Farmers' market, and planting vegetables

[redbird]

Yes, two gardening posts in one day. No, I don't expect to make a habit of it.

There's a biweekly farmers' market in Davis Square, which opened for the season last Saturday; cattitude and I went there this afternoon, after treating ourselves to crepes for lunch. (The veggie special at Mr. Crepe today involved roast beets and walnuts, and was quite nice.)

The market was small, this early in the season, and all we bought was cheese and a frozen ham hock. We might have gotten a lettuce, or some fish, if we hadn't already had some of each. What surprised me was not seeing apples: I got used to the year-round Greenmarket in Inwood, where even in the depths of winter there are a half dozen varieties of apple, and I have found fine apples at the Harvard Square market in summer and fall.

We then stopped at Pemberton Farms and bought cucumber and tomato plants: yellow Brandywine and two kinds of cherry tomato. I would like to add a Paul Robeson or black Krim plant, if I can find one, but I don't feel like starting from seed this year. Cattitude pointed out that I had bookmarked a seed shop ursulav was tweeting about a few weeks ago, so I have ordered a packet of Paul Robeson tomato seeds, and one of Pink Beauty Radish, an heirloom variety that I hope will have some flavor.

We went home, played Scrabble, and then planted the tomatoes and cucumbers, and the herbs that had been in little pots on the porch, because they didn't seem to be doing well there. The tomatoes and cucumbers are in the front yard; dill and chives in the raised bed on the driveway side of the house; and the thyme went in the small bed in front with the young tree and the iris I planted a few weeks ago. We pulled out more mint from that bed, but did our best to leave the wood sorrel. Thyme is sometimes sold as a ground cover, so I have hopes that it can out-compete the mint.

The neighbors in the house just east of ours stopped by to introduce themselves while we were planting. (The person on the left stopped by weeks ago, while I was planting lettuce.)

We will probably buy some more herbs to have on the porch (which is much more convenient to the kitchen), but first we need to figure out how to keep them safe from the cats, and vice versa.

Comments

[kaberett]

I am enjoying the gardening posts :-)

[flick]

You'd be a rather late to start tomatoes from seed now over here: are the growing seasons that much different for you?

[redbird]

I suspected I was late for starting tomatoes. I may save this seed packet for next year, or I may figure that for $2.50 it's worth it if I can find a spare corner of the yard.

[flick]

I really don't know: you may be ok there, if you have a better summer than we do?

(Mind you, I accidentally planted some tomatillos in about June last year, and they fruited fine if a bit later than the ones that I'd started in the spring!)