Happy Spring!

Its finally spring! although it definitely hasn't felt like it here in CT. We're still over a month away from the unofficial planting day of (May 15th) but we're getting closer! This winter has been long and It's been a while since I've updated since I've been working on my Master's Thesis but I should be all done with that by May 1st, when I can really start focusing on the garden!! I'm hoping to start garden clean up soon and pick up some raspberry bushes in the next few days! Until then enjoy this photo of some spring flowers I found today!

Christmas Cactus blooming in March!

The Christmas Cactus isn't an edible part of my garden but it is a nice addition to anyone's indoor garden! This is especially true because it blooms beautiful pink flowers in late fall and Christmas time, hence the name, right when you need a burst of color in the browning landscape of winter.

Normally my Christmas Cactus blooms in November and December. So I was surprised to see a bloom today in March!!

Blueberry Bushes out of the shed!

Back in late January before a cold snap, where temps dropped close to zero, I put my blueberry bushes, blackberry bush and rosemary plant in the shed to be protected. Well it turned out to be a great decision because not only did we get the cold but we got a blizzard with 30 inches of snow in one night!!! What a crazy winter it's been! Now that spring is less than 2 weeks away I figured I should bring the plants out to get some sun and water (when it rains tomorrow). So here's what the plants look like now, hopefully they bloom this spring!

More Snow! Will winter ever end!!

Another snowstorm and more damage to my vegetable garden! One side of my chicken wire fence has fallen over. However it's making a cool effect during this wet snowstorm on 3/8/13. It looks like a little snow wave! I keep reminding myself that spring is only two weeks away and planting season is two months away!!!! After this crazy winter I can't wait to get out in the garden!

I Got a Juicer!!

As of last Friday, the first week of 2013, I now own a Juicer.  With some Christmas money I received I bought a Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus 850-Watt Juice Extractor!  Yeah it sounds complicated but I spent days researching which juicer I should buy.  I ended up paying a little more than I budgeted for but so far I'm thrilled with my decision!  The Breville juicer I bought is about $150, a medium cost juicer, the cheaper ones go for around $50, while the more expensive ones can cost you up to $500 or more!!

What sold me on this Juicer was its good reviews, apparent easy clean up process and the fact that it had a high speed and a low speed! The reason why the two speeds became a deciding factor is because all juicers in my price point, $150 and below, aren't great at juicing leafy greens, however with the lower speed it's possible with this juicer (not the most efficient, but better than nothing).  So far I've been very happy with the Juicer and surprised myself because I really enjoy the tastes of the juices I have made!

So what does a Juicer have to do with Gardening? 

 It has a lot to do with gardening!  The best fruits and vegetables to put through a juicer are organic produce and what's better than organic produce from your own backyard garden!!!  Plus some of the best vegetables to juice include leafy greens (kale and spinach) and harder vegetables like carrots and cucumbers.  Although a backyard garden might not supply the daily needs of a juicer it will surely supplement and offset some of the prices of vegetables in the summer months!!!  It also gives me another reason to grow Swiss Chard and Kale next year!!! To add to the benefits, all the pulp which is leftover after the juice is extracted is great for my compost bin!  Although there are some neat recipes to use the leftover pulp as well.  In addition I have to admit I had a number of cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes last summer that met a tragic end rotting on the shelf from mold rather than processing through my stomach.  This summer any extra produce which I can't consume whole can now be juiced!!!   So I think it's a great addition to any gardeners kitchen and a great way to fulfill some of those 2013 New Year Resolutions!!

Below are some photos I took throughout the process of juicing!  

My Garden in the Blizzard!

I feel like spring is even farther away now that my part CT received over 30 inches in the Blizzard of 2013 aka Nemo (The Weather Channel's name for it!). A day after the storm and I'm still snowed in! My street hasn't even been plowed yet! My backyard is covered in close to 3 feet of snow and drifts that go to the top of the fence!

My vegetable garden is buried! As you can see in the photo below all that remains of my garden is the very top of the wire fencing!!! It's an amazing site to be seen! I'm glad I put my blueberry bushes in the shed a few weeks ago when we got the near 0 degree cold temps! If hadn't they would be crushed under the heavy snowfall!

Also check out my back deck! The snow is up to the door handle and we could get out that way! It also didn't help that we left a shovel out there lol!

Garden in a blizzard!! 2/8/13

My barren vegetable garden getting buried in snow during a blizzard here in CT! Notice the way the snow sticks to the wire fencing, it's pretty cool!