Try as I might, my goal of near-daily blogs seems to end up being around two per month. Oh well - better late than never! I will try to make this more to the point and include more pictures. And - yes, there is brightly colored pine pollen everywhere!
Garden and seedling news: Our yard is in its "blooming arboretum" phase - cherry, forsythia, daffodils, some perennials (hellebore, celendine polly, Jacob's Ladder, oxalis), spirea, red bud and AZALEAS!). It is going to go fast - but it brings Sue and I such joy to look out just about any window, or sit on the deck. What an amazing and inspiring time of year this is.
I am transplanting away - those who are interested in seedlings should drop an email to me at nctomatoman@gmail.com - mid April to mid May is going to be prime time.
Progress - as of March 28. Labeling is underway
Events news: Sue and I just returned from a memorable trip to Norfolk Virginia, at which I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Peggy Cornett, Curator of Plants at Monticello. We were wonderfully hosted by members of the Hampton Road Master Gardeners. Many new tomato friends were made.
Up next - a workshop at the Well Fed Garden in Raleigh, followed quickly by a trip to Huntsville, Alabama to participate in the annual Spring Plant Sale at the botanical garden. I will be there all day Thursday and Friday taking questions and rubbing shoulders with garden visitors, then presenting on Saturday. After that, it is Pittsburgh - then Moore Farm in South Carolina, with much more to follow. All information can be found here on my events page.
Sponsorship: I feel so fortunate to be the recipient of donations of packets of wonderful varieties of tomatoes from Seed Savers Exchange and Victory Seeds (many new dwarf varieties!), as well as some dwarf varieties I will be packaging myself and bringing to events from Fruition Seeds , Heritage Seed Market and Sample Seed Shop. It is my goal that everyone who attends my workshops and lectures leaves with a packet of seeds. Thanks to Mike, Tom, Petra, Steve and Remy, this is now a reality.
My own garden: I am just not sure yet! Garlic planted last fall is thriving, and we are eating salads from pot-grown lettuce and arugula also planted at that time. There will be some straw bales, some containers, and I am excited to have the opportunity to test out a new container growing system from Gardeners Supply Company - I will be documenting my experience here, as well as on Facebook and Twitter.
Happily growing garlic
One thing is certain - the garden will be smaller, more focused - a few of our favorite indeterminate tomatoes, some dwarf tomato project work, and a few eggplants and peppers. I just won't have the time that I typically have - and at some point, vacation will beckon!