Gardening Class #1

All about starting a garden...mainly a vegetable garden.  Today was the first class that I held here at Irish Gardens.  I wanted to share the knowledge that I have gained and my love for planting with others so I decided to have a class.  It was open to all ages.  I only had one person show up but thats ok.  We still had fun and I think she learned something.

One of the things I wanted to do especially if kids showed up was give them a chance to plant some veggies here in a special garden and come back at least once a month to check on them.  All the veggies produced from their plantings would be theirs to keep. 

Here is what we did and what we learned.

 The new garden area.  It seems every year I add a new garden.  Hubby's ok with that as it makes it less grass for him to mow.9

 My student - A (no names really needed) planted and learned.  First when building a new bed lay some newspaper down first...then the soil.  This acts as a weed blocker with out the price of the fabric.  Deeper is not always better is something else she learned.  Some plants do just fine in a little amount of dirt.  Then it was on to planting.  We discussed the use of square foot gardening and how much you can really get into this one garden...quite a lot.  To the right here she planted beans and carrots.

 Then after that we talked about some companion planting.  How planting marigolds with tomato's is smart for many reasons.  We talked about other companion plants as well but didn't plant those.  Maybe next time.  After the marigolds and tomato's the left were planted it was time to water.

 Lastly or maybe we talked about it first was onions.  And their crazyness in my gardens, but it gave A a chance to see what they look like from small seed bulb to harvest.  Granted these are far from the size you would find in the stores but the smell is dead on and sometimes you don't need all that onion...just a little bit.

A successful class if you ask me.  I had fun and I think she did too and thats all that matters right?

Harvesting Edible Garden Tour - January 2012 1 Year Anniversary

It's been one year since I started this tour and I was actually able to post every month about something that I harvested from my garden.  I can't believe it.  Granted as of yet no one has joined me in the tour and posted about what they are harvesting but hey thats ok.  I am doing it and I am proud of me.  So what have I harvested this time?

 Why a bunch of Carrots of course...Ok so not of course but still.  Big ones, small ones, none as big as your head.

 Although this guy is the biggest around I have grown to date....so we are getting there.

And I still seem to get these crazy ones....crazy 2 legged carrots...  I even made sure that the ground underneath was nice and loose.  I got some nice long ones this time...skinny but longer.  But still some of these crazy ones.  Guess I will just have to try again in a few months.

Now that we have snow on the ground finally all the gardens (but the greenhouse) are now finally frozen..the greenhouse remains soft as it still gets quite warm in there on sunny days....so February I may or may not have anything to harvest....we will see.

So do you have anything that you harvested this month?  Anything edible that is.  Herbs, veggies, fruits....an edible flower?  Let us know so we can see.

Harvesting Edible Garden Tour - December 21, 2011

A full year of Harvesting is coming to a close.  Do you have anything in your garden you can still harvest?  I still have herbs but I didn't want to harvest them....but I had

 Lots of Carrots.  Although they could have waited longer.  These are baby carrots so they don't get all that big...but they have been growing longer than expected in terms of time

See baby's.  With really long roots.  These will taste great.

So have anything  you can eat from your garden today?  I want to see who else has a garden still producing edible harvests in December, I can't be the only one.

Crazy weather means.....

.......My herbs keep growing.  Not complaining of course just worried.  I mean it's the end of November and it's 60 outside and I can spot new growth on not only my herbs but my rose bushes and some of my hydrangea's.  What is wrong with this picture.  Anyways I wanted to see how things in the Greenhouse were progressing so I took a few pictures.....so on to a tour of my still green greenhouse.

 It may not look like a lot is growing in there but there is.  Lets take if from the front left first hidden from view is some Sage and Echinacea.  Then in the back on the left that big glob of green yea that would be carrots.

The small middle row will be next.  There are two rows of herbs in there so we will start at the front left and move back.

First up would be this lovely Rosemary.  Can you see it in the big picture...don't worry it's there.

Next just behind the Rosemary would be Mint.  Not just any mint.....but Variegated mint.

See look at the colors....it smells heavenly too.

 And behind that is Apple Mint.  Yea they are a little close to each other but it forces me to prune often.

 Back at the front of the middle part again is Spearmint...not looking so good cause it is pot bound and not at all happy with me.

 That big bunch of green in the middle yea that would be my herb....lemon balm.  Growing and very very happy.

 Right behind the lemon balm is Banana Mint.  Yes there is such a thing.

 And lastly in this row comes common oregano.

 So starting at the front again but on the right side hidden out of view is Vicks plant....with some onions in the middle.  Vicks apparently doesn't like the cold...

 Just behind that and up against the side is my Greek Oregano.....man this stuff is great.

 Finally coming in view of the over all picture that green mess in the front right would be this guy Sweet Marjoram.  Oh and some more onions.

 About the middle of the right side is this to the right is Marshmallow and the left is a small pot of Echinacea.

 Along the back wall we find my favorite mint of all the ones I have.....Chocolate mint.

And to the right of Chocomint is Winter Savory.

So thats the tour of my greenhouse.  Lots still growing in there and I love it.  Hopefully Mother Nature will pick up her calendar and realize that it's late fall and drop the temp some.  Cause when she does winter can come and go and it's on to spring...time to plant again.

Harvesting Edible Garden Tour - September 2011

Welcome one and all to the Monthly edition of the Harvesting Edible Garden Tour.  A place where you can come and find out what is harvesting all over the gardening blogospere.  So what you say could be harvesting in Irish Gardens at this time of year?

 My greenhouse still gets warm most days so I still have Eggplant harvesting.

 The sweet peppers that have been growing in the greenhouse - The only sweet pepper plant to survive the crazy summer weather finally had a pepper ready to harvest.

 Chives chives and more chives.

 Still got a few tomatoes left that came ready this morning.

 Green beans finally are plumping up enough to harvest as well.

Carrots - finally after watching all summer the plants very very slowly get bigger I had carrots ready.  Guess they didn't want to get bigger than this just like last year.

So lets see what is edible and harvesting in your garden?  Post and leave a link below.

Thriving Thursday - Perennials

Spring has finally and officially come to Irishladysgarden.  Half way through April and Finally something to truly post about.  Ok so thats not true as I always find something to post about.  Today is Thriving Thursday and it's all about Perennials.  Specifically I want to see all the signs of life outside the home.  Tree's budding things like that.  If it is something you planted even better.

So for my entries:

The Lilac tree in the front yard next to the driveway is looking very green today.  Just looking up at the branches made me smile.

Not a flower or tree but a perennial indeed.  My Rhubarb takes center stage in my edible kitchen garden as a perennial back for it's second year.  I can just taste the strawberry-rhubarb jam I made last year from this planting.

A forest?  No it's carrots.  The carrots that over wintered in the Greenhouse have begun to grow like weeds again.

One of the trees we planted last year - A Sargent Crabapple.  A lot more leaves this year course it is another year older.  This guy measures in at 20" so he was in and out of the snow all winter but did have a car port land on him.
He is truly a thriving tree after that fiasco.

My Pink Rose bush that was featured a lot last year here because of it beautiful flowers has woken from it's winter nap and is quickly growing new leaves.

The Lilac tree we planted at the same time as the Crabapple is also showing signs of it's survival from our harsh winter.  This guy is only 6" tall so he was burried under all the snow the whole time.


Now it's your turn.  Show off the spring that is in your yard.  Add your post's link to mrlinky below and post a comment.  Come back and see who else joined in and what they are posting about.

100 Posts and still no spring

Check me out.  I have posted 100 posts.  Well once this is posted it will be 101 but still.  Thats kinda cool.  Well up here in NY we are still suffering from winter.  Though the snow we got last week is mostly gone now there are still traces around.  Proof that the temp is not rising enough to melt all the snow.  Bitter cold winds blow.  Just look at what Jack Frost is doing......

My poor crocus that surprised me although still trying to bloom they only seem to last a day now.  And that mean ol' Jack comes in at night and Bam......droopy crocus.

Then I go and look in the edible gardens and find this.....

Garlic Chives trying to grow but can't get the color right.  Now Jack I know you are having fun and all.  But this is just wrong.  I mean who wants to eat red chives.

Feeling sad that Mr. Frost is messing with my gardens I head to my greenhouse and find this....

 Thats right Jack you can't mess with my Greenhouse Garlic Chives.  The calendar did say it was spring and the way the sun begins to heat the greenhouse by 7am means in the greenhouse I have Green Chives.  Green like they are supposed to be.

And take this too Jack Frost....my Oregano survived all winter in the greenhouse.  Freezing temp and all...it stayed green.

Yea you tried to kill my mint.  I saw that.  But take a look at this Mr Jack Frost......my mint is coming back and it's coming back strong.

After your harsh freezing winter the lettuce didn't look so good but Mother Natures wonderfully warming sun shinning in on the greenhouse has made this nice and strong...and tasty too.

Thank you Jack for the freezing winter temps as they have helped my carrots grow.  Carrots don't mind the winter cold temps as long as they had time before a frost to develop.  Nice strong green leaves here.



So although you have tried to keep spring at bay it looks as though Mother Nature and the sun are winning out.  So Jack Frost although I dearly love you and winter.  I love the way snow looks and frost decorates my gardens it is time for you to go.  Your 15 minuets of fame have long been over.

To Madame Spring.  I wish you the best of luck in kicking Jack out the door.  The greenhouse loves you and the gardens await your return.  Please hurry I can't afford to buy any more houseplants to play with.  I need to get my hands in the dirt and plant my seedlings.