Tag Archives: gardening

Visiting Alex’s Snowball Stand in Lisbon … And Other Random Thoughts on West County Activities

Posted on April 30, 2012 by AnnieRie

Yesterday morning I posted that we would be going out to Sharp’s Farm to buy plants. While we were out, my husband wanted to try the snowball stand in Lisbon to see how they measure up to Woodstock, his favorite place for summer treats.

We spent about 30-45 minutes picking out plugs at Sharp’s, and it is warm and humid in the greenhouses, so a snowball sounded good.

After we settled up, I carefully wedged the plants in the back of the truck, I didn’t want them sliding around in the bed of the pickup. As you notice in this picture, these are not the two dozen flower plugs I bought, these are the pole beans, cucumbers and a few more exotic varieties of heirloom tomatoes. Somehow they enticed me, and now I need to rethink what goes where in the garden. The 3 inch pots at Sharp’s are only $1.50, a very good price for plants this large.

So, where are the snowballs? They are here.

They also sell ice cream and Nathan’s hot dogs. They have a children’s play area around back.

They are on the circle in Lisbon just up from the Town Grill and on the way to Larriland Farms. A really convenient spot to stop for a cooling ice cream or snowball after picking strawberries this May.

On the way home we stopped into Western Regional Park to see how it had grown. There are now five miles of trails in the park, paved and natural surfaces.

Weekends in West County. You also have lots of options for picnics. There are three locations where you can pick up foods to go and have a day in this less crowded Howard County park.

There is Vittorio’s.

Casual Gourmet.

And, Smokin’ Hot.

All in all, a good trip today. I am monitoring the updates on when the strawberries will be ready to pick at Larriland. In the meantime, my husband gave his egg custard snowball from Alex’s a thumbs up, for putting more than enough flavoring in it, and for the taste. We will be going back.

hocofood@@@

2 Comments

Posted in Community, Day Trips, Food, Gardening, Howard County, Local Businesses, Nature, People, Restaurants, West HoCo and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

A Typical (?) Day in West County

Posted on April 29, 2012 by AnnieRie

Today started out with lovely weather. I uncovered the plants, fed the blue jays and squirrels their peanuts, put the tomato plants out to get some sun, and cleaned out the bird bath. This afternoon I want to plant some more herbs and finish prepping the vegetable garden.

That was all before this little visitor showed up, at 11 am.

Right outside my kitchen window, and chasing the birds and squirrels. Yes, it did get something.

Took it around behind the garden, then heard me and took off north from behind the pine trees and our shed.

Now I have to worry about what I put outside. Usually the fox hunts at dusk. There must be hungry babies up in a den somewhere on the undeveloped land north of us. There are about 11 acres of natural habitat north of us, that is the home for many of the animals that live here. I need to tell my neighbor to keep the kitties in, or stay out with them.

Well, since the weather improved, it’s back to putting plants in the herb garden and working on cleaning out the vegetable gardens for transplanting tomatoes next week. With the weather looking to stay close to normal, I might have the tomatoes transplanted the week before Mother’s Day, which is the traditional day that there is no longer a possibility of frost.

I may also head out later to Sharp’s to finish buying plugs of cucumbers, and some flowers for around the patio and along the front pathway. The greenhouses are open on Sundays from 12-5, and now that I have figured out the vegetable layout of the garden, it is time to pick up plugs of flowers to put out. They have plugs for 65 cents a piece, 55 cents each if you purchase two dozen or more. It is the most economical way to put in splashes of annuals all around your property.

Just a typical Sunday here in West County. What is your Sunday like? Any grilling tonight? Enjoy the great weather, in spring, the reason we don’t want to move from Howard County. Love this season of growth, warmth and anticipation. Might have to repeat this meal. Get out the steaks and wrap some Boarman’s bacon around some asparagus. Break open a bottle of local wine. Sounds like a great Sunday to me.

hocoblogs@@@

3 Comments

Posted in Birds, Community, Food, Gardening, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, Nature, Weather, West HoCo and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Hoping the Weather Changes

Posted on April 28, 2012 by AnnieRie

This crazy spring, full of frost warnings and heat waves, has done a number on the plants. At least many of them seem to have survived the changes and are still on their schedule to bloom. I still have the tomato plants inside though. And, the delicate herbs. The weather in West HoCo is just a little cooler than Ellicott City or Columbia. We also are at 630 feet above sea level, one of the higher points in the county with little asphalt to retain heat overnight, so we get more frost warnings.

The spring flowers keep blooming, despite the strange weather. I noticed yesterday that my candy stripe azaleas were beginning to pop open.

I have two of this variety, and though they are a little spindly, they really do add a nice touch of color to the yard. They bloom much later than the others, like my red varieties.

The tangelo azalea is much further behind, and should burst next week. This variety is closer to the rhododendrons in size. It is being dwarfed at the moment by a volunteer burning bush that I have to prune way back this fall. It is at least protecting it from wind and frost damage, though.

As for the rhododendrons, they are coming along nicely and will soon burst open. One lonely bloom has been the vanguard.

Another isn’t far behind. This year I have the most blooms on the two plants. There are dozens of them instead of the 6-8 on each plant that I got other years. I think all the rain last fall made them happy.

We bought our house in the winter and didn’t know until spring just how many plants and flowers we had and what varieties they were. Every April, May and June we have the luxury of blooming flowers and trees. I don’t really need to visit Brighton Dam for azaleas as we have beauty in our back yard.

What’s blooming now where you live?

Leave a comment

Posted in Gardening, Hobbies, Nature, Weather, West HoCo and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Update on Brighton Dam Azalea Gardens

Posted on April 25, 2012 by AnnieRie

Today on my way to Boarman’s, I detoured to see how the azaleas are doing.

I think they are pretty close to their peak right now. The gardens are absolutely lovely and today for 30 minutes, I was the only one there.

Well, except for our pollinating friends.

There are so many varieties there. I can’t pick my favorite but this one comes close. I love the yellow tint in the center of the flower.

Some of the flowers have fallen, the earlier blooming varietals. And, some haven’t even opened yet.

If you go during the week, you can have the entire picnic area to yourself.

Except for the workers down at the dam.

It is such a lovely spring day, this is the place to be.

The views from here are worth the drive out Brighton Dam Rd. They are open every day.

hocoblogs@@@

2 Comments

Posted in Gardening, Howard County, Nature, West HoCo and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Green Eggs and Ham Anyone? CSA Week 17

Posted on April 23, 2012 by AnnieRie

Love the green eggs in the box.

We didn’t get ham, but we did get four Angus beef quarter pound burgers. Now, if it ever gets warm again, I will be grilling burgers and the asparagus from the box.

The leeks were humongous. One of them weighed 28 ounces, the two of them almost two and a half pounds.

Besides them, there were two beets. They weighed 26 ounces together.

I wanted citrus (oranges again) to make with the last of the fennel in the fridge, for a salad. And, I got some spring onions. Rounding it out were carrots. The half share, six items plus the last week of eggs. This weekend we will get our final delivery and then two weeks later we start our summer CSA, full share with Sandy Spring.

Zahradka was a good winter fit for us. A little too many potatoes, I think. In the future, I have to think about what I order when. And, I know the eggs need to get used faster. I am learning from this experience.

A nice range of veggies here, ready to be used. The beets, roasted to use with the last of the spinach and the greens from my garden.

Maybe beets and orange and spring onions with a vinaigrette. Asparagus grilled after being wrapped in Boarman’s bacon. All sorts of possibilities here.

Since it got cold again, the other half of the family wants soup, so the carrots and leeks will go into soup. I will have to stop at Roots and get celery and maybe turnips to use in a soup. I do have cranberry beans. I also have CSA sausage left in the freezer.

Looks like another week of avoiding those large chain grocery stores thanks to local farmers, Roots and Boarman’s. Who needs Giant Foods? Not me.

By the way, I stopped the other day on Howchow’s recommendation and scored a loaf of Monk Rye Bread for us, on a Friday, so they had enough left from the Thursday delivery. Soup with bread. YUM!

Soup from sausage, greens and beans

hocofood@@@

1 Comment

Posted in CSA, Food, Gardening, GGSAC, Local Businesses, Locavore and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Earth Day Here and There

Posted on April 21, 2012 by AnnieRie

Tomorrow is Earth Day, but today the Conservancy was hosting dozens of volunteers and visitors for service projects, a plant sale by the Master Gardeners, a birding hike, and crafts projects for the little ones.

The wheel barrows were loaded and ready to go out for tree planting.

The parking lot was full of cars, on a lovely morning that cleared up to make it easy to work. Thankfully, it didn’t rain on the projects.

WR Grace brought out a group of volunteers to put in plants and mulch the entrance area, right on Old Frederick Rd. Everybody was hard at work. The Conservancy greatly appreciates their dedicated volunteers that come out to help.

I bought a few more tomato plants from the Master Gardeners. I couldn’t resist. I got two red fig and two pineapple plants. Yes, these are tomatoes. Interesting rare varieties. The red fig dates back to the 1700s, and is a pear shaped tomato. The pineapple tomato is one of my favorites. In talking to the gardeners, they said many of their heirloom seeds come from Baker Creek, which is the source for this picture.

After I left there, I ran over to TLV Tree Farms to pick up herbs for my garden. At Greenfest last week, I told them I would come out during their Saturday hours (10am – 2PM) and pick up what I needed to fill in my herb garden with new annuals and a few perennials that are getting ragged.

While there, I did pick up a couple of New York Strip Steaks to grill if the weather holds. MD steaks marinating in MD wine. What could be better?

I put the three varieties of thyme in the ground this afternoon, and left the lavender sitting in the pots until I position the basil, tarragon and marjoram that isn’t hearty enough to plant yet.

English, creeping and silver queen thyme

Lavender waiting to be planted, keeping the mint company

I also wandered around to document the blooming of my bank of azaleas along the north side of the house. They are almost the last to bloom. One more area in the northeast corner still isn’t ready. These that bloomed today are brilliant red, and some of my favorites.

What a beautiful spring day in the county. One more pic of the azaleas, because they are so brilliant. Go out and plant something!

hocoblogs@@@

1 Comment

Posted in Community, Food, Gardening, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, Nature, People, Volunteering, Weather, West HoCo and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!

Posted on April 20, 2012 by AnnieRie

Heirloom tomatoes.

They make me do my happy dance. I rode out to Sharp’s Farm this morning, the first morning the greenhouses are open. You have to go early to get some of the most exotic heirlooms. They are sold to many places like Brookside Gardens, the Master Gardeners and the Conservancy community gardeners, just to name a few. If you go during the first few days, you can score things like:

Chocolate Stripes
Legend
Paul Robeson

There are others. I forget how many. I believe they planted 35 varieties of heirloom tomatoes from seeds. They also have standard tomato plants, like Early Girl and Supersweet 100s.

I love the farm. I could wander around for hours.

The greenhouses are open Tuesday through Sunday. Check the hours on the web site. As I was leaving, school buses were rolling in for a field trip.

I came home and messed around a little with the heirlooms and put a few plugs of the herbs in a planter. I will be getting more once I check with my neighbor who wants what.

These plugs are Legend, Hillbilly and Chocolate Stripes, all will be put in the ground in two weeks. Right now, I will keep them out in the day and protect them in storms and wind.

It truly is spring when I get my tomato fix. Just brushing the leaves and getting the scent of tomato plants makes the anticipation of the coming harvest, two months away, even more exciting. Just think. All this waxing poetic about little green things that go in the ground.

When I came home, I harvested three wild asparagus stalks. Two more tomorrow and there will be asparagus on the menu tomorrow night.

If you want affordable plants, and can grow from plugs, you can’t beat going to Sharp’s. Or, get the pots. I got eight basil plants to go in the herb garden. All sorts of varieties. Great place to visit. And, don’t trust the sign. They hadn’t gotten up to change it at 10 am, when they opened.

hocofood@@@

5 Comments

Posted in Food, Gardening, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, West HoCo and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

White Asparagus Anyone? Right Out of Your Yard?

Posted on April 17, 2012 by AnnieRie

White Asparagus. What comes up deep under the mulch if you don’t move it out of the way.

Wild asparagus grows many places in this area. The best way to find out is to look for the plants that aren’t harvested and that become small trees. This is how we found ours.

At the base of one of the crepe myrtles there are thin wispy fronds that have fallen over. They are what sprouts from the crown if you don’t harvest the plant. You can find them if you really look carefully. We found ours while mulching one year. It seems this plant was some sort of volunteer that comingles with the base of the crepe myrtle.

Today I went out looking and first saw this.

If you look very closely, you can find one spear in the upper left, and one in the lower right. We had lots of mulch built up around the crepe myrtle this spring so the rest of the spears were fully covered. Careful moving of the mulch revealed the rest.

Then I started uncovering the white ones.

White because of lack of exposure to sunlight. I also found this one hidden on the other side of the bush.

Now there are five spears coming up in total. Hopefully in two or three days, I will have enough to cut and make pancetta wrapped grilled asparagus. Foraged food. Right out of the backyard.

Do a little looking around in parks and on roadways in the area. See if you can find a source of asparagus. Don’t tell anyone you found it. Just harvest and enjoy.

hocofood@@@

6 Comments

Posted in Food, Foraging, Gardening, Howard County, Locavore, Nature, Real Food and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Brighton Dam Azalea Gardens

Posted on April 15, 2012 by AnnieRie

The perfect place to spend Sunday afternoon. The azaleas are peaking early this year. There may not be much left in May.

We headed out to grab some food at Boarman’s including a couple of pulled pork sandwiches and iced tea to have a picnic and walk the gardens. Took along the cooler to put the rest of the groceries in, so we were consolidating shopping, dining and exercising.

The gardens were established when I was a very little girl. My parents brought us out here countless times to walk the five acres of gardens.

They are located on the Montgomery County side of the reservoir, and besides the gardens there is a rec area with picnic tables. On the rec area side is the only place you can have food, drink and pets. Most were just strolling, enjoying, taking pics like me, and just taking in the beauty of a spring day.

We found a few of our pollinating friends enjoying it too.

There are some very lovely specimens in colors other than the normal ones you see in azaleas, like this one, almost an apricot.

A few side paths were squeezed by the sheer size of the bushes, some of which are more than 50 years old.

We wandered for about an hour before returning to the car, just as things were beginning to get crowded. Go early or go during the week to avoid crowds.

This is one of our area’s best spring traditions and a fun day you can spend without paying anything. Take a picnic, wear your sneakers, bring your camera, and enjoy the flowers.

hocoblogs@@@

5 Comments

Posted in Community, Day Trips, Food, Gardening, GGSAC, Howard County, Local Businesses, Nature, West HoCo and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

An Exhausting But Fun Day at Greenfest

Posted on April 14, 2012 by AnnieRie

Every year, it seems to get bigger and better. Greenfest at HCC was the place to have fun for young and old alike, with indoor and outdoor activities, booths, classes and with live animals in one of the areas. The Conservancy was out in the main corridor this year, since we left the owl home. Crowds and other animals aren’t Ranger’s favorites.

But, we did bring some interesting things for the kids to touch, like a coyote pelt and a black snake’s discarded skin.

The children were fascinated with the snake skin and loved to touch the softness of the coyote pelt. It did seem to escape the notice of the County Executive who we saw stopping at booth after booth and conversing with the exhibitors.

Just kidding. It was nice to meet Ken Ulman, and we are glad that the county sponsors events like this one. After my volunteering time at the Conservancy booth, we spent time wandering, learning and just having fun, so I couldn’t believe how quickly the day went.

We purchased some cheese from Bowling Green Farms, and brisket from TLV Tree Farms. Thanks to both Howard County Farms for providing the mini farmer’s market. Their web sites are linked on my local resources page.

I will be stopping out at TLV since they are open on Saturdays to add some new herbs to my garden. They had a wonderful array of plants and herbs there today. They will be at the Wednesday, Friday and Sunday markets, I believe.

The list on the farmer’s market web site of vendors is slated to come out this week. Kathy Zimmerman of the HCEDA office confirmed that. The Howard County Farmer’s Markets open three weeks from Wednesday, the first market at the new Miller Library in Ellicott City. I think it is great we have so many young farmers here. Supporting them and helping them succeed makes the county a better place.

My husband did the circuit of the vendors, took a few classes and thankfully restrained himself from bringing home dozens of samples and giveaways. After all, we are retired and trying to rightsize. I do like the notepad with a cover from recycled cardboard.

We were very proud to see that HoLLIE and Ann Strozyk received Robinson Foundation awards. I worked with Ann on curriculum ideas as part of my HoLLIE internship last year.

What I love most about Robinson and the Conservancy? Anne Robinson donated to start the Foundation, and the Nature Center is a tribute to a Howard County woman who believed in giving something that our children and their children will enjoy. Just like Ruth and Frances Brown donated their land to the Conservancy to connect people with nature. The children seemed to have fun today, too.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I love living here. I think Money Magazine had it close but not quite correct. Maybe to them we were number two in the best places to live, but to me, the whole county is special and we are the best place to live. Call me Pollyanna, but being here for 38 years is a testament to how much this county means to me.

Not that I didn’t come home today and collapse for a nap, after all day out and running around. At least, being retired, I can excuse the two hour nap before dinner.

hocoblogs@@@

1 Comment

Posted in Commentary, Community, Farmer's Markets, Food, Gardening, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, Nature, People, Volunteering and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →