The Songbirds have Returned

and Happy Irish Week to All.            

For you to know, I now have in my care:

Over 450 peppers plants

100 beginner leeks

Green onions, still tiny

Trays of Pea Shoots

Trays of Sunflower Shoots

Trays of Salad Greens and Arugula, which are not growing fast enough for my liking

A variety of edible flower plants

A variety of basil plants

Several cilantro plants

Thyme plants

Over 1100 new seeds/seedlings to mist each day, sometimes twice a day if it’s sunny out

These are all a result of seeds begun between January and now.

    

Also:

Raised beds of soon-to-be Salad Greens, heirloom Romaine lettuce and Arugula, started last week

A raised bed of Spinach seedlings begun in November, coming up now

Kale plants which were plucked from outside rows and plunked into the Greenhouse in the fall, doing very well this week

Chard which has started to re-grow in the greenhouse

Celery plants we cleaned up which are showing signs of new growth

Parsley and Cilantro seedlings started in the greenhouse in November, popping up to see the light

The Herb Garden which is really coming into greenery these days – hooray for the rain and sunshine

Rosemary plants which over-wintered in the Greenhouse

I’m sure there are more like the leeks out in the field rows which may have survived but it’s too wet for me to check and the carrots which look great from here but again, too wet to get out there. 

I was planning for the upcoming season and had a brainwave.  It’s good to have one every once in a while.  Since hot peppers grew in the small greenhouse last year, I can’t really grow the same thing there again.  So … today we are going to plant peas and snow peas in the greenhouse.  We’re also up-potting more peppers – it seems an endless journey for those peppers.  We’ll be starting lettuces in raised beds in the large Greenhouse which will live there until their eviction date when the hot peppers will move in for the season.  Those then little lettuces will move out to the Salad Garden to become heads of lettuce for your plates. 

I want to show you pictures of praying mantis nests.   These are about one inch to one and a half inches long and can show up on the edge of an outbuilding doorway, on table legs or chair legs, on a cloth like in the picture, on the side of posts or even just on a wall.  If you see them, don’t disturb them or try to move them.  If anything, try to protect them from ants which will eat the eggs.  People actually buy these nests to release the new babies into their gardens to take care of business when you’re not around. 

     

I want to show you, as well, a garden spider nest.  A garden spider is one of your best friends in the garden, keeping an eye on and eating up those bad bugs.  I have to laugh at the number of times one of these nests would be in the center of a cherry tomato plant and I’d almost pick it thinking it was a cherry tomato.  In this nest there are hundreds of baby spiders waiting to help you. 

Suffice to say, we’re busy (more than usual) around here from now until November. 

Next weekend is Easter weekend.  I won’t deliver Friday but if you’d specifically like me to grow sprouts for you for Thursday delivery, let me know this week as I’ll need to start them Saturday.  As I’m already growing Shoots, I will deliver the ready ones to Heather’s Healthy Harvest so you’ll be able to pick up some things at her shop.  She’ll most likely be closed Good Friday and Easter Sunday and is always closed Mondays, but you could check with Heather to be sure – 613-215-0353. 

The fact that I’m almost out of eats is pleasant, as it means it’s time to start afresh.  My offering to you this week is:

Granola, with fruit  $8 500mL jar

Granola, with nuts and fruit  $10 500mL jar

I’ll make it if you order it. 

Pea Shoots  $2 bag 

Sunflower Shoots  $2 bag  

Sprouts:  $3 bag

Ancient Eastern Blend (fenugreek, lentils, kamut & adzuki) 

Crunchy Bean Mix   (peas, lentils and garbanzos)  

Sandwich Booster (clover, alfalfa, radish and mustard) 

Spicy Lentil Crunch  (lentils, red clover, alfalfa, radish & mustard)

Spring Salad Mix  (broccoli, radish, alfalfa & clover)

Daikon Radish  NEW  This one is my new favourite, I made a little bit so you can try a smaller bag if you like, a little goes a long way with so much flavour  $1 bag

If you'd like to purchase any of the above items, I'd be happy to provide them if available after our regular customers have ordered.  Perhaps you might like to be added to our Weekly Delivery List.  I send my email out every Wednesday, collect orders Thursdays and deliver Fridays (or another day convenient to us and you if you're not too close to home).  See Contact information and email or call me.  Thanks.

And remember some of Day Brighteners Farm produce can be found at Heather's Healthy Harvest in Kemptville.  

Until next post, have a great every day.
Jo