Susan's Green Side

27/06/2024

Another tip (I know it's been two weeks, maybe this is more realistic) for June 29: If you like your SPIDERWORTS, you may want to induce them (or some of them, anyway) to bloom again later. If the conditions are right (like if there's any rain in August for example) they will rebloom around Labor Day if you cut them back to the ground when they're done blooming. For me that's probably next week. For you.... look in the morning. If all or most of them aren't open at all, it's time to think about cutting back. It's pretty adaptive, if anything in this part of the world ate the flowers, but it doesn't seem like anything does, so it's an adaptation that's mostly for the eyes of humans who like something blue to go with all the hot colors of late summer.
This is if you like them, of course. I have no tips on getting rid of them except digging them out, which is probably not what you wanted to hear in a heat wave. But the cutting back can help with stand control, since the majority of the seed won't be ripe yet when you cut. Meanwhile, enjoy the cool blues while they last.

14/06/2024

Thanks for a lovely start to the season! I'm starting a hopefully-weekly series of little experience tips, so here's one for June 15: Basil is often sold as groups of 3-10 baby plants in not very big pots, mainly because basil seeds are TINY and it's hard to put them in seed medium singly. Some people just plant thick and thin them down to two or three; I tend to think some of you may see my habit of potting up whatever grew up in the same cell of the seed flat as a bargain. It does work to plant the whole clump in a (much) bigger pot, but I think the pesto crop is bigger if you split the plants up.
Try taking one of my groups, or even one of those 100-plant pots you can get in the produce dept. of your grocery store, and do this: put the entire root ball in a near-size container of water (think cottage cheese container or similar) and leave it to soak while you do something else. When the whole thing is really wet, it's pretty easy to separate the roots without damage (I use a pair of popsicle sticks for this) and plant them separately. Plant 6" or so apart in 6 hrs or so of sun, water attentively while they settle in, and watch them grow. This technique can work in the ground, raised beds, big square deck pots, or whatever imagination suggests, and should give you a LOT of basil.
The same trick can also work for those moments when you're shopping (any kind of) plants and spot three or four crowded babies in one cell of a four-pack, and is worth a try.
Photo for the algorithm, and also because, though not mine, it is a great clump of happy basil and may give you ideas.

25/05/2024

New tomorrow (5/25) zucchini and yellow straightneck summer squash, Fresno peppers, honeynut winter squash. The basil is up and will be in next week along with sungold tomatoes and butternut and acorn squashes.
If you've bought a plant this year, or if you buy one anytime until I run out of tomato plants, any number of the same size & shape pots returned wins you your choice of a free tomato plant. Come down and ask me about it!

09/05/2024

What's coming on (my) opening day?
Not as much as I hoped; we took some damage in the storm and a bunch of the baby plants are going to do another week in the recovery room. There will be some of all the tomatoes and peppers, and vining cukes; eggplants, okra, and bush cukes look like next week. Come and see me if you want me to start beans or corn for you (2-week order, so this Saturday would get you plants Memorial Day weekend), or if you want to order a salad bowl.
I WILL be bringing a lot of flowers, I think, especially those fun little gold ranunculus, some in mixed bunches and some just by themselves to brighten up a corner.
Sunflowers for World Central Kitchen are up and will start coming to market May 18.
Looking forward to seeing you and getting back into the Market groove. See you Saturday!

Send a message to learn more

18/04/2024

Gettin' to be that time again in that green compulsively-growing way Spring has.
I wanted to let you know that I won't be in until second Saturday (5/11) due to rehearsal obligation for a concert May 5.
Timing is everything, so we'll see, but the plan this year is tomatoes and eggplant as usual, two cukes (a bush and a vine) and the usual assortment of baby squashes. The big news, if there is any, is in the peppers: Yes California Wonder and Jalapeno, but also a poblano type, Fresno, and C***o de Toro. That should make things more interesting in that department; if the bull's horns keep growing the way they are now, better get 'em while they're young. I'm also mindful that I sold out of okra twice, so expect some okra, a little later.
GROWING TO ORDER ONLY beans and corn, which Do Not Keep in pots so order them two weeks ahead and then please come pick them up, and SALAD BOWLS, which can be started any time but only if somebody wants them.
PICKING TO ORDER ONLY: nettles. I know some of you love 'em, but message ahead when you're going to want them; they're some expletive or another to pick. Otherwise it looks like there'll be salad mix right from the start, probably chive blossoms and maybe scallions.
Message if you're wondering about anything in particular, and I'll see what I can do.
SEE YOU MAY 11!!!

06/10/2023

Happy Friday, y'all! Hope you're staying warm.
First things first, thank you for buying all the sunflowers this year; we'll be sending another $200 to World Central Kitchen, raising the grande total to $600 for '22 and '23.
Next, I'll be away from the market this week but not out of town. If you were looking at something and want to arrange delivery or pickup, please message here. I'll keep my eye on the page.
There are three of the little cedars left (@$10) and small ($5) or larger ($8) potted curly willows plus $2 size thyme, winter savory, mint, sage, and chives, and a few left of the dollar indoor grower special basils and peppers. THERE PROBABLY WON'T BE A WEEK WARM ENOUGH IN THE MORNING FOR THE BASILS AND PEPPERS, so if you'd like to give one or a bunch a home (and reap the profits all winter) just let me know and we'll arrange something.
Cut curly willow is $2 - $5 per bunch, mostly depending on the length of the stems in the bunch but some of the long ones are also branchier and squigglier.
SEND MESSAGES - we've been here before with me working from home and you getting timely delivery, and here we go again.

08/09/2023

Happy Friday! Just a reminder that I won't be at the market this Saturday or next. It's not a two-week vacation, just two conflict Saturdays in a row, so if you're looking for something I can help you during the week. I expect to bring on 9/23:
lots of cut FLOWERS
still TOMATOES and PEPPERS, not sure what if anything else
CURLY WILLOW branches, the small potted ones I've been carrying, and some of the taller ones if I can fit them in.
some little potted RED CEDARS, because rent-a holiday-tree didn't work out but they're sweet little evergreens waiting for the right spot in someone's yard
Whatever POTTED HERBS are still in good shape, perennials for outside and basil for inside. The list is sage, thyme, mint, winter savory, chives and if you don't want to wait I can deliver.
and.... for your fall decorating pleasure I think I've figured out how to get a decent harvest of the BITTERSWEET out back. Stay tuned. :-)

14/08/2023

THE ELDERBERRIES ARE TURNING!!! You may want to order to make sure you get yours. Unit is "a basket" a little bigger than a gallon milk jug for $5, and I can almost guarantee I'll have some with me on Saturday. Message your contacts and how many baskets worth you want and I'll see what I can do.

30/06/2023

July 1. Come on down! Soooo much basil, flowers blooming more since the rain, last day for Very Nice Squash Plants. The big announcement is that I WILL be able to carry perennials this year (and a shrubbery or few) starting July 8. The daylilies, curly willow and all their friends and I would love to see you then, and in the meantime do please come buy a basil or several.

12/05/2023

Is she coming to the market this week? Tat's a yes, friends and fans, but it's a sort of soft opening just with warm-season veggie plants (I solved the pot problem I posted about last time) and these tomatoes, eggplants and peppers are soooo ready to go home with you - two weeks older than this time last year. Probably no salad mix or anything, but next week is a different story - the peas are up, the greens are growing, summer squashes and basil broke ground today and will probably be coming along next week. Also flowers.
Hope to see you Saturday and many Saturdays to come, and seriously yagotta come this week and meet my irresistible warm-crop babies. And take some home, natch.

06/05/2023

Heya, friends and fans! I wanted to let you know I won't be opening this week - transplanting was delayed during the cold snap and life happened and oh never mind I'll be at the market on the 13th, in the same place I was last year.
There's a thing you can help me with - if you still have any of the standard 18/flat 3" squares I use for plants people buy one of like tomatoes and squashes, I would love to get them back. So much that I'll come and get them if you DM me that you need me to pick them up. That's right, pots are more precious than gas right now. It seems freeze/thaw winters deteriorate plastic in a fatal way and I don't have enough for my lovely seedlings to have room to grow.
If anyone has a local source for such things you could DM me about that too. Thanks for checking!

27/04/2023

Happy spring, y'all! The Market opens May 6 and if the (10-day) forecast holds I won't be there yet. Everything depends on the morning temp when you're carrying seedlings.
If you want to order ahead my warm season crops, growing like mad inside, are four tomatoes (Roma, 4th of July, Sweetie and Yellow Pear), three peppers (Jalapeno, California Wonder, and hallelujah I found Poblanos and they're looking great) and two eggplants (Black Beauty and Early Long Purple) I will be repotting them into the familiar 18-to-a-flat size soon; if you'd like to jump the gun and order them in their 32/flat size baby homes (soon, especially the tomatoes) they're $1.50 apiece. DM me to set up pickup or delivery.
This year delivery is inside a loosely-drawn 10-mile circle and I'd really appreciate a $10 minimum order.
In other crop news, I'll be seeding cukes and summer and winter squashes as soon as they'll be safe in the greenhouse. My habit is two midsize cucumbers, one bush type and one climber; zucchini and yellow squashes (last year the yellow was crookneck) for summer and pumpkins, butternuts, and acorns for winter squashes. I can't grow the pumpkins or butternuts to maturity here, so I'll be planting pretty limited quantities; to be sure of getting some, tell me soon. how many.
I'll be starting some coles, probably in 4-packs, probably this weekend. I know that will include broccoli, cabbage (probably one early head and one savoy) and curly kale. If you want anything special, let me know soon.
I don't expect to be growing individual greens but will do you a salad bowl for delivery TO ORDER ONLY. The bowls are red, green, or whitish, and the varieties are a mix of cut-a-leaf lettuces and spinach, usually a chard or two for variety and vitamins.
Flowers will start as soon as I have any, at the market probably the same time as pea pods, which might be as soon as the second week in May but not if it keeps snowing.
Perennials won't be coming to market until I have space (typically mid June) but I should be able to help you out from home. The list will be up (right here) by the end of next week, also the herb list
THANKS, everybody, for a wonderful first year back at the market last year. I'm looking forward to seeing you there, as soon as it's warm enough at 0600 for baby tomatoes, and remember you can also order for delivery or arrange to come shop at the "farm".

16/08/2022

Hello, people! Elderberries have started. I'll have some at the market this week, but I think ordering might be a good idea to make sure you get as many as you want. That or getting up at the crack of dawn :-). If you want to order I'm happy to deliver or meetup. $5 per that 8" or so size fruit basket that's about the capacity of a gallon jug. They're still on the stems, is why they're So Cheap, but I do try to get as many as I can into the bags.
Other stuff: perennials, curly willow, herbs, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, lots of flowers. Hope to see you Saturday!

08/07/2022

THIS WEEK AT THE MARKET: some of the smaller curly willows and about a dozen bare-root ones bundled in threes; "promoted" tomatoes and eggplants; three flats of basil; roughly 20 herbs depending on what looks great after the rain; I think 3 6-packs of perennials. Oh - and small munches of blueberries, possibly pea pods, and lots of flowers.
I will be absent July 16 because of a Friday evening activity, but will definitely be able to deliver that weekend or other times by arrangement.
JULY 10-22 AT HOME/FOR DELIVERY: More perennials and herbs; larger curly willows; a few random potted shrubs. Blueberries coming on for several more weeks, and sorrel and nettle tips available to order only. In addition to tomatoes/eggplants/basil, also squash and cuke plants in lovely but untravel-able condition. I've already delivered some from this lot of glorious leftovers and you can have some too. When I come back on the 23d the emphasis will definitely be on the perennials and herbs, plus produce as it gets ready.

02/07/2022

Hello, friends and fans! Beautiful day at the market today. Just so you know, I'm switching gears to perennials, herbs, and whatever else I have room for beginning next Saturday. This does not mean I'm composting the plants, but for one reason or another they can't travel (ex: I still have a dozen or so lively cucumber plants, but they're so eager to fool around that I don't trust them to be loaded Friday night and not grab everything around them by morning). If you want any of the following please be in touch and we'll arrange a pickup, delivery, or etc. time.
cucumber or vining squash plants (mostly spaghetti squash) - I'm planting them out but not super-fast and there are about a dozen apiece available. They are well budded and the cukes are flowering! Holler now and we'll organize getting them to you. While you're thinking about it, there are also lovely acorn and yellow summer squash plants looking for homes. Still $2.
Bigger curly willow (from thicker, trunk-ish stems, well rooted and ready to rumble). The smaller ones will keep going to market for a while. BARE ROOT willows are ONLY available to order. The big ones are $10 and well worth it; bare roots are a whopping $1 each in bundles of however many you want; they're about the same size as the small $3 ones but without the pots and dirt.
More later. Attaching pics of curly willow and baby squashes to satisfy the algorithm; my willows are smaller and my squashes are way bigger :-)

30/05/2022

HERB LIST as of 5/30/22:
You can order in comments or via messenger for pickup or delivery between now and my next market day (6/11). Delivery's still free if your order is over $10.
spearmint, peppermint, "mint mint", winter savory, rue, thyme, oregano, chives, garlic chives, southernwood, sage. $3 each, and I may be digging more oddments. I can also dig up IF you want them, mugwort, motherwort, maybe horseradish, and St. John's wort. Yarrow, bergamot and echinacea will show up among the perennial flowers. Tell me what you're looking for if it's not on the list and I'll see if I can rummage it up.

21/05/2022

Hello, friends and fans! I won't be at the market tomorrow but here's what's growing for you:
VEGGIES - at the market or order for delivery or pickup:
TOMATOES: Roma, 4th of July, sweetie, yellow pear
PEPPERS: California Wonder and jalapeno
EGGPLANT: Black Beauty and Early Long Purple
CUCUMBERS: just came up yesterday, looking good! It's a mixed lot of smooth slicer types, probably half straight 8 and the rest similar type. SQUASHES are starting to show: zucchini, yellow summer squash, butternut, spaghetti squash, acorns.
See you on the 28th with all these beauties (plus bunches of scallions, maybe some garlic and/or greens, and the first little bouquets of the season) or message your plant order to get them sooner.
OTHER STUFF, mostly for ordering:
CURLY WILLOW is looking good in strapping $10 size, small potted for $3, bare-root "sticks" $1 each in wrapped bundles of whatever number you want. They are order-only; I won't be bringing them to the market on spec, though I am willing to deliver your orders there if that's what works for you. Or pretty much anywhere else
SUNFLOWER FUNDRAISER is moving into a second generation. I have 3 left of the first set and I think 17 more ready to go in perky pots redecorated with blue and yellow duct tape. $5 each plus anything extra you want to throw in - the combined week 1 and 2 donation was $181 to World Central Kitchen.
SALAD BOWLS are order-only this year due to lack of car space to bring them in to market and hope someone buys them. Mixed lettuce, spinach, chard, baby kale in a 14" bowl planter. Cut and come again varieties can mean salad additions and/or sandwich leaves all summer.
Message to order your green, tan or red bowl of yummies, delivery in... let's say two weeks. Weather may have some influence here.
Last but not least, HERBS AND PERENNIALS: The definitive list isn't ready but there are lots of irises, spiderworts, black-eyed Susans, yarrows and bergamot/bee balm ready to emigrate, maybe some others, and a pretty decent collection of herbs. Herbs will come to market as the veggie seedlings dwindle, sometime in June, perennial flowers a little later. Or you can order.

13/05/2022

Things you can get (from me) at the market this week: tomato, pepper and eggplant plants, one size bigger than last week :-) plus the smaller size of curly willow ($5) and I'm bringing another dozen of the donation sunflowers. I won't be at the market on the 21st but will on the 28th and I expect to have all of the above plus new cucumber, zucchini, yellow summer squash, spaghetti and acorn squash seedlings.
Things you can ORDER now for Memorial Day weekend or later include all of the above plus BIG curly willow ($10) and for the real DIY-er, hedge packs of curly willow: you tell me how many, I deliver them bundled in newspaper around the roots for $1 each. You can also PREORDER your salad bowls; I'm going to start setting them up on Sunday. Best guess on delivery would be early June.
The perennial list should be up by the end of Sunday and the herb list might be up Tuesday or Wednesday.
Busy busy busy, worth it, worth it, worth it.

06/05/2022

OPENING DAY PLAN: I will have eight flats of warm-season veggies (grown inside, natch - what a coooold spring) - Cali wonder and jalapeno peppers, black beauty and long purple eggplant, and the usual four superstar tomatoes (sweetie, yellow pear, Roma and 4th of July. They're looking really good and are recently enough transplanted into their bigger pots that they'll hold for a bit if the cold snaps again and they can't go out. Also 12 fundraiser sunflowers (scroll down a couple for more info) and a bunch of curly willow. Herbs and possibly some perennials next week.
I'll post a definitive list of order-only items in a day or two. Once there are more veggies coming there won't be room for as many big pots. See some of you Saturday :-)

04/05/2022

CURLY WILLOW available now and all summer, but probably won't be coming to market unless you're ordered and the market is our agreed-upon mode of delivery.
Survival is almost guaranteed, I think, since the bucket the cuttings were in was in the garage and surface froze several times over the winter. Great roots, great leaves, squiggles beginning to form. Let me know if you want one or 50.
Oh - and I also have a few forsythia available. Another fast grower.
Let me know what you need. I will deliver orders at the market this year or deliver to you, but these big pots are hard to bring to market on spec, so if you want any tell me and we'll figure out how best to get them to you. Thanks!