We are having a real winter this year with much-needed precipitation. The cold temperatures are definitely holding us back from starting our season in much of the High Desert, but that does not mean you cannot start your transplants. Peppers, basil, and tomatoes need to be started now so that you have great-sized transplants once the weather warms. All your cold hardy plants in the vegetable division, such as kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, broccoli, and cauliflower and, in the flower division, feverfew, cosmos, and sweet peas, for example, are cold-loving plants and can be planted 3-4 weeks before the last frost; as soon as we show signs of coming out of this deep winter weather. A grow setup can be as simple as a few shelves, some shop lights from your local home improvement store, and a warm spot somewhere in your house. Enjoy gardening indoors until Spring arrives!
At Moonstruck Farms, we continue to start trays of flowers and vegetables. Still, when owning your own business, many other mundane office projects and chores need to be accomplished. This weather has forced us indoors, providing the time to accomplish all this, including our taxes, cleaning out files, cleaning out the pantry and storage room, and more of my “not so favorite” things to do here on the farm. In addition, we are planning crops for the year, and believe it or not, we will probably have to place next year’s tulip bulb order before this year’s even bloom!! Just before the storm arrived, we did get more daffodils moved out of the front beds that are being remodeled, and 90% of the anemones were removed from the bed where once stood the 20×40 greenhouse. Mike needs me to move and transplant everything in there so that he can pull the remaining footers and grade, and we can proceed with the future plans for that area. I am seriously considering not putting up another greenhouse and making the entire area peony beds so that I can pamper them there and increase their quantity. They are one of my favorite flowers, prized by many of our customers.
As I write this, the Wrightwood Market has been canceled due to the blizzard-like conditions. I am considering canceling the Phelan Certified Farmers Market due to continuing storm conditions. Please follow the markets on Instagram and Facebook or ask to sign up for the electronic newsletters that are issued that will provide you with any closure information, not to mention find out what is coming to market that week! The Phelan Certified Farmers Market is inside and outside at the Phelan Community Center at 4128 Warbler Road in Phelan and is currently open 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Mondays, but after the time change on March 12th will remain open until 6:00 pm. The Wrightwood Farmers Market is inside the Wrightwood Community Center and is open from 3:00 to 6:00 pm on Fridays. However, it will change its hours according to the daylight, so watch for updates on social media.
