2016 Membership Open! With new and improved levels.

     It might be February (and below zero) but that doesn't stop me from planning out the next growing season. This one should be even better and more productive than the last one. The perennials I planted last season will start showing their true colors, I'm especially looking forward to seeing the yarrow bloom.  All the other perennials will be bigger and stronger this year as their roots have grown deeper into the soil.  As for the annuals, everything I learned last season will certainly come in handy. Now I have a better idea of what the soil needs, where gets the most sun, and what pests to look out for. Plus more brush has been cleared, so that means more space for plants!

seeds for sorting, and soon - Planting!

     As for the membership levels, a few things have changed.  First I'm excited to offer a Saturday afternoon pickup at our home for those who find that more convinient than Thursdays. And I've removed the distiction between fresh and mail order. Now whether you choose, full, mini, patron, or art, you can either pick it up or have it mailed. The mailed ones won't contain flower arrangements though.  You did read that right though: there is an Art only share now! It's just perfect for those who don't cook or use herbs themselves but still want to be conected to the seasons through my artwork and Thomm's stories. And finally herb shares will now include a recipe or information card! I can't wait to see what I do with that.

     In other news, I've been slowly compiling more and more information and resources on each of the herbs we grow and all their different magical, medicinal, and culinary uses and soon I'll be ready to share all that with you with pages dedicated to each herb.

So thinking of joining? sign-up here!

Stay warm,
Amber Haqu

This week 3/22

This week was the week of getting great things for the farm!  First off, an organic liquid fertilizer arrived that I can spray right on their leaves to give the seedlings a boost, along with a pack of spray bottles and a hi-low thermometer so I can get a better idea of the temperature range in the greenhouse before I start moving seedlings in there (which I hope to do next week).  A few days after that, I used up all my potting soil so, instead of ordering more, I bought some nearby and it turned out the soil was made right near where we went on our honeymoon!  Also, it does make some good soil blocks that release cleanly, and has fewer rocks than the other kind I was using.







Then yesterday, there was a seed swap in Pine Plains hosted by Turtle Tree Seed, where I got a bunch of cool seeds, including some for black tomatoes, popcorn, and the most gorgeous blue seeds I've ever seen, which apparently grow into some kind of cabbage - but I wouldn't be too surprised if I found out they were actually beads and not seeds at all!  I can't wait to try and find room for everything.



This morning, I was also able to pickup some used mesh flats from Hardman Farm in Red Hook, which are just perfect for soil blocks and great for me, as I've been running low.


However, I've saved the best for last.  My mother-in-law bought some praying mantis eggs and passed them along to me (she bought them for her grandchildren, but then found out that the babies will eat each other, so it's best if the kids don't have to see that).  I'm incredibly excited about this, I'll be raising them inside and releasing them at the farm whenever I have an insect problem - or just have too many to keep inside.  Mantids will pretty much eat any insect, which makes them a great garden pest control, except you do have to keep them well-fed or they might start seeing one another (and any unsuspecting bees and butterflies) as food.

temporary enclosures until I can pick up a real aquarium 

I can't wait to share with you how tiny they are once hatched!

Enjoy!
Amber

This Week 2/14 & Where I got the seeds

those blue envelopes in the background are full of seeds for future weeks

Happy Valentines day!!!  This week, instead of boring you with my regular seed starting update (though I'm sure I'll include that as well), I thought I'd tell you a bit about my experiences in seed starting.  First off, you might be wondering where I even get my seeds!  Originally, I ordered all my seeds from Johnny Seeds based on the recommendation of a friend. This year, I decided to try out some new seed companies, as they simply don't carry everything I want and they do tend on the pricey side.  I was most excited when I found the Hudson Valley Seed Library who not only are committed to organic, sustainable, and local practices but to our artists, too!  They have beautiful "Art Packs" that they commission artists to make. I hope to be on one someday.  Seeds Now also caught my interests with their entirely open-pollinated offerings and the draw of their $1 seed packets, which are kept in tiny zip-lock bags that I can't quite decide how I feel about (they're plastic and not the easiest to get seeds out of, but my goodness do I love being able to see the seeds in their clear homes!).  Finally, there were still a couple herbs I was having difficulty tracking down and a little etsy shop called All Good Things Organic Seeds came to my rescue - plus had a few fun things I wanted. If you're looking for interesting seeds, I'd certainly check them out. They even have 4 different varieties of mullein and a white dandelion!  The rest of my seed collection came from a mishmash of my own seed-saving experiments, an acquaintance giving me a handful of fava beans, someone on HVecycle getting rid of a collection of seed packets, and a few packets that caught my eye in local stores.


 I may have more seeds than I'll use all of in the near future, but I just love the potential sitting in each seed - with just a little water, sun, soil, and care, they'll grow to thousands of times their size, create food for me, and then create seeds of their own. If that's not magic, I'm not sure what is!

So what seeds did I start this week, you ask? I did snapdragons and bell peppers from HV seed library; thyme and violas from Johnny's; kale, rosemary and yarrow from Seeds Now; mullein and vervain from All Good Things; and pak choi, lemon mint, and cabbage from an Ecycler.  I feel like I'm starting more and more seeds each week. Soon, my little apartment will be full up!