Orange Creamsicle Flavored Spinach Smoothie

Purists are going to hate me, but things went wrong and all I had was some aging, orange Gatorade. So, I used it.  Spinach has never tasted so good.
(BONUS: This smoothie turns your teeth and tongue blue!)

Thanks to every healthy-living guru who has ever touched a computer, we all know that for optimum health, one must drink smoothies for breakfast. Since I planted roughly 600 spinach seeds last fall and we had a mild, wet winter, about 20 of them grew. 
Waste not, want not!

I couldn't bring myself to actually eat the spinach, so I bought some frozen blueberries and vanilla ice cream. Orange Julius, at the mall, blends blueberries and a big scoop of ice to make the smoothies I buy there. By twisting their concept, I thought frozen blueberries would...

About That Tampa Bay Article

If you look closely, and you know a lot, you can see this basil is about to die.

This article about Tampa Bay restaurants is blowing up the internet.

As a small farm owner, I can say this is probably true in most places.


When I have discussed growing schedules with restaurant owners, one big problem is: if you buy locally, you will be eating the same thing all summer. How many squash specials can they sell every week? Additionally, all the restaurants would be serving squash all summer. Seasonal veggies last the whole season. And if it's a good okra year, all the farms will have plenty, and all the farms will be having a bad tomato year simultaneously. Americans no longer eat things they don't like just because that's what's available. Try getting somebody to have a radish special because that's what's growing well this week. 

From a farm perspective, growing...

Grow Vegetables In The Window

Lettuce. Two weeks old.

Growing plants, herbs and vegetables especially, in a window is quintessentially charming, but can it be done?  How much of a hassle is it to water, trim, turn etc?

Radishes planted the same day. See what I'm saying?

Take a lesson from NASA and start with the vegetables that are easiest to grow. Even seasoned gardeners have to relearn some things when they are growing in a new environment, so start with the can't-be-killed vegetables first:


Lettuce - NASA started with lettuce for it's Growing Vegetables In Space Program. Lettuce germinates in a day. You should have sprouts in 2-3 days. You can start harvesting the lettuce in about 3 weeks. The astronauts on the space station harvested theirs at 33 days. It wilts when it's thirsty, so you have some warning before it's dead. Of coarse, that's if everything goes right. If you don't...

Feed That Addiction, Plant Junkie!

Nobody else was taking pictures in the cemetery, or I would have retaken this contraband photo.

Feed that addiction, Plant Junkie! You know you want to!
If you missed the Hall County Master Gardeners Spring Expo, you still have time to enjoy these:

The Gently Used Plant Sale (Display models being sold at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.)

Herb Society Plant Sale
(also at the Atlanta Botanical Garden)

Norcross Garden Club Plant Sale
(I was a speaker there one year!)

In case the cold weather kept you home:
Oakland Cemetery is an Historic Atlanta landmark, and they let me in anyway! The GPS got me to the ornate gate that they picture on their website. I was worried. The website makes it sound enormous and my hiking skills are beginner level. Bring a cane if you aren't steady on your feet. There has been a little settling int he last 200 years.

But WOW! This place is...

What to Plant in APRIL!!

What to plant in April:
EVERYTHING!!

Here's a breakdown:
If it's still cold, plant cole crops.

If it's not going to frost again and you are cheap, direct seed your entire summer crop now. If you want to get a jump, buy bedding plants. Here is one of the most boring videos ever (mine) about how to plant tomato plants. And here is Bonnie Plant's video about it. (Hi Bonnie!)

See how easily they could be stepped on?

One more thing...