G is for Gardens: The Long Winter is Over! (I Think)

It was such a pleasure to sink one's hands into the warm earth,
to feel at one's fingertips the possibilities of the new season.

~ Kate Morton, The Forgotten Garden

Back in January, I began the One Page a Day Challenge and immediately threw away my quill.  Now in April, I’m participating in the A to Z Blogging Challenge and prepping for a Wilderness Writers’ Retreat.  I need ink, a stiff drink and therapy.

I

f gardening is art, then my canvas is in desperate need of new paints and brushstrokes. 

Contrary to what you may think, I don’t resent the long winter we've had, I really don’t!  

First of all, I look forward to the coming humidity and high temperatures as much as I looked forward to having my wisdom teeth yanked out of my jaws.

But now my farmer/gardener fingers are getting itchy.  

To play in the dirt.  To plant some seeds.  To enjoy the peace and tranquility that comes from the caress of delicious black soil over bare feet and work-stained hands.  To feel a light, warm spring breeze.  To listen and coo to the birds that dance and sing around the bird bath.

To grow my own herbs, vegetables, and fruit and eat with the seasons.

G is for Gardens

The only other activity that gives me greater joy than playing in the dirt of my garden is writing.  So I garden and then write about it.  I write in my garden, beside it, looking down from my home office at it.

Best of both worlds.

Sunday, I planted the first seeds: the Calendula flower.  Which to my surprise, is also known as the common marigold, or pot marigold. Wiki says 

Image credit: Wikipedia

Pot marigold florets are considered edible. They are often used to add color to salads, or added to dishes as a garnish and in lieu of saffron. The leaves are edible but are often not palatable. They have a history of use as a potherb and in salads.

Flowers were used in ancient Greek, Roman, Middle Eastern and Indian cultures as a medicinal herb as well as a dye for fabrics, foods and cosmetics.^[3] Many of these uses persist today. They are also used to make oil that protects the skin.

So I did some more digging. (See what I did there?) And found out that the marigolds I planted last year and that saved copious seeds from are known as French marigolds:

Image credit: Wikipedia

Used mainly as an edging plant on herbaceous borders, it is a low-growing plant with flowers of blended red and yellow in most varieties. French marigolds are commonly planted in butterfly gardens as a nectar source.

Medicinally, many cultures use infusions from dried leaves or florets

Note the difference: Calendula is edible; the French marigold apparently is not.  Maybe I should make a sign for my garden that says that.

How Green Does Your Garden Grow?

I do blame Old Man Winter for preventing me from planting my precious Sugar Snaps.  I may still try to plant some anyway for the sweet pea shoots ~ they make a delicious salad.

Speaking of salad, I have already planned out my greens for the year.  They don’t all start with G…actually, none of them do, but they are all greens:

Argula ~ last year, this took off like a doped up runner.  The package says to resow throughout the season, but I never had to.  I would cut some leaves for dinner, and almost the next day, a new batch would spring up.

Collards ~ no self-respecting Southern garden would go without growing collards.  Granted, we almost make it nutritionally neutral by cooking them in bacon fat.  Still awesome.  And still counts as a green.  That is all.

Endive ~ have never planted this, so we’ll see what comes up. Literally.

Kale ~ I love kale.  That is all.  I planted some last year and it never sprouted.  So will try again this year.

Spinach ~ Dad loved Popeye and would always remind us kids that we needed to eat our spinach to grow strong like Popeye.  And then he would flex his bicep (which actually was impressive) and we would roll our eyes and say we didn’t want muscles like that.  Today, I love spinach ~ it’s full of calcium and protein.  Especially good for those of us who are dairy intolerant.

Watercress ~ I’m still searching for seeds for this.  It used to grow wild in the cow pasture out back, but I haven’t seen it lately.  Makes great tea sandwiches.

The great thing about most greens, they like cooler weather.  So when that last frost shows up in May (you think I’m kidding ~ this is Virginia, people!), I won’t have to worry too much.

Oremus pro invicem,

~ Mikaela

What greens are you planting?  What are you favorite greens to eat?  If you would like some French marigold seeds (organic and non-GMO), comment below and then email me your mailing address.

La Belle's Hobby Farm: The Season of Squash

Winter squashes are the forgotten vegetables. 
Almost no vegetable is as easy to grow or keep. 
With fertile soil, full sun and ample water, vines take off.  
And after plants become established, they're so carefree,
it's easy to forget them until fall when their rediscovery makes the harvest that much sweeter.

~ Andy Tomolonis

I

t is almost frightening how quickly the days are growing shorter.  Next week it will be October already.  Where has September gone?

Perhaps there are gardeners who view the encroaching chill of Autumn with a wary and resentful eye.  But I find it a peaceful and bountiful time. 

It is the season when apples ripen and literally fling themselves at our feet.  It is the season when spinach, kale, and lettuce come into their own, the cooler temperatures being more to their liking.  It is the season when the earth begins to make preparations for a much deserved winter nap.   



photo credit: V.J. Matthew, 123rf.com



It is the season of squash.

Alas, although I harbor a grand passion for cucurbita pepo, especially the small ones known as sugar pumpkins, I failed to plant my seeds on time.  So this year I will have to rely on more schedule-conscious farmers for my jack-o-lanterns, pie punkins, and gaily decorative gourds.

In addition to my wee tommy toes harvest, I will be “putting by” the last of the long summer harvest: tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and beans.  This will entail a trip to the farmers’ market early on Saturday morning. As half extrovert, I love people, but can’t stand crowds.  I prefer to stroll through the tents and chat with the farmers about their crops, their lives, some even share their dreams.  It’s also a great way to learn about farming: when is the right time to plant, which crops like how much shade or sun, how much acreage do goats really eat, how long does it take for things to ripen.

Whether I’m crazy for wanting to grow my own food.

The answer to that last is a definite “no”, but at least after my first summer of trying my hand at it, I know what not to do next spring.  And that leads to the best part of autumn and the winter months looming just ahead: walking a more subdued landscape, planning out the new beds, and pouring over seed catalogs.

So that next year, I can grow my very own Great Pumpkin.

Oremus pro invicem,

~ Mikaela

All this talk of squash makes me very hungry.  Friday: autumnal recipes!

La Belle's Hobby Farm: Raised Beds Suck!

Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration. 

~ Lou Erickson

R

aised garden beds are a pain in the dupa! Week Six of La Belle’s Hobby Farm Project.  All is not going well.  In fact, it is not going at all! 

I hate raised garden beds.

And smug lumber jockeys who try to sell you treated wood for said raised garden beds.

And 3 inch screws that claim they don’t need pre-drilled holes. Liars.

And lumber that won’t lay flat on the ground while you try to screw them together.

I hate them all!!

But I have 48 baby tomatoes that need a permanent place to lay their green heads.  So now I’m scouting around looking for the best home (lots o’ sun!) for these little guys, and then it’s off to find an inexpensive, used rototiller.

I know!

All the research says raised beds.  You hand till, and leave the worms intact to do the heavy lifting of aerating the soil.

But honey, do you know how much dirt I would have to buy in order to fill up a raised bed?  Whoever came up with dirt cheap has never shopped at the local nursery or Lowe’s for organic dirt for a raised bed.

Plus, the soil already there is rich and ready to support and sustain my precious plants.  So I can get away with just adding compost, etc and not worry about pricey organic dirt.

So the raised beds are out, gardening the old-fashioned way is in.

Well, not completely old-fashioned: it’s not feasible or possible for me to hook an ox up to a plow and turn up dirt.  If you know of a greener way to plow a field, email me or share in the comments!

In another news, the three basil plants are surviving; I pinched their little purple flowers off.  This ensures they reach their full potential, both in flavor and production.  For more about growing herbs, visit Margaret Roach’s A Way to Garden – Herb Q&A.  She highlights some wonderful herb-growing advice from her friend Marie Rose Nichols McGee.  As I’ve mentioned before, Margaret’s blog is my second go-to site for gardening advice ~ second only to Mother Earth News!

I have Friday off, so wish me luck on my rototiller buying adventure!

Oremus pro invicem,

~ Mikaela

Ever start a project and then quit out of frustration?  Maybe you decided on a work-around instead.  Share your experience with me and my readers!