currently, we are:
+ harvesting baskets full of lettuce, radishes, beets, turnips, spinach, arugula & more from the garden
+ admiring our first farm fresh flower bouquet of the season
+ learning a lot from our may spending freeze
+ enjoying the sight of baby bunnies in the pasture
+ savoring dinnertime on the patio
+ reading our favorite books late into the night
+ picking peonies from my mother-in-law’s garden
+ making packing lists & preparing for our summer adventure throughout europe (!!!)
+ working long hours in the studio (n) & working long hours at the farm (l)
+ snacking on my new favorite – gluten free pretzels from aldi’s
+ bbqing with friends on the weekends
+ waking up early for a good run before the day starts
+ spending more hours out than in
what are you currently doing? please share!
love,
natalie
if there’s one big thing i’ve learned thus far during my may spending freeze, it’s this:
i am really good at collecting crap.
without any real effort at all, junk begins to pile up & our home feels like it might bust at the seams. i spend money on crap i’ll rarely use because it feels good to buy stuff. the thrill of that new thing begins to fade so i replace that dull feeling with another new shiny toy & of course, the cycle continues.
i’ve learned a lot about myself during this may spending freeze & actually, quite a bit more than i thought i might.
for example, it’s been hard to challenge what we need versus what i want.
i’ve also learned that “consumer” is a large part of my identify, which in itself has been difficult to swallow.
i’ve had quite a few wins so far, though.
i resisted the urge to buy new sheets after a large hole appeared in our fitted sheet. as i was sorting through donations from a friend, i found a lovely new set of blue sheets that matched our bedding & fit our mattress perfectly. win win!
i’ve organized & purged almost every corner of our home. it feels good to have more space to breathe.
the junk i collected from my organization/purging spree was put into a yard sale. my efforts paid off when at the end of the weekend, we made over $500 towards our europe trip. yay!
i’ve also been able to enjoy what we already have. i’ve read books & enjoyed a glass of iced tea on our patio.
& perhaps the biggest win is the time i’ve saved from not shopping. i knew i would save money during our spending freeze, but i never thought i’d save so much time from not shopping. it takes an incredible amount of time to drive to target, wander the aisles, buy that unneeded item, check out, drive home & put it somewhere to collect dust.
we’ve still got a couple of weeks left in this month-long experiment, but i am learning that the reward is much richer than the perceived sacrifices.
i’d love to read how you’re doing in your spending freeze! please share in the comments & use the hashtag #mayspendingfreeze on instagram!
love,
natalie
friends! as you all know, my cute farmer is sharing his knowledge of gardening throughout the summer on my blog! join us as he talks about greens today! yay!
—-
Greens such as lettuce, spinach, mustards,
and arugula are some of the easiest garden crops to grow. Their fast growth and
short time from seed to harvest make them an easy choice for a garden that is
tight on space. Also, most greens can perform well in partial shade, which is a
plus for urban gardeners who don’t get a lot of sun.
and arugula are some of the easiest garden crops to grow. Their fast growth and
short time from seed to harvest make them an easy choice for a garden that is
tight on space. Also, most greens can perform well in partial shade, which is a
plus for urban gardeners who don’t get a lot of sun.
1. Lettuce
It’s hard to buy grocery store salad mix
after getting used to garden-fresh lettuce. This is one crop we try to keep in
the garden as year-round as possible. Lettuce performs best for us in the
spring and fall, having a hard time during the heat of our Southern summers.
The earliest I will plant lettuce is the first week of March, though I may need
to bring out the row cover if we get a late freeze in April.
after getting used to garden-fresh lettuce. This is one crop we try to keep in
the garden as year-round as possible. Lettuce performs best for us in the
spring and fall, having a hard time during the heat of our Southern summers.
The earliest I will plant lettuce is the first week of March, though I may need
to bring out the row cover if we get a late freeze in April.
When it comes to selecting the right lettuce
variety, you have to make one key decision—head lettuce or leaf lettuce? Think
of how you like to buy your lettuce from the store. Do you buy it as a head or
do you like to buy the box of pre-washed spring mix? We usually plant a mix of
both in our garden for the variety.
variety, you have to make one key decision—head lettuce or leaf lettuce? Think
of how you like to buy your lettuce from the store. Do you buy it as a head or
do you like to buy the box of pre-washed spring mix? We usually plant a mix of
both in our garden for the variety.
2. Head Lettuce
Our favorite lettuce variety right now is
butterhead (‘Nancy’ from Johnny’s has been superb). As a head lettuce, I will
grow the plants out in the greenhouse and transplant them into the garden when
they are 3-4 inches tall. I space them 12 inches apart in the bed, fitting 3
rows in a bed that is 36 inches wide. This lettuce is grown until it forms a
tight head and then the whole plant is harvested at once. Usually 45-55 days
from planting to harvest.
butterhead (‘Nancy’ from Johnny’s has been superb). As a head lettuce, I will
grow the plants out in the greenhouse and transplant them into the garden when
they are 3-4 inches tall. I space them 12 inches apart in the bed, fitting 3
rows in a bed that is 36 inches wide. This lettuce is grown until it forms a
tight head and then the whole plant is harvested at once. Usually 45-55 days
from planting to harvest.
3. Leaf Lettuce
Although leaf lettuce can be grown as an
individual plant and harvested all at once like head lettuce, we like to use the
“cut-and-come-again” method. This involves planting the seeds as a 2-4 inch
wide “band” or broadcasting the seeds over the entire width of the bed and
harvesting the leaves when they are 3-6 inches tall. The nice thing about this
method is that the leaves will grow back allowing you to make 2-3 cuttings per
planting. This is a great way to harvest an instant salad. All you have to do
is bring the leaves in and wash. Johnny’s sells some great lettuce mixes for
this kind of planting (like the Allstar Gourmet Mix).
individual plant and harvested all at once like head lettuce, we like to use the
“cut-and-come-again” method. This involves planting the seeds as a 2-4 inch
wide “band” or broadcasting the seeds over the entire width of the bed and
harvesting the leaves when they are 3-6 inches tall. The nice thing about this
method is that the leaves will grow back allowing you to make 2-3 cuttings per
planting. This is a great way to harvest an instant salad. All you have to do
is bring the leaves in and wash. Johnny’s sells some great lettuce mixes for
this kind of planting (like the Allstar Gourmet Mix).
4. Spinach
Like lettuce, spinach can either be
transplanted or directly sown. I’ve started growing spinach transplants so that
we have a more consistent stand. This is more time-consuming than direct
seeding, but makes better use of the garden space. The key to growing good
spinach is planting at the right time. In our area spinach is planted in the
early fall or spring. Spinach seed requires soil temperatures in the range of
65-80 degrees for consistent germination, which can be difficult. Soils may be
too cold in the spring and too hot in late summer. I avoid this issue by
starting my seeds in the greenhouse, which is consistently 70-80 degrees. As
transplants, spinach is spaced 6 inches apart with 4 rows fitting a 36-inch
wide bed. For baby spinach, you can directly seed at a closer spacing and make
multiple harvests. At our spacing we will harvest only the largest leaves,
allowing the plants to continue growing and setting new leaves. We really like
the variety ‘Space,’ which sets smooth, richly-flavored leaves.
transplanted or directly sown. I’ve started growing spinach transplants so that
we have a more consistent stand. This is more time-consuming than direct
seeding, but makes better use of the garden space. The key to growing good
spinach is planting at the right time. In our area spinach is planted in the
early fall or spring. Spinach seed requires soil temperatures in the range of
65-80 degrees for consistent germination, which can be difficult. Soils may be
too cold in the spring and too hot in late summer. I avoid this issue by
starting my seeds in the greenhouse, which is consistently 70-80 degrees. As
transplants, spinach is spaced 6 inches apart with 4 rows fitting a 36-inch
wide bed. For baby spinach, you can directly seed at a closer spacing and make
multiple harvests. At our spacing we will harvest only the largest leaves,
allowing the plants to continue growing and setting new leaves. We really like
the variety ‘Space,’ which sets smooth, richly-flavored leaves.
5. Mustards and Arugula
These greens are the easiest to grow of the
bunch. Their small, round seeds germinate quickly in a wide range of soil
temperatures and the seedlings hit the ground running. There is a wide range of
mustard greens to choose from, but most of them have a spicy kick that can
really make a salad spectacular. We usually plant a few rows of arugula and a
few rows of our favorite greens mix (Premium Greens Mix from Johnny’s). We plant in rows at 4 rows to a bed and
harvest as cut-and-come-again. It only takes 20-30 days for these greens to be
ready to harvest and they are a great compliment to a mild-flavored lettuce.
Mustards are also able to tolerate the summer heat, making them a great green
to plant in succession (every 2-4 weeks) all season long.
bunch. Their small, round seeds germinate quickly in a wide range of soil
temperatures and the seedlings hit the ground running. There is a wide range of
mustard greens to choose from, but most of them have a spicy kick that can
really make a salad spectacular. We usually plant a few rows of arugula and a
few rows of our favorite greens mix (Premium Greens Mix from Johnny’s). We plant in rows at 4 rows to a bed and
harvest as cut-and-come-again. It only takes 20-30 days for these greens to be
ready to harvest and they are a great compliment to a mild-flavored lettuce.
Mustards are also able to tolerate the summer heat, making them a great green
to plant in succession (every 2-4 weeks) all season long.
6. Container Gardening
All of these greens are great for container
gardening if you are limited on space. As long as you have 4-6 hours of light
exposure your greens will grow just fine. And because greens are
shallow-rooted, you don’t need a deep pot. I recommend growing in a fertilized
soil-less media (i.e. potting soil), so you don’t have to mess with
fertilizers. But if you are adding fertilizer to the media, you won’t need
much. A good multi-purpose organic fertilizer is liquid fish, which can be
mixed in a watering can (1 oz per gal) and watered in as needed after the
greens start growing. To plant simply scatter your seeds over the surface of
the media and cover lightly with new potting mix. Keep the soil moist and you
should have germination in a few days. Wait a month and you’ll have fresh
greens to harvest from your patio.
gardening if you are limited on space. As long as you have 4-6 hours of light
exposure your greens will grow just fine. And because greens are
shallow-rooted, you don’t need a deep pot. I recommend growing in a fertilized
soil-less media (i.e. potting soil), so you don’t have to mess with
fertilizers. But if you are adding fertilizer to the media, you won’t need
much. A good multi-purpose organic fertilizer is liquid fish, which can be
mixed in a watering can (1 oz per gal) and watered in as needed after the
greens start growing. To plant simply scatter your seeds over the surface of
the media and cover lightly with new potting mix. Keep the soil moist and you
should have germination in a few days. Wait a month and you’ll have fresh
greens to harvest from your patio.
Greens are such a rewarding garden crop. If
any of this sounds too complicated or confusing, just take a handful of seeds
(lettuce or mustards), scatter them over your garden bed, scratch them in with
a rake, and water. In a week you should have a nice patch of greens coming up.
Then just take the scissors out to the garden whenever you’re in the mood for a
salad.
any of this sounds too complicated or confusing, just take a handful of seeds
(lettuce or mustards), scatter them over your garden bed, scratch them in with
a rake, and water. In a week you should have a nice patch of greens coming up.
Then just take the scissors out to the garden whenever you’re in the mood for a
salad.
– Luke
p.s. check out luke’s post on planting potatoes!