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It's Not Edible, But It is a Bit of the Garden

This amaryllis is a tiny piece of spring that we can enjoy in the cold of winter; and some days its indoor blooms like these make the long cold winter easier to take. The white in the background of the picture is actually a snow bank outside which really helps to see the contrast between indoors and out.

Actually it's been pretty nice here as we're enjoying a January thaw. Pretty nice is 34 degrees F. It really is all relative, especially when you consider it was -20 degrees a week ago! Soon it will be time to start some seeds indoors. In fact, I'll be planting some baby greens next week so we can begin enjoying some fresh salad grown in the south facing windows as we await the real thaw and can begin outdoor gardening again.

The First Step to Planning Next Year's Garden

The reward for getting through the holidays was to dig into the gardening catalogs that have been steadily arriving since mid December. Now that the tree is down and the decorations are put away, I finally earned the reward and dove into the catalogs today. I only had a short time available to start seeing all the new varieties available for 2010, but I've already got a wish list started.

While I can dream about new varieties and what I'd love to add, the first step to planning a garden whether it's a brand new plot or planning for additions to an existing bed is to evaluate how things went last year. Ideally, this should be started in the fall as you're cleaning up the beds so that things are fresh in your mind. Now is the time to take a look at your notes and evaluate exactly what worked and what didn't. Don't forget to take into account the weather conditions along as part of the performance of your garden and edible plantings.

For example, we had a cold summer, so cold in fact that it was September before we were finally able to enjoy our first tomato. I have to keep that in mind as I decide what tomato varieties to grow next year. The performance had more to do with the weather than the plants that I grew.

Another example, is the beautiful Bright Lights Swiss Chard that I've included a picture of. It made a terrific addition to the landscape and although chard is edible and enjoyed by many people, my family didn't like it. Therefore, it's highly likely that I won't grow it again, unless I have some space left over for an attractive plant that makes a striking addition to the border.

If you're itching to get back to gardening, take a look back now so that when it's time you can spend your time moving forward. In addition to the overall performance and any disease problems ask yourself if you liked the plants, the flavors, the textures and so forth. These are all important characteristics in deciding what to repeat as well as deciding what you want to replace and the features you should look for in a replacement.

Once you have all of this information in hand, you'll be able to create a wish list that will really meet your needs for the coming gardening season and your edible landscape.

Enjoying Fresh Garden Flavors in the Middle of Winter

Today we enjoyed fresh garden flavors despite the fact that the second day of the new year dawned with the mercury in our thermometer completely buried in the ball at the bottom. It was so cold that our window-mounted thermometer couldn't give an exact reading.

This is exactly the sort of day that can be made better by planning for this year's garden.

We also made it better by enjoying some of the fresh flavors of the herbs growing in the window sill. I made Lasagne using tomatoes from last summer's garden and picking some of the fresh basil brought in from outside last fall. It's a wonderful thing to be able to enjoy fresh flavors even in sub zero temperatures. I only wish the parsley had been ready to use as well.

Tomorrow I'll be planting more herbs for my indoor garden and counting the days until I can begin starting seeds for the coming summer's garden.

Happy New Year!
I don't know about you, but I've decided not to make any resolutions this year. But, I am making some promises to myself. For one, I've promised myself that I will make the time every day to work on my edible garden landscaping passion. For my readers and friends, that means more blog postings, more Examiner articles and a website that get's regular updates again.

I have a lot of ideas and information to share with you and a stack of garden catalogs to review so I can tell you about the newest offerings to think about adding to your garden or edible landscape.

For example, Burpee has a Tie Dye tomato hybrid, that is supposed to be really sweet and flavorful, not to mention very cool to look at! I've posted photo from their website so you can take a look. Just looking at it makes me long for summer, yet here I sit looking outside where it's a balmy -14 degrees. This is definitely the time of year for northern gardeners like me to dream, plan, research and dream some more.

I'll be posting ideas, plans and findings as we steadily move toward the growing season. And, along the way, I hope you'll feel free to share your ideas and comments as well.

Here's to a fabulous 2010! I hope your dreams for this year and beyond come true.

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.