pulling parsnips

Last year's parsnips, finally ready for harvest.  Parsnips need to be hit with frost, or to over-winter, in order to sweeten.  It's best to dig them before the tops start to sprout but, in our case, mother nature wasn't ready to give them up yet.  We tried to dig them out just a few days ago but the ground was still frozen and they weren't budging.

Yesterday my helper accompanied me to the garden and eagerly dug them from the ground.  I'd barely get the soil turned over and he was digging away like a little badger.

After they were all pulled and cleaned, a batch of parsnip muffins were baked.  Perfect for breakfast, along with a fresh egg and a cup of tea.  

A nice way to start the day.

I hope your week is off to a good start too.

re-growing green onion

I learned something.  I learned that you can regrow onion tops on your green onions!  I don't know how I didn't know this before, but I didn't.

I bought a bunch of green onions/scallions for making kimchi . Instead of cutting up the entire onion, I left a little bit of the green on them, and placed the bulbs in a tiny jar with some water.  The very next day there was already growth.

See the growth on the onions above?  They grew about 1/4" overnight.

3 days later and they were so big I felt guilty for keeping them in a jar with water, so I planted them in a small pot.  As of this morning the stalks are a good 6" taller than when I cut them.  The kids check the status daily of the green things growing in the windowsill, and the fast-growing onions have been a lot of fun for them.

These will tide me over while I'm waiting for my chives to come up.

You learn somethin' new every day.

What did you learn today?

to believe in the future

I started winter-sowing some seeds a few days ago in empty milk jugs.  The act of planting made me feel like spring wasn't so far off, even if the planters were sitting in a snowdrift.  I started looking around thinking "what else can I make into a mini greenhouse?"  There were some plastic storage bins in my workspace that I was no longer using and I figured they fit the bill.

The bins are about 7" deep which is deep enough to accomodate soil and growing seedlings, and they were mostly clear.  It would have been much easier if the lids were clear also, but this is what I had to work with so I just went with it.

I gathered up the bins, some duct tape, a carpet knife, and my cordless drill. 

I loaded my chuck with a wood screw, but a drill bit would have worked too.

Running the drill in reverse, I punched holes in the lid of the bin.  (why reverse?  Going forward the screw would screw down into the plastic, forcing me to put the drill in reverse to remove it.  In reverse the screw still punctures the plastic without getting stuck)

Lots of holes.  This blue lid will become the bottom of my greenhouse so I wanted plenty of drainage.

I then flipped the box over and did the same to the now top - the clear part of the bin.

I won't be moving these often but I wanted the pieces to be secure if I did need to move my little greenhouse to a new location.  Using the duct tape, I taped the lid to the box.

I cut a flap (carefully) along three sides of the top of the box.

This will be my access point for adding soil and harvesting seedlings.

I taped a stick, slightly longer than the box, to the flap to act as a handle for the lid, and to keep the flap from getting stuck down in the box and smooshing my plants.

I filled my greenhouse with about 4" of potting soil and sowed my seeds.

Betty came over to inspect the latest greenhouse, prompting me to flip the open part of the flap towards the house so she'd be less likely to get in there and eat up my seeds.  Because she totally would.

Our growing season is pretty short here so if this works and I'm able to get a little jump on planting, I'll be one excited girl.

It's said that to plant a garden is to believe in the future.  Right now I'm believing in future salads.  And teas.  And veggies.  I can't wait.