Botticello Farms

Before this blog was created I was able to come up with all kinds of things to talk about.  But now, staring at a blank page leaves me completely speechless. After, when I am driving in the car, I will once again think of hundreds of topics regarding gardening in Connecticut-but for now I remain tongue tied.

Well, one important thought is topsoil.  What do we think about when we envision receiving a large dumptruck body full of soil-which will be spread on my lawn?

Remember-bulk topsoil is completely different from the stuff you buy in bags at the store-that stuff is hardly more than glorified potting soil. Our soil is prepared for planting landscape areas, and is amended with an organic material to create optimum conditions for plant growth. Compost‑amended topsoil is specified for use in maintenance and construction projects.

Our topsoil is amended with composted leaves.  It is screened with a 3/4 inch sieve, meaning you will get some rocks and pebbles because they are small enough to fall through the seive. Some sticks may fall through the screen, as well, if they land vertically on the screen.

Have you ever seen topsoil being screened? It is very educational.

For more pictures visit us at: http://www.botticellofarms.net/Screening%20topsoil.htm

See you at the farm!

I have finally found a plant that grows as well in full sun as it does in nearly full shade. It will grow along my hot driveway, and will grow especially well in my newly rototilled garden space. Basically it performs as well in any habitat including: prairies, swamps, forests, fields, and glades.  I can manipulate it to grow as either a shrub-which will grow to a height of about six feet, or I can make it vine up a tree or trellis to a height of about 40 feet. There are no host plants to worry about planting it next to and no known parasite will kill it, either. The only drawback I have found so far is that horrible rash I keep getting every time I brush past the little devil.

Yes, Poison Ivy is an extremely durable plant. The problem is not the plant itself, but the oil it secretes. Poison Ivy produces an oleoresin called urushiol. This sticky oil contains chemical transmitters and resins that bind to the surface of skin cells. The oil triggers responses that can usually lead to an itchy (and even painful) rash. Urushiol is highly potent. It’s estimated that the amount needed to make 500 people itch would cover the head of a pin. It can stay active for up to five years on a dead plant. If my cat or dog brushes up against it, and I then pet them the oil will transfer from them to me and I can spread it over myself, and enjoy the consequent result of itching for days.  The oil is contained in every single part of the plant-from the roots on up to the stems and leaves.  It is equally potent in the spring, summer, winter, or fall.  Latex gloves absorb the oil from the plant and transfer onto your hands, which are sweating inside.  Once on the hands if you touch your face, neck, or any other body part you will transfer the oil which will cause a “chemical” reaction with the skin and you will suffer the itching and painful rash for the next few days. 

There are products that help you avoid over-exposure.  In Orange County, California-where wild fires are rampart-poison ivy is a constant threat to the firefighters.  (As if fighting these horrible fires isn’t threat enough.) Their medical team recommends organic acetone solvents to wash in such as rubbing alcohol, witch hazel or peroxcide-I think at one time or another we have all used gasoline or kerosine to wash our gardening tools in after a day of digging outdoors. 

There are other products you can use to help protect you before your skin comes in contact with the oil, as well.  Products such as Ivyblock, Technu, or Armor-these are referred to as “barrier blocks” and need to be applied to your skin prior to potential exposure to the plants oil.  So you need to apply these products, just as you would your sunblock, before you step foot outside.

I know that goats will eat the plant and suffer no ill side affects (go figure), but the only problem here is that in order to eradicate the plant entirely it would be necessary to expose it to a goats teeth for a few years, and I don’t know that I am willing to invest in a herd of goats-yet, especially since there is no known plant they won’t ingest, and trading one problem for another is not a solution I am ready for…..

Has anyone out here had any success getting rid of poison ivy?  Well, gotta go put on some calamine lotion. Happy Gardening

The weather seems to be getting better every day, and we are all ready to get our gardens growing. But we need to take particular precautions now to insure that we are not premature in planting annuals that are not frost resistant. 

Oh, sure it is ok right now to plant your cold crops such as lettuce, collards, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflour. Also you may want some flowers – Pansies and calandula can take a frost, as well as a light snowfall. But that is all you can plant outside until at least May 15th. The full moon in May is actually May 13th and the new moon is not until May 27. So if you plant by the moon-and we recommend you do-you will want to wait before putting in any annual plants.

Perennials-now that is a completely different subject…

You definately want to visit our website to see which plants can be safely planted outside right now….: http://www.botticellofarms.net/Spring.htm

We finally set up our Easter flower display yesterday.  I Love Easter morning at the farm.  Many of our customers don’t get their Lilies, tulips or pansies until Easter morning.  On their way home from church they will stop in to pick up a gift for mom or gramma, and I get to see all the children dressed in their Easter outfits. They usually have a story to tell me about what the Easter bunny brought. Some earnestly describe how the carrots they left out were munched down to the stem end. Watching their animated descriptions, with the pure wonder on their faces, gives me a pleasure not much on this earth can match.

Life marches on, but some things-thank God-will hopefully never change.

Speaking of Lilies, did you know that they are particularly poisonous to cats and kittens?

Please stop by this website if you have any family members of the feline persuasion:  http://www.cfainc.org/articles/lilies.html

See you at the farm!

Fresh herbs are one of the reasons I love the spring.  Sure, we can use dried, frozen or oil preserved herbs when fresh ones are not available. But, as soon as the herbs are growing in our greenhouse we begin to use them.  Basil is one of my favorites. It enhances the flavor of any tomato dish. Since we have virtually eliminated salt in our house we really rely on different herbs to make our meals sing with flavor. Visit our website to see the variety of herbs we offer: http://www.botticellofarms.net/Herbs.htm

I found this wonderful blog called Kalyns Kitchen with a great weekly event called ”Weekend Herb Blogging”

located at: http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com

There are some fabulous recipes here.  I found it by surfing around the web.  I was looking for some recipes (by now you know I love to eat….) and I found a wonderful, warm spot to settle into, written by another garden, food, and  lover of life in general-this one is called “In My Kitchen Garden” and the link is here: http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/

I am also adding a permalink to our sidebar, so you will have a quick shortcut to get there anytime you like.

Well weren’t we surprised yesterday morning, to wake up to snow?  Some areas (Andover, Bolton…) had 3 inches or more of the white stuff!  Since most of us have put away our snow plows, blowers and sanders it is a lucky thing it melted away by late afternoon. Oh well, you know what they say “if you don’t like the New England weather-wait five minutes.”  Pansies aren’t bothered by the cold and can even take a light snow-so you can still enjoy some fresh blooms in your yard without worrying about the weather.  We have some exceptional colors this year. You should stop by and pick up a pack of spring today!  See you at the farm.

I just found this teriffic link: http://10000birds.com/iandthebird.htm

For all us birdwatchers (and wannabes) this is an excellent site to start our armchair bird watching.  I know it is spring when I begin to hear the birds singing outside my windows in the mornings.  There is nothing more glorious than to take my coffee out onto my back porch, watch the sunrise and listen to the birds wake up singing.  This daily experience gives me the inspiration to meet the day head on, with a smile. “I’m youth, I’m joy, I’m a little bird that has broken out of the egg. Sir James M. Barrie

Starting this weekend we will be open seven days a week. Our season has finally started.  Now through Halloween you will find us at the farm.  This must mean spring is here, at last.

Even though it is still too cold for most annuals-the exception being pansies, lettuce and other cold crops-you should stop by and start formulating some ideas for your garden layouts. 

There are some things you must do in the month of April. And this weekend the weather has been perfect to go outside and play in the dirt.  One of the action items is to clean out your garden beds.  Rake out the leaves and branches that have blown into your garden beds because otherwise they will create a haven for voles. Voles are those nasty little vegetarian critters that munch on your newly emerging perennials.  They love the roots of plants and will destroy your garden in a day (or less).  Voles use mole runs to help them achieve their goals. (Their goals being to eat your entire garden in one sitting.) Voles are prolific breeders and so if you plan on having a garden you should do a little groundwork regarding control of these little rodents. A great place to start is : http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/factsheets/treefruit/pests/vole/vole.asp

I can’t bring myself to harm these little “vegans” but I do want them out of my garden. One means I have found to be very effective is the use of Castor Oil.  You can purchase castor oil at any healthfood store for around $5.00 a pint.  You mix 1/8 of a cup caster oil, 2 teaspoons liquid dish detergent (I use Dawn), and one gallon of water.  Begin spraying this solution starting at your house foundation and straight out to your property line. Or, if you just want to keep the voles out of your garden, simply spray your garden.  You will need to apply this mix every three weeks during the season-but it is non-toxic to plants, animals, and most importantly safe if you have children playing in your yard. The voles do not like the flavor of the castor oil and so go elsewhere so they can enjoy the taste of their dinner.