If you have limited space, try growing vegetables in containers this spring. Root crops such as carrots will grow long and full in a deep pot if kept watered. Tomatoes also do well in containers. In extremely limited sites such as balcony gardens, grow tomatoes upside down. Poke a hole in the bottom of a clean 5-gallon bucket and put your plant through. Fill the container with soil, and plant some herbs or flowers in the top. Make sure to add calcium in the form of lime to prevent blossom-end rot. Water and fertilize your plant . It should produce plenty for you.
Some annuals need longer than others to get going. Begin sowing them this month. Lobelia, petunias and vinca all fall into this category. Also take cuttings of easy-to-root indoor plants like begonias for use outside this summer.
Trim branches of early-flowering trees and shrubs for forcing indoors. Forsythia, witch hazel, quince and pussy willow work especially well. Make sure you get them in water immediately after cutting.
Despite having the fewest days of the year, February can seem like the longest month to a gardener. Take some time to warm your gardening spirit by looking through catalogs and ordering seeds and plants for the spring. Be bold this year and try some varieties that you haven't before. Also look up some new recipes so you can use your garden produce. Having a few new squash recipes on hand will make sure you are ready for the summer's bumper crop.
A warm, satisfying healthy winter treat is poached fruit. Take about 2 pounds of dried fruit (I like figs, dates, apples and golden raisins), and add 2
1/2 cups of apple cider and 3/4 cup of spiced rum. Throw in a cinnamon stick and some orange zest, then let soak overnight or for 24 hours. Bake in a shallow dish at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until the fruit is tender. Serve on its own or with vanilla ice cream.
No comments:
Post a Comment