By LYNNE IRONS

By LYNNE IRONS

Many thanks to Abigail Higgins for chairing the monthly meeting of Homegrown. This was our third meeting attended by 20 or so would-be gardeners. We had the table heaped with seed catalogues and had a lively discussion about starting seeds indoors. Abigail encouraged us to purchase our starting mixture as opposed to using plain garden soil, to discourage damping off, a fungal problem caused by too heavy or too wet conditions that kills emerging seedlings.

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By LYNNE IRONS

I used the New Year’s Eve storm and the next day’s bitter cold to spend some time in the kitchen. I wanted to “make do” with what was on hand . . .

Use it up

Wear it out

Make it do

Or do without

By LYNNE IRONS

My chickens have not given me an egg in almost a month. I have a small flock — one elderly rooster, 11 assorted hens and three teenagers who are too young to begin producing. Hens lay according to the light and since I refuse to force the issue and add a light to the coop, I shall have to wait. I have taken note lately and observed that they went in to roost at 4:29 p.m. on the solstice, but by the Saturday after Christmas bedtime was 4:32 p.m. Almost imperceptibly, the days are lengthening.

By LYNNE IRONS

About 30 years ago I spent my first Christmas morning alone. My children had a spend-over visit with their father. I was lounging in bed, feeling a bit sorry for myself, when I heard a ruckus in my kitchen and a loud, “Hey!” It was Craig Kingsbury with my donkey, Juan. He had apparently been roaming State Road in search of a Christmas pageant perhaps when Craig apprehended him. Talk about an eventful morning — removing a 700-pound animal from one’s kitchen in a nightgown with the help of an amused man.