds multiply here like nowhere else. I love the look of your tidy beds!

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    1. Thank you for commenting H. It's been over thirty years since I have been in NY. Hope you get there before long. It was magical.

      Thank you also for your comment about going from the big city to the theatre to the garden. When I sit and write, I usually don't have a plan...the words tumble out. So it was really kind of you to say.

      Weeds are bad this year...mild winter perhaps. Hope you have some seeds in soon.

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  9. I have never visited NY but follow a blog 66sq.ft. which is all about NY and what is growing there it looks wonderful. Love your mixed raised beds that is the way I grow my veg too looks like you are finding some lovely delicacies to munch on. It's certainly all go and grow at the moment.

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    1. Elaine, I too enjoy 66sq ft. She is writing a book! Seeing her photos about the construction nearby and the trees, I do hope they survive. That outdoor shower was brave!

      I enjoy your garden blog a lot. Your raised beds are great. Go and grow it is!!!

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  10. It was lovely to see a different view of NY. Your mixed beds look so full I am envious I did manage to sow so seeds over the weekend hopefully the slugs and snails will stay away!
    Sarah x

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    1. Thanks Sarah for commenting. Me tooooo..hope the slugs and snails stay away!!

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  11. Love the Alice sculpture! I never knew about it.

    I love your hoop house too. I did one two years ago. I'm sure the mild winter we had that year helped, but we had greens all winter from that bed. I never got to it last year. I'm not sure it would have done as well because it was a much, much colder winter.

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    1. Garden girl..love your blog name. Thanks for your great comment. Hope you get to your hoop house again. You know we get pretty cold here in N.S. in the winter...I bet you can get some greens through the winter where you are. Happy gardening.

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  12. A trip to New York, lucky you Bren! I used to go to New York frequently on business and grew to love the city and its incredible art galleries. I have never visited the park in the spring though. I bet it was wonderful to be there. Have you seen the movie Kinky Boots? It is a great little movie.
    My seedlings are doing great in the cold frame. This fall I am adding a second one!

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    1. Thanks for your comment Jennifer. The park was amazing in spring...the trees full of bloom, everywhere. The play Kinky Boots is better than the film I think.. awesome acting and dancing and singing and set and costume. No wonder it has won Tony Awards.

      Glad to hear your seedlings are doing well and you are adding a second cold frame! Have you blogged about this?

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  13. Ciao! Ho scoperto ora il tuo blog ed è molto bello! Lo seguirò con piacere!

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    1. Ciao pontos! Thank you for coming to my blog and your kind words. Your blog is molto bello!

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  14. oh I love your blog and I've only read a few posts!
    our overwintered kale is flowering already, I am intrigued by the red pak choi! we have red komatsuna and purple orach which are two new beauties this year.

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    1. Thank you for your kind words. So pleased to find your blog and writing. Red Komatsuna..well you have my attention there!! The red pak choi is doing very well...it is purple really..not red... Very crisp and delightful even now in it's small state.

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    2. Re the kale flowering early...I stay on top of it and start harvesting the leaves early and top the crown. It seems to last a bit longer. Still, you are in a most Favourable zone in Canada...much cooler here so yours is likely finding it's season.

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    3. we've been eating baby leaves and the flowers before they open, sort of like a kale version of broccoli raab :)

      this season has been HOT like almost 30C already. I just put in the tomatoes and squash as the past couple of June's its been raining like crazy. it's nice to have this micro climate even though we are living in the mountains. the rocky foothills are a growing zone 2 or 3! I can't imagine... what is your zone over there? I follow the year round veggie gardener (http://yearroundveggiegardener.blogspot.ca/) who is also in nova scotia, her book is amazing and were trying to grow food year round this year.

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    4. Hi again! Our zone is about zone 6! I did see the weather was quite hot in B.C.

      It just happens, Niki's blog page had a comment from you so I followed it. The book is amazing and you will have success using it.

      Thanks for coming to the blog. I really enjoy yours.

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  15. I used to dream of having a garden like yours. I planned and planned and when the time to execute the plans came, the babies started arriving. LOL! They took away all my time and energy. I always try to buy my veggies from the farmers themselves but supermarket stuff are easier at times. Kale is not so common in Rome and when I discovered it, I completely fell in love. It's in my list of vegetables to plant when I can gain more time. It looks like your blog has everything I would be needing in the future. Thanks!

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    1. Rowena...thanks for following my blog. I have so enjoyed yours; inspiring.

      Kale..scarlet kale is my favourite!! Tuscan black next fav. So hardy...all kales seem hardy in our climate. And..so easy to grow..try it in pots!! Beautiful structure; cut and come again.. always giving.

      Enjoy your visit home.

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