Garden Friday

Welcome back to Garden Friday.

This week has ushered in warmer temperatures

and very little rain.

We have quite a few things going on in the garden.

 Last year, I purchased sweet potato slips from our local hardware store,

but this year, I'm trying to grow my own.

I bought some organic sweet potatoes from the grocery,

and have them sitting in water in the jaccuzzi tub we never use.

I will look for better vessels, but this is what I had on hand.

 It was so exciting when the leek I ordered from Sow True came in the mail.

These are the lancelot variety and I decided that since I got 25,

I would try a little experiment.

 Last year, I grew them from seed in one of these taller blue bins.

That worked out pretty well,

but I recently learned about a new way to try.

  I refreshed the soil in this bin with compost to ready it for planting.

Everything was mixed on this tarp

to ensure that nothing got wasted.

 The first batch were planted in the conventional manner,

making sure to keep some room at the top of the container

so that additional soil can be added.

This is called "banking" or "hilling".

 In the large hugelkultur bed,

I scratched in some compost the same way.

 Using an old toothbrush, I measured about 3 inches on the handle

and used it to make my hole.

 With a rocking motion,

I moved the toothbrush back and forth 

until I got my v-shaped furrow.

Then the leeks went in

and no soil was placed into the hole.

They were watered in well and left just like that.

This method requires no banking,

as the end of the seedling is supposed to fill up the hole. 

You can read more about this method here.

 It'll be fun to see if there is much of a difference.

 This week I had the opportunity to volunteer with our local Extension

to distribute plants to folks who had ordered them.

This is a fundraiser and a great time to get good deals on crops.

We had available apple and fig trees, blueberry, raspberry, 

elderberry and blackberry bushes, and kiwi plants.

It was wonderful to spend some time with a fellow Master Gardener

and encourage all of those coming in for their orders.

  

This year we are adding a few berries to our landscape.

I picked up 3 different varieties of blueberries.

These are known to bear the first year,

so I am looking forward to a freezer full of blueberries!

Of course, that's not counting those eaten fresh!

A hole was dug so that the top of the soil in the pot

was even with the surrounding soil 

(don't ya just love all that clay?).

I added a bit of compost to the hole 

before placing the bush down.

Then the hole was refilled and I used the excess soil

to make a retention area around the entire plant.

This will hopefully ensure that the water does not just run off.

 Two raspberry plants were added to the mix,

although they were planted elsewhere, away from the garden.

The same procedure was followed,

and we are hoping for some homegrown organic berries this summer!

While working on the placement of the bushes,

I discovered what I think is the lid to our septic tank.

There is a HUGE loropetalum planted right next to it.

(And a few monster azaleas that refuse to be dug up.)

Not sure what folks are thinking sometimes,

when these things get planted.

Until I hear otherwise,

it's gonna stay right where it is.

These feed sacks had done their job killing grass in another part of the yard,

so they will be added underneath the arches to do the same job.

 I'm hoping to do some direct sowing this weekend,

so that I can add to the dismal display of leftover lettuce 

and chard in the hugelkultur bed.

It will be fun to use the companion planting method

and see how everyone gets along!

Wouldya just look at this cute pup?

His names' Roscoe and he followed me home one day when I was out for my morning walk.

He was so sweet and gentle, and so well behaved!

His owner came to collect him a few hours later,

but it sure was nice having him come to visit for a while.

Spring is next week,

is your garden ready?

Wordless Wednesday

Let's Make a Plan

 This week's forecast calls for highs in the 60's here,
ALL WEEK LONG!
I can finally get some garden chores completed
without the threat of rain or frigid temperatures.
One thing I've been working on is my spring garden plan.

2018 cucumbers

 One of the tools I've used in the past 
has been the free online planner offered by
Gardener's Supply Company.
You can find the tool here.
It's a great way to get started,
especially if you've never planned a garden.
I find it so helpful to be able to place the crops in the boxes,
and then tweak it as necessary.

Here's a preliminary plan for our hugelkultur bed.
You can vary the size of the beds easily
and there is a large list of popular plants from which to choose.

 This season, my focus will be on companion planting.
There is so much information on this topic,
and I thought it would be worth a try.
Recently, I've been reading books that covered the subject.
The best by far was Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte.
She offers simple explanations why certain veggies just love sharing space.

She also features a list of which plants don't really get along.
Instead of haphazardly planting what you have space for,
the idea is that by paying attention to which crops are neighbors,
the result will be better crop production and food quality.
It's worth a shot! 

2018 Yukon Gold potatoes

This year when I get my Yukon Gold potatoes started,
I will be adding bush bean, cabbage or nasturtiums to the outside of the wire hoops.
This will allow for the companion plant on the outside
to shade the potato foliage as it grows out of the hoops,
thus saving me from having to buy straw 
or bank the potato plants with additional soil. 
You can see how we created the potato cages here.

For folks who grow in rows, 
there is even a set of diagrams that suggest
how to place your companion plants.
It really doesn't get much easier than that!
For those of us who grow in raised beds or raised rows,
the principal is still easy to follow.

 Here's a rough sketch of the garden as it presently stands.
The structural parts are laid out,
and I can fill in what will go where as the season heats up.
For instance, I already know that I want runner beans to grow on the arches,
followed by melons later on in the season.
And presently in the two 4 X 4 raised beds, 
I have garlic and shallots growing,
which will have to remain there for a while longer.
There is still room in those smaller beds to add some companion plants around the perimeter,
like beets, carrots, kale, or spinach.
Not only is it beneficial for the established crop,
it will make the bed look so interesting with all of the varied colors, shapes, and textures.
The bonus is that it may confuse the bugs.

A master list of planting times for different veggies
(I only listed the ones I plan to grow),
makes the planning so much easier.
In March here in the Piedmont,
we can sow beets, carrots, kale, lettuce, and spinach.
So I will simply fill in any bare spots in those 4 X 4 beds
with one of these things I was planning on growing anyway.
Then I can fill in some of the other growing areas
with more of the same goodies.
It seems to be a more efficient use of space
and I'm hoping it will help with insect control.

It sure feels like spring,
but I know that Mother Nature is in charge.
Let's hope she's not feeling mischievous!

Garden Friday

It's Garden Friday!
This lil' guy has been frequenting the suet feeders recently.
What a treat to watch all of the various aviary friends that stop by.
They have been devouring our homemade suet every chance they get.
We are happy to provide some extra nourishment for them during the wintertime.

Earlier in the week,
we showed you the winter scenery at Popple Springs Farm.
One of the treasures I brought home was this praying mantis cocoon.
Jannah found some of these fascinating abodes 
while doing some early spring chores in the garden.
Being the generous soul that she is,
she offered to let me bring one home.
I hope I get to watch the big reveal!

Two of the four arches have been erected on the NE side of the veggie garden.
The plan is to grow runner beans all across
and later on, maybe melons.
The fence posts were fairly easy to get into the ground,
which was a total surprise.
Thanks to a fellow gardener and friend,
I was able to borrow the t-post driver to make it happen.
Most likely cardboard will be added to the ground here
so that there will be no grass to maintain.
I'm so glad that this project is almost complete
(I need to buy two cattle panels for the other end).
The structure of the garden is changing in a good way.

Talk about excited!
The peas are up!  The peas are up!
It took a full two weeks,
but they starting popping up in the hugelkultur bed
and I couldn't be happier about it.
There is not much that makes my tummy more blissful
than eating these sweet-as-candy sugar snap peas.

loose leaf lettuce mix

Remarkably, the lettuce that was planted last fall
is starting to do something.
I've been sampling some of the varieties, expecting bitterness,
and have been pleasantly surprised.

Look at those carrots peeking out of the dirt.

This winter was kind of wet and wild.

It sure didn't go the way I expected it to,

but I guess there's a lesson in that.

Every year, every season is different.

The only thing you can do is to

throw more seed at it.

Next week I hope to share 

the garden plan,

which includes companion planting.

"Don't judge each day

by the harvest you reap,

but by the seeds that you plant."

~Robert Louis Stevenson

Mo Veg

It's been a goal of mine to increase my intake of vegetables.
I'm not a true vegetarian, as I eat fish occasionally,
but the bulk of my diet is plant-based.
Here are some quick and simple ways to increase
your daily dose of the good stuff.

One of the easiest ways to enjoy veg

(especially in the winter),

 is to cut them into pieces and roast them.

Here is a combination of onions, carrots, zucchini and sweet potatoes,

liberally coated with olive oil, salt and Italian herbs.

The parchment-lined sheet pan goes into a 375 degree oven

for 20 minutes, then gets turned and cooked for another 10-20 minutes.

The finished product can be added to stews, soups,

or savored as a side dish with any meal.

You'd be amazed at how sweet they taste!

I roasted a half of a red cabbage this same way,
and it was so delicious!
(Any combination of veg can be substituted.)
 
The other half was simply sliced to add to salads.
That crunch is so satisfying,
 and better for you than croutons! 

Using a food processor takes the effort out of shredding veggies.
In just a few seconds, I had more than enough carrots and zucchini shredded
to add to my morning glory muffin recipe.

The rest was dressed simply with homemade honey mustard dressing
and eaten as a side salad with lunch or supper.

Kale is one of my absolute favorite things to eat.
Up until a few years ago, I had never tried it.
It's a regular staple in my daily salads now.
Another way to enjoy this tasty green is to make chips.
I have to admit, I haven't been too successful at this yet,
my chips never seem to get as crisp as I'd like.
It doesn't stop me from eating what comes out of the oven though!



I do often make steak fries out of white potatoes,
and sweet potato fries, both baked instead of fried.
Who can resist a yummy tater?



Acorn squash is another wintertime selection.
It's easy enough just to roast it in the oven with 
some olive oil, salt, cinnamon and a sprinkling of honey or maple syrup.
I have a hard time not eating the whole bowl.




And nothing beats a hot bowl of homemade soup
on a cold or rainy day.
It's as simple as throwing a bunch of chunked veggies
and some select spices into your crockpot with water or broth
and letting it cook on low for 6-8 hours.
By suppertime, you've got a savory and healthy meal. 

Feel free to check out all of the veggie recipes,
which can be found under the header.
We have "allergy-friendly" for those who have limited diets,
and "scratch recipes", including a sampling of vegetarian and vegan options.

Make some extra veggies this weekend
and see what happens!