February Garden Goals

Winter has been a bit busier than I expected.  I'm still hoping for a snow day, but with the extremely mild temperatures we've had this winter it's not looking possible.  This month is going to be all about preparing for spring.  However, I need to keep working on that ambitious 2012 project list.

1. Start seeds inside: broccoli, cauliflower, onion, leeks, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, parsley, celery, eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes are on the list for Feb.
2. Starting seeds outside: peas and spinach
3. Harden off: leeks, onions, and parsley
4. Clean up beds: get the beds ready for spring planting, those winter annuals have enjoyed the mild temperatures a bit too much!
5. Build raspberry beds: I wasn't sure if I was going to plant raspberries this year, but I ended up ordering them with my asparagus order.  Why pay multiple shipping charges?  However, this means I've got to make a bed for them before they arrive in the spring.
6. Prettify the potting shed: paint shelves, make workbench skirt, install trellis around foundation of shed and maybe even make a windowbox.
7. Finish potting shed bed: I need to get some topsoil and mix in manure to get the new bed ready for planting.  It's a shady spot so I was originally planning for shade flowers, but now I want to squeeze in some veggies like lettuce, peas, cabbage that will hopefully appreciate some shade.
8. Make a bee mason house: I'm trying to make my garden more friendly to wildlife and attract pollinators.
9. Start on the path to the garden: This is going to be a digging project that may take awhile, maybe if I start it now I'll finish before the year ends!  
10. Clean garden tools: I didn't get to this last month, so maybe Feb will be the time to do it.

Well see if February is going to be as productivity as January. 

Happy February gardening!  I still can't believe I have radishes growing in Feb, crazy! 

Revisiting January Garden Goals

The first month of 2012 has already flown by and with my giant list of 2012 projects, it is time to see how I am doing.  

January Gardening Goals:

1. Finish potting shed - the shed is functional with shelves and workbench, but I do want to do some painting and make it a bit cozier.
2. Set-up my seed starting station - Baby seedlings are happily growing on the heat mats with hanging lights.
3. Start seeds! - I started broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, leeks, head lettuce, onion seed, parsley, and Chinese cabbage.
4. Build bed in front of potting shed - The bed is built!  I wasn't expecting to finish this in January.  I still need a fill the bed and then start planting in the spring, but the structure is built!  

 I also want to put something around the foundation of the shed.

Here's a side view:

1. Asparagus - I ordered my asparagus- Jersey Knight, 25 crowns.
2. Harvest and weigh winter crops -yep, I'm still thrilled about weighing harvests
3. Plan spring garden - I've mapped out where everything is going to be planted and how many seedlings I'm going to need.  Now we'll see if I stick to the plan!
4. Make seed starting journal - So far I've kept track of what I planted and when, hopefully I can keep up with this even when spring gets very busy!
5. Clean and sharpen garden tools- nope!  This will be carried over to next month.

Whew!  I'm exhausted after realizing how much I did this month.  Not a bad start to the year!

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard... Turnip Time Part II

Another week and another opportunity to discover new things to do with turnips...

This week's recipe is a turnip and cannellini soup.

The only change I made to the recipe was to put about half of the cooked soup in the blender to make it thicker.


Turnip and Cannelini Soup

2 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans cannellini beans
1 box (32 oz.) veggie or chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 pound turnips, peeled and chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp paprika
dash of cayenne
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes.  Add remaining ingredients (except for salt and pepper) and simmer for 30-45 minutes until veggies are tender.  Season with salt and pepper.

This is how my soup turned out:

It was very tasty!  Now if only we had a bit of a winter chill to go with a steaming bowl of soup it would be perfect.  Maybe since the groundhog saw his shadow winter will stop by sometime in February.

If you want to peak into other kitchens and see what others are cooking, head over to Thursday’s Kitchen Cupboard at the Gardener of Eden.