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Meet Carolyn Filippi, Master Gardener Volunteer

With a new cohort of Master Gardener Volunteers ready to begin, we’d like to introduce them (AND YOU!) to the group of MGVs who have sustained this program for the last several years. Meet Carolyn Filippi!

What was your path to gardening?

I grew up in a mid-sized city with virtually no understanding of growing plants. In my high school years my mother had a small garden with tomatoes and peppers each summer but I paid little attention except to pick the fruit. In the early ‘70s I moved from the city to the country to get “back to the land” like many others of my generation. I began farming immediately to provide as much of our food as possible. I remember standing in the garden that first spring holding Rodales’ Organic Gardening book, hoe in hand, reading about how to plant potatoes. I used that book a LOT that first season!

Carolyn preserves tomatoes

What benefits do you gain from gardening?

There are so many benefits! I love working outdoors. Gardening is great exercise, not just physically but mentally. It’s stimulating to brainstorm and plan new projects, then execute those ideas and solve all the issues that invariably arise throughout the growing season. The unique nature of each season and the sheer number of plants and living creatures in the ecosystem means there’s an endless opportunity for learning.  

Gardening also provides a time to be present and contemplative. It’s an opportunity to stop and smell the roses- and then check them for insects, new buds, adequate water, etc.! The garden brings me peace. And the icing on the cake is enjoying the increased wildlife, especially the birds and butterflies. 

Why did you want to become a Master Gardener Volunteer?

I was looking for a new way to connect with my community. By becoming a Master Gardener Volunteer I could help others learn to garden or find answers to perplexing problems and I was eager to learn from the experience of other volunteers.     Read more Meet Carolyn Filippi, Master Gardener Volunteer

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Start Seeds Outdoors Now with Winter Sowing!

Winter Sowing means starting seeds outdoors in Winter.  Yes, even here in zone 4, you can winter sow seeds from January through early April. I had heard that winter sowing was an easy and inexpensive way to start plants without the expense of an indoor growing setup. And that winter sowing produced sturdy plants and eliminated the time-consuming process of hardening off (transitioning your plants from indoor growing conditions to outdoor conditions). And it also helps cure that itch to be gardening when the world outside is cold and white.

It may sound crazy to sow seeds in winter but if you think about it, lots of plant seeds overwinter outdoors and then germinate when conditions are right. And not just cold-hardy plants.  How many times have you found “volunteer” tomatoes or squash or annual flowers growing in your garden from the previous year’s planting?

To show winter sown jugs in the snow
These jugs are each winter sown with different seeds.

Curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to do some research and give it a try.  I’ve been starting seeds indoors for several years, so I am eager to compare the results of some winter sown seeds to those started indoors under lights.

As this is my first year to winter sow, I can’t share my experience, but I’d love to share some of what I’ve learned from my research. As with any gardening method, there are various opinions on the best way to accomplish a given task but I hope to give you enough basic information in this article and additional resources to enable you to try this on your own.

There’s still time!  As of this writing in mid-March, one look outside tells you it’s still winter!

Read more Start Seeds Outdoors Now with Winter Sowing!

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Microgreens!

Growing microgreens at home is incredibly simple. It can be done without special equipment and you don’t need a gardening background to be successful. Not only are they among the easiest and fastest growing crops, but they are also nutritious and offer a palette of fresh flavors from mild to spicy. They are great in salads (or replacing salad greens altogether), on sandwiches, folded into wraps, sautéed into a stir fry, or mixed into soups, stews or casseroles. You can choose whatever greens you enjoy the most—from broccoli to arugula to radishes.

A microgreen is the new, tender shoot of a vegetable plant. They take minimal space, will grow with medium to bright light, and are ready to harvest in a week or two (and sometimes just days, as is the case with radishes!). If you have a sunny windowsill or counter space with a bright light, a container, some potting soil and suitable seeds you can grow microgreens. Read more Microgreens!