True Epicure Says

Planning for Spring Planting

trueepicure — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:39:17 +0000

This is what I’m planning to start now in 7A:

Indoors:
Artichoke
Basil
Broccoli (my plants from the fall still seem to be alive!!?)
Cucumber
Eggplant
Onion
Peppers

Transplant:
Leeks (I wonder if the ones from last fall are still alive?)

Direct Sow:
Arugula
Carrots

USBG Production Facility

trueepicure — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 03:30:28 +0000

I spent a good part of my day today at the U.S. Botanic Garden’s Production Facility. It’s a once-a-year opportunity that I am so glad to have found out about. Thanks to the suggestion from a new member of our garden club.

There were lots of beautiful things to look at, and many nice staff and volunteers to chat with. I was definitely among my people today.

Sunny Day

trueepicure — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:49:11 +0000

It’s a beautiful sunny day in the suburbs of Northern Virginia. The dirty snow pile across the street is mocking me, but I’m trying to take it all in stride. I’m glad that it hasn’t gotten really warm recently.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like cold weather, but I was worried that all of the snow would melt all at once. that would be a different kind of disaster.

The tulips are pushing their way up through the earth, hubs has the weekend off, and life is good.

Gardening Books for Kids

trueepicure — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:08:44 +0000

I’ve started to put together a list of gardening books for children. Here is my list so far. Some of these may be harder to find, but as of this posting date, they are available through Amazon.

If you have suggestions for or comments about this collection, please leave them in the comments.

Out With the Old…

trueepicure — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:48:00 +0000

…and in with the new.

Remember this? Well, here are the fruits of my labor.

Rosehips in DC

trueepicure — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:00:26 +0000

The Washington Gardner Seed Exchange

trueepicure — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:00:39 +0000

It snowed like mad on Saturday, but I’d been waiting all year for the seed exchange, and I was determined to go. I was rewarded well for my determination - great talks by local experts, and LOTS of seeds.

Here’s my list of booty:

Wildflowers +
Artichoke ‘Imperial Star’
Carrot ‘Short n’ Sweet’ packet says “Grows in heavy soils”!
Lettuce ‘Salad Bowl’
Garlic ‘Inchelium Red’
Convulvulus ‘Star of Yalta’
Russian Tarragon*
Container lettuce ‘Garden Babies Butterhead’+
Cosmos (orange)
Lobelia cardinalis
Papever somniferum ‘Laurens Grape’ +
Parsley
Nierembergia ‘White Robe’
Sorghum vulgare
Saponaria officinalis (Soapwort)
Linarea pupurea (purple toadflax)
Lilium ‘Star Gazer’
Consolida ajacis
Salvia ‘Hotline Blue’ *
Malva ‘Mystic Merlin’
Pennyroyal
Rudbeckia ‘Cherry Brandy’ *

Seeds from WinterSown Educational. (You can go to the website to get your own!)
Tomato ‘Hong Yuen’*
Tomato ‘Huang Se Chieh’*
Tomato ‘Green Zebra’*
Tomato ‘Early Kus Ali’*
Tomato ‘Roma’*
Tomato ‘Gilbertie’*
Rudbeckia ‘Irish Eyes’+
Convulvulus ‘Star of Yalta’+
Zucchini ‘Little Tree of Sarzana’+
Tomato ‘Large Red Cherry’+
Tomato ‘Tondina Maremmano’+
Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)+

+ I received this in my event goody bag
* I received this from the “free” table

I also won a Neomarica gracillis (Walking Iris) as a door prize, and for filling out a survey form, a fern. All in all a fun and plant-filled day!

Green Thumb Sunday: Making Use of Cold Weather

trueepicure — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:13:57 +0000

It doesn’t look like it, but this is some serious green thumb-ing going on here! E is making me a cold frame for my birthday! I’m helping by holding lumber while it is being cut, and then priming and painting the cut wood before E puts the frame together.

This is going to be an awesome cold frame for all of my new flowers and vegetable seeds from the Washington Gardener Seed Swap!

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.

The New Year - 2010

trueepicure — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 20:09:49 +0000

Welcome to 2010. My goals (notice, they are NOT resolutions) for this year are to:

Get Organized (The house and our finances);
Get a garden started at our school; and
Have an amazing garden (with proper drainage).

Why? Because I hate disorganization. I’ve battled clutter all my life and I’m tired of it. I don’t need to be Martha, but I need to feel like I don’t have to run around cleaning like a chicken with its head cut off, when company is coming over. I’m proud to own a house, and I want to show it off like it deserves to be shown off.

Because the kids at our school deserve to know that someone actually gives a rat’s ass about them. Maybe I’ll write a post about this, but I have to be careful about how I do it.

Because gardening makes me happy and I’d like to not have to worry that my house will end up under water.

Happy New Year!

Green Thumb Sunday: SnOMG

trueepicure — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:22:43 +0000

Under two feet of snow

Flower bed on the right, lawn on the left. Right now, just snow.

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday, visit As the Garden Grows for more information.