Bored with winter

[jal_ut]

I am ready to get to gardening again, but Not much to do here until April.
Here is an idea for you: Grow your own onion seeds. Plant a large onion and it will flower and make seed. The flower clusters are interesting.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/2onions_seed.jpg[/img]

[soil]

you can also grow the blooms to eat, we always plant a few extra for cooking and the biggest ones for seed. try battering them and deep fry onion blossoms.

[DeborahL]

James, when will you start seeds? Can you hang on till then? : )

[jal_ut]

I will start seeds in the garden in April. I cut all the mature heads and put them in a bag. I guess I should thresh them sometime soon.

[garden5]

Jal, do you just take one of the onions you stored during the winter and plant it in the garden in spring?

I've never thought about eating the blossoms. I know you can eat those of squash. What do they taste like?

[DeborahL]

James, I thought maybe you start seeds in cells or something like that.

[garden5]

Most of us who grow onions from seed do start our onion seeds about 2 months before we plant them out. Many folks here just buy the plants already started when they go to plant.

Jal does it both ways, but when he grows from seed, he has good luck just planting them at the same time he puts in onion sets. The resulting bulbs are a little smaller than the ones from the sets.

He has a great picture of the resulting bulbs from the different starting methods. Perhaps he will post it again for us.

[jal_ut]

Flashback.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/veggie%20table.jpg[/img]

[jal_ut]

Jal, do you just take one of the onions you stored during the winter and plant it in the garden in spring?

Yes, I just plant some of the onions I have stored over winter to get these large flowering onions.

I will look for that other onion picture you mention.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/onion_4.jpg[/img]

On the left are two Big Daddy onions that were planted from plants bought at the garden store. On the right are 4 Yellow onions planted from sets. Top middle are 7 yellow onions that were planted from seed. All of these were planted the same day early in April. On the bottom center are some bulbils from the egyptian onions.

I have never tried planting onion seed in flats for later planting out.

[jal_ut]

[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/onion_fm_seed.jpg[/img]
These are the onions I got this year from seed planted directly in the garden in April. They are nice onions, but not as large as onions from sets. The larger ones are probably about 3 inches diameter.

[jal_ut]

Flashback
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/cornucopia.jpg[/img]

[jal_ut]

Flashback
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/curly_mustard.jpg[/img]

OK, I feel better now I have seen some green.

[jal_ut]

Now you've got me looking at pics....... I have to share this one.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/peas_5.jpg[/img]

[applestar]

I have the feeling your wife was right
When the winter is over, you'll be out there, planting and planting....

After seeing your pictures, I'm also dreaming about planting my garden!

[digitS']

That "Spilled Wheelbarrow" picture is a great photograph, Jal!

Steve

[DeborahL]

Beautiful pictures. I'm drooling with envy. Someday maybe I can have a real garden.
James, did someone teach you gardening or did you just start out on your own?

[jal_ut]

James, did someone teach you gardening or did you just start out on your own?

Good question DeborahL.

I grew up on a farm. My father always had a veggie garden. Of course I tagged along. I saw what Dad did, but never gave it much thought until after I was married and had my very own garden and a family to feed. I guess aside from those early experiences, and what my Father taught, I have had lots of time to practice. I read, and talked to other gardeners to get ideas. Nothing teaches like doing though.

I have had my share of disapointments, my share of failures, and I still have some of those. It goes with the territory I have decided. You plant in faith and hope. All that aside, the benefits of a garden far outweigh the frustrations. I always get a harvest ........ of something.

[garden5]

Jal, those pics are really great! You could probably make some money selling them to publishers . Of course, you may just want to keep them to yourself, which is great too. Just be sure to at least share them with us now and then .

It looks like you had quite a pea harvest! Do you have any fruit or nut trees at your place?

[jal_ut]

I have peaches, plums, apples, and grapes.

[DeborahL]

Thanks, James. I just had a feeling you probably grew up gardening. I learn alot from your posts, and love the breathtaking photos here and on FB.

[petalfuzz]

lovely pics, great fodder for day dreaming!

Last year the winter seemed to drag on and on, but this year, I feel it'll be seed starting time in no time! But winter is pretty boring outside of all the gardening books and seed catalogs and reading about gardens around the world, or dipping into my canned goods, etc.

[Rob_NZ]

That "Spilled Wheelbarrow" picture is a great photograph, Jal!

Steve

I agree with Steve, Jal. When I produce that much I will maybe relax a little and call myself a vegetable gardener! I think you do wonderfully well in what is relative to me, a short growing season.

[Reynolds735]

Wow, those pictures are amazing, jal! I'm always learning from your great posts too, so thank you! I also learn from other gardeners, including you!
Finding myself extremely bored with winter this year, I started researching and found this great winter veggie garden site! You guys should check it out, https://www.alternativeconsumer.com/2010/12/13/how-to-plant-a-winter-vegetable-garden/
It may be too late this year but hopefully it will help when winter comes along again...enjoy!

[jal_ut]

Another snowstorm in here the past two days. My garden is all covered with six inches of snow. We did get a little break which let me plant my onions.

Pic of hope for things to come.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/peas_10.jpg[/img]

[Des_WA]

I love all the pics jal_ut! I can't wait for things to get started outside!