Weekly updates from the First Parish Garden
submitted by Paula Waterman

This essential vegetable garden is up behind the Parish House in a sunny field, a perfect place to get away and cherish the living earth. Each week I’ll give you an update on garden needs and news. 

It’s been a slow spring. We’ve planted cool crops; 150 romaine, 30 cabbage, 38 broccoli, 100 swiss chard. Late last fall we put in 300 garlic. They’re looking quite perky already. Finally, a west southwest wind bringing us a 60° sunny day and beautiful, sereus-like clouds. In the garden, peeking up, tender shoots of green-gold Romaine, cabbage, cauliflower and Swiss chard are loving the warm sun.

Violets are the first blooms here, right now delicious purple carpets, by midsummer will have taken over more than their share and need to be curtailed. Around me, red wing blackbirds perched on the GARDEN fence; eventually hawks and bluebirds and many other garden observers from near and farewell swing by.