Magnus Lovage



Magnus Lovage

 Magnus Lovage is an herb that is used in soups, dips, and as garnish. I was pleased to find it because they say it tastes just like celery but is much easier to grow than celery - well, in Iowa at least. I started the seed indoors in a container so that I can keep it on the table right outside the kitchen door for easy access. I am new to this herb (along with a few others I am trying this year for the first time). Let's hope it is disease and pest resistant.

Tom Thumb Peas are the cutest thing you have ever seen. They are a dwarf pea plant and look so darn adorable in containers. Pretty pea pods that form after white flowers grow on dwarf plants and they are so stunning. I put four seeds in one small terra cotta pot and I am hoping it will fill in and provide a nice centerpiece for the outdoor table. We purchased the seed from Seed Savers last year and they are typically sold out so we were lucky to get our hands on some. I would like to buy some more this year but I have really pushed my gardening budget already. (I might break down and do it anyway tho). Here is a pic.


Tom Thumb Pea

 Last night Mr. Man was sweet enough to come home after working all day and jump right in to help with the yard work. The garden was wet with standing water because of the accelerated snow melt and he dug trenches to let the water run off and away from the spinach that had survived over the winter (under the snow). I am going to sow another row of spinach today right next to the existing spinach and hope for an early crop.

We just purchased this home last August and we were delighted by how well spinach and lettuce did in the garden area. The summer before we purchased the home the backyard had flooded a lot do to an excessive amount of rain. The sellers of the house were just devastated to be selling the house with a big brown patch in the yard. Turns out it made the perfect garden and the dirt is like black gold. We could not be happier.

Today I started Broccoli Calabrese (6), Mammoth Red Rock Cabbage (6), Celebrity Tomato (6), Sweet Cherry Tomato (6), and Cucumber - Mrs. Pickler (6). I am going to try pickling this year because I literally have so many canning jars that I do not think I could grow enough food (even in a 75X25 garden) to fill them all with tomatoes and beans. Besides, sometimes I like pickles.



Broccoli Calabrese

 There are posts on the maple tree we put in last fall and those need to come out today as well as moving houseplants from terra cotta pots into plastic pots so they can get sold at a spring garage sale or at the annual gardeners club plant sale. I want the pots outside full of veggies and herbs this year and I have plastic pots galore so this will free up some of my terra cotta.

Well the garden is not going to take care of itself so, no time like the present.