NJ SPICE

In my gardening days, I remember how, even in a mild winter, by early March I was desperate to get my hands in dirt and plant seeds. This year, with so much time to browse those seed catalogues, I’ll bet some of you have way more seeds than you’ll ever use, just waiting, waiting, waiting for the earth to warm. Of course, you can start some early, indoors, things like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. So clear off those shelves by the window, or put grow-lights in the basement, and get ready to grow your own.

Cedar Raised Bed

Here’s the scoop from the Whole Earth Center

Produce Prices are Going Up!

In the wake of the ongoing (and devastating) drought in California’s Central Valley, we expect to see fewer and fewer acres planted in fruits and vegetables. This could mean a long-term rise in produce prices.

One great way to balance out the higher price of long-distance produce is to buy from local farmers. Another is to grow some of your own produce this summer.

To help your garden succeed, Whole Earth is teaming up with Dorothy Mullen from the Riverside School Garden and the Suppers Programs and Steven Schultz from Bountiful Boxes to provide our customers with:

•Kits to build four-by-eight foot raised beds

•Organic gardening supplies

•Mini-workshops on preparing and planting your garden bed

•On-going gardening tips via Twitter and Facebook

As the weather breaks, watch for notices of workshops and the arrival of plant starts from local organic farms.

In the meantime, it is almost time to plant peas so place your order now for your Bountiful Boxes raised bed kits. They are easy to assemble and easier than turning soil to create new garden beds. And, because they drain well, raised beds allow you to start gardening earlier!