tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81170258242380597072024-02-18T21:04:48.693-08:00Crow in GardenARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-92121741951810879112013-03-26T13:28:00.002-07:002013-03-26T13:28:41.884-07:00Blog moved.Not sure who is still following this blog, considering that it's been over 2 years (!?) since my last post. I'd like to start it up again, since I liked tracking my garden and sharing what I learned with others. <br />
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BUT... I've already moved the contents over to Wordpress and will eventually be deleting the Blogger account. As much as I appreciate all the changes they've made to this site (much to my surprise), moving to WP will allow me to better manage everything. Plus I still prefer the interface and themes overall to Blogger.<br />
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SO... If you would like to continue following this blog in the future (and I do promise updates again), please redirect bookmarks, feed readers, etc. to <a href="http://crowingarden.wordpress.com/">http://crowingarden.wordpress.com/</a>ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-4262202573514307102011-08-01T16:07:00.000-07:002011-08-01T16:38:17.431-07:00Onions!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/6000008512/" title="Untitled by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6133/6000008512_00a80fbb7f.jpg" alt="" height="336" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Finally, after weeks of waiting, drying, and curing, I have a firm total of onion's harvested.<br /><br />5lb and 6oz.<br /><br />Wow. I've tried growing onions in the past, but I've always had miserable luck. I've planted seeds for the 'Copra' variety at least twice but was never able to keep the plants going past August. If I got plants at all. My first attempt to grow yellow multiplier, or potato onions, was abortive. When planning this year's garden last winter, I decided to give sets a try. Previously I'd avoided going this route, since it's more expensive than buying seeds and a lot of books say that sets are more prone to disease. But I figure you should try exhaust every option before calling it quits.<br /><br />So I purchased a set of 'Stuttgarter' onions from <a href="https://www.superseeds.com/">Pinetree Garden Seeds</a> for a mere $5, certainly the cheapest you'll fine. In early spring I received a pound of tiny yellow onions, which I promptly planted, and in less than a month was entreated to nice healthy onion leaves. Not the spindly little things that wilted once June hit. Of course, I waited patiently for the leave to yellow, though we ended up stealing a few spring onions here and there out of desperation. As each plant started to go dormant, I removed them from the soil, let them dry on a screen for a day or two and then stored them in the mudroom to cure.<br /><br />The flavor of the 'Stuttsgarter' variety is good. It has a good bite that's not too overpowering, making it good for fresh eating or cooking. The bulbs themselves are almost perfectly round and prone to flattening around the root. My onions did not get too big; the largest is maybe 2"-3" in diameter. According to one site I found, <a href="https://www.mainepotatolady.com/productcart/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=35">this seems to be normal</a>. One onion of this size is just enough for two servings of most any dish (barring onion soup), but your mileage may vary. Sadly, a good lot of the onions I harvested are smaller, closer to shallot size. A few didn't grow to a useable size, so I'm planning to save these and experiment with planting them in fall.<br /><br />I think that 5lb of this variety of onion will last 2-3 months, but it's hard to say. If I decide to make a big batch of French onion soup, they will certainly not last that long. We do get a reliable supply of onions from our CSA, which helps.<br /><br />So...my first successful onion harvest. Truly, this is my most productive year.ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-64976633339808230192011-07-28T13:24:00.001-07:002011-07-28T13:27:32.780-07:00Kale and Potato Hash<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kusine/520565261/" title="kale by kusine, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/236/520565261_0738b51feb.jpg" alt="kale" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><span style=" margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.9em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kusine/520565261/">kale</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kusine/">kusine</a></span> <p>Been a month since my last post, but the garden is still humming along. I've kept tracking harvests in my garden journal and am mostly pleased with how well everything's been doing this year. I promise some posts about the onion and chard harvests soon.<br /><br />For now, I'd like to post about something I've been meaning to post about for a couple of weeks, which is the surprise harvests of kale. Specifically, the dwarf Russian kale I've been growing for the last couple of years (a variety you can find in the photo above). In 2009, kale seemed about the only crop my garden did really well at. Last year, after I moved the garden to another part of the yard, the kale crop was abysmal. Most of it succumbed to cabbage moths and aphids. This year, despite my lack of real effort or attention, the kale has done quite well. While a pound or two is hardly a bumper crop, it's certainly better than last year. I can't say whether it's my rotation plan or earlier start or covering of the crop in spring. The particular bed in which I'm growing was not amended with compost last fall, so it's certainly not that.<br /><br />When you realize you have a much of kale, the next question is, "Well, how do I use this?" Growing up, the only time I ever saw kale was as a garnish on salad bars or plates. Once or twice I tried eating the stuff and was grossed out by the bitter taste. As I've gotten older and my palate has expanded, I discovered that kale and other bitter greens are actually pretty good when paired with the right ingredients and cooked a certain way. Personally, I like greens best when stirred into soups, but sautéing and braising are also excellent methods to tone down the bitter flavor. Kale especially has an affinity for garlic, sausage, and potatoes, and you'll find that many recipes capitalize on one or more of these ingredients.<br /><br />Since we've been getting lots of produce from our CSA and plenty of other vegetables from the garden, I had to figure out another way to use kale besides dinner. I remembering seeing some breakfast hash dishes that featured the usual potatoes with some greens thrown in and, remembering that potatoes are awesome with kale, decided to invent a potato-kale hash. Mind you, I'm not very good at inventing my own recipes and prefer to tweak already existing recipes. Every Sunday I like to make a big breakfast for me and the SO as a special treat, which means I've gotten very good at frying potatoes and sausage without having to follow instructions. I've made up a few hashes and scrambles before, so coming up with a recipe wasn't much work. The first attempt was OK, but I added the freshly washed kale to the potatoes, which turned the potatoes a bit soggy. On the second attempt I removed the potatoes from the skillet, then added the kale, which turned out to be just the right fix. I thought I'd share the final recipe with anyone reading. It makes a nice breakfast for two and can be tweaked to suit your palate.<br /><br /><b>Kale and Potato Hash</b><br /><br />1lb potatoes, any kind, cut into 1/2" cubes<br />1/2lb sausage or 4 slices bacon<br />1/2lb-1lb kale, sliced and washed<br />1 onion, halved and sliced or 1-2 cloves garlic, minced<br />2 eggs<br /><br /></p><ol><li>Put potatoes into saucepan and fill with enough water to cover. Heat to boiling, remove from heat, and drain.<br /><br /></li><li>Meanwhile, heat skillet (cast iron is best) over medium heat. Cook sausage or bacon until browned and then drain on paper towel.<br /><br /></li><li>Drain fat from pan, leaving a bit of a film. Add 3-4 tablespoons of oil to pan (peanut or canola is best, but olive oil is fine too). Add drained potatoes and cook for about 15-20 minutes over medium heat, turning as they brown. Cook until golden brown and then drain on paper towel.<br /><br /></li><li>Add onions or garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and softened. Add kale to pan and cook, stirring, until wilted and water has cooked off. Add potatoes and sausage or bacon and turn heat to low, keeping warm while eggs cook. Season to taste.<br /><br /></li><li>Fry eggs in separate pan, preferably over-easy or sunny-side-up so you have runny yolks to flavor hash. Serve hash with egg on top or on the side.</li></ol><p><br />Notes:<br /><br /></p><ul><li>Some people will insist you can only use baking potatoes for frying. I use whatever's on hand. If using boiling or new potatoes, you might want to boil until the potatoes are a bit softened, or just increase overall cooking time.<br /><br /></li><li>Spicy or sage sausages are best for this recipe, since they add lots of flavor.<br /><br /></li><li>You can save as much fat from the sausage or bacon as you like. Personally, I find it doesn't lend the same crispness to the potatoes as vegetable-based oil, but I like to retain some of it for the flavor.<br /><br /></li><li>Any kind of savory fresh herb, such as summer savory, sage, thyme, or rosemary, makes a great addition to this recipe. Just chop it up and add with the kale in Step #4. This is especially a good idea if you decide to omit the meat or eggs.<br /><br /></li><li>If you hate fried eggs, you can modify the recipe into a scramble by beating the eggs beforehand and stirring into the kale and potatoes.</li></ul>ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-1323051300058515402011-06-23T09:56:00.000-07:002011-06-23T10:31:21.524-07:00Harvests, 6/2-6/21<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5863404321/" title="Garlic Bulbs by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3093/5863404321_35bb8a2c4d.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="Garlic Bulbs"></a><br /><br />So I've been bad over the last 3(!?) weeks and not recording my harvests on this blog, but as usual there's always something going on in the garden and plenty of work to do. Since my last post, I have planted the tomatoes and laid more seed, focused some attention on my herb and flower borders, and tried to catch up on weeding. My sprained foot is slowly healing, but I am able to wear regular shoes now and do more than I was doing before.<br /><br />Here's what I've harvested since my last post:<br /><br />6/2<br />7 baby bok choys<br /><br />6/4<br />small bunch of arugula<br />radish greens<br /><br />6/5<br />4 cups 'Jericho' and 'Flashy Trout's Back' lettuce (chopped)<br />bunch of young yellow multiplier onions<br />small bunch of chives<br /><br />6/17<br />1.5lb Swiss chard<br /><br />6/19<br />3 baby 'Detroit Red' beets w/greens<br /><br />6/21<br />17 'Shandong' garlic bulbs<br /><br />As always, there are some missing odds & ends, such as the pod peas that I harvest each day, freezing the peas as accrued. It's also hard to say how everything gets used, though usually I can roughly guess.<br /><br />Two of the baby bok choys filled out a basic chicken stir-fry, while the rest were frozen for use in a winter stir-fry (I was only able to manage one bag). The arugula was just beginning to flower during the last harvest and ended up in the usual spring pesto, while the radish greens were blanched and frozen to use later (roughly 2 bags worth). The lettuce probably ended up in a tasty taco salad.<br /><br />I was most please with my last harvest of Swiss chard, which is probably the most I've harvested at once. The 'Fordhook' seems like a steady producer, though it is not getting as big as quickly as the 'Bright Lights' I planted last year. A volunteer chard plant, presumably the white/green from the 'Bright Lights' mixed, turned up in my pepper bed and has been producing enormous and wrinkly dark green leaves. Yum. About half the chard ended up in a pasta dish with an Italian sausage and tomato sauce my boyfriend really liked, while the other half was blanched and frozen the next day for later use.<br /><br />And though the beets were pretty small, I went ahead and added them to the CSA beets I pickled on Sunday. Sadly, only one jar, but it will make an excellent side once fall hits.<br /><br />The garlic I harvested only a couple days ago and was fairly impressed with the results overall. The bulbs seem to lose their purple streaks the longer they're left in the ground, and the hardneck in quite a few seems to have gone soft. A lot of the bulbs are smaller than I'd like, but the cloves are quite big. I already know that the taste of the 'Shandong' variety is excellent, spicy and strong without overpowering whatever dish they're used in. As recommended, I will be saving my largest bulbs for fall planting, so I can have as good a harvest next year.<br /><br />As a final note, I started harvesting raspberries from the last year's canes yesterday. Last year I decided to cut the old canes, which supposedly directs energy to the new canes, resulting in a bigger late summer and fall harvest. Since I've been unable to do as much yardwork this year, I sorta let the old canes go. Honestly, I didn't notice a big difference in my harvest last year and was even a bit disappointed. The old canes are pretty heavy with berries, so I think that overall this is a better plan. as they say in netspeak, YMMV. Most of the raspberries I harvested yesterday ended up in this morning's breakfast smoothie. If I can gather enough in the next few days, they might end up in a dessert or preserves.ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-10935847202512596152011-06-01T11:36:00.000-07:002011-06-01T12:16:15.974-07:00Harvest, 5/30-5/31<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5787533646/" title="Untitled by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3615/5787533646_7669377e47.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></a><br /><br />The harvest season is picking up in my garden, and there is much to be pulled up and picked. On Monday I dug up <span style="font-weight: bold;">14 garlic bulbs</span> to make way for the tomatoes. It's a bit early for a full garlic harvest, as only one leaf layer has dried and they haven't yet bloomed, but there are still lots more left. 'Shandong' is also an early variety of hardneck garlic that should be harvestable before July. I'm drying half the bulbs and storing the other half in the refrigerator to use fresh. Of course, it's hard to track how the garlic will be used, since I use it in just about everything. It's an essential ingredient in Asian, Middle Eastern, Italian, and French cuisines--all favorites. So chances are it will end up in a lot of things. Maybe a stir-fry, maybe some hummus, maybe a batch of arugula pesto?<br /><br />Last night's harvest was <span style="font-weight: bold;">8oz of spinach and chard leaves</span>, which went into an spicy Indian-style shrimp curry served with brown basmati rice. The particular varieties I planted were 'Bloomsdale Longstanding' and 'Fordhook', both of which are heirloom varieties that seem to be doing well. While harvesting I noticed that the spinach was already going to seed, but I pulled off the seedheads and am hoping I'll be able to harvest more soon. Most of my cool-weather greens are starting to go to seed, so I have to harvest bok choy, raab, and more arugular before it gets much hotter.<br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">radishes</span>, too, are on the verge of bolting, and yesterday I also managed to pull <span style="font-weight: bold;">at least half a pound</span>. The bulbs were still quite piddly (presumably due to the heavy rains we had last week), so I am just using them for greens. I'm thinking about freezing some greens, since right now there's an over-abundance from the garden and our CSA. On a side note, the 'Sparkler' cultivar strikes me as too finicky for my garden, and I will likely not be planting more after this packet is done. It may be that they're a fast-growing, early season variety, better suited to cooler conditions with less rainfall. I had better results last year with the 'French Breakfast' radishes and might give one of the varieties our CSA offers as well.ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-6932098419031801132011-05-28T10:19:00.000-07:002011-06-01T12:29:40.054-07:00Harvest & Market, 5/16-5/28<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5768359539/" title="'Sparkler' radishes by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2689/5768359539_59bf372d06.jpg" alt="'Sparkler' radishes" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />This year I have been meaning to keep better track of my harvests so I have a better sense of what my garden produces. A couple of weeks ago, I did start weighing and measuring and recording those counts in my garden journal, but I have yet to post. Since that's what this blog is for, here's the rough count for the last two weeks:<br /><br />10 oz 'Sparkler' radishes (with greens)<br />roughly 2 cups lettuce, chopped (a mix of 'Jericho' and 'Flashy Trouts Back')<br />2 small bunches of arugula<br />bunch of chive flowers<br />small bunch of yellow multiplier onion flower buds<br />8 oz 'Shandong' garlic greens and young bulbs<br /><br />The radish greens were combined with the first batch of arugula for an arugula/radish pesto, while the radishes themselves ended up with the lettuce and chive flowers in a salad topped with sliced chicken. The second bunch of arugula was combined with another bunch I received from our CSA for more arugula pesto (a brilliant recipe from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Serving-Up-Harvest-Celebrating-Vegetables/dp/1580176631">Serving Up the Harvest</a> and my favorite way to enjoy it). The garlic greens ended up in a stir-fry, and I have been using the young bulbs in a variety of dishes.<br /><br />This is Year 3 with the <a href="http://www.fairsharenews.blogspot.com/">Fair Share Farm CSA</a>, and we picked up our second week's worth of produce on Wednesday. We get too much to list here, but we've gotten plenty of radishes, lettuce, and greens. Along with the tasty hakurei turnips they offer each season, which are far sweeter than other turnips and are great eaten raw. I like to use them in stir-fries and salads as well.<br /><br />Another habit I'd like to get <i>back</i> into is tracking our "take home" from the <a href="http://www.thecitymarket.org/">City Market</a>, which we try to visit as often ass possible. Today we took home:<br /><br />2 quarts blueberries<br />bunch of rhubarb<br />2 pints strawberries & a bunch of 'Chioggia' beets from <a href="http://www.goodeacres.com/">Goode Acres</a> (one of my favorite growers at the market)<br />bunch of large spring onions<br />appr. 1lb broccoli<br />honey from <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/busy-bee-acres-odessa">Busy Bee Acres</a> in Odessa, MO<br /><br />I'm planning on making some preserves from the blueberries, as well as making some rhubarb/strawberry preserves. The 'Chioggia' beets look like little bull's eyes and are far too pretty for pickling, so I am thinking about making some roasted beet chips (for which I will need a mandoline).<br /><br />Right now, the garden is looking great, in spite of the wet/cool conditions of late. I am planning on harvests of spinach, chard, raab, and kale in the next week or two. And possibly an early harvest of some garlic to make way for the tomatoes. 'Shandong' is considered an early hardneck variety, so it's ready for harvest by June. I haven't seen any scapes yet, so I don't know. The radishes look great but aren't really producing bulbs. Some quick reading informed me that excess water may be the culprit. Guess we'll wait and see how things go!ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-29426899929548084432011-05-03T15:21:00.001-07:002011-05-03T16:20:03.615-07:00What's going on in the garden?Yesterday, after transplanting lots of plants and cleaning up a part of the herb border, I decided it would be nice to post some recent photos and do a virtual walk-through of the yard. The last couple weeks have been pretty tough. We had a good week or so of rain, during which time I twisted my ankle while at a bar with friends and ended up with a sprained foot. So once the rain cleared up, I was stuck on the couch reading, avoiding as much physical activity as I could. Thankfully, my condition in the last week has improved and due to a severe case of cabin fever, I've been trying to do as much in the garden as my foot will allow. A number of the photos I'm posting were taken prior to the rain and damaged foot, but I did manage to get a few great shots of the front garden, which I tend to neglect far too much.<br /><br />And so, without further ado....<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5685259680/" title="Currant by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5104/5685259680_a56734494a.jpg" alt="Currant" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Here's one of the currant bushes I planted the first week or so of April. I can't recall the variety offhand, but I chose currant bushes for the backyard as they can tolerate partial shade and like mildly sloped locations for soil drainage (check and check). Much to my surprise, all three bushes are taking off and look even more fecund than in this photo. I won't be able to harvest until next year, however.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5685267652/" title="Solomon's Seal by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5190/5685267652_95a639e214.jpg" alt="Solomon's Seal" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Nearby, there's a Solomon's Seal I planted last year. This variety has variegated leaves, which I thought would be more eye-catching than the old-fashioned variety.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5685264224/" title="Unknown Flower by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5186/5685264224_1f71e436db.jpg" alt="Unknown Flower" width="500" height="333" /></a><br /><br />And some adorable unknown flower blooming beneath the serviceberry, also planted last year. The leaves and flowers looked very familiar, but I can't seem to place a name on it. Any guesses?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5684691637/" title="Crow by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5103/5684691637_35625d8b93.jpg" alt="Crow" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />If you look closely up in this tree, you'll see one of our crows overseeing the backyard. I say "our crows" because we have (for the second year) a pair currently nesting in our spruce up front, which the other crows also gather in during the winter. It's a bit of serendipity that my favorite bird and the namesake of this blog sees fit to guard my little domain.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5684701131/" title="Vegetable Garden, West Side by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5190/5684701131_7c487b9484.jpg" alt="Vegetable Garden, West Side" width="500" height="333" /></a><br /><br />Moving on to the vegetable garden, here's a shot I took way back on April 20th. You can see that a lot of plants weren't yet in the ground. I like to harden my plants off by setting them roughly in the spot where they're going to be planted, so they get acclimated to the conditions.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5685265590/" title="Raspberry Bush by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5063/5685265590_c94c8fc326.jpg" alt="Raspberry Bush" width="500" height="333" /></a><br /><br />A photo of the raspberries from yesterday. This year I've decided to drill some holes into the posts and create a proper wire trellis system, since the twine I've been using tends to buckle after a few good rains.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5685262412/" title="Lettuce, etc. by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5225/5685262412_b919e0fe57.jpg" alt="Lettuce, etc." width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />And here are some lettuce plants just after they've been planted, under a handmade trellis that will be used to support cucumbers and zucchini.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5685265114/" title="Volunteer Lettuce by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5184/5685265114_35474297f1.jpg" alt="Volunteer Lettuce" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Here's a volunteer lettuce I spotted early in the season, along with several others of the 'Flashy Trout's Back' and 'Winter Density' variety. I'm so happy that they've decided to self-seed and will be sure to let this year's lettuce go to seed. My little ecosystem is humming along.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5685270812/" title="Onions, Chard, Beets, and Spinach by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5065/5685270812_48ea14d356.jpg" alt="Onions, Chard, Beets, and Spinach" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Onions, chard, beets, and spinach. I space my seeds when planting to conserve them as much as possible, usually 2-3 seeds which I thin later. I don't <i>always</i> do this, but it is a useful trick I learned from square-foot gardening that works for me. Not as useful for small seeds like carrots, but works great for big seedsed brassicas and chenopods.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5684697087/" title="Onions and Lettuce by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5022/5684697087_38a2bc8c18.jpg" alt="Onions and Lettuce" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />A close-up of one of the beds, with yellow multiplier onions, 'Jericho' lettuce in the pot, and arugula seedlings just sprouting. This is my second attempt at growing the yellow multipliers from bulbs in autumn. The last time I tried this in 2009, my bulbs ended up rotting. This year I'm taking the advice of Territorial Seeds and not clipping the leaves, which can draw water to the bulb. Live and learn, eh?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5684692949/" title="Vegetable Garden, East Side by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/5684692949_06e6176871.jpg" alt="Vegetable Garden, East Side" width="500" height="333" /></a><br /><br />A view of the same beds from the east. I'm impressed with how lush the radishes look, especially since they have been getting smooshed by squirrel and kitties.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5684696041/" title="Vegetable Garden, East Side by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5029/5684696041_fb94677af7.jpg" alt="Vegetable Garden, East Side" width="500" height="333" /></a><br /><br />Full view with path, cold frame, and rain barrel. As you can see, things are a bit of a mess. We still haven't fixed the layout of the flagstones or gotten the mulch over all the landscape fabric. The farthest south path was also destroyed last autumn when our new neighbors had to repair a pipe running through the yard and will need to be redone.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5685260644/" title="Front Garden by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5063/5685260644_b708ffeb09.jpg" alt="Front Garden" width="500" height="333" /></a><br /><br />But let's not talk of these things. Let us move on to the lovely front border. Again, a bit of a mess, as I've not cleared out all the violets and weeds. But I am happy with how everything's filling out. It looks like more of a thought-out garden than when we bought the house in 2006.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5684690823/" title="Dandelion by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5106/5684690823_32997b0cbb.jpg" alt="Dandelion" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />As I said, I have not cleared out all the weeds. At least they're pretty, though.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5684702631/" title="Heuchera and Tulips by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5068/5684702631_a711923550.jpg" alt="Heuchera and Tulips" width="500" height="333" /></a><br /><br />I'm in love with the color combo here of the reddish violet tulips and burgundy/silver heuchera leaves. The tulips are the lily-flowered 'Ballade' variety, which starts out with more white on the tips.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5684689939/" title="Heucheras by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5228/5684689939_54304f6c1b.jpg" alt="Heucheras" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Another shot of the 'Color Dream' heuchera. Despite their current ubiquity, I love these plants. The frilly leaves and soft little flowers. And so many colors to choose from. I might have to plant more.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5684701991/" title="Chives by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5144/5684701991_11e2292565.jpg" alt="Chives" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />I also love chive flowers. After dividing up some plants in the herb garden last year, I brought a few into the front border. The buds are almost as interesting as the globe-like flowerheads. They're edible, too.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5684701635/" title="Front Border by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5107/5684701635_812f56565c.jpg" alt="Front Border" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Back to the tulips! The 'Violet Beauty' cultivar looks especially gorgeous this year. I've noticed that these and the 'Ballade' are the more dependable than my 'Cum Laude' and 'Queen of Night' tulips in terms of perennializing. I've also noticed that 'Violet Beauty's has somewhat grayish leaves, which I find very attractive against the lime green sedum ground cover.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5685266560/" title="Tulip by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5069/5685266560_f1dbfd6cac.jpg" alt="Tulip" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />The flowers are even more gorgeous close-up. Look at that veining! Sigh...<br /><br />Anyway, hope you enjoyed the tour. More to come soon!ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-54418331079455514512011-04-17T14:38:00.000-07:002011-04-17T16:04:39.713-07:00In Defense of the Lowly Dandelion<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5627981555/" title="Dandelion Blossoms by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5223/5627981555_721ae3078c.jpg" alt="Dandelion Blossoms" width="500" border="0" height="333" /></a><br /><br />Spring is in full swing here in Kansas City and the flowers are in full bloom. Though the crocuses have now faded, the mid-season tulips are out, along with the daffodils and muscari. The spring "weeds" are in full force, too--the purple and blue ground ivies, the violets, and the dandelions. I say "weed" because I don't think in the terms of many gardeners; I try to assess each interloper by its function or aesthetic value. For instance, ur yard is full of violets because I love the leaves and the flowers, and they fill in the spaces the grass refuses to inhabit. I usually only remove them to make way for other plants. The weeds I dig up are the ones I have no use for.<br /><br />Everyone knows that the lowly dandelion is the worst "weed" of all, so of course it is the one most vigilantly combated. An overgrown dandelion can really ruin the look of a flowerbed, and once it's gone to seed you're guaranteed another batch to dig up in the summer. Thus the cycle never ends.<br /><br />As for myself, I've learned to love the lowly dandelion and don't struggle much to keep them at bay. Growing up, I was always charmed and fascinated by fields of the cheery yellow flowers and the shimmer little seed globes that fell apart in the wind. When I read Bradbury's Dandelion Wine in my teens I was mesmerized by his description of a family gathering the flower heads to make wine:<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">The boys bent, smiling. They picked the golden flowers. The flowers that flooded the world, dripped off lawns onto brick streets, tapped softly at crystal cellar windows and agitated themselves so that on all sides lay the dazzle and glitter of molten sun.<br /><br />"Every year," said Grandfather. "They run amuck; I let them. Pride of lions in the yard. Star, and they burn a hole in your retina. A Common flower, a weed no one sees, yes. But for us, a noble thing, the dandelion."</blockquote>I never knew anyone who made their own dandelion wine (or any wine, for that matter), but I always imagined eventually tracking down a bottle or making my own.<br /><br />The dandelion, despite its common weediness, is an immensely useful plant with a history of human cultivation going back some centuries. Every part of it is edible and considered to have medicinal properties. The bitter leaves, mildest before the plant has flowered, are similar to arugula and can be eaten raw in salads or sauteed with some oil and spices. The raw flavor is too strong for my tastes, but I love using it as a replacement for arugula in a pesto recipe from Serving Up the Harvest. The mature root of a dandelion can be dried or roasted, then ground into a coffee substitute or additive similar to chicory, which is popular in New Orleans and France. Last year I ground a bit with my usual coffee and found it added a very subtle but nice smoky flavor. And of course, there are the blossoms, which are most often used to make dandelion wine, something that I am finally attempting this year. Lacking proper winemaking equipment, I sought out a basic home recipe and found <a href="http://www.texascooking.com/recipes/dandelionwine.htm">this one from Texas Cooking</a>. I can't tell you yet whether it worked, but I should know in a few months.<br /><br />Another thing you can make from dandelion blossoms is jelly (or preserves), which sounds a bit odd but turns out to be quite good. I made up my own recipe using <a href="http://www.pomonapectin.com/">Pomona's Universal Pectin</a> based on <a href="http://www.prairielandherbs.com/violetjelly.htm">this recipe for violet jelly</a>. The process is basically the same (and quite similar to making dandelion wine): you make an infusion by pouring boiling water over the blossoms, then let it steep overnight to deepen the flavor. Once the infusion is made, it is similar to any other jelly. Here is the specific recipe I came up with:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dandelion Jelly</span><br />1 C dandelion blossoms<br />1 C boiling water<br />2 TB lemon juice<br />1/2 tsp calcium water<br />1/2 C sugar<br />1/2 tsp Pomona Universal Pectin<br /><br />1. Wash dandelion blossoms thoroughly and remove any stems. Pour boiling water over blossoms and let steep up to 24 hours, covered.<br />2. Pour infusion into non-reactive pan and then add the lemon juice and calcium water. Mix together sugar and pectin.<br />3. Bring infusion to boiling and pour in pectin mixture. Bring back to boiling and cook for 1 minute. Pour into one pint sterilized jar or two half-pint jars; process for 10 minutes.<br /><br />The flavor of this jelly is interesting, sort of light and floral and "dandelionesque," with none of the associated bitterness. As noted in the base recipe, this can be adapted to any other kind of floral/herbal jelly (if using flowers, obviously make sure they're edible and not sprayed with pesticides).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5628581900/" title="Dandelion Jelly by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5145/5628581900_cbaec3d89d.jpg" alt="Dandelion Jelly" width="333" border="0" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Besides the practical uses of dandelion as a food, there is evidence to suggest that the oft-loathed taproots may actually be beneficial, drawing up nutrients that might otherwise be locked in deeper soil layers. Taproots can also be a helpful way of breaking up dense, clay-ridden soils.<br /><br />I'm not suggesting that every gardener stop pulling up these lovely and useful weeds altogether. We all have a certain aesthetic standard we'd like to maintain in our gardens, and too many weeds can disrupt our enjoyment. Nonetheless, it is surprising how little people consider the practical value of the plants growing around them (many of which, like the dandelion, have escaped cultivation) and spend all their time fighting the poor things in a quest for the perfectly neat lawn. Permaculture asks us to rethink the ways we live within our environment, whether there are not more harmonious ways to deal with it. So I'll keep letting a few dandelions grow and enjoy what they have to give.<br /><br />P.S. For an overview of uses and lore associated with the dandelion, <a href="http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/d/dandel08.html">A Modern Herbal</a> is worth checking out. Also information on various wildflowers and herbs with medicinal/culinary value. One of my favorite online plant resources.ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-24554908168132453172011-03-16T20:06:00.000-07:002011-03-16T21:07:25.769-07:00New Seeds for 2011<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5533292799/" title="Leek Seedling by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5251/5533292799_49df417c7c.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Leek Seedling" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I order my seeds a month ago, but I'm running a bit late this year and only just planted them last week. This evening I checked the soil in the garden and, even after a snow on Monday, the temperature registered nearly 60F. So it would appear that spring is nearly upon us, hinting at the harvest to come.<br /><br />This evening was actually my first harvest of the year, though I must admit I cheated. I pulled this cup or so of lettuce from the cold frame:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5533949312/" title="Winter lettuce by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5054/5533949312_36af4388c5.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Winter lettuce" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Yes, the lettuce survived throughout the entire winter in the cold frame. Through the snow and ice and 0F temperatures. Some minor burning from the frost (and heat, as the temperature has warmed), but the cold frame continues to be one of the best investments we've made into this garden.<br /><br />Speaking of investment, I bought quite a lot of seeds this year, due in part to all the expired seed packets in my stash. I was unable to keep to my $50 minimum, but I didn't go too far over.<br /><br />Here's this year's haul:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />From <a href="https://www.superseeds.com/">Pinetree Garden Seeds</a></span><br />Arugula (Roquette)<br />Beet, "Detroit Red"<br />Cauliflower, "Amazing"<br />Cucumber, "Miniature White"<br />Melon, "True Charenais"<br />Parsley, "Prezzmelo Gigante d'Italia"<br />Pumpkin, "Musquee de Provence"<br />Rutabaga, "Wilhelmsburger"<br />Spinach, "Bloomsdale Long Standing"<br />Summer Squash, "Striata d'Italia"<br />Sweet Pepper, "California Wonder"<br />Swiss Chard, "Fordhook"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">From <a href="http://www.seedsavers.org/">Seed Savers Exchange</a></span><br />Foxglove, "Giant Spotted"<br />Leek, "Giant Musselburgh"<br />Hot Pepper, "Fish"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">From <a href="http://www.territorialseed.com/">Territorial Seed Company</a></span><br />Basil, "Aroma"<br />Broccoli, "Purple Peacock" (actually a sprouting broccoli/kale cross)<br />Hot Pepper, "Mulato Isleno"<br />Lettuce, "Jericho"<br />Shell Peas, "Canoe"<br /><br />As usual, I stuck with my favorite mail order seed companies, Territorial and Pinetree. A couple of years ago, I tried some seeds from John Scheeper's, which are beautifully packaged and of good quality, but much like Burpee their prices tend to run a bit high for my taste. I looked into a few other companies and finally decided to try some seeds from Seed Savers Exchange, who do much to support plant diversity, a cause that interests me a great deal. Not only that, they're currently selling the "Fish" variety of hot pepper I've been itching to get my hands on for a few years now.<br /><br />I believe the "Aroma" basil is an F1 hybrid, but otherwise I stuck with open-pollinated varieties, from which I can collect seed and grow more plants that will remain true to type.<br /><br />The melons and pumpkins are not something I'll be able to grow in my boxes, but I believe they'll work out nicely in the border among the flowers and herbs. Another of my goals this year was to try interesting/exotic varieties I've not yet tried, along with certain plants that I've yet to grow, such as leeks and rutabaga. Additionally, I looked for multi-purpose plants (like the rutabaga or the "Purple Peacock" sprouting broccoli) and plants with long production seasons (such as the heat-tolerant "Jericho" lettuce or Swiss chard).<br /><br />The soil outside appears to be warm enough that I can start the peas this weekend. With the right planning, I should be able to harvest from my vegetable garden in another month or so. Without the cold frame, of course.<br /><br />What will you be growing this year?ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-61454238820563882312011-01-11T14:40:00.000-08:002011-01-11T14:57:52.626-08:002010 in ReviewOverall, 2010 was perhaps my best year in the vegetable garden. While I still have a ways to go towards self-sufficiency, I completed a couple of big projects and had some decent yields. As with last year, the weather was wet and often predictable, with a mild autumn that extended the season somewhat. I didn't spend much time in my other little gardens, but I did start a woodland garden in the backyard and began the base for my grotto.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />The Cold Frame</span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4439360602/" title="Cold Frame 2 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2712/4439360602_f268bd8d23_m.jpg" alt="Cold Frame 2" border="0" align="right" vspace="10" width="240" height="160" hspace="10" /></a><br /><br />In February and March, we built a cold frame from an old window cedar 2x4's and installed it just as the soil was beginning to warm. <a href="http://crow-in-garden.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-to-build-cold-frame.html">You can read more about building and installing the cold frame in this entry.</a> In April I was able to put out some seedlings started in the basement, but as soon as the temperature edged towards the 60's and 70's, nearly all of them were fried. First lesson learned. Always keep the lid of your cold frame open when it starts getting warm.<br /><br />I continued playing with my cold frame through the year, setting seedlings out to begin hardening off and planting seeds inside to see what would grow. In September and October, I planted a hardy lettuce mix and some lettuce seedlings, which I've been closely monitoring since. Even after temperatures began dropping in November and a Thanksgiving snow, the lettuce plants persisted and are still holding up. Admittedly, I am growing cold weather varieties and it's turning out to be a mild winter, but I hardly expected such success.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Relocating the Potager</span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4535487985/" title="South Garden 3 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4535487985_3c18b8c290_m.jpg" alt="South Garden 3" border="0" align="right" vspace="10" width="240" height="160" hspace="10" /></a><br /><br />In March and April, we tore down the old vegetable garden and built new frames for the new location on the south side of the house. <a href="http://crow-in-garden.blogspot.com/2010/04/rebuilding-garden.html">I wrote an entry about the process right after we finished.</a> It was a lot of hard work, but it seems to have been worth it. In general, my plants have been stronger and not as leggy, and I've had better yields with larger fruits, especially with the sun-loving plants like bush beans and chile peppers. Because I got a late start transplanting and lost many plants in the cold frame, I was not able to grow as much as I planned, and I ran into many of the same issues with squirrels and insect pests. Nonetheless, I was harvesting cold weather greens into November and digging up parsnips in December, so I'd say it that the new potager is an all-around success.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Growing Successes</span><br /><br />First, the new varieties I purchased this year from Territorial and Pinetree...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5346949041/" title="Parsnip by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5210/5346949041_f1c70df24e.jpg" alt="Parsnip" border="0" width="500" height="333" /></a><br /><br />2010 was the first year I grew parsnips, a staple vegetable in Old World cuisine that has largely fallen out of favor, despite some renewed interest in the foodie community. Part of the reason might be that they require a long season to grow to full size and cold weather to fully develop the sugars that give them their distinct flavor. I grew the "Harris Model" parsnip, an open-pollinated variety noted for its flavor and dependability. Before we got a hard frost, I dug up a small root and gave it a taste, only to discover that it was starchy and lacking the pleasant sweetness of a store-bought parsnip. After the ground froze in December, I fought through the hard soil, broke a couple of roots, and was happy to taste the sweet root I had been seeking. Altogether, I yielded 2lb of parsnips, not a lot for a 2'x2' plot of soil, but enough for a couple of meals. The flavor of a fresh parsnip is well worth the time and effort, though.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5118566255/" title="Radishes by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/5118566255_ae92e44f08.jpg" alt="Radishes" border="0" width="500" height="333" /></a><br /><br />Another plant I grew for the first time was the common radish, which I found fast-growing and unbelievably useful. The heirloom "French Breakfast" cultivar doesn't produce a big meaty radish, but the flavor and texture are distinct, far better than any store-bought variety. I noticed that the flavor of the young radishes was very strong and would be a good addition to salsa. The mature flavor was more delicate and tasty on buttered bread. Much like turnips, the greens of the radish are edible, making them doubly useful in the vegetable garden. Combined with arugula or dandelion greens, they made an excellent spring pesto.<br /><br />Another successful crop this year was the "Bright Lights" Swiss chard. While I lost the last season's crop to bugs, I was able to harvest a couple of decent sized batches. Chard is one of my favorite vegetables, one I love braised in pasta dishes or folded into a gratin. The "Bright Lights" mix includes a wide range of colors, from yellow to red to green, so it looks just as lovely as it tastes.<br /><br />In August I ordered a couple of "winter" seed mixes from Territorial, the "Provencal Winter Mix" and "Arctic Tundra Blend." Both were successful, and a few plants started from these mixes are holding up well inside the cold frame. From the Provencal mix, I harvested three French lettuce varieties (Continuity, Salad Bowl, and Brunia), chervil, and lots of endive and roquette (otherwise known as arugula), which I used in several batches of pesto. Territorial does not specify the varieties in the Arctic Tundra blend, but it seems to be a mix of red and green looseleafs. I kept a close watch on the plants as the temperature dropped, and they seemed to survive the nights down to freezing well enough. If you're looking for dependable late season crops and like salad greens, you might want to try these blends.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5119185174/" title="July Harvest by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/5119185174_3e295a2289_m.jpg" alt="July Harvest" border="0" align="right" vspace="10" width="240" height="160" hspace="10" /></a><br />As far as seeds saved from last year are concerned, I had wonderful luck with carrots this year, producing enough for several meals. I really loved the "Mokum" variety I bought from Territorial in 2009, which grows quickly and has a beautiful sweet flavor. I also planted the "Danver's Half-Long," a long season carrot better suited to storage use; the roots were noticeably thicker and took quite at least a month longer for the flavor to develop (even then I didn't find it especially sweet compared to the Mokum).<br /><br />I also got better yields on the Jade and Gold Crop bush beans I planted, in addition to the black turtle beans I planted late season. This was also the best year I've had for jalapeno peppers. I am not sure if pruning off new leaf growth aided in the higher yields, especially since the bulk of the crop came later than usual. Nonetheless, I had jalapenos coming out of my ears! Herbs were another big success this year, and I had more basil, parsley, dill, and cilantro/coriander than ever.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Semi-Successes</span><br /><br />I was able to harvest a few baby fennel bulbs of the "Perfection" variety. Because my fennel got a late start this year, my expectations were pretty low. Flavor was typical licorice-y fennel flavor. Can't say much about seed flavor/production, as I was growing only for bulbs.<br /><br />Yields for shelling and snap peas weren't that great either, but I started them at least a month late, so the bushes started to dry up before they hit their peak.<br /><br />Tomatoes were another disappointment this year. Despite getting a few tomatoes and ending up with plenty of green ones to last through October, most succumbed to squirrel (and possibly bird) attacks during our weekends (and weeks) out of town. I did make an effort to purchase varieties that were new to me, but since I was forced to pick most early, I'm not sure if I got optimal color and flavor. The "Country Taste" hybrid was a solid beefsteak variety with a meaty texture and classic tomato flavor that I would gladly use as my main crop variety. The "Japanese Black Trifele" was an interesting heirloom variety with a flavor that's hard to describe, sort of smokey sweet with a bit of bite. I was already familiar with the "Chocolate Cherry" via our CSA; it's a cherry variety with a flavor similar to "Cherokee Purple." And lastly, while I did not get a chance to taste a really fresh fruit, I did enjoy the "Cuore di Bue" oxheart, which is low in seeds and juice and has a wonderfully tasty acidity that would make a brilliant sauce. Definitely trying this one again.<br /><br />Another thing I had only middling luck with this year was broccoli. I was able to harvest a few tiny heads and side shoots, and that's about it<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Failures</span><br /><br />Perhaps the major failure of 2010 was my attempt to grow rhubarb from seed. Based on my reading, it's a notoriously difficult plant to grow from seed, since it is so slow to germinate. Twice I planted the seeds to no avail. Because I am so committed to the idea of growing perennial food plants, this year I'm going to buy some crowns and give it another go. I will have my rhubarb pie!<br /><br />Otherwise, I cannot seem to grow spinach. I tried three varieties this year--"Giant Noble," "Viroflay," and "Giant Winter"--and had only disappointing results. I can get the seeds to germinate, even grow a few little leaves, but they always end up dying before I get any spinach. Maybe this year I'll have better luck.<br /><br />Not quite failures but not quite in the realm of success, the squash plants I started this year took off like wild fire but were quickly quelled by infestations of squash bugs and vine borers, which destroyed the fruits and wilted the plants to nothing. In a similar vein, my cabbage and cauliflower transplants grew quite big yet failed to produce anything. My kale, raab, bok choy, and collards also did quite badly. But again, late start, inconsistent use of covers, etc.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Plans for Next Year</span><br /><br />1. Make better and more consistent use of floating row covers. These are honestly the best technique I've used for keeping cabbage butterflies off my cole crops and, used consistently, eliminate a lot of the headache of picking off caterpillars and spraying aphids. Back in August I researched remedies for squash bugs and vine borers and learned row covers are just as useful for young squash plants, so I'll be testing this out as well.<br /><br />2. Spend more time in other parts of the yard. Yes, I started my woodland garden in the backyard and added a few more plants to the south border, front border, and rock garden, but overall I neglected various chores and didn't allow myself to enjoy the space surrounding our house. The front border, especially, needs a major overhaul.<br /><br />3. Keep building the woodland garden. I planted a serviceberry tree, lots of hostas, a Solomon's Seal, and a lily of the valley. This year I am purchasing some currant bushes. Some other plants I'd like to add: wild ginger, jack in the pulpit, monkshood, cyclamen, hellebore, some kind of sedge, and some kind of fern.<br /><br />4. Finish the grotto. I've been putting off this project for two years now. Except for the mortar, I have every supply necessary. No more excuses.<br /><br />5. Plant more perennial fruits/vegetables. I've already decided on currant in the woodland garden. Other options include: rhubarb, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, Good King Henry, and sorrel. Need more Zone 5B options.<br /><br />As always, patience. Watch and learn and continue working towards self-sufficiency. 2010 was a pretty good year for gardening. Here's hoping 2011 is even better!ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-50356275044218309472010-12-14T09:46:00.000-08:002010-12-14T11:27:44.510-08:00Experiments in Food Preservation: Wild Grape Jelly<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5118541397/" title="Wild Grapes by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1071/5118541397_784b1698af.jpg" alt="Wild Grapes" border="0" width="500" height="333" /></a><br /><br />If you regularly keep up with this blog, then you might recall <a href="http://crow-in-garden.blogspot.com/2010/09/cheekwood-gardens-and-great-smoky.html">my post some months back about our trip to the Smoky Mountains</a>. On the way back through Missouri, we stopped in the Eleven Point District of Mark Twain National Forest, spending a night at McCormack Lake and a few hours hiking the Irish Wilderness. Hiking around the lake, we came across numerous persimmon trees, whose fruit was not quite ripe, and discovered a bevy of wild grape vines. We discovered more wild grapes while in the Irish Wilderness, where we decided to grab some plastic bags and forage enough to bring home, leaving plenty for the birds and animals to eat.<br /><br />There are several species of wild grape native to Missouri, though <span style="font-style: italic;">vitis riparia</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">vulpina</span> are the ones most familiar to wild foragers in the region. There is another species, most commonly seen on river banks, called <span style="font-style: italic;">vitis rupestris</span>, recognizable for its red stems. They're all quite common in the right location and, as far as I know, edible to humans (though usually quite sour and not as juicy as the commonly cultivated Mars or Concord). For the last couple of years, I have been gathering a few of the wild grapes growing as "weeds" in my yard and am slowly attempting to cultivate the vines for food.<br /><br />Now, personally, I've never been a big fan of grape jelly. Compared to strawberry jam or orange marmalade, I've always found the stuff just sugary and bland, and I've never been fond of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches either. I love fresh grapes, though, and usually buy a few bunches of the Mars variety when I see them at market. This year I decided to experiment with low sugar grape jelly, just to see if I could.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5118541583/" title="Wild Grape Jelly by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1177/5118541583_d1afa73518.jpg" alt="Wild Grape Jelly" border="0" width="500" height="333" /></a><br /><br />The process of making grape jelly is pretty much the same as with any cultivated grape, like a Mars or Concord (both of which are native cultivars derived from <span style="font-style: italic;">vitis labrusca)</span>. Following the Pomona recipe, I started with a pound and a half of grapes, which I then mashed and simmered for ten minutes, cooled and poured into a cheesecloth bag to drip for about one day. Since I was using the wild grapes, I added a bit more sugar than I would have done with a sweeter cultivated grape. Final tasting proved that the finished jelly was just as sweet as my previous batch of Mars grape jelly.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wild Grape Jelly</span><br /><br />1 1/2 lb wild grapes (vitis riparia or vulpina)<br />2 tb lemon or lime juice<br />1/2 cup - 1 cup sugar or 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup honey<br />2 tsp calcium water (included in box of Pomona pectin)<br />2 tsp Pomona Universal Pectin<br /><br />1. Remove stems and mash grapes and mix with 1/4 cup of water in saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour cooked fruit into jelly bag. Let drip until juice stops.<br /><br />2. Pour juice into saucepan, leaving sediment undisturbed. Mix with lemon juice and calcium water. In a separate bowl mix together sugar or honey and pectin.<br /><br />3. Heat juice mixture to boiling and add pectin/sugar mixture. Stir vigorously 1-2 minute to dissolve pectin, then bring mixture back to a boil and remove from heat.<br /><br />4. Fill jars to 1/4" from top and seal. Store in fridge up to 1 month or process for 10 minutes in boiling-water bath.<br /><br />With Christmas coming up, I'll be giving at least a couple of jars of this jelly to family and friends as gifts. Usually I print out nice labels for the jars, listing the date canned and ingredients, then top off the jars with a pretty holiday-themed circle of fabric, a ribbon, and gift tag. Just about everyone appreciates a homemade gift, especially one with a story attached. Imagine the joy or pride in telling someone their preserves came from the Ozarks or straight from your garden.ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-1414258828560702952010-11-23T20:31:00.000-08:002010-11-23T21:17:36.288-08:00Experiments in Food Preservation, Part 2: Raspberry-Jalapeno Jam<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5203507976/" title="Raspberry-Jalapeno Jam by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5203507976_ddfa689ce1.jpg" alt="Raspberry-Jalapeno Jam" border="0" width="500" height="333" /></a><br /><br />This autumn the weather has been fairly mild, meaning that a number of harvests have held out longer than usual for Kansas City. I only just pulled up my jalapeno bushes last week, and they showed no obvious signs of being finished for the season. While chili peppers are typically at their peak in August, I got my most spectacular harvests in September and October and was stuck with about 2 pounds worth of the little buggers. Normally I like to make a few batches of salsa, but this year's harvest of tomatoes wasn't that great and October isn't exactly the tomato peak at market. Another great preservation technique for chili peppers is pickling, which I find just as flavorful and useful for salsas and other Mexican dishes (even Asian, if you're so inclined). But there's only so many jars of pickled peppers you can eat in a year and only so many you can give as gifts. Eventually it's time to try new things.<br /><br />This year I decided to experiment with jalapeno jelly. Last year I followed a recipe from Preserving the Harvest, which I found far too sweet when paired with the usual cream cheese. I was hoping for something more like the perfectly balanced mango-jalapeno jam I bought a couple of years ago at the City Market. Walking through the garden one day and plucking some ripe raspberries from the vine, I glanced back at the jalapeno bushes and thought of that blend of sweet and spicy and wondered if maybe this combination was worth a try. And thus, I came up with the following recipe:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Raspberry-Jalapeno Jam</span><br /><br />1/3 cup chopped jalapenos<br />1/3 cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar<br />1/3 cup mashed raspberries<br />1 teaspoon calcium water (included in box of Pomona pectin)<br />1/4 cup sugar or honey<br />1/2 teaspoon Pomona Universal Pectin<br /><br />1. Mix jalapenos and vinegar in saucepan. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer for 5 minutes.<br /><br />2. Stir in mashed raspberries and calcium water. In a separate bowl, stir together sugar/honey and pectin.<br /><br />3. Heat vinegar mixture to boiling and add pectin/sugar mixture. Stir vigorously 1-2 minute to dissolve pectin, then bring mixture back to a boil and remove from heat.<br /><br />4. Fill jars to 1/4" from top and seal. Store in fridge up to 1 month or process for 10 minutes in boiling-water bath.<br /><br />My original sketch of the recipe included a homemade raspberry red wine vinegar (far better than the abortive attempt at raspberry-vanilla vodka), but I found the results a tad heavy on the raspberry. In the future I'd use a more neutral white or cider vinegar, and I've made the change to the recipe. I'm also curious whether using the jalapeno-infused vinegar is really necessary, or whether simply cooking the jam is enough to draw out the spiciness. Thoughts?<br /><br />Overall, I'm pretty happy with the results of this experiment and will likely continue tweaking this recipe next year. It's quite tasty spread on wheat crackers with some cream cheese and would probably be equally good mixed with a goat cheese spread.ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-37749838025740505972010-11-11T18:09:00.000-08:002010-11-12T16:52:07.063-08:00Experiments in Food Preservation, Part One: Watermelon Jelly<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5119176384/" title="Watermelon Jelly by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1123/5119176384_c1d1946f67.jpg" alt="Watermelon Jelly" border="0" width="334" height="500" /></a><br /><br />I know it's November and nearly the end of the harvest season, but I've been meaning to post about this year's experiments with preserves and figured now was as good a time as any. Ever since I started preserving my own jams several years ago, I've been looking for some kind of base recipe to play with. The one book I own on the subject, Carol Costenbader's well-known <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-Preserving-Harvest-Vegetables/dp/1580174582/ref=dp_ob_title_bk">Big Book of Preserving the Harvest</a>, isn't very helpful in this regard, and the author warns against any changes made to a recipe. Much of the reason for this is that sugar helps to preserve the food, so any decrease in amount or changes in produce can throw off the balance within a recipe. Last year, after some frustration with my preserve-making skills, I discovered <a href="http://www.pomonapectin.com/">Pomona Universal Pectin</a>, which is a wonderful dry pectin that allows you to make low-sugar, honey, or what I call "fake sugar" preserves. Better yet, they provide a recipe sheet that includes instructions for developing your own recipes for preserves. I've been using the stuff for over a year now and can't say enough nice things.<br /><br />This summer I came into the possession of many watermelons and cantaloupes via my mother's garden. Much as I love melons, I find it really hard to use them before they go bad, so I looked into preservation methods. Because all melons have a high water content, it's difficult to do much with them. But they can be cut up and frozen for later use in sorbet or granita, or you can freeze the pressed juice or puree. A less common method of preserving melons is to turn them into jellies. Though it truly sounds odd, I was intrigued enough by the possibilities to give it a try. Much like grape, or anything other sort of jelly, you start out with juice. To make watermelon juice, you just cut up the flesh and press it through a sieve. <a href="http://fairsharenews.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-to-do-with-your-share-week-14.html">The folks at Fair Share Farm posted simple directions for watermelon juice back in August.</a> Yum. Once you've got the juice and the Pomona pectin, the rest is pretty easy.<br /><br />Below is the recipe I came up with, based on Ponoma's recommendations. This makes a small 1-cup batch, roughly enough for a half-pint jar. I've adjusted the amount of pectin, since the batch I made turned out a bit too thick.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Watermelon Jelly</span><br /><br />1 cup watermelon juice<br />1 tablespoon lemon juice<br />1 teaspoon calcium water (included in box of Pomona pectin)<br />1/4 cup sugar or honey<br />1/2 teaspoon Pomona Universal Pectin<br /><br />1. Stir together watermelon juice, lemon juice, and calcium water in saucepan. In a separate bowl, stir together sugar/honey and pectin.<br /><br />2. Heat juice to boiling and add pectin/sugar mixture. Stir vigorously 1-2 minute to dissolve pectin, then bring mixture back to a boil and remove from heat.<br /><br />3. Fill jars to 1/4" from top and seal. Store in fridge up to 1 month or process for 10 minutes in boiling-water bath.<br /><br />So now you're probably wondering how it tasted. Well, to be totally honest, it tastes a bit weird. I tried it with some buttered Farm to Market French Farm bread, and it wasn't bad. My significant other tried some on a peanut sandwich with less success. But give it a try next summer during melon season and see what you think. Maybe you'll love it.<br /><br />P.S. Once you're done with your watermelon flesh, consider pickling the rind for a sweet winter treat!ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-20939550695545224772010-09-28T12:27:00.000-07:002010-09-28T13:07:23.431-07:00Cheekwood Gardens and The Great Smoky MountainsSo...I haven't kept up with this blog as planned. But part of the reason is that we (my significant other and I) were on vacation for over a week, which involved lots of planning the week before and the requisite decompression thereafter. We drove from Kansas City to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and back, with stops in St. Louis, Nashville, Memphis, and The Ozarks along the way. It was a great trip filled with the requisite tourist stops and some beautiful natural scenery. I definitely came away with a fondness for Tennessee as a state, at least in terms of aesthetic appeal.<br /><br />While in Nashville, we spent a couple of hours at <a href="http://www.cheekwood.org/">Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum</a> of Art, formerly the residence of the wealthy Cheek family, who made their fortune off Maxwell House coffee. It's quite large, with different themed gardens throughout the space, including a color garden and Japanese style garden. My favorite of the gardens we walked through was probably the color garden near the main entrance. The space was full of striking combinations that took full advantage of the dry, full-sun location:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4991445714/" title="Color Garden 2 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4145/4991445714_c2af5d6080.jpg" alt="Color Garden 2" border="0" height="333" width="500" /></a><br /><br />What I like about the above photo is the combination of the cool dusty miller and perennial salvia with the deep, bright reds. There were also complimentary combos of bright lime green with a wine red, in addition to contrasting textures. It was a great example of contemporary styles of garden design that place emphasis on large naturalistic swaths of color and texture. I don't have the space for these kinds of mass plantings, but it was definitely inspiring.<br /><br />Right now, Cheekwood having an exhibition of glass works by Chihuly throughout the gardens and inside the museum. As an artist, I'm not a big fan of Chihuly. Once you've seen a couple of his pieces, you pretty much get the idea. There's also controversy surrounding the fact that he doesn't blow his own glass or build the larger structures most are familiar with. Nonetheless, it was interesting to see how the vegetal/floral glass sculptures were integrating into the garden, contrasting or complimenting the shapes and colors. Some of the most interesting pieces were the floating "globe onions" in the reflecting pools near the Japanese gardens:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4990841791/" title="Globe Onion 1 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4088/4990841791_a66df88ff5.jpg" alt="Globe Onion 1" border="0" height="333" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nps.gov/grsm/">The Great Smoky Mountains</a> were a rather different experience, a mostly untouched natural world instead of the cultivated world of Cheekwood. Parts of the park contain old growth forest, a rarity in much of the United States (if the world). The variety of plant life we saw throughout would definitely inspire any observant gardener. Despite it being the last yawn of summer, we saw plenty of wildflowers, many of which are familiar in gardens. For instance, there were quite a few cardinal flowers growing wherever they could find a scrap of sunlight:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5006732131/" title="Cardinal Flower by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/5006732131_ffe5403155.jpg" alt="Cardinal Flower" border="0" height="500" width="333" /></a><br /><br />I was especially excited by the Joe Pye Weed in its natural setting:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/5008943146/" title="Joe Pye Weed by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4151/5008943146_50bdb296b3.jpg" alt="Joe Pye Weed" border="0" height="500" width="333" /></a><br /><br />I've loved these flowers for a long time and have more recently considered planting some in a spot of the yard prone to flooding. I'm not sure which species these were, but they were quite numerous along the banks of Noland Creek. If you look carefully in the background, you can see the rhododendron bushes that were incredibly common throughout the park. I can only imagine how gorgeous the forest is when these things are in full bloom. The tropical-looking leathery leaves add plenty of interest on their own. They'd make a wonderful addition to a shade of forest garden.<br /><br />Of course, that's just a portion of how we spent our vacation. I might post some of the photos I took during our visit to <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/%21ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPwhQoY6IeDdGCqCPOBqwDLG-AAjgb6fh75uan6BdnZaY6OiooA1tkqlQ%21%21/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfMjAwMDAwMDBBODBPSEhWTjBNMDAwMDAwMDA%21/?ss=110905&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=FSE_003853&navid=091000000000000&pnavid=null&position=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&ttype=main&pname=Mark%20Twain%20National%20Forest-%20Home">Mark Twain National Forest</a> once I have them uploaded. Now that we're back in town and summer has settled down, there will be more posts, I promise. Hope everyone reading had a great and relaxing season!ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-40590862378807513502010-08-19T19:54:00.000-07:002010-08-19T20:47:03.980-07:00Pickling Hot Peppers<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4906261004/" title="Jalapeno by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4078/4906261004_0411d65c77.jpg" alt="Jalapeno" border="0" height="333" width="500" /></a><br /><br />This is my second year participating in a <a href="http://www.fairsharefarm.com/">CSA</a> and I'm still enjoying the weekly batch of produce I pick up each week at <a href="http://www.badseedfarm.com/">Badseed Market</a> direct from the farm. Last year I didn't really take advantage of the bulk list, which would have provided more opportunity for preserving food over the winter, but this year I've ordered a few bags and already have much fuller cabinet. Our last order included basil for pesto, pepperoncini peppers, a pound of tomatilloes for salsa verde, and a bunch of jalapenos. If you've been keeping up with my garden blog for a while, then you'll remember last year how I <a href="http://crow-in-garden.blogspot.com/2009/07/joys-of-summer-pesto-salsa.html">extolled the virtues of pesto</a>; there's already a fat bag sitting in the freezer, waiting for the frost to hit. That particular entry also extols the virtues of salsa, canned and fresh.<br /><br />Of course, one can throw only so many jalapenos into salsa before it becomes barely edible, and after you're used up all the tomatoes or tomatilloes, it's time to find something else to do with the little buggers. Probably my favorite way to preserve peppers is to pickle them. Pickled jalapenos are a good replacement in any recipe that calls for fresh, and they're an awesome topping on nachos and fall chili. The recipe I use from Andrea Chesman's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Serving-Up-Harvest-Celebrating-Vegetables/dp/1580176631">Serving Up the Harvest</a> is very basic; you don't need much to augment the flavor of chiles, just a bit of salt, sugar, some garlic, and some mustard seeds (I didn't have any mustard seeds in my cupboard, so I left them out). Process 10 minutes and <span style="font-style: italic;">viola</span>!<br /><br />While planning what to do with my jalapenos, I remembered a recipe I found online 2-3 years ago for a pickled condiment, not unlike a Mexican giardiniera, featuring hot peppers, garlic, onions, and carrots. It's called escabeche, and you can find the recipe online at <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pickled_jalapenos_escabeche/">Simply Recipes</a>. The recipe requires a bit more labor compared with a basic hot pepper pickle, but as I recall, the flavor is richer and more nuanced. I'm sure this comes from the additional vegetables, spices, and frying everything in olive oil first. <br /><br />Here's a photo of the two recipes after processing:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4905674877/" title="Pickled Jalapenos by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4905674877_68e33b6c2a.jpg" alt="Pickled Jalapenos" border="0" height="333" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Looks tasty, eh? All but a couple of those peppers came from the CSA, since my jalapenos have not been supremely productive this year. The carrots, however, came from my garden.<br /><br />After I spent the day pickling hot peppers, I took the time to reorganize my cabinet, so the oldest items were in the front. It was already quite packed with the whole cucumbers I pickled in July and the strawberry jam I made back in May. I can't wait to see what everything tastes like in another few months when the flavors have had time to blend.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4906262130/" title="Garlic Pickles by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4116/4906262130_02285a5869.jpg" alt="Garlic Pickles" border="0" height="333" width="500" /></a><br /><br />My preserves stay inside an old Hoosier cabinet my mother bought as a birthday present last year:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4905670807/" title="Hoosier Cabinet by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4905670807_acdb289d7a.jpg" alt="Hoosier Cabinet" border="0" height="500" width="333" /></a><br /><br />I'm very fond of the cabinet, since it provides me with an extra work surface and nice dark places to store preserves and potatoes.<br /><br />Last weekend I picked a bunch of cucumbers from my mother's garden and am planning on making some relish before the weekend is through. Do you have any plans to pickle before the season begins to wane? Or will you be making that last batch of salsa or pesto instead? Do tell!ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-68236508341082564262010-08-05T11:30:00.000-07:002010-08-05T13:53:56.287-07:00Long time, no post!Though the garden has been quite busy this summer, I've been horrible neglectful of this blog. Has it really been over 2 months since my last post? My heads been full of various ideas for entries, but for whatever reason I've lacked the impetus to post. I want to change that. I'm going to start posting at least one entry per week and cover more issues pertaining to sustainability, local food, and urban homesteading. I'll also "redecorate" at some point and redo the layout of this blog, in addition to re-organizing/adding links. So expect lots more activity from now on!<br /><br />To cover the time I've been away from this blog, here are some bits & bobs from late June and the month of July...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4863836270/" title="Lavender by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4863836270_c514ca320f.jpg" alt="Lavender" border="0" width="500" /></a><br /><br />In June the lavender bush bloomed, and I gathered the flowers to dry. I believe it's the 'Hidcote' cultivar, whichever variety is well adapted to wetter, temperate regions. I've had the plant since 2008, and the bush has gotten progressively larger since then, blooming profusely in the summer and showing off its grey-green foliage through the winter. I don't have proper drying equipment, but it's very easy to collect the flowers, tie them into bundles, and hang them around the house for a bit of perfume. The flowers in the photo were too short/small to bundle, so I let them dry on paper towels. When they were finished drying, I pulled off the flowers and stored the herbs in plastic bags.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4863218101/" title="Tomato Hornworm by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/4863218101_08939af9b4.jpg" alt="Tomato Hornworm" border="0" height="500" width="333" /></a><br /><br />Here is one of the hornworms I found on the tomatoes near the end of June, thrown into the grass for the robins to find. Usually, I don't have problems with these little guys, maybe one or two a year. This year, in the new vegetable garden, I found a whopping three hornworms. OK...not that many, but more than I'm accustomed to. Haven't seen a one since I took this photo. Cabbage worms are generally a bigger problem for me.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4863838736/" title="Bronze Fennel by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/4863838736_c940e10c88.jpg" alt="Bronze Fennel" border="0" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Pretty bronze fennel flowers. My plants returned this year, and the one along the south side of the house is well over 6 feet tall. Amazing. I'm letting the flowers go to seed so I can get some use out of these plants. They don't bulb like Florence fennel does, and their stalks tend to be rough and stringy, so they're not ideal for cooking, but you can use the leaves as an herb/garnish, and the seeds taste just the same.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4863220869/" title="Squash and Cilantro by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4097/4863220869_63d73de9ec.jpg" alt="Squash and Cilantro" border="0" height="500" width="333" /></a><br /><br />I just love this combination of textures: the large, broad leaves of the squash with the small, feathery leaves of the cilantro going to seed. I'm not sure if these are "correct" companions, but they seemed to do well together. Still waiting for the seeds to dry so I can have coriander. This is a 'Discus Bush Buttercup' winter squash and 'Caribe' cilantro.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4863221907/" title="Squash Leaf by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4079/4863221907_f713e21f5b.jpg" alt="Squash Leaf" border="0" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Leaf from the 'Rond de Nice' summer squash, which is the closest to a proper bush variety I've found in this family. Actually, only today I figured out that this was the summer squash, not the 'Discus Bush Buttercup' I also planted (which forms less of a proper bush, more of a stocky vine).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4863842564/" title="Coneflower and Oregano by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4863842564_360722a973.jpg" alt="Coneflower and Oregano" border="0" width="500" /></a><br /><br />When July came, I decided to visit some plant sales and found quite a few good deals, including this coneflower and oregano plant. When I moved the vegetable garden this summer, I had to rearrange the flagstone path somewhat and pulled out the once-thriving oregano, which I inevitably waited too long to re-plant. The oregano died, so I bought a new plant for a mere $1. Hope it does better!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4863843560/" title="Purple Coneflower by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4134/4863843560_2dd4fed303.jpg" alt="Purple Coneflower" border="0" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Another shot of the coneflower, the ubiquitous 'Magnus' variety, of course. I like my echinicea pallida plants, but they have less immediate impact, and I thought some variety might be a good idea. I love coneflowers, though. Can never have too many.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4863280525/" title="Lilies 2 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/4863280525_64f04346cc.jpg" alt="Lilies 2" border="0" height="500" width="333" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4863225357/" title="Lilies 1 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/4863225357_ccdc2fddeb.jpg" alt="Lilies 1" border="0" height="500" width="333" /></a><br /><br />The 'Stargazer' lilies in the front border, putting on their yearly show. I especially like the 2nd photo, because you can see the black seed pods from the baptisia, which is impressively big this year.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4863845726/" title="Lobelia by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4118/4863845726_a5f4959dd3.jpg" alt="Lobelia" border="0" height="500" width="333" /></a><br /><br />One of the lobelias I planted back in May. After I saw these on a camping trip last September, I had to have one. The flowers are on a tall spike and pretty small, but they look a bit more striking in groups. Given the right conditions, these are supposed to spread very reliably. They're native to this region, like wet conditions along river banks, but hold up well through droughts. I'm sure they'd be perfect for a rain garden.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4863227831/" title="Melon by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4098/4863227831_7bd7c498f2.jpg" alt="Melon" border="0" width="500" /></a><br /><br />A few weeks ago, we visited my mother and stepfather's house in California, MO and were impressed by how well her garden is doing this year. She planted 3 types of melons, which covered probably 20 square feet or more. They weren't yet ripe, so I just took pictures.<br /><br />I've avoided growing melons myself, because they tend to put out very long vines and I've yet to find a shorter vined or bush cultivar. If any wayward readers can recommend that works in small spaces, I'd love to hear about it!ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-6879112456913378712010-05-25T11:54:00.000-07:002010-05-25T14:04:09.887-07:00A Walk Through the GardenSince the backbone of the new vegetable garden was completed, the last month in the garden has mostly been filled with busy work in between heavy bouts of spring rain. The last several days have been thankfully dry, leaving me plenty of time to wander around the garden. So I thought it might be nice to give a walk-through everything that's been going on.<br /><br />Starting from the backyard, here's Molly busy with her usual chore, patiently waiting for squirrels:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637146383/" title="Waiting for squirrels... by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4637146383_39c988f79b.jpg" alt="Waiting for squirrels..." border="0" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Of course, looking at this photo, I'm reminded of all the weeding that needs to be done on and around the path. The violets I let grow by the steps and now threatening to overtake the steps, and you might see the walnut seedling growing nearby. Maybe you can also see the yarrow, creeping thyme, raspberry, bronze fennel and mint? This bed is a bit formless, an afterthought compared to other beds, very much a work in progress.<br /><br />Turning to where the old vegetable garden used to be, you'll notice big changes:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637163745/" title="Woodland Garden by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4637163745_aea3ec1384.jpg" alt="Woodland Garden" border="0" width="334" height="500" /></a><br /><br />The beginnings of a woodland garden. Back in January, my mother and stepfather moved to a new house along a lake with plenty of garden, much of it filtered shade. Lots of hostas, more than she wanted. So when we were down a few weeks ago, she dug up a bunch and gave them to me. They're already serving as excellent filler, and there are plenty more to plant along the fence.<br /><br />The focal point of the woodland garden is a serviceberry (sometimes called juneberry) tree purchased from <a href="http://www.suburbanlg.com/">Suburban Lawn & Garden</a>:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637143609/" title="Have a seat. by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4637143609_ffbfe8cf4e.jpg" alt="Have a seat." border="0" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />It's an understory tree that does well beneath the filtered shade of the redbuds and larger trees that surround our yard. In spring it produces a show of white flowers and produces small edible berries that attract birds. Apparently, the berries make good preserves, but much like crab apple, the fresh taste is too sour to be enjoyable. The tree should get about 20 feet high when fully mature, and we are attempting to stretch the trunks for a more open shape.<br /><br />Turning back towards the patio, there's the new rain barrel we installed next to the gate:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637754918/" title="Garden Gate by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4637754918_30f0bf56bd.jpg" alt="Garden Gate" border="0" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />We might make further changes to the spot behind the gate, since we overshot the length on the downspout and the gutter is still prone to overflowing. Rather than struggle with the water, I'm considering building a little rain garden. This might also be a great spot for a native plant I really love called Joe-Pye weed.<br /><br />Walking through the gate, you can see the other rain barrel we installed on the south side:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637147885/" title="South Herb Border by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4637147885_02ed86b74e.jpg" alt="South Herb Border" border="0" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />We got the rain barrels from a local non-profit called <a href="http://www.bridgingthegap.org/">Bridging the Gap</a>, which facilitates recycling and other environmental programs in the Kansas City area. They do workshops teaching folks how to build these things, but we decided to purchase a couple of pre-made barrels instead. At $65 a piece, they were a far better deal than anything from a catalog or online. Not so pretty, but I don't really care so much about that. With all the rain we've been having, I've already watered my plants from the barrels several times.<br /><br />In this photo, you'll also notice my tomato cages and filled-out flower/herb border. The lavender and thyme plants have really taken off this year. Here's another photo taken a few steps down the path:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637763288/" title="South Herb Border by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4637763288_2ca5db8ee7.jpg" alt="South Herb Border" border="0" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />You can see how the yarrow, salvia, and perovskia are doing quite well. The pale coneflowers are a bit too slender and diminutive to be seen in the background, but I'm hoping that with some time they will spread. They get around 3-4 feet tall in summer.<br /><br />Along the path near the gate, you can still find some pennyroyal:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637782742/" title="Pennyroyal 1 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4637782742_667e4de0a6.jpg" alt="Pennyroyal 1" border="0" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Beside the gate is my new bed for the raspberries:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637150467/" title="Rapberries by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4637150467_a6f580b16f.jpg" alt="Rapberries" border="0" width="450" height="333" /></a><br /><br />As mentioned previously, it's 'Caroline', ever/fall-bearing variety that produces big juicy red fruits from August to October. Soon I'll string some wire or twine along the posts and bring a bit of order to this bed. I'm waiting until fall/winter pruning before filling the box up with soil.<br /><br />On to the vegetable beds! Look at the lovely little surprise I discovered a couple weeks back:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637149073/" title="Volunteer Potato by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4637149073_d7b74f7ab0.jpg" alt="Volunteer Potato" border="0" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />It's a volunteer potato in my hot pepper and basil bed. When we dug up the soil from the old boxes, I searched for any remaining potatoes and other bulbs and roots, but found nothing. So imagine my surprise when this little baby popped up. It's probably on of the 'Caribe' potatoes I grew last year. I'm going to let the vine grow and flower and see if it produces more of those violet-skinned beauties.<br /><br />Elsewhere in the vegetable garden, a bush beans waits:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637761628/" title="Bush Bean Seedlings by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4637761628_67c863bafd.jpg" alt="Bush Bean Seedlings" border="0" width="450" height="333" /></a><br /><br />I've got two 2'x1.5' bush bean plot, but I failed to mark them after planting and am not sure which is the 'Gold Crop' and which is the 'Jade'. Guess I'll know when the pods start appearing this summer.<br /><br />What else is growing in the vegetable garden? Well, we have some Swiss chard:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637171639/" title="Swiss Chard Seedling by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3376/4637171639_05904c865d.jpg" alt="Swiss Chard Seedling" border="0" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Typically, chard and spinach are started outdoors, but I started a few indoors, all of which died in the great cold frame debacle. The plants started outside have suffered a few insect attacks and are just now getting their 3rd and 4th leaves. I've had to cover the spinach and chard plots and do a bit of reseeding, but the chard is holding through admirably.<br /><br />Despite similar insect attacks on the raab and cole crops, the plants have continued to persist:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637778956/" title="Raab Seedling by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4637778956_c8d2ae52e4.jpg" alt="Raab Seedling" border="0" width="450" height="333" /></a><br /><br />Actually, I fashioned makeshift cloches to ward off further damage until the plants got large enough to hold their own:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637780354/" title="Homemade Cloche by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3341/4637780354_1366c2f41e.jpg" alt="Homemade Cloche" border="0" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />I'm sure you can tell that it's just the top of a soda bottle, the cap of which can be removed to let cooler air in. I've been saving these a few years for just such a purpose, and they work pretty well.<br /><br />And here's a partial view of the vegetable garden from the east:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637764832/" title="Vegetable Garden by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4637764832_b338610572.jpg" alt="Vegetable Garden" border="0" width="450" height="333" /></a><br /><br />The mulch we bought ended up not being enough to cover all the paths, but at least we've got the landscape fabric to stifle the weeds. I also wish the beds looked more abundant than they do, but I'm hoping it looks more impressive by July.<br /><br />Anyway, on to the front border I never seem to talk about anymore:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4639238793/" title="Front Border by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/4639238793_53fc36b595.jpg" alt="Front Border" border="0" width="450" height="333" /></a><br /><br />The Siberian irises look quite impressive, and the baptisia makes for a wonderful backdrop when in full bloom. The current plan is to remove the tall red-orange Asiatic lilies that clash with my relatively cool color scheme and give them a new home, perhaps elsewhere in the yard or with family. The 'Stargazer' Oriental lilies, which are a more pleasing fuchsia-streaked white, will go in that spot. Or perhaps that's where I'll put the lobelia syphilitica. I like how the reddish tones and white pop beside the blue and violet. The lobelia won't bloom until late summer and fall, at which time it'll be the main show.<br /><br />But those irises look lovely...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637158647/" title="Siberian Irises 2 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3362/4637158647_f85ce4cf89.jpg" alt="Siberian Irises 2" border="0" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Don't they?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637769714/" title="Siberian Iris by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3376/4637769714_c6b0036b5c.jpg" alt="Siberian Iris" border="0" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Elsewhere in the front garden are little surprises:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637772086/" title="Volunteer Foxgloves by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4637772086_be011296d8.jpg" alt="Volunteer Foxgloves" border="0" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Finally, there's the rock garden I started last year in the northeast yard along the rock wall, a spot that is dry and gets a fair amount of sun during the day. The 'Ultra Violet' hybrid salvia (or desert sage) I planted last year is now in bloom:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637167857/" title="Rock Garden by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4637167857_6062559b3a.jpg" alt="Rock Garden" border="0" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />I think the yellow flower of the sedum makes a lovely contrast. Below that is one of the purple hens & chicks that I started with last year, along with a blue-green sedum I bought about a month ago:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4637166329/" title="Hens & Chicks by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4637166329_2a21c0d6cd.jpg" alt="Hens & Chicks" border="0" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><br />I'm still looking for more succulents and alpines to fill the space, but as with most of the plots in my yard, I've decided to take a slow-paced piecemeal approach to design. Wandering through my garden, I'm starting to really love how everything's taking shape and looking more like the space in my head.ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-25005719261638581622010-04-19T15:47:00.000-07:002010-04-19T15:50:25.048-07:00Rebuilding a Garden<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4535487985/" title="South Garden 3 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4535487985_3c18b8c290.jpg" alt="South Garden 3" border="0" width="450" /></a><br /><br />Back in December, I discussed my plan to move the vegetable garden from the backyard to the space on the south side of our house. This spring we've been working hard to turn plans into reality, in spite of circumstances intervening and things going slower then planned.<br /><br />In March, Rob dug up the forsythia, which ended up taking a couple of hours and a sledge hammer. The results left a nice little pit of dirt and at last no stump to contend with:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4535487033/" title="South Garden 1 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4535487033_cd1020fb2d.jpg" alt="South Garden 1" border="0" width="450" /></a><br /><br />After that was done, I pulled up the old beds we built back in 2007 and took a look at the boards. My assumption was that the bottom portions would have some decay but would be otherwise usable in the new plot, so I was a little surprised by the severity of the decay on some of the boards. Here's a photo to illustrate what I'm talking about:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4536120308/" title="Decayed Boards by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2766/4536120308_2bcf34f6d5.jpg" alt="Decayed Boards" border="0" width="450" /></a><br /><br />The heaviest decay occurred on the boards further downhill, which is lightly shaded throughout much of the shade and obviously gets more water when it rains. It's also worth mentioning that we built the beds with 1"x8" untreated pine boards. After 3 seasons in-ground, some decay is to be expected. Less expected were the termites that infested 2 or 3 of the boards; our house suffered minor termite damage in the distant past, but we've never seen any sign of the critters. When I first discovered all this, I was afraid we wouldn't be able to reuse the boards at all, but after further assessing the damage, we were able to salvage half for use on the small 2'x2' and 2'x4' frames. Not bad!<br /><br />For the rest of the boxes, we settled on untreated pine 2"x6" boards, which would give us a good bed height without having to double them up. Initially, I considered the more rot-resistant cedar, but it wasn't as cost-effective. In theory, the sunniness of the new spot and the thicker weight of the boards should help stave off decay longer than in the previous plot.<br /><br />But before we actually built the frames, it was onto the new step, which was clearing out the grass. Originally I considered doing what a lot of raised bed gardeners do, which is starting right on top of the grass and blocking out weeds with cardboard, newspaper, or landscaping fabric. We'd lay some cardboard along the paths to kill the grass and eventually lay some pebbles or mulch. This idea wasn't really that great, though, since it would end up diverting more water down the path, which would pool up near the gate. Not cool. So we decided that removing an inch or two of sod would be a better idea.<br /><br />Last weekend we rented a sod cutter and spent an hour or so ripping out lawn:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4536121236/" title="South Garden 2 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2683/4536121236_e84cae91a6.jpg" alt="South Garden 2" border="0" width="450" /></a><br /><br />A bit of a spotty job, but nothing a shovel can't fix.<br /><br />The last step was building the frames and installing them, which takes more effort than you can imagine. It's hard to tell in photos, but the south yard slopes ever-so-slightly, necessitating the leveling of each bed. Once this task was finished, we broke up the remaining layer of soil (mostly clay), removed offending root masses, and brought in the wonderful soil from the original vegetable garden that took 3 years and a lot of compost to build. We ended up having lots left for the future woodland garden, the backbone of which we'll start building in another week or two.<br /><br />While the renovated vegetable garden has gone brilliantly, I've had an awful time with seedlings and have lost most while in the cold frame. It does a terrific job trapping in heat during the hottest parts of the day but seems not quite able to block out the frost. 2 weeks ago we had a few nights when the temperatures dropped near freezing, effectively killing the bulk of my seedlings. It's also possible that I have not left the cover on long enough to generate the necessary heat. Whatever the issue, I'm going to try and work it out before autumn, so I'm able to extend my crop a bit longer than usual. I look forward to the challenge!ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-52736790906918715842010-03-22T19:53:00.000-07:002010-03-22T20:02:18.716-07:00Happy Equinox!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4439360692/" title="Chives, March 2010 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2690/4439360692_6faec4f01b.jpg" alt="Chives, March 2010" border="0" width="450" /></a><br /><br />I took this photograph about a week ago, when the temperature hit a balmy 60 degrees and evidence of Spring's arrival was sprouting throughout the garden. Spring officially dropped by on Saturday, but you wouldn't know it from the weather. Snow fell from morning to night, and the temperature hovered in the 30s. I transplanted lots of spring bulbs the day before--daffodils, hyacinths, magic lilies, and Stars of Bethelehem. The cold spell was luckily too brief to kill them, and much of the snow melted today. Here in Missouri, Spring is always a precarious endeavor.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4438583809/" title="Daffodils, March 2010 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2769/4438583809_ebc1ca6f58_o.jpg" alt="Daffodils, March 2010" border="0" width="450" /></a>ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-12771175391419578022010-03-16T20:29:00.000-07:002010-03-16T20:31:52.219-07:00How to Build a Cold Frame<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4439360474/" title="Cold Frame 1 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2709/4439360474_26ae03e666.jpg" cold="" frame="" 1="" border="0" width="450 alt=" /></a><br /><br />The title is not completely accurate, i.e. this entry will not lay out detailed instructions on building your own cold frame. Instead, it's about how we (my significant other and I) finally built our own cold frame from an old window and some 2X4 cedar boards. For the uninitiated, a cold frame (or cucumber frame, as they say in some parts) is sort of like a miniature greenhouse with a basic frame and a hinged roof on top. What's the point of building a cold frame? Well, it's a good way of extending the season in your vegetable garden. You can start plants early inside the frame or keep plants inside after frost hits. You can also protect young seedlings from possible frost in the early spring.<br /><br />As I mentioned in some entries last year, I've been planning on building a cold frame for a couple of years. Last spring I made a makeshift cold frame using one of my raised beds and a glass window, and it worked well enough for protecting seedlings at the time. I toyed with purchasing a frame, perhaps a high quality cedar box, or a cheaper plastic box, but since a lot of people makes their own using an old window and a wooden frame, things we had access to, it made more sense to go the handmade route. So I chose the biggest window in the basement (the previous tenants kindly left us plenty) and measured it. 61"x28". Plenty of room. I consulted a number of websites, including some videos on YouTube, on the construction. This particular demonstration was especially helpful:<br /><br /><object width="340" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QOtftbtpe6M&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QOtftbtpe6M&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="340" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />We decided to go with cedar, since it resists decay better than pine, and I want my cold frame to be a more or less permanent structure within the garden. Most of the construction was done by Rob, who laminated and screwed the boards together to ensure sturdiness and keep out any drafts. The photo above should give you a clear enough sense of how he put it together. Very basic, nothing fancy. Once the box was finished, we painted the window and the box, using the same trim paint the previous owners had so graciously left behind. We attached the window with two hinges and used an old metal pull we found on a cabinet in the basement (more leftovers). While the paint was drying, I dug up almost a foot of dirt from the spot where I planned to place the frame, lined the square with bricks for the frame to stand on, and then added a layer of gravels and rocks for drainage.<br /><br />And here's how the cold frame looked yesterday:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4439360602/" title="Cold Frame 2 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2712/4439360602_f268bd8d23.jpg" alt="Cold Frame 2" border="0" width="450" /></a><br /><br />While the cold frame is about 6 feet long, it looks pretty small in context of the landscape. The fact that it's buried about 6" in the ground helps too. It's going to be another week or two before I can tuck some seedlings inside, but I've already noticed the window collecting condensation and how warm the soil inside is compared to soil outside. I don't have a thermometer to test it, but I'd guess there's a 10 degree difference.<br /><br />So that's how we built a cold frame. The task that had been persistently dogging me for over a year is officially finished, and I'm looking forward to another spring. Next, we'll be ripping out the grass along the south strip, tearing down and rebuilding our raised beds, and relocating the vegetable garden to make way for a woodland garden in the backyard. Perhaps we'll make headway on the grotto this summer? Stay tuned!ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-104488439405606242010-02-05T21:34:00.000-08:002010-02-06T10:27:32.822-08:00New Seeds for 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDtquvY8s6Xv-qyHbP6I5wAst8fQxkMn-04NxbrNQQ7LW7wEIdRh-rVJNbA1b0eusw93YZNM1L77jh90xh95Lvi3Mdp5roseTCC6aCwhf2hCr0viV20uLCGNiEdDIJD1xiBkpCk35d_o/s1600-h/458912525_0646bec7a2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDtquvY8s6Xv-qyHbP6I5wAst8fQxkMn-04NxbrNQQ7LW7wEIdRh-rVJNbA1b0eusw93YZNM1L77jh90xh95Lvi3Mdp5roseTCC6aCwhf2hCr0viV20uLCGNiEdDIJD1xiBkpCk35d_o/s400/458912525_0646bec7a2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435197606283796898" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><div cc="http://creativecommons.org/ns#" about="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lollyknit/458912525/"><a rel="cc:attributionURL" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lollyknit/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/lollyknit/</a> / <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a></div></span><br />It’s February and just about time to start seeds for spring crops. I’ve already purchased my seeds for 2010, fewer than last year, since I’ve been thrifty and managed to save quite a few packets. But I am trying out three new tomato varieties and testing a couple of varieties of spinach. As with last year, I am focusing primarily on open pollinated varieties in order to achieve my long-term goal of self-sufficiency.<br /><br />Here’s what I got this year:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">From </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://www.superseeds.com/">Pinetree Garden Seeds</a><br />Parsnip, "Harris Model"<br />Radish, "French Breakfast" (heirloom)<br />Spinach, "Giant Noble" (heirloom)<br />Spinach, "Viroflay" (French heirloom)<br />Swiss Chard, "Bright Lights"<br />Tomato, "Country Taste" (F1 hybrid)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">From </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.territorialseed.com/">Territorial Seed Company</a><br />Fennel, "Perfection"<br />Rhubarb, "Victoria"<br />Tomato, "Chocolate Cherry" (cherry tomato)<br />Tomato, "Cuore Di Blue" (oxheart sauce tomato)<br />Tomato, "Japanese Trifele Black" (Russian heirloom)<br /><br />Territorial is currently throwing in a packet of "Nantes" carrots for you to plant and donate to a food bank or soup kitchen, which is a neat idea. Hopefully I’ll get a decent return this year and have enough to give away. I highly recommend ordering through Territorial. Their seeds are high quality but not too expensive, and they sell a lot of heirlooms and open-pollinated seeds, in addition to organically grown seeds that can sometimes be hard to find elsewhere.<br /><br />If you’re looking to spend less money for something unique, Pinetree is another great company. They sell smaller packets of seeds than most companies, about all you need for most kitchen gardens, and they specialize in heirlooms and ethnic vegetables and herbs. I always have a good experience when I order from them and spend about half as much.<br /><br />Before I begin seed-starting, I need to assess my equipment and see if anything needs to be replaced. I also desperately need to get my gardening area in the basement in order and buy a proper bench or table to store my collection of odds & ends. I’m pretty methodical about seed-starting in that I try not to plant more than I can use. This happened a couple years ago; I planted 2-3 times more tomatoes than I actually needed and was never able to find homes for several plants. What I do now is figure out how many plants properly space will fit in each square plot and throw in a few more in case some seedlings don’t make it.<br /><br />I’d be curious what methods any of my wayward readers use to start seeds. Do you reuse containers or make your own? Or do you, like me, have better luck with seed-starting systems (like the ones <a href="http://www.gardeners.com/">Gardener’s</a> sells)? Cowpots, perhaps? What other methods have you tried?ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-40824802430012572542010-02-02T18:45:00.000-08:002010-02-02T16:56:09.980-08:002009 in ReviewBetter later than never. 2009 was, for the most part, a disappointing year in the vegetable garden. Though I was able to harvest earlier than in 2008, I did not manage the kind of yields I’d hoped for, apart from a few specific plants. Part of this was due to weather conditions; the 2009 growing season was about as wet as 2008. The snails and slugs were abundant, as were the crickets in late summer. The mold that was rampant on some plants in 2008 was mostly absent, however, and I’m not sure if this was based on some subtle shift in conditions or better monitoring on my part. But there were a few happy discoveries and surprises, and gardening for food continues to be a learning experience. So here’s an overview of what I grew, the successes and failures, and some hopes for 2010.<br /><br /><strong>Successes</strong><br /><br />As mentioned in <a href="http://crow-in-garden.blogspot.com/2009/05/spring-in-vegetable-garden.html">my spring 2009 review</a>, I had good luck with fast-growing spring greens and lettuce. The kale held up through mid-summer, and I was able to plant more kale, bok choy, and raab for a second late fall harvest. I will likely continue with this plan for next year, planting as soon as we build and set out the coldframe in February or March.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4326755046/" title="raspberry by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4326755046_5fbed99779.jpg" width="386" height="500" alt="raspberry" border="0" /></a><br /><br />But the biggest success in 2009 was the almost continuous harvest of raspberries from August through October. Back in 2008, I planted 5 "Caroline" raspberry bushes in the south garden and backyard. Two of the plants ended up dying that year, but the rest held through the winter and produced their first scant harvests in the spring of 2009. Not expecting much in the way of a second summer/fall harvest, I was surprised when I found the plants abundant with flower and eventually fat red berries. For a few weeks, I was throwing berries on my cereal and yogurt every morning at breakfast. I made several small batches of jam, a few jars of which were given as Christmas presents. After a disappointing season in the vegetable garden, it sure is satisfying to enjoy homemade raspberry jam on your toast.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4326754042/" title="black-beans by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4326754042_c48221ff3f.jpg" width="450" alt="black-beans" border="0"/></a><br /><br />Another small success came with the “Black Turtle” shelling beans. While the total harvest after shelling turned out the be less than I thought (enough for one meal), I was impressed at the speed with which the plants produced fat pods of black beans in the summer heat. Like most shelling beans, I was able to use them as snap beans when they were young, but most I allowed to dry for later harvest.<br /><br />The only variety of tomato that produced a steady crop in 2009 was the “Enchantment” saladette. Nice little tomatoes, decent flavor, but definitely not something I’m itching to plant again as my main crop hybrid.<br /><br />Additionally, I had good success with most the annual herbs I planted, especially the parsley and the dill. The cilantro performed well until mid-summer, after which it died back, a typical habit in this region.<br /><br /><strong>Semi-Successes</strong><br /><br />While I didn’t get as good a harvest of potatoes as last year, it was solid enough for a meal or too, and I can certainly recommend giving the purple-skinned "Caribé" variety a try if waxy potatoes are your thing. I had decent harvests of the “Jade” and “Gold Crop” bush beans, though it was really only enough to augment what we got from our CSA. The “Dakota” shelling peas and “Sugar Sprint” snap peas also garnered mild yields, but I had hoped for better performance overall. I got a few “Cherokee Purple” and “Striped German” tomatoes, a scant harvest at best. And I harvested a few tiny heads of the Nutri-Bud broccoli.<br /><br /><strong>Failures</strong><br /><br />I failed to get a harvest from the following:<br />Fava Bean, "Broad Windsor"<br />Buttercup Squash, "Discus Bush"<br />Romanesco Broccoli, "Shannon"<br />Broccoli, "Waltham 29"<br />Cabbage, "Early Jersey Wakefield"<br />Cabbage, "Danish Ballhead"<br />Cauliflower, "Early Snowball"<br />Summer Squash, "Ronde De Nice"<br />Tomatoes, "Black Krim"<br /><br />Thr brassicaes held up well through the spring and summer, but around the time they started developing heads suffered critter attacks from which they were unable to recover. I do think that if they had been planted in a sunnier locale and able to develop larger heads faster, they might have stood a chance. But alas, it was not to be.<br /><br />For reasons I don’t fully understand, the fava bean plants only produced one pod before wilting in the summer heat. And the summer and winter squashes were doing quite well until succumbing to stormy conditions.<br /><br /><strong>Lessons for Next Year</strong><br /><br />The main lesson I’ve learned over these few years of vegetable gardening is to pay close attention to weather conditions, to light and shade and wet. As I pointed out in <a href="http://crow-in-garden.blogspot.com/2009/12/planning-saving.html">my previous entry</a>, I misjudged the conditions of the space I chose, which has led to struggles with certain pests, fungi, and overall plant sizes and yields. Luckily, I had a back-up plan in case the space did not work and am going forward with implementation. Rather than being irritated at having to move everything, I’m pretty upbeat about the project and hoping for greater success this coming season.<br /><br />Another thing I learned in 2009 was the benefit of extending the season with early spring and late fall. With a makeshift coldframe (a glass window over one of the smaller beds, I was able to set out lettuce and spring greens in March when the frost had not quite subsided. And I was able to harvest raspberries, kale, raab, and bok choy through October and into November.<br /><br />I’ve already started planning for this year’s garden and have bought another batch of seeds, which I’ll be discussing in my next entry.<br /><br />What were your best and worst gardening experiences of 2009? What did you learn?ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-38774307833353577452009-12-03T15:18:00.000-08:002009-12-03T17:16:09.809-08:00PlanningNot surprisingly, I've managed to allow nearly 3 months to slip by since my last post to this blog. In that time, I've finished the last harvest of the summer crops, planted a few greens for fall production, and attended to various end-of-season chores. Next month I plan on doing another end-of-the-year wrap-up, covering the new vegetable and plant varieties planting and posting some favorite photos from the year I haven't yet posted.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4155596427/" title="South Garden Plan for 2007 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2773/4155596427_1fdb6e2c2b.jpg" alt="South Garden Plan for 2007" align="right" border="0" height="500" hspace="10" vspace="10" width="273" /></a>In this entry I'd like to talk about one winter garden chore that's already underway, which is the replanning of the south strip of yard that dominates most of my gardening activity. When we moved into this house, there wasn't much in the way of a garden beyond the somewhat neglected border along the east front walk. The sunny strip of lawn leading to the back gate contained one forsythia bush, lots of spider lilies, and not much else. The backyard was worse, containing only a brick patio and a small untended plot that had maybe been planted with marigolds at some point. I'd complain about weeds, but I've always liked the collection of violets, clover, and mock strawberries that grow throughout our yard. I spent a year holding back and just evaluating the space, deciding what I'd like to do with it. I checked the footprint and boundaries of our lot, measured the details (like bushes, fence, air conditioner, etc.), and in 2007 drew up the plan you see on the left. From the very beginning, I've always shot for a simple, organic design, building everything off a single undulating, snake-like path. While I'm pretty pleased with the execution of the concept overall, I've since realized that I didn't do a very good job accounting for the light conditions throughout the season. While there is a good strong patch of light on the deck and patio throughout the day, most of the backyard is dominated by filtered light throughout the height of the growing season. Of course, you wouldn't see this if you were looking at the backyard in late autumn through early spring, when all the offending trees lack any leaves.<br /><br />I've been asked if it's possible to keep a vegetable garden in filtered or part shade conditions, and the answer is yes...sort of. More experienced gardeners are probably aware that spinach and other types of greens handle shade pretty well. Most other plants will survive at 4-6 hours full sun per day, but after two years of such conditions I can't honestly say they will thrive. Sure, my crops have been productive, but most of the fruits have been small. Not to mention the yields.<br /><br />I began to think about this last year, concluding that I'd wait another year, see how the crops did, and move the garden if I continued to run into the same setbacks. One of the major problems in a small city lot like ours is finding space with reasonable levels of light, without trees or houses to block the sun. The optimal strip in our yard has always been dominated by the forsythia bush:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4156753700/" title="forsythia09-1 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2648/4156753700_16841fc4c1.jpg" alt="forsythia09-1" border="0" width="450" /></a><br />Now, I love forsythia bushes as much as the next person, but this one has just been a problem. It's so big that, for the throughway to be at usable, we're forced to trim it back in the late summer when it's sending out new shoots. These trimmings are apparently what's been keeping the bush from producing those gorgeous yellow flowers in early spring. Not that we've had much of a choice.<br /><br />So, Step #1: Remove forsythia bush. Like so:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4156753888/" title="forsythia09-2 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2524/4156753888_74f78c126f.jpg" alt="forsythia09-2" border="0" height="333" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Now, I don't recommend removing an overgrown 10+ foot tall forsythia bush unless you absolutely have to. It's not quick, easy, or especially fun. But if you have to, start by trimming down the branches. Cut everything down to the stump. It'll make the rest of the job a lot easier. The only other step is to grab a shovel and dig the thing out. You'll notice that we haven't done this yet, having decided to wait until late winter, when the branches and roots are brittle and some of the plant has (hopefully) died.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/4155596537/" title="South Garden Plan for 2010 by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2541/4155596537_832d0e3a6a.jpg" alt="South Garden Plan for 2010" align="right" border="0" height="450" hspace="10" vspace="10" /></a>Having cleared up that problem and feeling impatient to begin, I measured the details of the space and began laying the new plan out on paper. Along the strip where the bush had been, now covered in grass, I wanted to set new boxes where they would get optimal light and use roughly the same amount of square feet as in my current space. While it would have been convenient to move all the boxes we built in 2007 straight to the new space, the restrictions prevented that from being a possibility. I spent an hour or two sketching out rectangles on tracing paper before arriving at the final plan on the right. The skinny 2' wide raised beds turned out to be a lot more flexible in the narrow strip in terms of space, and they're also easier than the 4'x4' raised beds to reach into (for a shorty like me, at least). I was able to eke out roughly the same square footage and will be adding a box around the raspberry, which is one of the easiest ways to manage the brambles. Between the boxes, I will have the same 2' wide paths, possibly covered with landscape fabric or mulch (I haven't really decided). I'm trying this time to avoid removing large tracts of sod, since it's back-breaking work and not absolutely necessary when planting in boxes. Many potager and square-foot gardeners simply lay something at the bottom of the box to block out weed and tree growth. The hardest part of this new plan will be dismantling and rebuilding boxes from scrap and building new ones as needed. Not to mention moving the layers of soil and compost I've built in the last two years. Honestly, I'm looking forward to all the work ahead of me this spring. I hope it will bring me closer to my goal of producing a more substantial portion of my own food.<br /><br />As far as the space left over when the vegetable garden is moved...well, I'll be working on replanning that this winter as well. As mentioned in my previous blog, I'd like to create a beautiful woodland habitat of mostly native plants with some edibles thrown in. More on that in the future!ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-45035777691692379102009-09-15T12:04:00.000-07:002009-09-15T13:04:48.415-07:00Permaculture in a NutshellLong time, no post, eh? My effort to stick to a monthly schedule with this blog hasn't exactly panned out. August saw us fulfilling our work commitment at the farm from which we get our <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">CSA</span>; we dug up potatoes, picked beans and tomatoes, and peeled onions and garlic. Harvests in our home vegetable garden have not been so abundant, which has prompted me to consider moving everything to a strip along the south garden and converting the backyard to more of a woodland habitat. Nonetheless, we have had a steady supply of snap beans and black beans for dry use. I've harvested plenty of tomatoes to augment the offerings from our <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">CSA</span>, and the last 3 weeks or so has been abundant with raspberries.<br /><br /><img src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174333248l/381990.jpg" align="right" hspace="10" vspace="10" width="150" />This morning I finished a book checked out from the <a href="http://www.crossroadskc.org/">Crossroads <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Infoshop</span></a> (where I've been volunteering for the past 2 months) called <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Permaculture</span> in a Nutshell</span>, by Patrick Whitefield. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Permaculture</span> is design system that is compatible with organic, sustainable gardening, but goes well beyond such techniques by modeling itself after natural ecosystems. The clearest example of this would be a forest garden built with trees and multiple layers of undergrowth. Most of the plants would be perennial and multiple use. Layers of mulch would replace plowing.<br /><br />Without going into ornate detail, Whitefield describes the basic principles of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">permaculture</span> design and offers examples where it has been implemented. I was especially interested to learn that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">permaculture</span> goes well beyond garden plots, addressing our food systems and use of land and resources, both in the country and the city. For instance, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">permaculture</span> also promotes the LETS system, where goods are <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">exchanged</span> for services; unlike bartering, one can accrue credits. Community Supported Agriculture is another system <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">permaculture</span> supports.<br /><br />If you'd like to learn what <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">permaculture</span> is and how it works, this is an informative, easy read.<br /><br />I was enthused enough that, when I finished, I decided to research local <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">permaculture</span> resources. It would seem that most <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">permaculture</span> design resources are scarce and fairly scattered, especially in this region. The <a href="http://www.permaculture.org/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Permaculture</span> Institute</a> is probably the leading world resource for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">permaculture</span> system. There is also the <a href="http://www.midwestpermaculture.com/">Midwest <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Permaculture</span></a> group, based out of Illinois. And a man named Deny <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Henke</span> is <a href="http://ourtomorrow.blogspot.com/">blogging</a> about his <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">permaculture</span> homestead in southeastern Missouri. <a href="http://www.vajrafarm.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Vajra</span> Farm</a> in Kansas also follows <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">permaculture</span> design practices.<br /><br />As far as implementing the practices in my own garden, I'd love to introduce some more perennial and self-seeding edible natives into the garden, especially in the shady woodland garden I plan to build. But it's going to require more research into native plants. Another thing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">permaculture</span> recommends is keeping a garden where you can easily see it. While the new location won't be as convenient from my back deck, I will be able to see everything from my dining room and kitchen, which is where I first look out every morning. I plan on keeping my boxes, since that system works well enough for me, but I will certainly be using <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">permaculture</span> as a means to think about my garden and lifestyle in general. According to Whitefield's recommendations, I'm already halfway there!ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8117025824238059707.post-48348299788797625312009-07-16T12:45:00.001-07:002009-07-17T15:29:35.705-07:00The Joys of Summer: Pesto & Salsa<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintartaud/3727671314/" title="First Tomatoes by saintartaud, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3440/3727671314_fe669bc383.jpg" alt="First Tomatoes" border="0" width="450" /></a><br /><br />It's mid-July and some of my favorite crops, basil and tomatoes, are entering their peak periods. It's no wonder that the two are often served together, particularly in Caprese salad or atop bruschetta. Both have been staples in my garden over the past 3 years. A total no-brainer.<br /><br />Like many herbs, basil is easy to grow, preferring a sunny spot and well-drained soil. Most books and seed packets recommend pinching leaves off the tops of seedlings to encourage sturdy, bushy growth. I would amend this, however, by suggesting you hold off pinching leaves once the plant is mature. Allow a week or two to pass between mature trimmings, so the plant can recoup and produce larger leaves in abundance. Most sources also suggest not allowing the plant to flower, since this will induce woody growth along the stem and stave off leaf production. Just pinch off the flowers as they come. You can get several harvest from a well-managed basil plant until the frost hits.<br /><br />Though I like basil added to tomato dishes and otherwise, I like it best as a base for pesto. Since I starting shopping the farmers market and keeping a garden in my backyard, the production of copious amounts of pesto has become something of a summer ritual. Because our CSA has offered plenty of basil in addition to the 12 or so plants growing at home, I've already made and frozen a couple of batches. Of course, I love pesto so much that it doesn't last very long in the freezer.<br /><br />My first pesto recipe came from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Betty-Crockers-Cookbook-Everything-Today/dp/0764560794">Betty Crocker Cookbook</a>, which also offered a winter variation with spinach that was surprisingly tasty (though just not as good as the classic basil variety). Because I didn't yet have a food processor, I would make it in the blender. It was an arduous task, and if you're as serious about pesto as I am, I would highly recommend just shelling out $100 for a good quality food processor. In 2005, <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/perfect-basil-pesto?autonomy_kw=pesto&rsc=header_5">Everyday Food published a Basil Pesto recipe specifically designed for freezing</a>, which omitted the cheese and ingeniously instructed one to quickly blanch and shock the basil to retain color. More recently, I've been using the recipe in Andrea Chesman's <u>Serving Up the Harvest</u>, which includes the cheese, and have not discovered any issues with its inclusion. On Sunday, <a href="http://everythingbeginswithane.blogspot.com/2009/07/pesto-pesto-pesto.html">Emily from Everything Begins With an E posted her own recipe using a local cheese</a>.<br /><br />With the right equipment, pesto is very easy to make. It really shines with high quality fresh ingredients (local if you can) and is a great addition to pasta, minestrone, or toast. I've even thrown it in omelets with good results. Plus you can freeze it for those long winter months, when basil is less abundant.<br /><br />Another simple summer dish I love, and am gearing up to make this weekend, is salsa. Jalapenos are popping up on the bushes, and this week I've harvested a few of 'Enchantment' hydrid saladette tomatoes. In addition to the sweet onions and heirloom tomatoes I received yesterday from the CSA, I have the makings of quality salsa. Usually, I make the cooked down sauce variety you get in jars or at restaurants. This is the base recipe I use:<br /><br />1 gallon quartered tomatoes<br />2 cups jalapeno peppers, chopped<br />1 cup onions, chopped<br />2 cups white or cider vinegar<br />1 cup sugar<br />1/4 cup pickling or kosher salt<br /><br />Cook over low heat until thickened.<br /><br />This recipe was given to me by my boyfriend's father a couple of years ago. Cook time depends on your preferred consistency. If you like really thick salsa, you might need to leave it on the stove up to 5 hours or whip out the crockpot. And don't take the recipe as biblical truth. I usually add a few cloves of garlic and cut the sugar by at least half, since I find the original recipe too candylike, covering the already sweet flavor of the tomatoes. I also like to cut the vinegar with lime juice, throw in cilantro at the end, or switch up the tomato and pepper varieties, depending on what I have onhand. If you want to can it, ladle into hot jars, seal, and process at 220F for about 10 minutes. It will also keep in your fridge, unprocessed, up to a month (possibly more, because of the vinegar) and can be frozen for future use.<br /><br />In addition to the traditional sauce variety, you might like to try some fresh salsa, which is more like pico de gallo. <a href="http://uearth.blogspot.com/2009/07/pico-de-gallo-recipe.html">Alex at Unaccustomed Earth posted a recipe for this dish on Tuesday</a>. I made something it yesterday as a topping for nachos. My version used 2 saladette tomatoes, a jalapeno, juice from half of a lime, and some baby shallots quickly dug from the garden and washed. It's a great addition to most Mexican dishes and a good way to get rid of excess tomatoes fast. Just don't leave it in the fridge any longer than a couple of days.<br /><br />As the height of the season continues, I'll no doubt be spending more time in the kitchen, whipping up more batches of pesto and salsa. What dishes do you make to take advantage of the season?ARhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15362251036272954989noreply@blogger.com2