Looking Back at 2011

Its time for those "First Steps" into the garden - Thanks to Vincent Van Gogh
Wake up time is January for the amaryllis.
They are the show stoppers after the Paper-whites.

One needs these for the early dark days of winter.
To be followed by the boldness of these.
The greenhouse in early April just after the heat is turned on for a month.
Spring pruning will bring on a good harvest.
The greenhouse heating mat on the job.
I planted more of these species crocus this fall too.
I have noticed more pellitized seed available this year - great idea.
My Grandmother's favorite spring flower.
Late spring storm that wrecked the 25 plus year old cedar trees.
But made for more growing space in 2012.
Pretty in pink.
Hoop house harvest.
Grow chives for all the native bees in your yard.
The 2011 tomato patch.
My little name lost mini geranium.
Greenhouse space is summer time cucumber space.
The pest that has arrived this year in my garden NEVER to go away.
Blue ribbon fair entry.
The chicken experiment that was not to be - Black Australorps.
My other grandmother's favorite flower.
Mini Zinnia "Profusion" aptly named.
There is not better garden fragrance than the Four-O'clock.
One of those potted fruit plants - Black figs.
Garden interruptions - for a week in Canada fly fishing for Northern pike.
Fresh harvest.
Dried for winter munching.


High winds took down the hoop house - so I built another.
My last flowers of the season were these.
2011 was a great apple harvest year - we are still eating them fresh even in 2012.

I think I will take you back through the year with a few repeat pictures because new snow on the ground makes looking at spring and summer more fun than ever.
I was given a copy of the 2012 Farmers Almanac and there was good interesting reading in the notes on 2012 trends - other kinds of pot plants than just tomatoes and peppers - fruits - maybe figs? A green tomato to look for "Green Envy" - the green salad tomatoes this year were good too. "Making the best better" about grafting tomatoes! Wow! what a great idea as we already know. A section on sunrise and sunset garden beds, one on noon-time shadow beds, and one about cardinal direction beds. Also a nice article about keeping bees, and one on growing under lights and with hydroponics too - all interesting. Check out a copy at the grocery or newsstand.
Happy Gardening in 2012