is a Cherokee Purple! Can't wait!
Lunch from the garden!
It is such a delight to be able to harvest fresh ingredients for our summer meals!
The last of the kohlrabi...
The last kohlrabi is harvested, bringing the total to over 50 pounds! It is such an efficient vegetable...ready to be harvested just when you need the space for tomatoes and cucumbers. Chef Mario made an exquisite soup with some of them, something that may be duplicated during opera season. Will plan to start seedlings in August so that they can be in the ground by September 1.
Seedlings!
Kohlrabi, basil, tomatoes and peppers on their way!
Spring is here!
Yesterday's beautiful sunset bade farewell to winter and today we officially welcome spring! All over the world, days and nights are approximately equal, as the Earth's two hemispheres are receiving the Sun's rays about equally because the tilt of the Earth is zero relative to the sun. The Old Farmer's Almanac
Perfect temperatures....
It may be 19 degrees outside, but it's averaging 68 degrees in the greenhouse and even warmer in the sun! Perfect temperatures to start our tomato and pepper seeds!
Much to be thankful for!
Here John and Nash harvest Brussels sprouts for the Thanksgiving feast at Walnut Hill Farm.
First frost!
Our first real frost arrived at the farm this weekend. Fortunately, Brussels sprouts can withstand frost and can be harvested until a hard freeze strikes. The best-quality sprouts are produced during sunny days with light frosts at night.
Horseradish
Here, John takes a break to inspect one of the horseradish plants which will be harvested in the early spring. Hundreds of garlic bulbs were planted at the farm this weekend and we look forward to harvesting these in mid-July. Planning a "Garlic Festival" then might be an idea....to attract some additional help!
The season is changing....
....and our growing season will soon be over!
Friend in the greenhouse!
Mr. Toad has found his favorite place to perch...on the leaves of an orchid plant. Am hoping to find him a friend!
Watermelon!
Labor Day weekend marked the watermelon harvest...a most delicious chore!
Tomato time!
Dr. Grace Charles of Steamboat Naturopathic visits Walnut Hill Farm for a few days to help with the harvest!
Keeping it tidy
Pam Swisher of Union Square Events helps in tidying up after the weekend harvest!
Public Enemy #1
John inspects this colorful caterpillar and soon realizes it is the dreaded hornworm. This pest is the Tobacco Hornworm, as identified by his 7 stripes, and is capable of decimating whole tomato or pepper plants in no time! Nash and Katrina spent a morning picking them off by hand, but it's a challenge because of their incredible ability to blend into the foliage. An organic solution will be used to spray the plants with bacillus thuringiensis (BT), a natural and safe microbial pesticide.