Spring has sprung!

So today is Saturday, April 16th and I am finally starting to get the feeling that spring has sprung. The red raspberries and blueberries are coming into leaf, the strawberries are starting to form their first blossoms, and my first plantings of spinach and carrots are starting to show themselves. It's a few weeks later than normal, but our peas are finally reaching for the sky. Yeah! It doesn't matter what the almanac says or the date on the calendar. It just doesn't seem like spring until I start to see the garden wake and stretch in the sun.Life is good.

A New Favorite Pepper!

The Fish Pepper; This is my new favorite! 
I love it's history, it's variety of characteristics and uses, and I think it is just a cool looking plant in the garden with it's green and cream variegated leaves! The history is pretty interesting. It is an African-American heirloom pepper that was popular in the Baltimore, Philadelphia area in the fish and shellfish cooking pre-1950's. When the pepper is very young, it is a cream, almost white pepper. It is at this stage that it was used in white soups and sauces in the fish houses. It is very spicy and it changes from white to off-white and green striped, to a bright red. Living near Baltimore, it would be a crime not to include it in my garden! I found my first fish pepper seeds at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and now I save my own seeds. I Love this plant!!!!

Make Room For Bees!

I know some people are a little afraid of bees and some people, like myself, are somewhat allergic, while others are down right deathly allergic. But I want to make a plea for the safe passage of bees in and around our gardens. We need the bees for the pollination of our plants and flowers and we need to do our part to help provide a safe haven.

One of the first things you can do is to avoid using pesticides and/or harmful chemicals, and detergents. We need to remember that when we spray something for the 'bad' bugs we are probably going to have an effect on the 'good' bugs. There are all kinds of things that can be done to eliminate the need of such dangerous chemicals. 

Try row covers, companion gardening, and homemade pepper sprays and the like. Think about keeping everything in your garden 'natural' enough to eat yourself. If you keep this in mind, you will be able to help provide a safe haven for bees. Remember to also provide something shallow filled with water and plant flowers that draw bees such as sunflowers, cosmos, bee balm, etc. 

If you keep a safe environment that is 'attractive' to bees, then they will stay busy in your garden helping you to grow the things you love whether it's the amazing sunflower or your garden veggies!