I have never participated in Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day for a few reasons. First of all, I’m an infrequent blogger, and remembering to post on the same day each month never felt like an important priority. Also, I travel a lot, especially in the spring during garden show season, so I’m not always around to see what’s coming up outside. And probably most importantly, I don’t really care that much about flowers. I know, sacrilege!
Okay, that’s not entirely true. I like flowers. I’ve just never really bothered to worry about what’s blooming on any specific date. I’m more concerned about what’s being harvested and eaten. On that note, does anyone know if there’s an edible equivalent to GBBD? Would it be called Garden Blogger’s Harvest Day?
There are certainly a number of months when there is no activity whatsoever happening in the garden, but we continue to enjoy the summer and fall harvest throughout the winter and even into the spring. I’d be happy to report on that.
Oh, and if you hadn’t figured it out, the picture above is a sweet potato with a few leaf buds emerging. Over the next few months, those buds will get bigger and leafier. They’ll eventually be cut off so they develop their own roots, and finally we’ll transplant them into the garden. You can read more about the process here.
It is hard to remember to post on paticular dates.
I do believe that potato qualifies, LOL!
# Posted By Darla | 1/15/09 10:20 AM
Thanks, Darla! It was -14F this morning, and everything outside is under a thick blanket of snow. We have a few houseplants, but I figured the budding sweet potato was the most interesting and the closest to an actual bloom.
# Posted By Anneliese | 1/15/09 10:58 AM
I totally understand. I’m more into the vegetables too. But I figure I devote 29 days to my veggies and one to my flowers – OK maybe a couple more, but mostly veggies.
As to memes that are veggie related. http://veggiepatchreimagined.blogspot.com/ started one in the fall. She wanted to post one every Monday and invite others to also. The fall is probably not the best time to start such a meme since in a lot of the US we quit harvesting then, and I’m sure Ottawa is not much different. However I’m hoping it takes off in the spring. It would be a nice way to bring vegetable gardeners together.
# Posted By Daphne | 1/15/09 12:48 PM
Daphne, thanks so much for the link. I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction.
I can’t say I’ll devote a day a month to writing about blooming flowers, but I’ll let you know right now that I plan to start paying more attention to them.
# Posted By Anneliese | 1/15/09 1:28 PM
The purple sprouts are as colorful as some flowers, Anneliese – it counts for me! Stay warm if you can – my son told me the high in Chicago is -6F. Not the record, but pretty darned cold.
Happy first GBBD!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
# Posted By Annie in Austin | 1/15/09 2:09 PM
Thanks, Annie! I thought they looked pretty cool, too. I’m doing my best to stay inside today — at least it’s sunny.
I see that you have quite a lot of color down there in Austin! I was in your neck of the woods just last month, and we had a lovely 80F day.
# Posted By Anneliese | 1/15/09 2:36 PM
I had never participated in Bloom Day before either, but it has been fun to bounce (virtually) around the world and see what people have come up with in a usually not very bloomsome time. I like the sweet potato buds, I think they count! I’m going to read your method for sprouting/planting them, I don’t know if I can grow them here in Seattle but I’d like to try if so. They are my favorite spud.
# Posted By Karen | 1/15/09 7:45 PM
Thanks for visiting, Karen. We’re in zone 4b here in Southern Wisconsin. We’re able to extend the growing season for sweet potatoes by starting the plants indoors and then using black plastic sheeting over the raised bed where we plant them to keep the soil warmer. I’m hopeful that in the future we can find a more environmentally friendly alternative to the plastic, but for now it seems to be the best method for us.
# Posted By Anneliese | 1/15/09 11:34 PM