What's Growin' On: 4/30/06

The Chives Are Blooming Already

Realization Of The Day:
Early morning is deifnitely my favorite time of day in the garden. Morning dew, the cheerful chirping of birds, sleepy sunshine waking up, poking about to see what went on in the darkness, daydreams and endless possibilities. . .

From Garden To Table:
--Another small but sublime serving of asparagus smothered in butter.
--The first 'fake' scallions sprinkled over my salad. Delightful. (Click here to read more about growing onions and how to harvest your own 'fake' scallions. You probably still have time to start some onion sets. Plant them on May 2nd, 3rd, or 4th for best results.)
--I did end up creating a unique arugula pesto the other day and have been experimenting with it (and eating gobs of the stuff--all in the name of research of course). Will write more about that hopefully soon.

Coming Up:
The Desperate Gardener & Her Potato Planting Experiment.

What's Growin' On: 4/29/06

Ugh



Ahhhhh

Realization Of The Day:
This is why I love having a digital camera. Sometimes you just need to be able to capture moments like these and then rush into the house to look at them. And besides, being able to see all that work you've done makes it easier to rationalize buying all that Biofreeze.

Realization #2:
It rained all night long and is still pouring as I type this. I should have just gone and planted the bush beans in this bed yesterday. I mean, all the hard work was done. What would it have taken me--15 minutes tops? I have no idea what I was thinking. Probably too busy clicking back and forth between these photos.

Minding The Moonsigns:
Good news! I just flipped the calendar over to May and discovered that the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th are all (like today and yesterday) fertile days in the first quarter--perfect for starting lettuce, herbs, greens, cruciferous veggies, cucumbers, beans, and flowers--pretty much anything but members of the potato/tomato/pepper/eggplant/squash families. These you want to start in the second quarter; fertile days in May are the 10th, 11th, and 12th (but you've already started your tomatoes and potatoes and peppers and eggplant, right?) Wondering what all this moonsign stuff is all about? Read more here.

So if your planting plans have been postponed like mine (it's been pouring rain for 17 hours straight and shows no signs of stopping), you can relax. There will be plenty of time next week to get everything done. Which is good because last night I found all sorts of seeds I forgot about, like the Nero Di Toscana Cabbage (beautiful plants that tolerate heat & humidity; the young leaves are fabulous in salads), Oriole Orange Swiss Chard (another gorgeous veggie), Red Russian Kale (yet another stunning beauty--hell, who needs to plant fussy flowers?), and some Canton Bok Pak Choy--super stir-fried. All of these seeds are from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

This is in addition to the bush beans: Straight 'N' Narrow Haricots Verts and Masai (both of which I have planted every year for about 10 years because I can never remember which ones I like better), Emerite Haricot Vert (a new variety for me that I never got around to planting last year because I didn't realize it was a pole bean and that would have required extra plotting and planning), and of course my absolute favorite--the incredible (and talk about some gorgeous veggies) Dragon Langerie Yellow Bush Beans. This is actually a misnomer because these huge, prolific, incredibly tasty beans are not yellow, but are more of a creamy white with hard-to-describe pinkish stripes. Trust me, just grow some. They're so good raw I have never once bothered to cook them. They will make any crudite platter look like it was just dropped off by a four-star caterer. I recommend dipping them--and the rest of the crudite platter--in some herbed yogurt cheese. All of these seeds are from Pinetree Garden Seeds.

So what is my new plan for today? Stay as dry as possible, try to figure out where I'm going to plant all this stuff, stop rooting around my seed packet stash, and revel in the fact that my garden is receiving a much needed soaking without my having to lift a finger (okay, I did actually start this rainstorm by watering everything yesterday afternoon). I suppose I could launch an attack on some of the clutter that has obviously been breeding around the house while I've been outdoors (how does that happen?), but I'd much rather bake a few loaves of bread. A girl's gotta have priorities, and mine usually involve food.

So what do you do when you're rained out of the garden?

© Copyright 2006 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where Farmgirl Susan shares stories & photos of her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres.

Sublime Salads For Those Who Are Short(On Time, Space, & Sunlight)

From Seed To Salad Bowl In Less than A Month


Arugula Is So Easy To Grow I Didn't Even Plant This

Really. This is what you get when you grow some arugula in the greenhouse, let it flower and go to seed, and then, months later, finally pull up the dried out stalks and plunk them down on an unused patch of bed on the other side of the greenhouse. Ignore them all winter, then toss the stalks into the compost bin because all of the seeds have dropped out of them. Realize where the seeds have landed, and wonder if a little water might just sprout something. Lo and behold--an arugula jungle! A little more about arugula below. But first, here are some photos to show you just how quickly you can grow yourself some salad. The photo above was taken on April 27th.


Close-Up Arugula Seedlings On April 2nd



View Of Arugula Bed on April 2nd



Close-Up Arugula Seedlings on April 9th



Arugula Bed on April 9th



Close-Up Arugula Seedlings on April 13th



Close-Up Arugula On April 25th

Several people have asked me recently for some tips on growing lettuce from seed. I answered them individually (and all are now happily watching their salad greens grow), but I thought an article on this subject might encourage others to start a little spring salad garden of their own. So I'm just going to basically repeat the advice I offered them here, with a few more tidbits tossed in.

First Stacey at Just Braise in New York sent me an email asking what kind of low-light edibles she could grow in containers. This was my response:

Lettuce! A mesclun type mix would be wonderful--that way you get several varieties of lettuce seeds in one packet. You can start harvesting after only a few weeks--just snip what you need and leave the plants to continue growing and putting on new leaves. This also prolongs your harvest. If you have sown the seeds very thickly (which is what I do because it virtually eliminates weeds), you can start thinning out your plot as soon as the plants are big enough to at least give you a leaf or two to nibble on. After several weeks, I am still at the thinning stage with my lettuce plot--I reach in, pluck out a few of the crowded plants from several different spots, and I swear by the next day the remaining plants have already filled in the empty spaces.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, from whom I have been buying seeds for many years, sells several different "Chef's Choice Salad Blends," including a European Mesclun Salad ("a favorite with market growers"), a Red Wing Lettuce Mix ("contains a wide range of the best brilliant red and red splashed specialty types"), and even A Siamese Dragon Stir-Fry Mix ("All the best Asians greens for stir-frying and steaming. Also pick the greens in the 'baby stage' for a tangy salad mix.")


Close-Up Of Rocky Top Lettuce Mix On April 4th



Close-Up Of Rocky Top Lettuce Mix On April 25th

My favorite is the Rocky Top Lettuce Salad which is full of "brightly colored and unique lettuces, including some non-listed rare varieties." All packets contain 1,200+ seeds and are just $2.00 to $2.50 each. Click here to see photos of this lettuce bed from April 12th. And click here for my favorite way to enjoy freshly picked lettuce.

I also explained to her that arugula (also sometimes called rocket) is easy to grow from seed and ready to harvest in less than a month (as evidenced above). This peppery green adds a unique bite to all kinds of salads and is delicious tucked into sandwiches as well. I have such an amazing arugula crop this year, I'm going to think outside of the salad bowl and try making some arugula pesto by blending together arugula, fresh parsley (to tame it down a little), lots of fresh garlic chopped with salt (it brings out the flavor of the garlic), and some very nice extra-virgin olive oil. Tossed with some homemade pasta, then sprinkled with plenty of coarsely grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese, and served with a garden salad, I think this would make a delightful spring supper. In fact, I may just make it tonight.



Volunteer Arugula Surrounding Swiss Chard In The Greenhouse On April 9th

You can start picking baby arugula leaves when they are still very small.


And That Same Arugula On April 25th

Just keep in mind that once the plants reach maturity, it doesn't take long for them to bolt and flower. But of course if you allow some of them to go to seed, your next crop will most likely sow itself.

To add another kind of zip to her salads, I suggested Stacey try growing some radishes. These are easy to start from seed and are, again, ready to eat in less than a month. There are dozens of interesting heirloom varieites available--from mild to pungent--in all shapes and sizes. If you're only going to pick one, I recommend going with Easter Egg. Baker Creek describes them as "a beautiful mix of colors that includes shades of purple, red, and white. Mild and delicious flavor, fun to grow, and perfect for mixed bunches of radishes." I grew them and found every word to be true.

Several years ago I read an article about Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, California. To this day, the only part I clearly remember about it involved a radish. Apparently one diner was slightly shocked to discover that the first course of their $75 prix fixe dinner at this incredibly famous restaurant was a plain, fresh radish served on a small plate. Then they tried it and were astounded by the flavor. Sometimes it's funny what memories stick with us. And I bet that person will never forget their first real taste of a radish. (Interesting coincidence: I just looked up the Chez Panisse website so I could link to it here, and one of the categories listed on the homepage is The Delicious Revolution, about Alice's desire to bring edible education to schools. The logo? An illustration of a radish!)

So how is Stacey doing? Click here and here and here and here to follow The City Gardener's progress.

Vickie at The Moveable Feast in Virginia also wanted to know about growing lettuce in containers in areas that don't get much sunlight. Most vegetables (even tomatoes and peppers) require just 6 hours of direct sun a day. Lettuce and arugula can thrive in less than that, and they can even be grown in dappled sunlight or shade. The arugula in my greenhouse (along with the chard and beets) receives only filtered light, and, as you can see, it has flourished.

You can grow lettuce and arugula in virtually any kind of containers--5-gallon buckets, wooden wine or whiskey half-barrels, even large flower pots. However, you don't need two feet of soil depth to grow lettuce, so something shorter and larger would be ideal, such as the plastic commercial bus tubs used in restaurants to hold dirty dishes. I even have one that has large holes in the bottom and fits into another, slightly larger tub--built-in drainage. (Look for them at restaurant supply houses.) A plastic dishtub would work, too, or even a (new) plastic cat litter box.

All of these are a nice rectangular shape and should be plenty deep. And they are small enough that you can pick them up and move them around--either into or out of the sun. Remember: heat is the enemy of lettuce so you want to keep it cool. Even a few days in the upper 80s or 90sF can turn your whole crop into bitter greens. They will look fine but suddenly taste terrible. This is very, very depressing. Click here to read my previous post about shading lettuce and other plants.

On the other end of the thermometer, lettuce is quite cold hardy, and can even survive light frosts. I had some uncovered lettuce subjected to 24 degreesF a few weeks ago, and it thawed out just fine once the sun hit it.

My pal Amy, who recently moved into a new house with a large yard and went slightly crazy with the seed catalogs, wanted to know what types of lettuce she could grow in Pensacola, Florida. To win the battle against bitter lettuce, another thing you can do is choose varieties that are on the small side, such as Tom Thumb Butterhead (one of my favorites). Again, from the Baker Creek catalog: "An heirloom lettuce that dates to the 1850s. It makes small cabbage-like green heads, only 3"-4" across. Very tasty, a winner for classy markets!" Also seek out varieties that say "heat tolerant" and "slow to bolt." Baker Creek says that Mignonette Bronze (an 1898 heirloom I have grown and like) is "excellent for hot and tropical weather" and "a superb type for the hot parts of the country." Little Gem delivers two for one: this "very small, green, romaine-type [is] a superb heat tolerant variety that is sure to please!"

Baker Creek sells over two dozen varieties of lettuce in packets of 700 seeds for $1.25 to $1.50 each. Pinetree Garden Seeds (another of my favorite companies that offers much more than just super seeds) offers several kinds of lettuce (including a few of their own special mixes) in packets that contain 500 seeds for just 60 to 95 cents each. I discovered High Mowing Organic Seeds after I was already seed set this year, but I have heard good things about them from other gardeners. The same goes for Seeds From Italy.

Unless you live in the Southern U.S. or other warm climate, it shouldn't be too late to start a salad garden. To sow your seeds, simply scatter them onto your freshly prepared soil and lightly work them into the dirt with your fingers or a rake. You can also sprinkle them with a light layer of soil or compost--they don't need to be covered much at all. Water well, then just sit back and wait, daydreaming of the beautiful bounty you are bringing to life.

Recommended Reading: The Vegetable Gardener's Bible by Ed Smith. This has been my favorite gardening book for the past 7 years, and I highly recommend it for kitchen gardeners of all levels. Click here to read my review of it. And click here to see a few of the other gardening books on my shelf.

Related articles:
--Arugula Pesto Takes Over The Kitchen (includes recipes)
--How To Grow Beets From Seed (& Why You Should)
--How To Grow & Use Swiss Chard

Note: This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging #30, a deliciously informative event hosted by Kalyn's Kitchen. Food and garden bloggers from around the world are invited to participate, and you never know what interesting new edibles you'll discover each week in the Sunday night roundup.

What's Growin' On: 4/28/06

Isn't It Love-ly? Isn't It Won-der-ful? (Yes, I'm singing.)

Realization Of The Day:
I have no idea what this is. I bought it last fall at a garden center clearance sale for 50 cents and transplanted it into a bigger pot full of rich, composty soil--which it apparently loves. Somehow between then and now, its little ID tag has gone missing. All I know is that it's a perennial--and it's very pretty. And I have to figure out somewhere to put it.

Am working on salad growing post.

What's Growin' On: 4/27/06

Realization Of The Day:
Arugula has taken over the greenhouse.

Miscellaneous:
--It was 36 degrees at 4am this morning. I had covered most of the tomato plants with reemay and sheets, but even the uncovered peppers and tomatoes look fine. Put all unplanted seedlings (which have been spending days and nights hardening off in the great outdoors) in the greenhouse for the night.

--Planted some Orange Banana tomato seedlings in one of the raised beds on Tuesday. This is what Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (from whom I bought my original seeds) has to say about them: "Unique, orange, banana-shaped paste tomatoes, bursting with fruity sweetness. Perfect for drying, canning, and paste. Also delicious fresh and great for specialty markets. Orange color is rare in paste tomatoes." Click here (and scroll down to the bottom of the article) to see one of my favorite ways to enjoy these sweet beauties.

From Garden To Table:
Well, the second asparagus harvest made it closer to the table than the first one--I ate it last night standing up in the kitchen. And I even cooked it. Steamed the spears and smothered them with organic butter. Oh my. (Because I have such a small asparagus bed, not much is ready at once, and the ones that are often vary quite a bit in thickness. I fill a pot with a small amount of water, snap the spears in half or thirds (to fit in the pot), then place the thicker ones on the bottom and layer the thinner ones on top of them, out of the water. This way they all end up cooked just right.) There wasn't nearly enough, but of course I had a giant lettuce salad to go with it.

Second Realization Of The Day:
I need a bigger asparagus bed. Much bigger. Like a quarter acre bigger.

Minding The Moonsigns:
Tomorrow and Saturday are fertile days in the first quarter. These are the best days to plant nearly all seeds except the potato/tomato/pepper families. I'll be planting a couple varieties of bush beans and starting some basil seeds (cannot believe--pesto freak that I am--that I completely forgot to start them last month) and any other interesting herb seeds I find languishing in my giant seed storage container. Might as well use them up!

These are also great days to start lettuce and other greens from seed. Hopefully later today or tonight I will finally get around to offering some tips on growing yourself a little (and practically instant) gourmet salad garden. Unless you live in the South or other warm climate, it still shouldn't be too late to start one. Hint: it includes arugula (rocket). Also on today's agenda: clearing out some beds for the beans!

What's Growin' On: 4/26/06

Bull's Blood Beet Seedlings Between Onion Rows

Realization Of The Day:
My experimental companion planting in the onion plot is, so far, a semi-success.

Back on April 1st, I planted five rows of onion sets in one of my 4' x 8' raised beds. Between the onion rows, I sowed three kinds of beet seeds and two kinds of lettuce seeds. Usually I simply mulch the entire plot with grass clippings once the onions have poked up. The idea behind this experiment was that the companion plantings would create shade that would keep weeds from growing between the rows. They would also provide crops in otherwise unused space. (Click here to read the original onion planting post.)

Great in theory, but not so great in reality. I think part of this was my fault, though. Okay, the Bull's Blood beet seedlings have come up nicely, and, as you can see in the above photo, they are doing a good job at blocking out the weeds. I think if I mulch around them and the onions with grass clippings right now, we should be able to stay weed free until harvest.


Detroit Beet Seedlings In The Same Row As The Bull's Blood Seedlings

However, further down the row we come to the Detroit beets. The leaves on these seedlings are smaller and the planting is slightly thinner. Thick, nasty grass has sprouted up all over. These are tough little weeds that are not easy to pull up without disturbing the adjacent beets and delicate, shallow onions. And they are so close to the ground it is hard to snip them at the base (which can work very well with some types of weeds). I'll do what I can and then mulch with grass clippings.


Dark Lolla Rossa Lettuce Strangled By Weeds

Next we come to the row of Dark Lolla Rossa lettuce, and it is definitely a troubling sight. As you can see, the tiny lettuce seedlings are being obliterated by the same nasty grass. This is what I was afraid of. I'm not sure there is hope for this lettuce. If I simply leave the weeds in place, I think they will end up completely covering the lettuce and blocking it from the sun. Although, now that I think about it, that might be good since it warming up, and the lettuce needs to stay cool. I have a feeling, though, that it would just turn into a big mess--plus the weeds have surrounded the onions as well, and that is not good.

I may end up having to hoe up this entire row and feed it to the chickens (nothing goes to waste around here!), but I am still not thoroughly convinced that this was a lousy plan. I have two ideas. The first is to sow lettuce seeds over the entire space between the onions rather than in a row, leaving empty soil on either side. Then it would look more like this practically weedless lettuce bed. I'm actually surprised I didn't do this in the first place. The second is to try a different variety of lettuce--something taller and less compact.

Overall, this has been an interesting experiment so far. One of the rows between the onions is now planted with garlic (in the hopes that I will be harvesting some late spring green garlic) because the lettuce seeds I sowed there did a no-show. I simply hoed the whole space up and started over. (What kind of hoe did I use to do this delicate work? I'll tell you about it soon.) I will also be mulching that entire row (before the garlic even sprouts) with grass clippings. So already there are some new turns in the plan. And we certainly aren't finished yet. It will be interesting to see what transpires in this plot as the weeks go by.

Note: I am embarrassed to admit this, but after looking at these photos, I think I may have the beet varieties backwards. My notes say otherwise, but it seems like the Bull's Blood would be the ones with the more reddish leaves, since they turn quite purple eventually. I also remember getting a bit turned around when reading my original planting notes (I have a little trouble with north, south, etc.). And here I thought this garden blog would solve all my record keeping problems!

What's Growin' On: 4/25/06

I Couldn't Resist Them (and a couple of little African violets)

Realization Of The Day:
It is incredibly easy to rationalize the purchase of perennials when you are supposed to be out buying groceries. Simply remind yourself that this $6 campanula will most likely last for years in the garden--but that $6 worth of cheese will definitely be history in a week.

Miscellaneous:
--We've had 1-1/4 inches of rain, and everything in the garden is taking off like crazy.
--I sure grow some extremely healthy weeds.
--Put some of my favorite Kellogg's Breakfast tomato plants into the ground yesterday (From the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds catalog: "A giant, beautiful, orange beefsteak preserved by our friend Darrell Kellogg, a railroad supervisor from Redford, Michigan. The fruit are very flavorful and superbly sweet! This delicious heirloom is from West Virginia.") There is something about orange tomatoes--they are always so sweet. And the color! The Orange Banana tomatoes will hopefully get planted today. They were certainly a pleasant discovery a few years ago. Amazing flavor.
--Stuck a few dozen more garlic cloves into the ground as part of my Late Spring Green Garlic Plan--around the edges of one tomato bed and between the onion rows where the lettuce didn't come up. Realized that unless the garlic grows at a much faster rate than the tomato plants, it will soon be obliterated from the sun, so I nixed the idea of a ring of garlic around each tomato plant.
--Bull's Blood beets in greenhouse already going to seed. Always seems to happen so quickly--one minute something is ready to eat, and the next day it's heading toward the sky. (Reminder to self: there is no holding pattern in the kitchen garden--use it or lose it.) Will let them go and hopefully have some great seeds for next planting.

What's Growin' On: 4/24/06

Realization Of The Day:
I may be a tiny bit obsessed about salads. But there are certain times when absolutely nothing else (not even chocolate) will satisfy except some freshly picked baby butter lettuce from the garden. Even if it is 1:30 in the morning. And we're in the middle of a thunder/lightning/wind/hail/rainstorm. And my terrified, thunder-phobic dog is trying desperately to climb into my arms as I crouch down harvesting lettuce in the dark and rain with a 98% dead flashlight. But oh, how that salad hit the spot.

Recipe For A Perfect Spring Salad:
Harvest lettuce as close to mealtime as possible. Wash gently, spin dry. Find the biggest bowl you can, and fill it with your beautiful bounty. Toss in a handful of organic garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and a few cracked green olives. Toss lightly with a vinaigrette made with extra-virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar (proportions are entirely up to you), plenty of real dijon mustard, good garlic and onion powder, and salt and pepper (or freshly chopped garlic and shallots if you have the time and energy and really feel like swooning). Top with plenty of coarsely grated pecorino romano cheese. Find a fork and dive in. May be enjoyed anytime, day or night.

Coming Up:
Sublime Salads For Those Who Are Short (On Time, Space, & Sunshine)

What's Growin' On: 4/23/06

Realization Of The Day:
This is what you get if you can convince someone who views the entire farm as a mowing challenge not to mow over the large patch of stuff in the yard that definitely isn't grass.

From Garden To Table:
Ate the first two stalks of asparagus last night, but they didn't even make it into the kitchen, let alone to the table. Nope, I munched them down right there in the garden. Ahhhhhh.

Miscellaneous:
--Even a light rain can really make a difference in the garden. Still needing to water every day, though, especially newly transplanted tomatoes and peppers.
--Aconcagua pepper plants are thrilled to be in the ground and are taking off already.
--Have been so in love with the first spring lettuce salads that have been neglecting to eat the gorgeous Swiss chard in the greenhouse. Larger plants have already started to bolt, but there are dozens of tiny volunteer seedlings still coming up. I don't know what I'd do without my year round chard harvest.
--Just saw the first hummingbird of the season--in the greenhouse.
--Yesterday saw the second snake of the season (cannot remember what kind off the top of my head but about two feet long and not poisonous)--fortunately not in the greenhouse. (Smaller snakes more than welcome to take up residence in there.) Haven't started seeing the copperheads yet which is nice.
--Last night saw the second large garden toad of the season (or frog--must really learn more about these wonderful, insect devouring creatures)--unfortunately not anywhere near the greenhouse, but several hundred feet away in a lamb bonding suite in the barn. First one was in the barn, too. Think baby lambs must be catching and playing with them like all little kids do. Click here to see a photo.

What's Growin' On: 4/22/06

Realization Of The Day:
Asparagus!

Culinary Newsbite:
My bread baking buddy, Kevin, at Seriously Good in Tennessee, is on an asparagus rampage (and really, who can blame him?). Click here for his mother's mouthwatering recipe for Asparagus Parmesan and to read the interesting history of what I believe is one of the most sublime foods on earth. Then click here for information about Kevin's "Asparagus Aspirations"--a weekly roundup going on now through May of asparagus recipes submitted by asparagus loving food bloggers everywhere. Yum.

What's Growin' On: 4/21/06

Realization Of The Day:
I am amazed, astonished, fascinated, and in absolute awe--by the incredible beauty of this plant, and by the fact that it was created from one tiny beet seed.

What's Growin' On: 4/20/06

Realization Of The Day:
Rocks do not compost well.

Into The Ground:
--2 Arkansas Traveler tomatoes.
--11 VFN tomatoes.
--1 replacement San Marzano tomato
--13 of my favorite sweet red peppers, Aconcagua. Seeds saved from my best peppers last year, originally purchased from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, who says that they are "very large, long frying peppers up to 11" x 2-1/2". Tall plants give good yields over a long season, and the fruit is very sweet and delicious. Named after Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina." Click here to see some of last year's beauties.

Miscellaneous:
--Since raised beds topped with thick layer of manure/barn hay (yes!), dropped a large scoop of compost into each planting hole just to make sure tender roots didn't get burned. Can't believe I never thought to do this before (probably because root burn has never been a problem), as it should be very good for the plants in general.
--Glad I covered new plantings last night as temp was 48F this morning.
--Spotted first grasshopper of the year hopping through my newly planted tomato bed.
--Spotted definite mole damage in the onion bed.

Spring Green Garlic:Growing It, Cooking With It, Loving It

Surprise Gourmet Food Right Under My Hoes

Last week I received an email from Catherine at Albion Cooks saying that she had just made my Savory Cheese & Scallion Scones again, but this time she substituted cheddar and green garlic for the feta cheese and scallions. Green garlic? A quick pop over to her site revealed a lovely photo of the item in question, a delicious looking batch of scones, and the nagging feeling that I'd just read about green garlic somewhere else. But where? Oh, wait. Everywhere. There were growing instructions at Veggie Gardening Tips, a little bit of history and a photo plus a recipe at In Praise Of Sardines. And in the March 30th edition of The Ladybug Letter, there was yet another beautiful photo, along with numerous ways to use green garlic and several recipes, including green garlic mayonnaise, green garlic soup, and step-by-step photos of how to make green garlic pesto. This stuff is everywhere. (And those are just the ones I remembered.)

So what is it, and how had I lived this long in ignorance of it? Green garlic, also known as spring garlic, young garlic, baby garlic, and garlic shoots, is, claims Catherine, "a culinary secret." It is "immature garlic that hasn't yet developed its garlic bulb and has a much milder flavor than the mature bulbs, yet still has that distinct garlic flavor. It can be used in any recipe in place of regular garlic or leeks, and can be used raw or cooked." And, obviously, it can take the place of scallions, too.

Green garlic is also a market gardener/small farmer's dream crop, as you can grow it in what would otherwise be unused space--you simply plant your fall garlic twice as thickly as you normally would, and then harvest up half of it as baby garlic in the spring. An added bonus is that it is ready to sell when not many other things are, bringing in much needed income.

Diehard kitchen gardener and self-declared foodie that I am, it's bad enough that I'd never heard of eating baby garlic until now. For years I've even swiped some of the first tender garlic leaves from my plants and tossed them into spring salads. But what's really embarrassing is that I excel at planting everything too closely together (onions, beets, lettuce, tomatoes, you name it)--except garlic. I'd never, ever thought about doing that.

But the good news is that a quick tour of my garden revealed something wonderful: I have ready-to-eat, volunteer green garlic all over the place.


It's even growing in the pathways between the raised beds.

Naturally I immediately tried some. I sprinkled it on a salad and stirred it into my special green scrambled eggs. But the delicate, subtle flavor was buried. I wanted to taste this culinary secret without anything else in the way. So I turned to my favorite simple comfort food indulgence: pasta with butter and cheese. In a perfect world, I would have made my own pasta from scratch. On days full of digging in the garden and tending little lambs, Trader Joe's organic Italian fettuccine works just fine. As the pasta was simmering, I stole my first taste of the lightly cooked, buttery green garlic and let out an involuntary little moan. This stuff is beyond good. It is garlic, but it is not. It is the essence of garlic, the epitome of spring. It is seasonal eating at its very best.

Farmgirl's Green Garlic Fettuccine
Cook your choice of pasta according to package directions (I add a splash of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt to the water). Meanwhile, heat a lump of butter in a skillet. Finely chop as much green garlic as you like (warning: it shrinks down) and add it to the pan of butter. I used the white and light green parts plus about an inch of the leaves of three stalks (for one serving). Cook on low heat until softened, about five minutes or so. Add a splash of pasta water, cover, and turn off heat while pasta finishes cooking. Stir drained pasta into green garlic mixture, along with another lump of butter and plenty of freshly grated pecorino romano (or asiago or parmesan). Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with more grated cheese and a few finely chopped garlic leaves if desired, and serve it up quickly--or risk finding yourself standing in the kitchen with fork and empty bowl in hand and a very confused look on your face.

Other Ideas: I think this buttery green garlic would also be wonderful mixed with boiled red new potatoes, stirred into some rice, or sprinkled over real mashed potatoes.

After two nights in a row of devouring this delectable dish, I now of course want lots more green garlic--and I don't plan on waiting a whole year for it. (Though I'll definitely be double planting my garlic this fall.) I realize (and you probably have by now, too) that everybody is already harvesting and eating their spring green garlic crop. We pretty much missed planting time--by a couple of months at least. But I'm not letting that stop me. I figure my fall planted garlic still has at least two more months to go, so I assume that means favorable growing conditions for baby garlic, too.

Here's the plan: I'm sticking individual cloves of garlic (about an inch into the ground, pointy side up, one to two inches apart) in every nook and cranny of the garden I can find--between the rows of onions where the lettuce and beets did a no-show, in a circle around each tomato plant, in the bare spots in the strawberry bed. (At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the best planting days left this month according to the moonsigns are tomorrow and Friday.)

We're talking about half an hour of effort at the most--after that, garlic is practically a no maintenance crop. Pests ignore it--in fact it's used as a natural pest repellent--which means you're also doing your garden a favor by putting it everywhere. Just mulch to keep away the weeds and water regularly. That's it. And this is a perfect way to use up those sprouting heads of garlic you probably have hanging around (unsprouted cloves work great, too). No garden? You can even grow green garlic in a flower pot or bucket--just fill it with soil and/or compost and poke the cloves in about an inch. So what are you waiting for? Grab the garlic and get planting. And be sure to let me know if our plan works out.

Note: This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging #29, a deliciously informative event hosted by Kalyn's Kitchen. Food bloggers from around the world participate, and you never know what interesting new edibles you'll discover each week in the Sunday night roundup. And because garlic is so incredibly good for you (in any form), this also fits right in with ARF/5-A-Day. Catch it every Tuesday night at Sweetnicks.

What's Growin' On: 4/19/06

Sad Little Seedlings (And An Even Sadder Gardener)

Realization Of The Day:
I can stop worrying about getting the broccoli planted. I do this every year. I start seeds too late (well, I didn't think February 28th was all that late), they sprout but take forever to set true leaves, and then by the time they do, they've been all but forgotten in the hustle and bustle of other garden activity. So here it is April 19th, temps are in the 90s, and not only have my crowded broccoli seedlings not yet been transplanted into individual plugs (I did have them moved onto the potting bench--slight progress), but I obviously forgot to water them yesterday afternoon.

So why do I torture myself year after year? Because I absolutely adore broccoli. And because once, many years ago, I grew two dozen heads of the most incredible broccoli I have ever tasted--and the memory refuses to fade. I've harvested a few heads here and there since then, and once I let the plants simply grow all summer, providing me with a few flowerets and lots of tender (and extremely nutritious) little leaves to toss into salads. I figure that someday everything will perfectly align itself just as it did that one glorious year, and my persistence will pay off. In the meantime, perhaps this will be the summer I remember to start broccoli seeds in August and transplant the seedlings into the greenhouse for a successful late fall/early winter crop.

One must never give up hope in the garden--for that is really all that keeps us gardening. (Which is why I'm going to go ahead and transplant those itty bitty leeks you see in the photo. You never know.)

And to console myself, today I will enjoy a bowl of the delicious, oh-so-easy broccoli soup I created yesterday (with storebought broccoli, of course) which will be even more flavorful today. And as I am slurping it up, I will imagine how amazing it will taste when I am able to make it with my very own harvest.

Farmgirl's Simplest Broccoli Soup
I like my soups pureed and very thick. Amounts are totally up to you, so you can easily make a thinner (or less oniony) soup if you like. Heat several Tablespoons of good olive oil in a large pot, then add lots and lots of coarsely chopped onions (I used four good-sized ones). Cook until onions are soft, stirring frequently, about 10 mintues or so. Stir in 1/4 cup of uncooked rice (this helps thicken the soup), then add about 4 cups (32 ounces) homemade chicken stock (or top quality storebought) and one large head of coarsely chopped broccoli. The soup will look too thick--it is not. Bring it all to a boil, then simmer with the lid barely cracked until broccoli is tender, about 20 minutes.

Use a blender or hand immersion blender (I am deeply in love with my KitchenAid Hand Blender) to carefully puree the soup, then cook a few more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve, topped with whatever you like (chopped fresh chives, a drizzle of olive oil, some coarsely grated pecorino romano, dollops of sour cream, a slice of cheddar cheese) or absolutely nothing at all. While devouring, feel grateful for the existence of something as wonderful as broccoli--no matter where it comes from.

From Garden To Table:
Lettuce, Lettuce, Lettuce!

Harvest For The Henhouse:
Three varieties of half dead heirloom broccoli seedlings.

Minding The Moonsigns:
Today, tomorrow, and Friday are third quarter fertile days: perfect for planting things that grow underground (like potatoes and garlic) and doing any kind of transplanting.

What's Growin' On: 4/18/06

Golden Globe Turnip Flowers

Realization Of The Day:
There is no holding pattern in the kitchen garden. If you do not harvest your bounty when it is ready, it will turn into something else (or rot). At least in this case, I traded my uneaten turnips for cheerful flowers dancing in the breeze and plenty of seeds for my next planting.

Out Of My Inbox:
Yesterday Laura Goldberg, Director Of Communications at AOL, alerted me to an AOL Research & Learn article she thought might be of interest. "It takes a look at 'green' gardening," she said. "Not the color green, necessarily - but 'green' as in environmentally sound, and 'green' as in saving money. One of the suggestions: renting goats to get rid of weeds and overgrowth." Okay, she got me with the goats.

The article, entitled "Green Yards: Go Natural And Save," discusses such things as using native plants in landscaping, mowing with solar power, incorporating Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and, yes, grooming your yard with rented goats. Plenty of helpful links, including six to "green" blogs, can help get you started. And the goat story is a riot.

But since you know I'm partial to sheep, I feel it only fair to mention the goats' competition. Obviously concerned that all the new lambs on my farm were not earning their keep (I believe her actual words were, "You can put those little guys to work!"), B'Gina at Stalking The Waiter recently told me about Wooly Weeders. Now how can you not love a company whose slogan is "Noxious Weeds Are Our Specialty?" Apparently these folks provide an "environmentally sensitive mowing service for vineyards and open lands." Hmmmm. I helped plant over 600 grapevines on the farm I lived on before I moved to this one. Perhaps I should contact the new owners and see if they'd like to rent my mowing/weeding/fertilizing woolies for a while. . .

What's Growin' On: 4/17/06

Lovely Lemon Balm In The Greenhouse

Realization Of The Day:
This is the best looking lemon balm I have ever grown. For the most part, my herbs never do nearly as well in pots as they do in the ground--which is where I have been planting (and replanting) my lemon balm for years. It often disappears over the winter. Easily started from seed, this was not such a big deal. But now that I have finally figured out the secrets (grow in pots that are overwintered in the greenhouse and fertilize with plenty of llama pellet tea) I see a bit of extra time on my hands--and some newly available space in the garden. Though I did spot one fairly good looking specimen coming to life in (what I am now referring to as) the echinacea bed today--so perhaps I am wrong, and this is just a good year for lemon balm. No matter what, the stuff in the pot looks fantastic.

A Little Bit About Lemon Balm:
According to the wonderful book, Rosemary Gladstar's Family Herbal, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a "beautiful and fragrant member of the mint family" and "one of nature's best nervine herbs. Lemon balm's leaves and flowers contain volatile oils, tannins, and bitters that have a definite relaxing, antispasmodic effoct on the stomach and nervous system. It is excellent for stomach distress and general exhaustion and can be used as a mild sedative and for insomnia. Applied topically, lemon balm has been found to be helpful for herpes. It is often made into a cream for this purpose, though I find that the tincture works as well, and the essential oil is the treatment of choice in European countries.

"Fresh lemon balm is most effective for medicinal preparations. It makes a delicious tea and can be served with lemon and honey throughout the day to alleviate stress and anxiety. For a delicious nervine tonic, blend equal amounts of lemon balm, oats, and chamomile."

Making a pot of lemon balm tea requires nothing more than picking a handful of fresh leaves and pouring boiling water over them (steep in a teapot or covered cup so the beneficial elements do not escape with the steam). I also like to toss a few leaves in with other types of tea (such as Tension Tamer by Celestial Seasonings). Lemon balm can also be easily dried. Since our high humidity most of the year often inhibits successfully drying herbs, I usually wait until the colder months to preserve my harvest. I simply put the lemon balm in a brown paper bag, seal it with a clothespin, and place it on a high shelf near the woodstove in the living room.

You can even add lemon balm to baked goods, though I have yet to try this. My favorite thing to do with it? Pinch off a few leaves, rub them between my fingers, and inhale deeply. So lemony, so calming, so lovely.

Miscellaneous Goings On In The Garden:
--Potatoes survived that last frost and are re-sprouting through the thick layer of sheep manure/shredded hay mulch I gave them.
--No sign of mache seeds sprouting in raised bed with kohlrabi. Need to clear out healthy weed crop and replant something else there.
--No sign either of Lutz Winter Keeper beets and Amish Deer Tongue lettuce companion planted in the onion plot. (Not surprising about the lettuce, as I recently realized these were the same 2004 seeds that didn't come up when I started them indoors. Despite what many authorities say, I find that lettuce seeds rarely last more than one year.) Weeds are coming up well instead. Need to decide if I want to sow other seeds or just mulch between the onion rows with grass clippings like I usually do.
--Raspberries canes are leafing out nicely. Seem to get greener by the hour.
--Did a brief dig into the thick grassy weeds looking for boysenberry life. Didn't find any yet. Think raspberries are my best bet for berries here. Well, them and. . .
--Strawberry blossoms popping up all over!
--10 San Marzano tomato plants seem happy in their new bed (that 11th one is definitely dead).
--Big pot of sage in greenhouse is about to flower (know I should pinch off blooms, but they're so pretty, and I hardly use sage anyway)
--Chive blossoms are already poking out.

Need To:
(A Partial, Ongoing, Never-Ever-Going-To-Be-Completed List):
--Start some basil seeds!
--Get to that neglected asparagus bed--and fast.

Coming Up:
--Salads For Those Who Are Short (On Time, Space, & Sunshine)
--Spring Green Garlic
--My favorite bush beans. I'll be planting my first crop of beans on the fertile days in the next first quarter (April 28th, 29th, May 2nd, 3rd, & 4th). Will you?

What's Growin' On: 4/16/06

This Photo Makes Me See Red

Realization Of The Day #2:
I have Garden Vision. When I am in my garden, what I look at and what I see are often not one in the same. Take the photo above for example. I do not see 11 itty bitty tomato plants that may or may not survive all that Mother Nature is going to throw at them. I see pounds and pounds of ruby red bounty just ripe for the plucking, plates of sliced tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and vinegar and dusted with salt, a bustling, steamy kitchen in the middle of shrinking down summer--even next winter's pizzas being slid onto a hot baking stone. But would anyone else? Who cares. I know what's coming. I know what I see. I have the vision.



San Marzano Tomato Plants Ripe For Planting
Click here to see how much they grew in just 10 days. That's the Magic Of Manure Tea, I tell you.

Time To Say Tomato:
Despite two new baby lambs and an unexpected little rainstorm yesterday (all welcome diversions), I did manage to put 11 ecstatic San Marzano tomato plants (started from seeds I saved from my best 2005 tomatoes) into a raised bed. Well, I know that I was ecstatic at least. In fact, I was so excited about just getting some tomato plants into the ground that I completely forgot about hardening them off. That's right. My spoiled seedlings went straight from greenhouse to garden. Talk about a culture shock. Ten minutes in the ground and they were already starting to wilt. Oops. At least I buried them up to their little necks--and there were only three hours left until sunset.

Quick Tomato Planting Primer:
So in a perfect garden, this is what happens. First you harden off your plants. This simply means setting them outside for progressively longer and longer periods each day (starting with only an hour or two) so that they can begin to experience the harshness of life in the great outdoors--sun, wind, rain, little bugs, big marauding dogs and cats.




When you are ready to transplant, do it on a cloudy, fertile day in the third quarter (April 19th & 20th this month). There are two schools of thought on fourth quarter gardening. Some believe that it is a bad time to do pretty much anything but weed or mulch. Others treat it the same as the third quarter. (Fertile fourth quarter days this month are April 24th and 25th). And then there are those of us who wish we'd never learned about this minding the moonsigns business because now we're completely paranoid about doing something on the wrong day. (I know, I know. I promised to explain more about it. Soon. But I'm warning you--you probably don't really want to know.) If cloudy weather is not in the forecast (yes, that's sun shining brightly on my plants in the photo), wait until late afternoon so they'll at least have all night to settle in.

As I mentioned in a previous post, you then need to put your faith in me and pinch off all but top two or three leaves of each plant.



That means that your plants are going to go from looking like this



to this. But roots will shoot out of each of the pinched parts, and this will make your little plants strong and happy.

Then you carefully place each plant into a hole in which you have sprinkled 1 teaspoon of epsom salts (NOT table salt; find it in a bag or carton in the pharmacy section). There is a scientific reason for doing this, but I don't remember what it is. I promise you it helps, though.

Water each of the seedlings very well, and cover them with something (a cloche, a floating row cover, an old bedsheet, a bucket) if overnight temperatures are expected to go below 50F. Then stand back, take a look, and see what you can see--and pray to the garden gods if you're into that sort of thing.



And remember to always keep a few replacements at the ready (because even I can see that this poor plant is exactly what it looks like--nearly dead).

Time Lapse Tulips

Taken April 2nd through April 12th






























Happy Easter!

Realization Of The Day #1 (yes, another one will be coming up later):
One little clump of tulips in the front yard can create as much joy as entire field full of them.

Note: For more pretty plant pics and plenty of delicious recipes, check out Weekend Herb Blogging #28, a tasty and informative event hosted each week at Kalyn's Kitchen.

What's Growin' On: 4/15/06

Realization Of The Day:
Sitting inside one's greenhouse during a rainstorm has a wonderfully soothing effect - even if it does mean that all of your big transplanting plans for the day have been scrapped. And the once dry laundry on the clothesline is now soaked. That's okay. Just focus on the lulling sounds of the raindrops washing all those little thoughts away. And besides, we really need the rain.

What's Growin' On: 4/14/06

Realization Of The Day:
I've had plenty of crazy thoughts over the years, but believing I'd actually killed the mint has got to be near the top of the list.

From Garden To Table:
Last night's micro mesclun salad was by no means miniscule. I carefully plucked a whopping 22 ounces of itty bitty lettuce leaves out of the raised bed plot yesterday, and you can hardly even tell. I suppose this is a good thing. (If you've never weighed baby lettuce before, I urge you to go set some on a scale right now. Twenty-two ounces is a lot of little leaves.) My dainty dinner salad was enormous. Actually, it was dinner. And so easy to prepare (well, after all the picking was done). The greens were so delicate I cleaned them by placing them in a large bowl of cold water and gently swishing them around. Drain, repeat, then dry in salad spinner. (These things are fantastic. I bought mine from Pinetree Garden Seeds several years ago for under ten dollars, and I love it).

My tender bounty (to which I added a handful of baby arugula from the greenhouse) required nothing more than a splash of the simplest olive oil/white balsamic vinaigrette and a generous sprinkling of coarsely grated pecorino romano. It was divine. And there is plenty left for a second serving tonight.

Take A Look At. . .
Kitchen Gardeners International. I recently received an email with the subject "Hi From Maine." It was from Roger at Kitchen Gardeners International, and he said:

"You might be interested in Kitchen Gardeners International, a fledgling international movement for dirt-y minded food lovers. Our goal is to get people growing and cooking some of their own food again. I’d love to have your support in whatever form that might take."

Okay, I'll admit that I was hooked before I even made it over to their site (I love the thought that I am a 'dirt-y minded food lover,') but once I read a few of the articles, I quickly signed up for their free newsletter. Here's a little bit about KGI in their own words:

MISSION:
Kitchen Gardeners International (KGI) is a new non-profit network whose mission is to celebrate home-grown, home-made foods in their many global forms and to promote their role in building a healthier, tastier, more sustainable and secure food system. In doing so, KGI seeks to connect, serve, and expand the global community of people who grow some of their own food.

BACKGROUND:
The idea for Kitchen Gardeners International was planted by a diverse group of kitchen gardeners who believe that food is central to human well-being and one of the best ways of uniting people of different countries and cultures around a common, positive agenda. It is registered as a 501(c)(3) public charity and governed by a volunteer board of directors with representatives from the United States and Europe. Our network of friends and supporters now includes over 2200 kitchen gardeners from 45 countries with new ones signing up each week.

GOALS:
--To provide a structure, virtual and real, for kitchen gardeners worldwide to: meet up with each other; share their passion for food, cooking, and organic gardening; and further their skills and knowledge in these areas;
--To introduce new generations to the joys and benefits of actively participating in one's food production and preparation;
--To inform KGI's supporters and the general public about the many ways of participating in and contributing to a sustainable food system and planet;
--To help individuals and communities, especially disadvantaged populations, to achieve higher levels of food self-reliance;
--To promote cultural exchange and international understanding via a shared love of kitchen gardening.

See what I mean? How can that not make you hungry for more? So go take a look--and be sure to tell Roger I said 'hi.'

Gardening On The Cheap

Heat Is The Bitter Enemy Of Lettuce

Our weather is unpredictable year 'round (and from each year to the next), but one thing is certain: there is always at least one heat wave in April. A few days in the upper 90s are not uncommon. With soaring temperatures (88F Wednesday, 91F yesterday) and more predicted through the week, I realized it was already time to shade the lettuce bed. Just a few days of extreme heat can transform your entire crop of lovely lettuce into bitter greens--and send it bolting skyward with nothing but seed making on its mind.

Even a little bit of shade can make a big difference--for nearly all plants. Full sun is harsh. If the thermometer reads 90F, a plant or person standing out in the sun for any period of time is going to feel much hotter than that. Even heat tolerant, sun loving plants like tomatoes and peppers can do with some time in the shade. Most plants only require 6 hours of sunlight a day. If they're getting more like 12, they can easily become stressed.

Several years ago I read about a couple who had quit their jobs at a large newspaper, moved to the country, and created a wildly successful small farm business. They sold their bounty at a farmer's market and through weekly subscriptions (conveniently to all of their former colleagues--one delivery stop and they were done). One of their most popular crops was basil, which does just fine in the heat. So when this couple spent $1,400 constructing a greenhouse solely to house their summer basil plantings, people thought they were nuts--until they saw the results. The greenhouse basil was bigger, healthier, and tastier than what they had been growing in direct sunlight.

(Soon I will be tying an inexpensive, blue plastic tarp over the top of my greenhouse to keep the interior temperature down. Click here to see a photo. I also keep the door open and back side vented. Even with the tarp on, plenty of light still reaches the plants. The raspberry canes growing on the south side also create shade and cool things down. Some people roll up the sides of their greenhouse plastic in summer so the air can flow through. Others remove it entirely and replace it with shade cloth.)

But back to the lettuce (which I do not plant in the greenhouse in spring because even now it is already too warm in there). Creating indirect light for your plants using a greenhouse, shadecloth, or by simply growing them in a partly shaded spot can make all the difference. (Just think of how well everything grows in mostly cloudly places like England and the Pacific Northwest.) Cooling down your heat hating lettuce can literally save (or extend) your crop.

You can buy fairly inexpensive rolls of weather resistant shade cloth in garden centers and nurseries or by mail order. Or you can poke around the house/garage/basement/neighbor's yard and see what you already have hanging around. Old bedsheets (check thrift stores and yard sales) offer many of uses in the garden, including as shade makers. Clip them (clothespins work) to bamboo stakes (or old broomsticks or your kids' hockey sticks or whatever you can find) stuck into the ground around your plot. Just remember to take them down if it rains.

My "shade cloth" in this photo consists of two strange curtains I found stashed in an old storage box. They still let in a fair amount of sunlight, but they also allow the rain to reach the plants so I can just leave them up all the time. And after three years out in the blazing sun, they haven't begun to disintegrate (which is a bit frightening actually). The obnoxiously bright (but easy to spot) plastic clips were purchased at a discount store on a whim and have come in very handy around the garden.

For more information about the mini greenhouse frame on this lettuce plot, please see the comments section in this previous post.

One more tip to please your plants:
Regular watering during hot days is, of course, essential--especially if you are growing in containers. Raised beds also dry out faster than regular garden beds. Supposedly by the time a plant shows signs of wilting, it is already in extreme distress.

Note: Unless you live in the Southern U.S. or other warm climate, it's not too late to get a little gourmet salad garden going. More details in the next day or two.

What's Growin' On: 4/13/06

Outside The Garden Gate The Forest Is In Bloom

Realization Of The Day:
I totally forgot to thin the lettuce plot and make a salad last night. *shakes head in disbelief*(Note to self: Waiting until the very last second to harvest your bounty so that it is at its absolute freshest is not only snobbish, but also often results in no bounty. The more humble gardener gets the goods.)

Miscellaneous:
--Just plucked the tiniest heart rock yet (1/2 inch high) out of the onion plot. It is darling.
--The Dark Lollo Rossa lettuce seeds interplanted in the onion plot have sprouted.
--The echinacea in the flower bed came up while I wasn't paying attention. There appears to be much more of it than last year. It is beautiful and I love it (and it attracts so many pollinators to the garden), but it is crowding out all of the other plants. Hmmmm. It does, however, require no maintenance and is extremely hardy. And that is good. It is obviously happy here. Decision made. It stays.
--The echinacea has jumped stone bed barrier and moved into grass (make mental note to point this out to overenthusiastic Lawnmower Man) .
--Record breaking temps yesterday. Record was 82F, now 84F (though I saw 88F in the shade on our thermometer).

What's Growin' On: 4/12/06

Petite Rouge Lettuce From Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds



Rocky Top Lettuce Mix from Baker Creek
I really need to do some thinning. . .



. . .A Lot Of Thinning

Realization Of The Day: 150% germination rate is obviously possible.

These lettuces (along with some Tom Thumb seeds from Pinetree) were direct seeded in one of my raised beds back on February 28th. They had a bit of a slow start due to the cold (and the fact that I didn't bother covering the mini greenhouse frame with plastic this year--see the comments section in this post for more on the mini greenhouses), but the main reason they are still so small is because they are simply too close together. They need to be seriously thinned, which just means pulling out some of the plants to give the others enough space to mature. Believe it or not, I did thin this plot once already.

The delicate little plants are big enough to eat--so tonight I will dine on a miniscule micro mesclun salad. But if I'd thinned these seedlings a week or two ago, there would be lots more lettuce to go around. Besides bonus baby greens, another advantage to sowing lettuce seeds so thickly is that there is no space left for pesky little weeds to pop up.

More on starting some salad greens hopefully tomorrow (to those of you who have been patiently waiting, I thank you). And the spring garlic planting info is coming up, too. If you don't have any nice heads of garlic hanging around, go out and find some. The planting days begin April 14th, and there are no excuses--you can even grow it in a pot.

Miscellaneous:
--Just spotted the first strawberry flowers (on the plants growing in the pathways around the old strawberry bed).
--I think every single onion has sprouted.
--Watered the planted raised beds today as it is 88 degrees and sunny, and everything is very dry. It was a little depressing having to water this early in the season, yet at the same I felt strangely guilty, as so many parts of the country are being deluged with unwanted rainstorms.
--Butterflies are everywhere. (Secret Tip: The easiest way to lure butterflies into the garden? Manure!)

Harvest For The Henhouse:
Thinned purple kohlrabi seedlings--slightly frostbitten but still tasty to a chicken.

What's Growin' On: 4-11-06

Now That's My Kind Of Garden Weed

Realization Of The Day:
I actually have more strawberry plants in the new bed than I previously thought. The few that survived sent out runners, and I found tiny plants hiding under the weeds. Now they are all nicely mulched with dry barn hay full of sheep manure (love that stuff--have six raised beds covered with it already), and the real count is 14 plants. They only fill about 1/3 of the bed (right now the rest has been taken over by tiny volunteer dill seedlings), so I guess I will not pinch back runners and just let them spread. That means no berries this year, but it will be worth it. I think.

Minding The Moonsigns:
(Yes I know I keep promising more information about this, and I will deliver--really.) In the meantime, some fertile 3rd quarter days are coming up: April 14th, 15th, 19th, and 20th. There aren't usually four in one cycle so we are very fortunate this month, as these are the days we all need more of this time of year. The moon will be waning (and drawing things "downward") so they are the perfect time for transplanting (seedlings into individual plugs, seedlings into garden, potted plants into larger pots, etc.) These are also the days you want to plant things that grow underground, like potatoes and garlic (but not onions--those go in the 1st quarter, and no, I don't know why). In most places, it's not too late to start a little spring garlic. More about that very soon.

What's Growin' On: 4/10/06

It's always gratifying when our efforts in the garden are clearly visible.

Realization Of The Day:
A kitchen garden is an ongoing project. It will never be "done." This means there will never, ever be a time when I am not "behind" with what I need/want/plan to do. To already feel overwhelmed and behind less than three weeks into spring is a pointless exercise in futility. Any little thing completed in the garden is an accomplishment. It means progress has been made. And that, in itself, should be enough. (Gosh, I feel better already. And to think it only took me 12 years to figure this out.)

What's Growin' On: 4/9/06

Twenty Four Degrees This Morning


Freshly Mulched & Frosted Strawberry Plants



After 90 Minutes On Automatic Defrost

Realization Of The Day:
I did not start too many tomato plants. I simply do not have enough garden space. I need more raised beds. A lot more raised beds.

--Friday I spotted two potato plants. Saturday I counted at least a dozen. This morning I found one. Seems the new little green leaves froze in the night. The plants should still be okay, though. But just in case I covered them with a thick layer of dry sheep manure/barn hay mix today rather than waiting until all of them had sprouted and were a few inches high like I usually do. Hopefully you can't overfertilize potatoes because that plot was full of really rich soil already.

--The onions are coming up, and a few of the interplanted beet seeds have sprouted. No sign yet of the lettuces.

--There are itty bitty volunteer dill plants practically covering two different beds. Yes!

--The raspberry canes on both sides of the greenhouse have awakened and are bursting to life. Lots of spreaders coming up, too. You can read more about my raspberry planting adventures here.

--The tomato seedlings in the greenhouse are just begging to be set free in the ground. And the pepper plants want out, too. Not yet! Not yet! Geez, look what happened to the potatoes.

--The few strawberry plants that survived are doing nicely. Started with 24 locally grown plants bought at the Garden Club plant sale last spring, and I guess I let the weeds choke them out or something. (Not enough sun when they were small?) Down to maybe five or six plants. I'm going to go ahead and let them spread. Cannot bear to even look at the old strawberry bed, so full of humongous clumps of fescue that took over. It was delicious while it lasted--and the spillover plants that hopped out of the bed and into the walkways have promise (unless they "accidentally" get weed whacked). Note to self: Consider placing moratorium on all weed whacking activities in the garden unless I am available to closely supervise whacker.

--Chives look fabulous. Really want to make some cheddar and chive scones (variation of this recipe).

From Garden To Table:
--Green Eggs: Fresh farm eggs scrambled with lots and lots of Swiss chard from the greenhouse and chives from the garden, sauteed mushrooms and chopped parsley (storebought) mixed in, sprinkled with Irish sharp cheddar, more chives, and topped with a dollop of organic sour cream. Good to go for several hours.

--Greenhouse Salads: green chard, yellow chard (love those deep yellow stalks), baby arugula, purple beet greens, corn salad (mache). Plus golden turnip greens from the garden.

--Latest discovery: Baby arugula mixed into the Green Eggs. Yum!

Harvest For The Henhouse:
--Luscious clover and big fat dandelion plants (roots and all) plucked from the walkways between the raised beds, last of the overwintered endive and escarole I found hidden among the weeds while clearing out that bed yesterday, gourmet micro mesclun greens (thinned out lettuce plot), golden turnip stalks and baby Spanish black radishes (more thinning).

Need To. . .
(A Partial, Ongoing, Never-Ever-Going-To-Be-Completed List):
--Cut back dead raspberry canes and try to corral the live ones into some kind of order.
--Lavish lots of attention on the neglected asparagus bed, as asparagus shoots will hopefully be presenting themselves soon.
--Thin the tiny purple kohlrabi seedlings.
--Thin the mixed lettuce plot some more (can't even tell I plucked out all those micro greens for the chickens)
--Thin the arugula lawn in the greenhouse.
--Eat the mature arugula in the greenhouse!
--Cut that giant yellow flowering thing way back before it takes over the entire flower bed.
--Transplant containers of tomato, cucumber, tomatillo, parsley, cutting celery, leeks, and three kinds of broccoli seedlings into individual plugs. (Cannot believe I am trying to grow leeks again from seed. And is it too late for broccoli already? Should I even bother? Will I ever plant broccoli at the right time again? Ever? It would be a lot less stressful each year if I despised broccoli.)
--Figure out which tomatoes and peppers are going to go where.
--Consider alternate planting locations for tomatoes--around compost bins, behind greenhouse, etc. Somewhere. Anywhere. I want my tomatoes!
--Prepare bush bean plots and decide what varieties to plant where. Consider companion planting with something this year.
--Make up big tub of manure tea now that temps have warmed up and tea won't freeze solid and crack the tub. Two gallon mini manure tea operation in greenhouse has been working very well.
--Not ignore this overwhelming list.

I Can't Live Without. . .

Manure! Meet One Of My Many Organic Fertilizer Factories

4-10-06 Update:
I've increased my empire. Click here to find out how.

What's Growin' On: 4/8/06

Potted Mint In The Greenhouse

Coming up:
From Garden To Table (what I've been eating from the garden), Harvest For The Henhouse (sometimes it seems like my crazy hens eat better than I do), miscellaneous garden notes, and something new: Need To. . . (looks like the first installment is going to be quite a list). So check back later today if you're interested.

And if you're still having trouble leaving comments on this site, I offered a few things you can try in the comments section of this Farmgirl Fare post.

Update: Despite spending a huge amount of time dealing with an unexpected and irritating distraction today, I did manage to get some work done in the garden. But now it's very late, and although the chickens enjoyed a freshly harvested supper, I have yet to eat anything myself, so it looks like all the news won't be sprouting until tomorrow.

What's Growin' On: 4/7/06

Reddish-Purple Beet 'Greens' In The Greenhouse

Even if you do not like beets (canned specimens don't count), you should still sow a few rows of beet seeds in your garden this year. Why? Well, just look at this photo. Has there been anything so gorgeous gracing your salad plate lately? I didn't think so.

Beets are not only extremely easy to grow but are also amazingly good for you. Beets from the garden are like nothing you will find in the supermarket produce aisle. And while I have been known to devour an embarrassingly large plate of freshly picked, diced beets (no need to peel them) that were slowly cooked in olive oil until caramalized, and then mixed with lots and lots of chopped garlic and cooked for a minute or two more, I mainly grow beets for their greens.

One of my favorite varieties to plant is Bull's Blood. Its roots are sweet and tasty (especially when small) and they have lovely pink rings inside. But I recently learned that this popular heirloom is actually grown primarily for its baby leaves, which are ready in as little as 35 days and are, according to my Baker's Creek Heirloom Seeds catalog, "all the rage in salads." The folks at High Mowing Organic Seeds claim that they are organic gardening pioneer "Eliot Coleman's choice for a red leaf in winter harvest salad mixes." I had no idea I was so chic. If you do plan to harvest the roots as well as the greens, be sure to thin out your young plants.

So besides what I planted in my raised beds last spring, I also sowed a short row of Bull's Blood beet seeds in the greenhouse last September. This gave them plenty of time to get a good start and provide me with lots of tender greens before the weather became too cold for them to do much growing. Then I simply left them alone while they went into a sort of hibernative state (okay, I snipped a few leaves here and there throughout the winter). They required no care except for watering, and survived when outside temperatures dipped as low as -3F protected with nothing more than floating row covers and old sheets. (Freezing temps predicted? Don't water your plants that day, as they will survive the cold much better if their soil is dry.)

Starting in early March, my faithful beets sprang into action and (helped along with a heavy side dressing of llama pellets and generous, regular watering) started growing like mad. So for very little effort, I am now being rewarded with a delightful and delicious addition to my early spring salads. And you really can't beet that.

Note: This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging #27, a deliciously informative event hosted by Kalyn's Kitchen. Food bloggers from around the world participate, and you never know what interesting new edibles you'll discover each week in the Sunday night roundup. This also fits right in with ARF/5-A-Day. Catch it every Tuesday night at Sweetnicks.

What's Growin' On: 4/6/06

Greek Oregano Overwintered In The Greenhouse Has Taken Off

Note: My apologies to those of you having problems leaving comments on this site. I just tried to leave one and it wouldn't work, and yet while I was re-entering the word verification over and over (and resisting the urge to tear my hair out), four comments were successfully left by others. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to it.

If you have just written a very long comment and don't want to lose it, but Blogger won't accept it, you can highlight it with your cursor, copy it, and then save it to your wordpad or notepad and come back and try to leave it later. I have trained myself to always copy my comments (and blog posts) before hitting Preview or Publish--I learned the hard way, having had too many comment replies that had taken a half hour to write just vanish into thin air.

You are also welcome to leave your comments at FarmgirlFare.com Or you can email me: farmgirlfare AT gmail DOT com. Hopefully Blogger will get itself straightened out soon. In the meantime, I appreciate your patience.

What's Growin' On: 4/5/06

Tomatoes & More In The Greenhouse


San Marzano Tomato Seedlings (started from my '05 seeds)



Various Tomato & Pepper Seedlings In Individual Plugs



More Than Ready For Individual Containers

The other day I finally moved the last flat of pepper and tomato seedlings from their indoor home (tucked under a standard flourescent shop light that we hung from the bottom bookshelf in my office--a super use of previously unused space, though not Doodle proof of course) into the greenhouse.

Despite nighttime temperatures that continue to dip into the 20sF, the tomato plants are doing just fine, thanks to the hastily constructed "greenhouse within a greenhouse" they've been living in, along with regular servings of their favorite elixir--diluted llama pellet tea. It's so important for seedlings in containers to receive enough fertilizer (especially if you have them growing in a soilless--meaning nutrient-less--potting medium).

I have six containers of seedlings that still need to be transplanted into individual plugs and cups. As you can see in the photos, I use either styrofoam cups (stop cringing--I've been using the same ones for 10 years) or, for smaller plants, individual plastic plugs that come in various sizes. These are a great space saver, too. About 10 years ago I mail-ordered a whole bunch of plugs and the black plastic trays they fit in. The bulk price was much, much less than buying just a few at a time. I like to stock up on things like that so I don't have to worry about purchasing them each year. Also, if you are gentle with your transplanting (even though they aren't reallyl meant to be), your plugs can be used over and over.

I write the name of the plant directly on the styrofoam cups with a black Sharpie permanent marker. For the plugs, I make tags using strips of plastic cut from yogurt and sour cream containers, usually the ones made from #5 plastic since it is not recyclable around here (another example of Gardening On The Cheap--and Recycling In The Garden). These work really well--just don't use a red Sharpie, as the writing will fade in the sun and suddenly you will have no idea what is what.

These seeds were started on March 8th and really should have been transplanted already. They are:

Lemon Cucumbers (Pinetree seeds, '06)
An 1894 heirloom that I just love. Last year I had a lemon cucumber explosion--in a good way, though it did get a little scary going out into the garden once the incredibly happy (and prolific) vines had not only taken over an entire 4'x8'bed, but the entire surrounding 4' wide walkway in all directions as well. Don't ask why I bought more seeds and didn't use some from last year's best specimens. Actually, I think there are some seeds still sitting out in the garden--maybe they'll sprout on their own.

Tomatillo Verde (Baker Creek seeds, '06)
I absolutely love cooked tomatillo salsa but haven't grown tomatillos in years--mainly due to a space shortage. I used to put up jars and jars of the stuff and then use them to make the most delicious enchiladas. Tomatillos have always done well for me in Missouri, and I'm looking forward to having them in the garden once again. (If I can locate my salsa recipe, I'll be happy to share it.)

Riesentraube Tomato (Baker Creek, '06)
This German heirloom (the name means "giant bunch of grapes") is a new tomato for me. It produces 1 ounce fruits that grow in clusters (hence the name). I was swayed by the luscious photo in the catalog and the phrases in the description: "rich, full of flavor" and "large plants produce massive yields." For $1.50, how could I resist?

Brandywine Tomato (Baker Creek, '06)
This was my "free packet with every order" packet this year. Brandywines date back to 1885 and are the most well known heirloom around. This large, pink tomato is indeed incredibly delicious, but in the past I have had problems with the fruits cracking (as happens with most varieties of very large tomatoes). Blossom end rot was a problem at times as well, though I think I have that licked (it has to do with a calcium deficiency in the soil brought about by excess rain or watering). We'll see. The seedlings look great, so I have high hopes for these.

Millionaire Tomato (Baker Creek, '06)
Another new variety for me. This 1950s, "richly flavored" variety from the Ozarks is coral pink and ought to do well here. Can't wait to see the color.

VFN (mine, '01)
I started a second batch of these seeds since the germination rate was so low the first time (not surprise since the seeds are five years old). Both batches are doing fine. This is a standard, salad type heirloom tomato that gets its name from the diseases it is resistant to: Vercillium Wilt, Fusillium Wilt, and something else I can't remember off the top of my head. Joe likes them because they look like "regular" tomatoes, size- and color-wise. I like them because they are dependable in the garden. And of course we both love the superb flavor.

As mentioned previously, I garden by the moonsigns as much as I can (I need all the help I can get), so if the weather is warm enough by then (iffy since we can get frosts well past our offical frost date of April 15th), I will start transplanting tomato plants into the garden on the fertile days in the third quarter--April 14th, 15th, 19th, and 20th. We are lucky to have quite a few fertile days this month, especially when there is so much to do in the garden. (Yes, I promise I will go into more about this soon, but in the meantime, I will let you know when the upcoming "good" days are to do things, and you can try to schedule your gardening activities around them if you so desire.)

When transplanting tomatoes into the garden, these are the two things I always do, and I know they make a difference.

1. Put one teaspoon of Epsom Salts (NOT table salt, find it in the pharmacy section) in the bottom of each tomato hole.

2. Before you plant your tomato seedling, pinch off all of the leaves except the top two or three and then bury the entire plant up to those leaves (you may have to lay it sideways in the ground--that's fine). I know, this sounds like some sort of bizarre plant (and gardener) torture, but believe me, once you get over your initial fears of realizing that you just turned your large and happy plant you have been babying for weeks into three dinky leaves, you will thank me. All those places where you pinched off the leaves will put out roots, giving your plant a strong, healthy base.

I think that's it for now. Time to head back outdoors. It's another beautiful spring day. Beyond the garden gate, the woods are filled with dogwood and redbud blooms. This really is a lovely time of year here.

Note: It is definitely not too late to start your own tomato plants from seed. The best time to start tomato, pepper, squash, and eggplant seeds are on fertile days in the second quarter--April 6th and April 12th this month. Don't miss the full moon April 13th! (But don't start your seeds that day.)

Operation Onion Complete!

Halfway Prepared Raised Bed



Yellow, White, & Red Onions Ready To Be Covered With Soil
(No reason to pull up the volunteer garlic plants.)



My faithful gardening companion wasn't quite as helpful as when we planted the garlic together last fall.

On Saturday (as planned!) I prepared and then planted one of my 4'x8' raised beds with onion sets. (For more about planting onions, click here to read my previously published article on Farmgirl Fare, "Onions In The Garden.") This bed was covered with a thick layer of sheep manure last winter which I worked into the soil with my hoe. This is some beautiful dirt, but it may be a bit too fertile--instead of large and luscious onions, I may end up with lots of greens and little bulbs. We'll see. A good lesson either way (and a good thing to make note of here--yes, the blog is working! Well, as long as I remember to follow up, LOL).

And yes, the onions are planted much too close together, but I do that every year. This time I managed to cram in all but about four or five little onions. I'll be thinning and enjoying early spring onions soon!

Usually as soon as the onion sprouts emerge, I mulch between the rows with a thick layer of grass clippings, pretty much effectively smothering all but a few easily plucked out weeds for the entire growing season. But after doing some reading on using companion plants to help block out weeds (and then writing about it as a viable option in the above mentioned article), I figured maybe I should give it a try. So after covering the onions with soil and tamping it down with my trusty hoe, I marked the five rows with bamboo stakes and then scattered four rows of seeds between the onion rows. Here's what I planted:

Standing on south side of plot looking north:

--Red Onions
--Beets, Detroit, (from Pinetree Garden Seeds '06, 63 days) left half & Bull's Blood (Baker's Creek Heirloom Seeds '05) right half
--Red, Yellow, & White Onions
--Beets, Lutz Winter Keeper (Pinetree '05, 80 days)
--White Onions
--Lettuce, Amish Deer Tongue (BC '04)
--Yellow Onions
--Lettuce, Dark Lollo Rossa (BC '04--didn't have great germination with these when started in containers so sowed thickly just to use them up)
--Yellow Onions

Using my watering can, I soaked the plot with several gallons of water. Then we had a heavy downpour Saturday night--perfect. The ground should be nice and wet.

This will be an interesting experiment. I figure the worst that will happen is that so many weeds will sprout along with the beets and lettuce that I will end up pulling them all up, feeding them to the chickens, and mulching with grass clippings as usual. But the best case scenario? Tender lettuce in a few weeks, baby beet greens not long after that, and three kinds of beets in a couple of months--all from space that usually goes unplanted.