Potato Update

About three weeks ago, we started the great potato experiment when we planted our very first potato barrel. So far things are going great! Our little seed potatoes fresh from Maine have gone from this:

To this:

I have stared building up hills around the base of each plant. Can't wait to taste those potatoes!

We've got mail!

Last fall we decided to install a split rail fence at the end of the driveway and this spring we added a second section. With the nice new fence in place, the old mailbox was starting to look a little shabby, so we decided to upgrade.
We selected a sturdy wooden post with a decorative knob to replace the plastic base, and we chose a simple black mailbox to match the soon-to-be-installed driveway lights.
The newly installed mailbox is a huge improvement over the original. It even has a flag, so we can leave outgoing mail for the postman.

Next step: planning for the mailbox landscaping!

Happy Birthday Blog!

Today our blog is one year old. :-)

The Potato Barrel

In addition to all of the usual garden treats, this year we decided to try our luck with potatoes. Luckily, we had an old whiskey barrel that seemed like the perfect place to try our first planting. Unfortunately, we were too late to buy seed potatoes from the local nursery, but I was able to fine an excellent source of certified organic seed potatoes through Wood Prairie Farm based in northern Maine. I ordered the potatoes on a Tuesday, they arrived on Saturday, and this is what we got:

We took the potatoes out of the bag and let them warm for a few days so that they would begin to sprout. We had already prepared the barrel, so today we finished off the job and planted the seed potatoes.

If all goes well, we will have our first crop of potatoes later this summer and into the fall. If things really go well, we might even start our own organic potato farm. Dan was very excited at the prospect of buying a hiller attachment for the tractor.....