Archives for March 2017
Happy Monday! The Garden is Waking Up
Happy Monday! It was a glorious, sunshine-filled morning here in Cincinnati. We’re supposed to get more rain this evening but that doesn’t matter because the garden is waking up! The birds are louder, the sun is brighter, and there is green everywhere I look.
Wordless Wednesday: So Fresh and So Green
What’s Your Ecoregion?
I’ve traditionally used the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone to help decide what to plant and when. While it provides great information, as you probably know the zones cover a wide range of territory. Cincinnati is in zone 6A along with parts of California, for example. I’m not a scientist but I find it hard to believe that the same plants will grow successfully, while supporting local pollinators, in both Ohio and California.
In learning how to select native plants that will help the most, I’ve become focused on ecoregions in addition to plant zones.
Spring Planting Advice…Straight From the Source
Hello to my fellow Ohio vegetable gardeners. If you’re new to gardening or just want an overview of when to direct sow some popular crops outside, this chart from the Ohio Farm Bureau provides great information.
Want More Seed Starting Dates?
If you want to take a deeper dive into starting seeds inside and outside Johnny’s Selected Seeds has an easy-to-use calculator that provides all the info you need to get your seeds started at the right time. The calculator includes dates for a variety of both vegetables (collards and kohlrabi, for example) and flowers like salvia and sunflowers. I used this calculator to help create my 2017 seed starting log, FYI.