Get the Dirt on Your Dirt! FREE Soil Testing

These are the soil testing events URI Master Gardener Association has so far this year. They will test PH and soil texture.  For contaminants like lead and cadmium, send samples to UMass Amherst.

4/2 Home Depot - 878 West Main Rd., Middletown RI - 10:00 to 2:00 - Roger Jadosz

4/2 Roger Williams Botanical Center, Providence RI - 11:00 am to 2:00 pm -  Charlie Junod, Phil Green, Bill Baddeley

4/3 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

4/9 Casey Farm - 2325 Boston Neck Rd., No. Kingstown RI - 8:00 - 12:30

4/9 Home Depot - 371 Putnam Pike, Smithfield - 10:00 to 2:00 - Roger Jadosz

4/9 Mount  Hope Farm, 250 Metacom Ave., Bristol, RI 02809, 9:00 to 12:00, Garry  Holmstrom  

4/10 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

4/16 Cranston Public Library - 1825 Broad St., Cranston - 2:00 to 5:00 - Bill Baddeley

4/17 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

4/24 Wildwood Nursery - Frenchtown Rd., East Greenwich RI - 10:00 - 2:00 -

4/24 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

4/30 Cranesbill Nursery - 30 New Meadow Rd., Swansea MA - 10:00 - 2:00 -

4/30 Hattoys Nursery - Coventry, RI - 10:00 - 2:00 - 

5/1 Hattoys Nursery - Coventry, RI - 10:00 - 2:00 -

5/1 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

5/7 North Stonington Garden Club - 311 Norwich-Westerly Rd., No. Stonington CT - 9:00 to 1:00 - Corliss Merkle

5/7 Smith Castle - 55 Richard Smith Drive, No. Kingstown RI - 12:00-  4:00

5/7 Scituate Library - 606 West Greenville Rd., N. Scituate - 9:00 to 12:00 - 

5/7 Roger Williams Botanical Center, Providence RI - 11:00 am to 2:00 pm -  Charlie Junod, Phil Green, Bill Baddeley

5/8 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

5/14 Casey Farm - 2325 Boston Neck Rd., No. Kingstown RI - 8:00 - 12:30

5/14 Mount  Hope Farm, 250 Metacom Ave., Bristol, RI 02809, 9:00 to 12:00, Garry  Holmstrom 

5/14 East Farm - Route 108, Kingston RI - 10:00 am to noon - Roger Jadosz

5/15 Mapleville Farm - 544 Victory St., Mapleville (Burriville) - 11:00 to 4:00 - 

5/15 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

5/21 Cumberland Monastery - 1464 Diamond Hill Rd., Cumberland RI - 9:00 - 11:00 - Ken Oles

5/21 East Farm - Route 108, Kingston RI - 10:00 am to noon - Roger Jadosz

5/22 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

5/28 Block Island Spring Festival - Block Island Library - 10:00 - 2:00

5/28 East Farm - Route 108, Kingston RI - 10:00 am to noon - Roger Jadosz

5/29 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

6/4 East Farm - Route 108, Kingston RI - 10:00 am to noon - Roger Jadosz

6/4 Roger Williams Botanical Center, Providence RI - 11:00 am to 2:00 pm -  Charlie Junod, Phil Green, Bill Baddeley

6/5 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

6/11 Casey Farm - 2325 Boston Neck Rd., No. Kingstown RI - 8:00 - 12:30

6/11 Mount  Hope Farm, 250 Metacom Ave., Bristol, RI 02809, 9:00 to 12:00, Garry  Holmstrom

6/11 Wilcox Park, Westerly - 9:00 am to noon - Corliss Merkel

6/11 East Farm - Route 108, Kingston RI - 10:00 am to noon - Roger Jadosz

6/12 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

6/18 Hope St. Farmer’s Market, Lippitt Park, 1015 Hope St., Providence RI - 9:00 - 1:00 - Mitch Williams

6/18 Cumberland Monastery - 1464 Diamond Hill Rd., Cumberland RI - 9:00 - 11:00 - Ken Oles

6/18 East Farm - Route 108, Kingston RI - 10:00 am to noon - Roger Jadosz

6/19 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

6/25 East Farm - Route 108, Kingston RI - 10:00 am to noon - Roger Jadosz

6/26 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

7/3 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

7/9 Casey Farm - 2325 Boston Neck Rd., No. Kingstown RI - 8:00 - 12:30

7/9 Mount  Hope Farm, 250 Metacom Ave., Bristol, RI 02809, 9:00 to 12:00, Garry  Holmstrom 

7/9 Wilcox Park, Westerly. - 9:00 am to noon - Corliss Merkel

7/10 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

7/16 Cumberland Monastery - 1464 Diamond Hill Rd., Cumberland RI - 9:00 - 11:00 - Ken Oles

7/17 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

7/24 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

7/31 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

8/7 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

8/13 Casey Farm - 2325 Boston Neck Rd., No. Kingstown RI - 8:00 - 12:30

8/13 Mount  Hope Farm, 250 Metacom Ave., Bristol, RI 02809, 9:00 to 12:00, Garry  Holmstrom

8/13 Wilcox Park, Westerly - 9:00 am to noon - Corliss Merkel

8/14 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

8/20 Cumberland Monastery - 1464 Diamond Hill Rd., Cumberland RI - 9:00 - 11:00 - Ken Oles

8/21 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

8/28 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

9/3 Roger Williams Botanical Center, Providence RI - 11:00 am to 2:00 pm -  Charlie Junod, Phil Green, Bill Baddeley

9/4 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

9/10 Casey Farm - 2325 Boston Neck Rd., No. Kingstown RI - 8:00 - 12:30

9/10 Mount  Hope Farm, 250 Metacom Ave., Bristol, RI 02809, 9:00 to 12:00, Garry  Holmstrom 

9/10 Wilcox Park, Westerly - 9:00 am to noon - Corliss Merkel

9/11 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

9/17 Cumberland Monastery - 1464 Diamond Hill Rd., Cumberland RI - 9:00 - 11:00 - Ken Oles

9/18 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

9/25 Prescott Farm - 2009 W. Main Rd., Middletown RI - 9:00 - 11:00

10/8 Casey Farm - 2325 Boston Neck Rd., No. Kingstown RI - 8:00 - 12:30

10/8 Wilcox Park, Westerly - 9:00 am to noon - Corliss Merkel

Bunny Army

Snow in the forecast Sunday into Monday, so March's balmy lamb is going out with teeth and claw.  Yet, my lilac tentatively opens its leaves, the hyacinth bloom in the shelter of the spruce, the daffodil fill out their buds before bursting into lionine heads.  Chickweed and dead nettle flowers feed the early pollinators.  I leave them in the garden, except in the raised beds at school where we've planted beets and transplanted strawberries.  Snow or no snow, spring is coming!

Here's an annual favorite of mine.  I've been growing arugula and pea micro greens, which I will add to the "bunny bed" when I make this next week.  My two barred Plymouth Rocks are laying again, and I hope the white Araucana will bless us with her blue eggs.  

March 17th Rainbow

It's been a lot of things at once in my life, good and bad, at work and at home, and with friends.  I've been overwhelmed.  Yet, the sun shines and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow comes.  I may put off planting today, but I will go outside.  Time is precious.  Every day should be lived alive.

Order my cookbook here.

Seed Saving

I'll admit it.  I have them everywhere.  Stuffed into the box my amaryllis bulbs came in.  In a reusable canvas bag.  In a padded manila envelope.  Then just yesterday, I discovered a huge bag in the back of my garage...

I need to organize my seeds!

February was a whirlwind of birthdays, time with my daughter, both of us sick at different times, art show preparations, scientific inquiry, and of course my regular "job".  I returned to work after a Family Sick Day taking care of my coughing little one, checking how the sub had left things and prepping for the day, squeezing in a meeting and morning duty before my first two classes.  When I went back to the office, I found I had received a package.  What is this, I wondered?  I couldn't remember ordering anything except the wheat grass I just planted this evening in a clam-shell salad container as micro greens and a stream macro-invertebrate science kit generously funded by the Barrington Land Conservation Trust I happily dissected Wednesday that my third grade Eco-Warriors will use this April in collaboration with eighth graders visiting from a nearby school.  

I  brought the box back to my room.  I had 15 minutes before my next class arrived and I hastily cut a watermelon, pea pod, corn, and bean to show the kindergartners different foods that contained seeds that they would be cutting out and drawing seeds onto with crayon.  It was a shape lesson (circles, ovals, and semi-circles, with "bean" shapes the challenge of the week) and a science lesson (plants have different parts; which parts of the plant do we eat?).  I taught the brand-new lesson, tying in with the healthy foods theme for our district in March, which followed fruit and vegetable ABC squares done with textured paper the kids made, cut, and glued, making a food that went with their letter and with help, spelling it (art and literacy).  After lining them up and getting the room clean (again), I opened the package.

A seed sorting kit!  What???

It came with this letter:

Wow.  Just wow.  I guess the word is getting out about what I'm doing.  I have more people visiting the school in the spring, one to write her thesis on school gardens including ours.  Last year, Whole Foods wrote an article about us.  Tomorrow, I'll be putting final edits on a piece for Natural Awakenings.  I recently joined RIEEA, and the resources and connections are multifold!  My mind is exploding with possibilities.  I need to breathe!  

I am so grateful, so overwhelmed by all the support!  I have many more exciting projects in the works.  

When those seeds get sorted, some will be too old to use.  I will sort some into plastic bins (found cheaply at Job Lot) for scientific study and art fun.  The first graders will be recreating Van Gogh's sunflowers and irises in collage, cutting circles, triangles, rectangles, and hearts, then folding or curling the petals and leaves for a 3-D effect.  They will also learn plant parts and glue some of those expired seeds inside their flowers.  Link to the lesson here.

Meanwhile, I have seeds to sort!

Update:

Finally sorted my seeds.  I had way too many to fit in there, but i think the average home grower should have enough room.  The velcro dividers are easy to move.  I turned some sections sideways to better fit.  They're in alphabetical order, so sunflowers are with squash.  With so many annual flowers of many names serving similar purposes, I just filed them under "flowers".  Overall, a nifty way to organize seeds for our school garden!  Thanks again, Seed Keeper Company!