Babies Fighting the Cold

My garden babies are fighting hard to make it despite the very cold and rainy weather. Someone should call the clouds and let them know it's June... time to give us some sun!!!

Hot House

Currently being germinated for open field planting:

Muskmelon Cantaloupe: Hearts of Gold (75 days)
Winter Squash: Early Butternut (80 days)
Watermelon: Moon & Stars (95 days)
Winter Squash: Table Gold Acorn (95-110 days)
Pumpkin: Howden (110 days)

My Local Market

I love that there is a fresh Farmer's Market located near my neighborhood! The King location of the Portland Farmer's Market is open Sundays from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. The market runs May 2 until October 31. This is my first year to enjoy this particular farmer's market. Thus far, we've been able to score some really great eggs, cheese, and plant starts. Thanks to the vendors for bringing such delicious treats up here to the Northeast!

Just in the Ground:

I have no re-potted my peonies, azaleas, hydrangea, gerbera daisies, lavender, rosemary, some native grasses, nasturtium, cosmos and snap dragons.

I added chard and kale to my greens garden. All accomplished during a very short rain break :)

I also prepped my melon bed and started with a few strawberry plants and two pumpkin plants. I am hoping to grow my pumpkins for our Thanksgiving pumpkin pie!

Cukes Need Water, Mellons Don't

I just learned a valuable lesson while reading The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery. Namely, that direct watering cools of the heat needing melons and slows down growth. Carla says "If you live in a marginal climate for melons and want to help them along, don't water them - or water only around the edge of the hill, not on the plants." Meanwhile, cucumbers need plenty of water during their growing season. I was planning to create a "creepy viney" section of my yard for pumpkins, melons, winter squash, and cucumbers. After reading her garden veggie section, I plan to move the cukes to a section with other plants that I will water often once the rain stops. Thanks Carla!

Curious: Two Egg Joints

I cannot get enough of a good breakfast. There is nothing more luxurious than strolling into a sunny breakfast spot, getting snuggled into a warm seat, relaxing while a friendly waiter brings me a cup of strong and mellow joe and then devouring some savory eggs. It gets truly divine if you add a buttery, crumbly biscuit. Currently, my absolute breakfast hero is the Bakery Bar on Glisan. If you haven't had their cracked pepper biscuit, then you haven't really lived. Plus, they source their eggs from their same neighborhood - using eggs only from the most eco-pampered layers.

That said, I just read some reviews that made me interested and curious in trying two new joints:

Tasty n Sons
3808 North Williams Avenue (in the Hub Building)
Portland, OR 97227
(503) 621-1400

Little Red Bike Cafe
4823 North Lombard St. (between Fiske and Jordan)
Portland, Oregon 97203
503-289-0120

I hope Bakery Bar won't feel like I'm cheating, but I do think these two joints may be a delicious treat as well.

Collards: Green Around the Collar

Note to self: when you harvest your scrumptious collard plants from the seeds you started in mid-April [Morris Heading Collards, seeds from Nichols Garden Nursery], please remember this delicious post by Good Stuff NW regarding some new and jazzy ways to enjoy Collards. The collard-changing post is titled Eat Your Greens.

Bring on the sassy greens!