March 12, 2022

Happy Spring (nearly…)!

Old Man Winter is blowing the last of his cold air over New England and snow is falling again, but the days are noticeably longer and the red-winged blackbirds and robins have returned to seek out nesting sites. The finches’ plumage is changing from olive drab to brilliant gold. In the mornings birdsong awakens me, putting a smile on my face with happy anticipation of the day ahead. We gain 90 minutes of daylight in March, warming the earth and our hearts.

Ralph and I have been busy as beavers in the kitchen, putting up all manner of preserves, mustards, and vinegars (he’s making Tarragon Mustard today as I write.) Most of these have gone to our CSA’s and local farmstands, bakeries, marketplaces, Tower Hill and the Coop. We were lucky that we were able to get 150 cases of hexagonal jars in January!

We’re well-stocked now, with a few exceptions. We’re out of Blueberry Preserve, saving the remaining 20 pounds of blueberries for Triple Berry Preserves and Pie. We’re low on Strawberry Preserve and Elderberry Syrup. Tomatoes Rustica might not last until we harvest again in August. Likewise with Pepper Preserve. Right now we have both spicy and mild versions, so if you prefer one, just make a note when you order.

Something we do have which we don’t often offer is our Wild Grape Preserve. We usually save the grapes for Frosty Fruit Pops, but Ralph’s Mom used to make grape jelly, and it’s a comfort food for him. (Like all our preserves, it’s far less sweet than a “Grape Jelly” with just half the sugar and no thickeners.) We put up about 3 cases so we’ll have them for a while.

All the seeds are in and I’ve been restraining myself in not planting anything yet. 50 years of seed starting has taught me that earlier waves of seeding are often out-performed by the later waves where the tender plants aren’t subjected to chilly temperatures or strings of cloudy, cold days when the sun doesn’t shine.

That said, tomorrow I’ll begin with cold-season vegetables like peas, kale, lettuces; herbs like parsley, chamomile, and Greek oregano; and cold-tolerant flowers like bachelor buttons, amaranth, and calendula. I’ll wait until the end of the month (and the waxing moon) to plant tomatoes, peppers and basils. I’ll start sun-loving flowers like zinnias, nasturtiums and sunflowers, and vegetable like cucumbers and zucchini in late April..

This year I’ll sow extras and offer plants for sale again at Tiny Farmstand in mid- May. This won’t be like a garden center (!) just a carefully selected offering of my favorite varieties gleaned from a lifetime of growing. We use an organic soil mix from Vermont Compost Company which is far superior to any soil I’ve ever tried, and I use generously-sized pots for best results when transplanted into the gardens.

We opened Tiny Farmstand for Valentine’s weekend with Dark Chocolate Mooncakes and Triple Berry Pies and all our preserves, mustards, vinegars, honey, and elderberry syrup. It was a warm weekend and lots of fun. We’ll open for the season soon (maybe as soon as next week) and have some new surprises in store. I’ll announce the opening on Instagram and Facebook when I decide. The Farmstand has a tiny heater, but we’ll wait until it doesn’t have to work too hard.

I’ll start making more Frosty Fruit Pops “Patti Pops” next week so I’ll have Raspberry and Blackberry (the peoples’ favorite) when we open. Strawberry, Red Currant, and Grape will come next.

I’m planning more flowers than ever this year, and I’m going to try a Bouquet CSA. It’s completely flexible - sign up for 5 bouquets, and the sixth is free. You can get them weekly, or skip a few weeks while you’re on vacation, or even take all 6 at once for a party. Since we’re off the beaten path, it’s hard to know when a passer-by wants a beautiful bouquet. This way you can get exactly what you want, when you want it, and even choose varieties or color schemes. Besides flowers, we can add aromatic herbs like chocolate mint and lemon basil, even lavender and elderflowers - all beautifully arranged in pint canning jars. I’ll have more information as the season progresses. Just thinking about flowers puts a smile on my face! I hope it gives you a smile too.

The snow is building up rapidly and my teapot is empty. Abbey the Joyful is asleep at my feet, alongside the bucket of forsythia I picked a few weeks ago to force the blossoms into early flowering. At 9 1/2, she’s slowing down (I guess we’re roughly the same age now), but still loves trekking around the gardens a couple of times a day with both of us. She still prances and dances and sings when her girls Elisha and Lara come to help, and welcomes visitors to Tiny Farmstand and her best buddy, Eddy the UPS driver.

Ralph and I are both so grateful to be able to lead this simple life, loving what we do, because of YOU. Sending best wishes for good health to you and your loved ones as we swing into spring.

Peace, Love, and Gratitude,

Patti and Ralph and Abbey the Joyful