Fall is a great time to divide perennials

Now that it is officially fall, it's a great time to divide perennials that have gotten too big for their current location, are producing fewer flowers, or as in the case of plants like Iris, have a dead whole in the middle of healthy foliage.

I have several to tackle this year, and last night a bearded iris got my full attention. Not only was this plant huge, it had a huge whole in the center and there were weeds and even a small tree that were growing in between the rhizomes.

Dividing Iris is really quite simple. You just need to dig up the rhizomes and carefully pull them apart. I also found some rotting on some of mine which I cut off and added to the compost pile. Once divided, replant what you want and give away the rest.

It's really that easy and it's virtually impossible to damage the rhizomes. When replanting be sure the roots are well covered but that the top of the rhizome is only just beneath the surface. If it's planted any deeper, it will not bloom next year. You'll also want to cut back the foliage so the plant's energy can focus on re-establishing itself in the soil.

Photo from UMN Extension.

Doing our part for the bees

I've always loved fields of sunflowers. It's one of the wonderful sites of late summer and early fall that make me smile. And, knowing that they attract bees is an added bonus, especially with the current plight of this creature that is so vital to the survival of all living beings.

Earlier this week I witnessed how the sunflowers and bees were really symbiotic as I watched them feed on the sunflowers growing in our garden. Every flower had at least one bee and many had two or more. The bees were all hard at work, doing their part for the plants.

Actually, I've been watching the bees all summer and seen them at work pollinating zucchini, cucumbers, and a wide variety of other plants and flowers. For some reason, though, the site of the yellow and black bodies on the sunflowers really brings it all home - how every bit of God's creation works together.

Slug soup and other creative pest measures

I HATE slugs. I know it's somewhat irrational, the fierce feelings these slimy creeping plant eaters conjure up in me, but they really bring out the worst in me. I know there are many very sane ways to attack a slug problem--from ground-up eggshells spread around plants, to flour spread on top of the soil and from commercial slug bait to beer-filled saucers.

This last option reminds me of a swim-up bar and seems a bit too festive for a mortal enemy. I've actually tried this in the past and it does work, but I really got some strange looks when I went to the party store and asked them to point me in the direction of their cheapest beer. Of course, I wasn't going to spend top dollar on an import or specialty brew!

Today I was in the garden doing some clean-up and harvesting some goodies for dinner when I found several families of slugs living in the holes where I pulled carrots from yesterday. Then, when I went to cut some corn mache for salads I found at least three zillion living under the leaves. That's when I became slug-ocidal.


While I know that it probably wasn't good for the soil, I dropped some canning salt down into the carrot holes and found a perverse joy in watching the slugs sizzle. But, beyond that, if they were laying eggs down there, hopefully the salt took care of the next generation as well.


My disdain for slugs is long-lived and I've used multiple methods to control them over the years like the saucers of beer for them to slime-up to, become drunk and drown; stabbing them with random sticks and crushing them with rocks. In addition to the salt in the holes, today's method also included slug soup.

This creative approach started with me scooping them up with a hand shovel and dropping them by the dozens into an empty ice cream pail. I then filled the pail with water, sealed it and placed in an area that gets a lot of sun and that's very hot. As I write this, I realize that I may be taking this loathing to an extreme, but there's something strangely satisfying in finding new ways to get rid of my garden nemesis.

Now that I've calmed down a bit, I decided to do some research about slugs to see if they have any redeeming value whatsoever. Guess what I found out? They don't! Here's a brief primer on the slug:

An information sheet from Cornell says that gray garden slugs were brought to America from Europe in the 1800s. My question is WHY? Why would they do that? The only logical explanation is that the slugs were actually stowaways that made there way to this country on the plant matter the Europeans brought with them when they came to America to make a new life.

Slugs have an average lifespan of nine to thirteen months and if they have enough cover can survive mild winters. Slugs are hermaphroditic, which means they have has both male and female reproductive organs. A slug could start out as a male, then become both male and female,
and finally become solely female. There are also some slug species that can self-fertilize, or, produce offspring without needing to mate with the opposite sex. After mating, the slug will lay 8 - 60 clear, jelly-like eggs in sheltered areas on the ground. An adult slug can lay 300 - 500 eggs during its lifetime. With numbers like these, it's no wonder they get so numerous if left to their own devices.

Garden slugs increase in size during summer and reach sexual maturity in late autumn. According to some information I found on Texas' extension service website, slugs only reproduce in early spring and they tend to reproduce faster on alkaline to neutral soils than on acid soils.

Now that I know that rabbits have nothing on slugs when it comes to procreating, it's time to take a more rational approach to control. Slugs like it cool and damp, which is why mulch in a garden can be a challenge. On one hand, it's great for the plants, but on the other hand it's also great for the slugs.

Slugs do have some natural enemies; and if you're OK with having them in your garden, they're a good way to naturally control the slug population. Toads, garter snakes and ground beetles all enjoy making a meal of these slimy pests. I like this method of control because it's natural and it doesn't require adding chemicals to the garden. Then again, finding them and smashing them doesn't hurt the environment either!



How about you? Do you have unusual ways to ridding your garden and landscape beds of slugs? I'd love to hear about your approach.

A strange edible gardening season

The performance of edible plants varies from year to year. This year is no exception, in fact, it's probably a year that fits one of the extremes - at least in the Northern Midwest.

It's been colder than normal, and as a result, everything is at least one month late. In fact, I'm glad we included Early Girl Tomatoes in this year's plantings. True to their name, they were earlier than the others; but the first two weren't ready until Labor Day! The other tomato plants in the gardens are at least two weeks from having ripe fruit. Hopefully the colder-than- average weather doesn't mean our first frosts will be early, too.

If we do get early frosts, the good news about tomatoes is that they will continue to ripen even after removed from the plant. The flavor isn't as good, but at least it's not a total loss. Once tomatoes are picked, they can be wrapped in newspaper or placed in a paper bag. Either way, add an apple to the package because apples secret a chemical that will speed the ripening process.

Although it's been a disappointing season here, there have been plenty of other areas of the country that have experienced terrific growing seasons. If you're in this camp, check out Rosiland Creasy's blog (the original edible landscape gardener) for a great recipe to enjoy your tomato bounty.

Look for more tips about harvesting this year's bounty on my Examiner pages as well as here on the Edible Garden Landscaping blog.

Free garden stakes, just look around your flower beds

Although I prefer to grow edibles in our landscape, I am a sucker for beautiful flowers and as a result have a variety of lilies - day, tiger, oriental, etc.
Today I was spending some of my garden time cleaning up the spent day lilies and trying to figure out what I could use to stake the pole beans and cucumbers when I had an AHA moment. Daylily stems are sturdy, tall, and free!

Viola, plant stakes. I used them for a cucumber that I have in a container and to help accommodate some of the vines on the pole beans, since the teepee I "built" earlier this season is now much too small.
I gently inserted the stems into the soil and quickly learned to hold them at the bottom or they will bend and break. I also found that I could prop them into an existing planting - the bean teepee to easily increase the height.

Near the top of the picture that's above, you can see the joints at the top of the stem where the lily flowers once bloomed. Now they make a great structure to help train vining plants.
As a frugal (OK, downright cheap) person, I couldn't be more thrilled with the results.

What AHA moments have you had in your garden this season?

A New Use for Nasturtiums

I love this time of year when we're enjoying the incredible fresh flavors from the gardens. This is actually the first year I've grown nasturtiums in my edible landscape, and I'm glad I did. They are pretty flowers that just make you want to smile.
From an edible point of view, the leaves and flowers add a nice tang to salads. However, having the same thing over and over is downright boring, so I went in search of other ways to use Nasturtiums and happened upon a recipe for "Poor Man's Capers" that I'm going to try and want to share with all of you. The recipe came from an article on About.com.

While real capers come from the buds of the caper plant, there's a less expensive version that is made from the still green and firm seeds of nasturtiums. The seeds in this photo came from the flower that has started to dry up. All you need to do is take a look at the wilting flowers for the seeds and harvest away. The seeds have a peppery bite that would also make an interesting addition to an antipasto.

Poor Man's Capers

1 Cup Nasturtium Seeds (still firm and green)
1 Cup White Wine Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Salt (or to taste)
5-8 peppercorns (slightly crushed)

1. Rinse and drain the nasturtium seeds and blot them well on paper towels.
2. Place the seeds into a 1 pint canning jar.
3. Combine wine vinegar, salt and pepper in a small saucepan and bring to a boil
4. Poor the boiling liquid into the canning jar over the seeds.
5. Seal and refrigerate the jar.
6. They need to stay in the refrigerator for about 3 months before they're ready to enjoy.

Use these "capers" any place you'd use ordinarily capers-on salads, vegetables and fish.

I'll keep you posted on the results of my batch and look forward to hearing from all of you about your experiences as well.

Time for Fall Planting & My Spring Lettuce Still hasn't Bolted

It's the time of summer when we start thinking about what to plant for fall harvest. The odd thing this year is that the early season lettuce that I planted in early May is still going strong. In a normal year it should have bolted (gone to seed) long ago.

The lettuce is just another testament to the cool summer those of us in the upper Midwest have had this year. Other signs are the bounty of tomatoes that are still green...oh just a couple days above 80 degrees and sunny would be wonderful.
The cool weather hasn't stopped the proliferation of zucchini though. It's producing abundantly, just as you would expect in a normal summer.

As we start to put this strange summer behind us, I'm planning for fall planting (and praying for a few days of summer). So far I've planted arugula, spinach, chard, and radishes. I've been planting beans every week to 10 days over the last month so we should have a nice harvest to freeze for winter. Still in the works are the snow peas that I'll be planting from seeds harvested from the spring crop; and since it's been so cool, I'm also thinking that I'll try some small cabbage and broccoli to see if they can mature before the first frost. Obviously, I don't need any more lettuce.

How about you? What are you planting for the fall harvest?

Buried in Zucchini

It's that time of year when the zucchini is taking over our lives. Zucchini is a wonderful summer squash that can be among the most prolific plants in your garden. When this plant takes off, it takes over. Once the zucchini starts producing you'd be wise to check the plant a couple times each day. Otherwise, the perfect, cucumber-size squash you decided to give just one more day, may grow to the size of a bowling pin!

One of my summer reads this year was Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. In it she describes zucchini season as the time when you have to lock your car doors even in her small town because otherwise you're likely to come back and find someone was kind enough to leave a zucchini or two on your seat!

I have just one zucchini plant this year, but at this point it looks like I'm still going to need to find some creative ways to use the bounty of the harvest. One thing I know I'll do for sure is give some to the local food shelf to share with others in need of some real, fresh food.

Other than that, there will be the usual zucchini bread, zucchini on salads, grilled/roasted zucchini, and I plan to try Zucchini chocolate chip cookies.
It may just be another way to get my family to enjoy our zucchini bounty.

Check out these other sources for zucchini recipes. You may be able to find them at your local library, or you can purchase through Amazon.com.


Photo from Springhill Community Farm, where you'll also find some great zucchini recipes.

It's Berry Time - How to Beat the Birds to the Fruit

It's time for the wonderful taste of fresh berries...strawberries are just done, or almost there in most of the country. But,raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, gooseberries and all the other wonderful berries are getting into full swing.

There's nothing more frustrating, however, than heading out to pick a few, only to find that the birds and other berry munching wildlife have beat you to them! This photo shows one berry with just a small section left after the birds were finished!

Foil them
Birds can be skittish, so if you hang strips of aluminum foil or a cut up mylar balloon in the bush or around the canes, the light that reflects off the strips will startle them and send them away. If you have fruit trees, like cherry trees for instance, hanging some foil pie tins in the tree will also help keep the birds from having a feast.

Try Tricking Them
Place a short length of old garden hose on the ground near the bushes, but in plain site. Birds arelikely to mistake the hose for a snake and stay away.

Cover Them
A slightly pricier, but more certain method of protecting the fruit in you yard, is to cover it with netting that's specifically made to keep birds from eating the berries. For less than $10 you can purchase a 7 foot x 20 foot net and there are larger mesh nets available.

Depending upon the size of your berry patch, you might be able to cut the larger size down to cover fruits in different locations in your yard. The best thing about this investment, is that it is reusable each year as long is it is carefully removed, folded and stored once the fruit is gone. I like to store these sort of items in a 2 gallon plastic zipper bag, which helps protect them from snagging on something and tearing.

Do you have other methods of keeping the birds from stealing the berries from your yard?

Bees Are A Gardener's Friend... Or So I Thought

This gardener is a little irritated because she's been stung twice in as many days. Both times on the right ankle, just above the sock line. The stings are wonderfully symmetrical,too. One on the front and one on the back. It's like a grand plan or something. I might even believe there was a master plan, but it happened in two different yards. Fortunately I am not allergic, so while I'm whining that "it hurts" at least I'm not swelling up like a balloon.
So, now I'm on the prowl for sage advice about avoiding stings and what to do for the pain. I wanted to share a couple of great resources that I've come across, and remind you (and me) that bees are wonderful creatures, and without them we'd have a much more difficult time growing fruits and vegetables.
First is site that's devoted to bees, the link here goes to the page about stings, but I encourage you to check out the rest of the site as well because there's some great information there.
The second link is to a blog that has a great article about Natural Remedies for bee stings.
As for me, I'm going to try a remedy or two, right now.

Grow Italian Parsley in the Garden or In a Container You Can Move Indoors

The Italian Parsley planted in our garden (pictured here) has come into it's own and we're enjoying the fresh flavor it adds foods. It is far superior to dried parsley from the spice section of the store; in fact, they're not even in the same league. I used some just this week in the cheese filling for stuffed shells and it was out of this world delicious.

Italian Parsley is very easy to grow from seed and does well in the garden as well as in a container. The advantage to having it in a container is that you can take it into the kitchen when the weather gets too cold, and you'll have fresh Italian Parsley all winter long.

It's very easy to harvest, just cut the stems below the leaves. You can keep fresh Parsley in the refrigerator for about a week just by wrapping it in a damp paper towel and putting it into a plastic bag. I then store mine with other leafy vegetables in the crisper.

Italian Parsley is a very versatile herb for recipes. Chop a handful and add it to soups or stews in the last few minutes before serving (overcooked Parsley loses it's flavor fast). Add some to a green salad, pasta salad, and even fruit salads. Chop some with some Cilantro to add to fresh salsa. Toss some chopped leaves onto fresh garden beans just before serving.

What are some of your favorite ways to use this all-star herb?

Check out the following recipe from Epicurious.com for a fabulous side dish. It's not low-fat, but it is a delicious treat.

Mashed Potatoes with Fontina & Italian Parsley

2 pounds medium-size russet potatoes
3/4 cup half and half
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 1/4 cups (packed) grated Fontina cheese (about 6 ounces)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Preheat oven to 375°F. Pierce potatoes in several places. Place potatoes on small baking sheet. Bake until tender when pierced, about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

Bring half and half to simmer in small, heavy saucepan. Scrape potatoes from skin into large bowl. Mash potatoes. Mix in half and half. Add butter; stir vigorously until butter melts and potatoes are smooth. Stir in 2/3 of cheese and 3 tablespoons parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer potatoes to 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake potatoes until heated through and cheese melts, about 15 minutes.

Go Mediterranean with Rosemary

Photo from delhiseeds.org
Rosemary is a fragrant and flavorful herb that is an evergreen perennial in Zones 8-10. For the rest of us, however, it’s best to grow rosemary in a container that can be move indoors when the temperatures dip too low. You can keep a small planter in a sunny window and have access to fresh rosemary all year long.

The flavor or rosemary reminds me a bit of lemon and a bit of pine, but an altogether pleasing taste that makes taste buds dance. Leaves, stems, and flowers can all be used to season vegetables, meats, fish, soups, salads soups, dressings, and stuffing. Less is more with rosemary, so chop it finely and add sparingly to taste. Too much rosemary can leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Rosemary is found frequently in Mediterranean- and Italian-style cooking, including roasted meats, sauces, and fish. It is best to use a full sprig that can easily be removed before serving because rosemary does not soften during cooking. A very popular Mediterranean use is for roasting lamb. Sprigs are added to the roaster along with garlic and lemon.

Rosemary is terrific used when grilling.
1. Just put a sprig or too over the coals to “smoke” the meat.
2. Strip the leaves from the sprig and use it as a skewer for grilling meats or potatoes use rosemary
3. Use as a basting brush to add just a touch of flavor. Simply tip the rosemary sprig into olive oil and brush the meat. Rosemary releases its scent and flavor quite readily when touched.

Here’s an absolutely fabulous recipe I found from Whole Foods for
Mediterranean Style Hamburgers with Rosemary Mayonnaise
4 hamburger patties
3 to 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon (about 1 large sprig) finely chopped fresh rosemary
4 hamburger buns
3 ounces feta cheese crumbles
1 cup (about 2 ounce) baby arugula leaves
sliced red onion (optional)
2 tomatoes, sliced
Prepare grill and cook burgers.* In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and rosemary. Lightly toast buns, spread with rosemary mayonnaise, then top with burgers, feta cheese, arugula, red onion and tomato slices.
*According to the US-FDA, hamburger should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) in order to be safe for consumption. Internal temperature is important because when meat is ground, the bacteria that was on the outside can end up on the inside of the burger.

For more grilling ideas check out Mario Bitali's book, Italian Grill

More Uses for Rosemary
I love adding finely chopped rosemary to vegetables when grilling and it’s also a flavorful addition to poultry stuffing. My family enjoys strong flavors, and we sprinkle a bit onto homemade garlic bread or focaccia to “kick it up a notch.”
The little blue flowers that appear in winter or early spring are also delicious and are fantastic when added to salads, especially when topped with a simple olive oil and vinegar dressing.

Rosemary is terrific to experiment with. It compliments so many flavors that the sky is pretty much the limit in how you can use it. In fact, some even like its sweet, savory flavor with dessert! Here are a few books you might be interested in to learn more about cooking regional specialties from the Mediterranean area:

The Mediterranean Prescription: Meal Plans and Recipes to Help You Stay Slim and Healthy for the Rest of Your Life by Angelo Acquista

Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Giada De Laurentiis

The Foods of the Greek Islands: Cooking and Culture at the Crossroads of the Mediterranean by Aglaia Kremezi




What are some of your favorite recipes using fresh rosemary?

Bunches of Basil

Basil has tons of uses, so if you’re growing it in your garden and you’re not quite sure what to do with your bounty here are a few ideas. There are a lot of different varieties of basil, but today's post was written with sweet basil in mind.

Make a tomato salad—Put chopped fresh basil on sliced fresh tomatoes, drizzled with vinaigrette made of good quality olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt & pepper. You can add fresh mozzarella to this as well.

Make Your Own Pesto

¹/₃ c. toasted pine nuts (could also use walnuts or pecans)

1 ¼ c. (stuffed) chopped basil leaves

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 c. Grated Parmesan cheese

¼ c. olive oil

Blend the pine nuts, basil, garlic and Parmesan cheese until smooth in a food processor or blender. Add the oil slowly and blend.

Some ways to enjoy your fresh pesto:

· Mix pesto into cooked and drained pasta

· Use as a sandwich spread on grilled chicken

· Mix into mashed potatoes

· Use as a dressing for a pasta salad that includes fresh tomatoes and cucumbers as well.

In sauces—Add chopped leaves to marinara or any tomato sauce. The fresh flavor beats dried every time!

On pizza—Add basil leaves to a cheese pizza and bake

Replace the lettuce—Use on hamburgers and sandwiches instead of lettuce.

Use in salads—Add torn basil leaves to tossed salads. This is particularly good when the salad has toasted pecans or walnuts, too.

Once the basil blooms, you can use the flowers in salads, too.

For breakfast—Top an omelet with chopped fresh basil and chopped fresh tomatoes

Before you can try any of these suggestions for using fresh basil, you’ll want to pick leaves when they are young, and pick from the top of the plant to encourage new growth. Cut some stems from the plant and put them in a glass or vase of water and keep it where the basil will be within easy reach for cooking. An added bonus of storing basil in this way is that some of the stems may produce roots. If they do, you can start a new plant indoors in a sunny window. Then you’ll have fresh basil even through the winter months!

Photo from Garden-Supply-Resources.com

What to do with all the Thyme on Your Hands

Thyme is one of my favorite herbs for an edible landscape. It is a terrific groundcover because it quickly fills in and it smells fantastic! Thyme is an evergreen, and hardy to -20F degrees, but it needs protection in winter from cold winds, wet wintery conditions and hard winters in general. Be sure to trim the plants after flowing to promote new growth and prevent the plant from becoming woody.

Harvest thyme after the morning dew has dried, but before the heat of the day sets in to preserve maximum flavor. Just cut as needed by snipping 4-5 inches off the top of the stem. Thyme can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. As the growing season draws to a close, you might want to preserve some of your thyme for winter use. It can be frozen- just put the cuttings in the freezer on a cookie sheet, once frozen you can easily strip off the leaves, then put in a freezer bag or plastic containers and freeze for later use. Frozen thyme has a better flavor than dried thyme, so it’s worth the little effort it takes.

Thyme also thrives in containers, so you can easily start a pot outdoors and enjoy it all season long, then when the winter months approach take the container inside to a sunny window, to enjoy even when the snow if flying for those of us in Northern climes. If you’re lucky enough to live in a mild climate, you can harvest thyme all year long, right from your garden.

Some great uses for thyme:

• Thyme is a great flavoring for fish like salmon and trout.
• Add 2 or 3 sprigs to your next batch of homemade chicken noodle soup or beef stew
  
• Make a creole flavor blend with 3 tablespoons paprika; 2 tablespoons kosher salt; 2 tablespoons garlic powder; 1 tablespoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon onion powder; 1-1/2 tablespoons cayenne powder; 1 tablespoon oregano; and 1 tablespoon thyme
  Mix these herbs and spices together and store in an airtight container in a cabinet away from heat and light. Use to add a bit of Creole flavor to meats, seafoods and vegetables.
• Make a Chicken Marinade using minced thyme, garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, freshly ground pepper and low sodium soy sauce.
• Use a tablespoon or so in a fresh vinegrette .
• Make Thyme Butter, just mince the leaves and blend with softened butter. The amount of thyme added depends upon your taste.
• Thyme can be substituted for basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary and savory in recipes.

These are just a few ideas for using thyme. I'd love to hear how you like to use Thyme, whether it's one of these ideas or your own specialty. Thanks in advance for sharing!

Over the Garden Fence - Growing Plants & Great Friendships

One of the best things about gardening is the community of great people who share their passion. I've forged more great friendships over the garden fence so to speak.

A perfect case in point is the box of "sticks" I found at my door when I got home last night. I opened it up and it was actually blackberry canes from my next door neighbor. She ended up with extra and just dropped them off to add to my edible landscape.

Actually, she and I have had many wonderful conversations literally over the fence that divides our yards. We both love to work outside in the yard and trade updates, neighborhood news, and the latest thing happening in our gardens. Lately, her raspberries have been creeping under the fence and establishing new canes in my yard. As much as my family loves raspberries, they are more than welcome to come on over; but now I need to find new homes for the perennials that they're squeezing out. Maybe she'd like something new for her yard. I'll have to check tonight, over the fence.

First "Fruits" of our Edible Landscape

The first "fruits" of our edible landscape were rhubarb stalks - which is actually a showy ornamental vegetable. These slightly bitter stalks are 'sweet-tart' when dipped in a bit of sugar and nibbled on like a rabbit eats celery. The flavor reminds me of sour patch kids candy, only juicy and much more natural...yum. We've also had a fabulous pie from the rhubarb patch.
Today, I'm making rhubarb bread and a tasty rhubarb sauce which is a great change to the traditional apple sauce with pork chops. And, you make it the same way. Cut the rhubarb into chunks, add sugar and a small amount of water, and simmer over low heat until soft. Many people also add other fruits like strawberries, cranberries and cherries to their sauce. It's really easy and in addition to a tasty sauce with pork, it's a great ice cream topping.

Our strawberry ground cover was covered in blossoms and the plants are becoming heavy with fruit. I've even seen the tell-tale red blush starting to show. It won't be long until we have strawberries to enjoy. Strawberry season is among my favorites. I have wonderful memories of going to strawberry fields with my mom and grandma and picking until our boxes overflowed and then picking just a "couple more" because the perfect berry was just under that leaf. We always had more berries than planned. It didn't matter though. It was a morning of simplicity we could spend together before heading home to make shortcakes, jam and freeze berries to enjoy over the next winter.

It's Finally Time to Plant the Garden!

As a resident of Central Minnesota in Zone 4, I've been living vicariously through other gardeners whose gardens are actually already producing and watching the cool weather crops establish themselves But, now, it's finally my time!
I started my seeds and they're all looking pretty healthy as I harden them off. I've turned the bed a couple of times and I'm finalizing my garden layout so that come Memorial Day - the day folks in these parts say it's OK to plant - I'll be able to move my plant seedlings into their new home. Here's what I'm planting:
Tomatoes - Grape, Yellow Pear, Roma, and Early Girl
Peppers - Green, Red, Jalapeno and Banana
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Cucumber
Zuccini
Carrotts
Kholarabi
Broccoli
Green Bush Beans
Purple Pole Beans
Sunflowers (for the bees and to harvest the seed)
Edamame (soybeans - I'll roast and snack on these over the long Minnesota Winter)
Peanuts
Potatoes
Peas - Sugar Snap & Snow Peas
Radish
Lettuce
Spinach
Arugula
Corn Mache
A wide variety of herbs

In addition to these, I also have plantings within the landscape, including lettuce, Snow Peas, Strawberries, Swiss Chard, Blueberries, Raspberries, Rhubarb, Apples, Pansies and Nasturtium

I'll be adding photos to the blog as there's something more than dirt to show! The strawberries are in full bloom now and the Apple tree is ready to flower, too.

What are you growing in your garden/landscape?

Turning the Soil or Feeding the Robins?

Even though I do a lot of edibles in our landscape, I'm lucky to have space for an actual garden as well. I spent this morning turning the soil for our vegetable garden since our last frost date is next week (finally).

This is actually the second time I've turned the garden this year. We piled leaves and grass clippings on last fall and they hadn't decomposed enough, so about a month ago, I turned the bed and ran the garden weasel through it. Then I left it alone. Today when i turned it for the second time, just about all of last year's waste had completely composted and I have beautiful rich soil, just waiting to become home to a wonderful garden. It's amazing what happened in just 1 month's time. I credit the quick work to the abundance of worms that a saw in just about every spade full of dirt.

Seems I wasn't the only one who noticed the lowly creatures squirming in the light, working to dive back into the soil. There was also a pair of Robins very much aware of the smorgasbord being turned up. Every time I took a break and walked away for a minute the pair descended on the garden "cherry picking" the tasty morsels. When I came back, they flew to a nearby tree or the roof of the garage and perched, watching me and waiting for me to unearth more food and walk away again.

I wish I could have taken a photo to share. It reminded me how intertwined living things are and how much I truly enjoy every aspect of working in the garden. It's a great opportunity to observe nature at work.

What interactions have you had with nature while in the garden?

It's Not Too Late to Start Your Victory Garden!

It's not too late to start your Victory Garden / Recession Garden or whatever the term du jour is. The Victory Gardener is doing a giveaway to help jump start your project. Click here and good luck!
http://thevictorygardener.blogspot.com/2009/05/great-victory-garden-give-away.html#comment-form

Even if you don't win, you'll find lots of great information about growing edibles from this gardener.

A Fruit-ilicious Landscape

Our landscape is going berries...blue-, rasp- & straw- berries that is. I spent several days this week adding more strawberries for plant bed edging and planting 4 varieties of blueberries in spaces most landscape designers would relegate for Spirea, burning bush, or some sort of evergreen bush.

I'm excited because I'll have beautiful spring flowers, delicious fruit and striking fall color from these newest additions to the front landscape. For now, the strawberry ground cover dwarf the baby blueberries, but that won't last. Soon, the new bushes will tower over the equally delicious ground cover.

To add the blueberries to the landscape, I had to amend the soil, since blueberries love acidic conditions. They were planted in a space where evergreen shrubs once grew and I added some decomposing pine needles as well as a slow release plant food formulated for acid-loving plants.


My generous neighbor provided many raspberry canes for our fence project...actually, she begged us to take some since they were taking over her garden. We've planted them along our fence in both the front and back, knowing that we'll need to keep an eye out lest they take over in our yard as well. But, it's a risk worth taking for the pure joy of fresh picked raspberries we'll enjoy every summer.

The strawberry plants were also a gift from our neighbor. We're not sure what the variety is, but they are very robust and are quickly filling in the empty areas where we want cover.
In addition to all the berries, our apple tree has begun to leaf out this week. We pruned it in February before the sap started running again. Now, we're enjoying a shapelier and healthier tree and are hopeful for a bumper crop of sweet-tart apples this fall.

Now that the fruits are pretty much taken care of, it's time to turn our attention to the vegetables. All I've asked for for Mother's Day is a load of compost. Hopefully they take me seriously so we can finish prepping the garden and landscape beds for this year's vegetable plants next week.

Gloom & Doom for Home Gardeners? I Don't Think So.

Twitter is “all-a-twitter” about a Boston Globe article today that is one-sided and poorly researched at best. Yep, I’m fired up!

The author’s premise is that gardening is uber expensive and that people in general don’t have the skill or knowledge to grow food plants. Give me a break!

Expensive? Well I suppose it is if you’re shopping in some designer plant store and are willing to pay $5 for 1 lettuce plant as the author tells her readers she did! I can’t stop choking and sputtering on that, but I don’t want to attack anyone’s intellect or common sense. Instead, I’m going to take a factual approach to cost and knowledge needed to grow your own food plants.

The Globe article was based upon the following purchases in bold & I’ve added a reality check following each:

9 plants (tomatoes, peppers & red lettuce): $30 All of these plants can easily be grown from seed, and you can purchase seed packet for less than $1 a piece! Way less, if you’re shopping sales, etc. Even if you want to purchase plants, there’s absolutely no reason to this much money.

Tomato cage: $3 Tomato cages can be purchased for less than $1, or you can create your own supports for close to free with sturdy sticks (wind fall from trees), dowels, and even old broom handles that are driven into the soil next to the plant. Then use old cloth (pantyhose works great) to gently tie the plant to the stake. The pantyhose is stretchy and soft so it doesn’t damage the tomato stem as it grows.

Organic potting mix: $9.50 There are definitely less expensive ways to go here as well. You don’t have to purchase name brand, and that will save a few bucks right there. I’ve always had great luck with a mix of basic soil and some peat moss. Check around your area, many towns have free compost sites where residents take their leaves, lawn clippings, etc. to dispose of. After they dump the waste, they pick up fresh compost (made from last year’s yard waste) to enrich their garden (or container) soil.

Organic plant food: $12. I’ve used a slow release food that cost less than $4.99 for a container a couple of years ago. I add it to the soil when planting and it feeds the plant all season long. By the way, I’m still using the food from that $5 container 3 years later and I grow way more than 9 plants each year.

Three 16-inch terra cotta pots: $90. “Holy Moly, Andy” is all I have to say to this expense. There are much more economical pots available. And, while terra cotta looks nice, it adds a new degree of difficulty to keeping your plants happily watered. Moisture evaporates out the sides of terra cotta so the soil dries out much faster than in pots made of other materials.

Which leads me to the last expense our Boston Globe writer called out …

Water bill: $100 Yes, plants need lots of water to thrive, but it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Be smart about how you water. Mel Bartholomew’s Square Foot Gardening method suggests filling a bucket with water and letting the sun warm it before using it. Then pour a cup of water on each plant at the base. The warm water does not shock the plant’s roots and you have control of how much water you use. As a general rule, using an overhead sprinkler is wasteful because it rains water down on the leaves where it evaporates and only a small portion actually makes it to the plants roots.

Knowledge and Experience? As someone’s Grandma would say, “Poppycock!”

I have a lot of respect for horticulturists, agriculture professionals, botanists and the like, but you don’t need specialized vocational training to have a successful garden as the article suggests using a quote from Bobby Wilson, president of the American Community Gardening Association. According to the article, he told CNN the Chia-pet generation isn’t ready for the Blue Ribbon Prize just yet.

“Many of the people that want to get into the gardening and greening movement right here have never gained the skills,” he said. “Many of them came up in an era where there was no vocational education, so there was no need to learn anything about horticulture or agriculture.”

I really hope that this quote was taken out of context.

Free information and help is yours for the taking…

There is a wealth of information out there. Start at the library for free books. Read the back of seed packets, which have basic growing information and directions. Ask your local extension for advise. Here’s a link to a list of each extension service in the United States. http://www.ediblegardenlandscaping.com/extensionlist

Ask other gardeners in your area what works best for them. Gardeners love to share their knowledge and help others learn from their mistakes. Even if you don’t know anyone near you who gardens, there is an amazing amount of knowledge on the Internet. In addition to the articles and information on my website http://www.ediblegardenlandscaping.com here are just a few other helpful resources:

Joe Lamp'l from the DIY Network has been blogging about how to plant a victory garden for $25 or less: http://joegardener.typepad.com/dailycompost

Mel Bartholomew’s Square Food Gardening Site at www.squarefootgardening.com/

The Growing Food Guide blog at www.growingfoodguide.com/

Great information about victory gardens and growing your own at www.redwhiteandgrew.com/

Better Homes & Gardens gardening information online at www.bhg.com/gardening/

Mother Earth News’ website: www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening.aspx

And, a blog for urban gardeners: http://urbangardencasual.com/

As always, I look forward to your comments and feedback!

A Ha! Something Does Grow Under Pine Trees

We've spent a lot of time the last couple of weeks working in clients yards, cleaning up the fall/winter debris and getting things spruced up for the 7 months that we actually love living here in Minnesota's Lake Country. I actually enjoy spring clean-up time and it's been particularly fun for me identifying what our clients already have in their yards as the plants are just poking through the soil.

Rhubarb is plentiful in this area and in all the landscapes we've worked on, rhubarb is coming back to life exactly where you'd expect... in a garden bed, against the fence, in a far corner of the back yard, etc. I have yet to see a plant that thrives under a tall pine tree like my rhubarb plants. Clearly the pine needles naturally provide the soil acidity that rhubarb plants crave (see horticultural notes below).

I love watching rhubarb come to life each spring,

when it's crinkled up leaves unfurl and colorful stems emerge.

A Ha! A great solution for a perennial landscaping conundrum ... nothing seems to grow under pine trees. In fact, the colorful stems and the large showy leaves of rhubarb make a great foundation planting, adding great interest (and flavor) beneath a tree that is known for large bare spots surrounding it.

My point in all this is that you don't have to conform to the norm when planting your edible plants. You don't have to have the perfect garden patch to grow foods you enjoy and are ultimately more nutritious than anything you can buy at the local grocery store. I'll be keeping track of the rhubarb here throughout the season and will include harvesting tips, recipes and preservation information when it's ready to be enjoyed!

A few horticultural facts about rhubarb: It is a cool weather perrenial that does not do well in warmer climates. Rhubarb tolerates most soils but grows best in fertile, well-drained soils that are high in organic matter. Rhubarb is rather tolerant of soil acidity but does best in slightly to moderately acid soil. (from rhubarbinfo.com).

Recycle & Reuse in an Edible Landscape

You really have to check this out. It's an amazingly simple idea. Reclaimed gutters to plant greens, lettuce, low growing edibles. And it looks nice, too. These would also be great mounted on a fence...a new take on the living fence. Enjoy.

Temperature Swings Are Like Mood Swings - You Never Know What You're Going to Get

Springtime in the upper midwest could mean 80 degrees and sunny, 50 degrees and threatening, or 30 degrees and a foot and a half of snow! It's so much like mood swings that you have to be ready to take cover at any time! Case in point, it was 80 degrees and absolutely gorgeous yesterday - a great day to work on the edible landscape. Today, it's in the 40s, cloudy and threatening storms. The rest of the weekend we're looking at rain and snow mixed...but hopefully not just snow.

This time of year is tough on a gardener who longs to get outside and plant things, yet knows it's just too early. To plant now is to commit herbicide, so we wait. And we tend to our seedlings started indoors. And we wait. The good news is that we're just a couple weeks away from having to worry about snow for awhile.

This is especially good because I have a couple new beds to put in this year and my Pineapple Tomatillo seeds should arrive any day. I found these in the Cook's Garden catalog and I'm dying to try them out. They're supposed to have a flavor similar to pineapple. This is just one of the many things I'll keep you posted on as my edible landscape comes back to life and is embellished with more delicious plants.

'til later
Happy Gardening!