Seed starting

My daughter is once again gearing up her business, Joyous's Plants, for the Midtown Farmer's Market. She's finding out that growing herbs (2 kinds of basil, summer savory, lemon balm, and parsley) is a lot more work than growing the red buckeyes she sold last year (there are about 4 of those left, too).


But everything is coming up well, and she has a great crop of moonvines to boot (below).



My tomato and pepper seedlings are also looking good despite some of the seeds being 10 years old! I just potted up many of the tomatoes and will have extras for the community harvest plots at the Community Garden. Now if I could just finish up my home garden fence and raised bed...

Firsts for the year

2010 Spring firsts for me:

sunburn: 3/24
ticks: 3/27
bat: 3/30
damselfly: 4/2
dragonfly: 4/6
ruby-throated hummingbird: 4/7 - hummers beat the red buckeye flowers this year, but coincided with the early coral honeysuckle blooms.
annoying black beetles that swarm our lights in spring: right now - argh!

Literary and aerial company

Yesterday, 3/29, Mary Hartwell arranged for Nan Chase, author of Eat Your Yard, to come out to visit the Community Garden. Nan was in town for a reading and book signing at Off Square Books. She was joined at the CG by Mary Hartwell, Lisa Howorth, Nita, myself, and the killdeer. The latter were not exactly welcoming, understandably, but they were impressive, and the rest of us had a great visit. It's so fun to take people out there now that stuff is actually growing! Nan gave us some suggestions for edible landscaping around the perimeter.

Today, 3/30, the bats have returned to our yard. Maybe they've been here awhile, I'm not sure. No sign of them using our bat house yet, though.

Coexistence in the garden

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) in the Community Garden.

As many of the Community Gardeners know, Trey and Amelia, are nurturing chard and a budding killdeer family in their garden plot. The egg count was up to 4 yesterday!

What an auspicious way to begin our first spring of gardening in community. Not only are we providing a safe space (hopefully) for these birds, but Trey and Amelia are showing all of the characteristics of wonderful community gardeners in recognizing and accepting that others have different needs and objectives than they do in this space. Way to go birds and people!

But beware, the Birds of N. America online says "In Mississippi, some pairs remain together and defend their territory year-round". It goes on to say that "In Mississippi, maximum of 6 clutches by a single pair recorded: first clutch laid in mid-Mar, last in late Jul ." There may be omelets from the Garden yet! (Kidding, just kidding!) Here's what they eat: "terrestrial invertebrates, especially earthworms, grasshoppers, beetles, and snails; infrequently small vertebrates and seeds." Sounds like they are good garden neighbors, all in all.

Killdeer are a type of plover and are widespread in N. America.