Why you should worry about neonics

Disturbing news for people who eat.

Stick built.

What happens when you discover the shockingly high price of the wire fencing you'd planned to use to trellis your vines?  You improvise.

Cool stuff in Springfield Missouri

Last weekend we drove up through the Ozarks to visit friends in Springfield, Missouri. Even if the weather hadn't been idyllic for walking around outside, it was a relief to escape the muggy lowland humidity for awhile!

Here are a few highlights from our trip that are worth checking out if you go to Springfield…

The Springfield Botanical Gardens encompass 36 beautiful garden spaces, most of which are free! Only the Japanese strolling garden charged a small entry fee. We wandered around the historic log cabins and church, heritage garden, butterfly house, Master Gardener demonstration garden, and areas dedicated to impressive displays of hostas, roses, mini conifers, and viburnum. There are several playgrounds with creative equipment for kids to play on, and plenty of open space to run – very kid-friendly.

There was a wedding reception in the main building, otherwise we would've explored that too, but I gather that it's very environmentally friendly and expected to earn a respectable LEED rating. The Greene County Extension Service and Master Gardeners are housed here.

At the Springfield Conservation Nature Center, three miles of paved hiking trails meander through woods and wetlands. In and around the main building you can see live turkeys, fish, and insects as well as exhibits on water and forest conservation.  Also a great place to bring the kids.

And finally, the Diverging Diamond Interchange, for the infrastructure nerds among us. Apparently there's one of these in the Baltimore-Washington area, but I'd never seen one before. This type of interchange was developed in France in the 1970s to reduce traffic backups from drivers waiting to make left turns onto highway on-ramps. According to the NPR article I linked above, they are cheaper and safer than many alternatives, and I can attest that although it's unnerving to drive on the left side of the road for a spell, this particular one seems to be effective.

So there you have it:  three cool reasons to visit Springfield, Missouri.  Bon voyage!

Gardening in the Green Mountain State

This week I helped my pal JB plant a garden at his homestead in Vermont, which is currently on the market, if you or anyone you know is interested in owning a little piece of New England.  It's several acres with a three-bedroom house, garden shed, raised-bed vegetable garden, and a small orchard.

JB’s wife is a landscape designer, and it’s always fun to swap gardening ideas with these folks.  On this trip I learned about the wonders of drip irrigation (see DripWorks.com), growing potatoes in bags, and lovage.

Of the many pearls of gardening wisdom I gathered from this book, here are a few of my favorites…

• Lacewings and ladybugs are beneficial insects to have in the garden.  An adult ladybug can eat 5000 aphids in a lifetime.  (Aphids = bad)
• Example of companion planting:  put basil near tomatoes to repel the tomato hornworm.  Also, most pesky bugs hate onions and garlic, so plant them everywhere.  Marigolds repel lots of bad bugs too.
• Top-dress garden beds with ½” of compost to ensure a steady flow of nutrients and to inhibit plant diseases.
• Brushing small tomato plants gently (to emulate wind) will encourage them to grow short and strong.

Permaculture: Herb Spirals

I've been seeing herb spirals in lots of demonstration gardens lately, so of course I had to try building one for myself this summer.

The basic idea is to put more drought-tolerant herbs at the center to keep them high and dry, then spiral downward to the plants that need more moisture. The varying sunlight, moisture, and soil conditions along the spiral can effectively create separate microclimates designed to suit a variety of herb plants that ordinarily wouldn't grow well together.


Here's how I built mine...

When building any new raised-bed type garden, you'll want to put down newspaper or cardboard to keep the weeds down. I used bricks secured with sticks as vertical reinforcement, but I've seen others use stones or concrete masonry blocks. Be creative!  A quick search for "herb spiral" on Pinterest could keep you entertained for hours. 

Next I put down a bed of rosemary bush trimmings, followed by some pecan leaf compost, then topped it with garden soil.

Most of the herbs I planted as seedlings for instant gratification, but I planted a few as seeds also. From the top down:

1. Cilantro
2. Borage
3. Thyme
4. Sage
5. Basil
6. Parsley
7. Chives
8. Lettuce

The finished product!
 

Fun fact: the Maori people of New Zealand use the spiral shape as a symbol of creation or new beginnings. The koru is reminiscent of the way fiddlehead ferns unfurl.

 

References:

http://campuscropsmcgill.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-bit-of-permaculture-build-your-own.html

http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/herb-spiral-zm0z11zhun.aspx

http://themicrogardener.com/4-step-guide-to-building-a-herb-spiral/


 

How the garden grows

“Odd as I am sure it will appear to some, I can think of no better form of personal involvement in the cure of the environment than that of gardening. A person who is growing a garden, if he is growing it organically, is improving a piece of the world. He is producing something to eat, which makes him somewhat independent of the grocery business, but he is also enlarging, for himself, the meaning of food and the pleasure of eating.”
― Wendell Berry, The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays 



Here's what we planted in the big garden...

Corn:  Stowell's Evergreen sweet
Okra:  Star of David
Peas:  Serge
Tomato:  Early Girl, Roma (seedlings)
Sweet pepper:  Alma Paprika, Golden Wonder (green, yellow, red), Pimento
Hot pepper:  Ascent hybrid, Jalapeno, Long Red Slim Cayenne, Tabasco, Habanero
Bush bean:  Tiger's Eye (shelling)
Cucumber: McPick hybrid
Summer squash:  Astia zucchini, Grey Griller
Winter squash:  Hunter hybrid butternut
Melon:  Minnesota Midget canteloupe, Honey Ace hybrid honeydew, Sugar Baby watermelon

Most of these are seeds we ordered from Territorial Seed online.

We'd also ordered seeds for Heinz and Koralik Cherry tomato, but since we got off to a late start with planting, we started some in seedling pots and filled in the rows with seedlings from the local nursery.

In the smaller front garden we used up my leftover seeds from last year, plus a few eggplant and cherry tomato seedlings...

Arugula, basil, chard, garlic, kale, lettuce, onions, parsley, spinach
Beans (bush and pole), cherry tomato, cucumber, eggplant, zucchini
Cardinal climber vine, cosmos, four o'clocks, marigold, pink amaranth, sunflower, sweet pea, zinnia

It's probably too late for the early-spring crops like peas and lettuce, but since the seeds were old we figured best to use them up now.

May in the garden: a time to sow

Planting time:  this year black weedblock covers the newspaper-laden pathways.  Also experimenting with floating row cover over the greens.

Misc seedlings hardening off and containers on the deck, plus the first strawberry of the year!

Garden flair

This year's garden flair:  Little Jerry Seinfeld, Jerome the Gnome, and Mary the protector of potatoes.

Gardening in the cruellest month

April really is the cruellest month to a gardener:  teasing us with more sun, but still cold temperatures.  Time to till the beds, plant some root vegetables, and watch the baby garlic come up.

Bleak midwinter gardening

February and March in the garden:  a little snow and a lot of daydreaming over seed catalogs.  This year I bought a seed-starter tray to fit the Aerogarden.  Tomatoes and snapdragons took to it well, but the eggplant not so much.

And then... crocus!

January in the garden

Winter in Maryland is a good time to get your hardscaping done:  last year it was the retaining wall.  This year it was a new path and a trashcan pad.

Jerome the Gnome for scale.

An ode to eggplant

The end of summer brings tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant... and sometimes all at the same time!  Tonight I cooked up the very last zucchini and picked a few of the tomatoes brave enough to survive the increasingly chilly nights.  But most importantly:  the eggplants are getting their second wind.  Here are my latest favorite eggplant recipes, starting with the amazing pasta concoction Ansu posted this week...

Best eggplant sauce to hit pasta.  Ever.  And this blogger's writeup is really entertaining, too.
http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2010/06/francis-lams-letmyeggplantgo-free-spaghetti.html

A delicious garlicky Melitzanosalata.  Thanks Julie and Laura!
http://salmonandsouvlaki.wordpress.com/2012/09/12/my-new-favorite-way-to-eat-eggplant/

My old standby ratatouille recipe from Simply in Season is tasty, but only earns an honorable mention next to these beauties.

Cherry tomatoes: roasted

Is your August garden all red?  Try roasting the little guys like this:
http://www.simplebites.net/slow-roasted-cherry-tomatoes-a-simple-summer-appetizer/

Guerilla Gardening: Holes of Happiness

Today's moment of zen:  this guerilla gardener creates tiny aesthetic interventions in London potholes.  Happy weekend, everyone!

www.thepotholegardener.com

Garlic goodness

Tis the season for planting garlic!  My CSA has been sending giant cloves from a mysterious hardneck variety that I'd love to plant in my garden... if I hadn't already eaten them all.

What you need to know about growing garlic in Maryland:
http://growit.umd.edu/VegetableProfiles/Garlic.cfm
or anywhere:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/grow-it/how-to-plant-garlic.aspx

How to plant it in containers:
http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/how-to-plant-garlic-in-containers-158494

One good recipe to put it in:
Fresh tomato soup, from Simply In Season

8 medium tomatoes, peeled/seeded/chopped
4+ cloves garlic, minced

Combine in saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until tomatoes are soft.

3 cups water or vegetable juice
2 chicken or veg bouillon cubes
1 tsp sugar
2 sprigs fresh basil, chopped

Add, bring to boil, simmer 5 minutes and serve.

(photo credit http://www.cooksgarden.com/vegetables/garlic/garlic-extra-select-prod000217.html?catId=2022&trail=)

Learn about sustainable agriculture from Heifer International

More on sustainable food & farming from Heifer.org:

You can join a group interactive program on sustainable farming and development at one of their farms in the USA, or join an international study tour.

The farm closest to Baltimore is in Sharpsburg, MD:

Heifer global village at Shepherd's Spring
www.heifer.org/shepherd

Another farm with a food course:
Overlook Farm in Rutland, Mass www.heifer.org/overlook  
Harvest Time:  Immerse yourself in this course on food systems, sustainable agriculture and self-reliance techniques.
October 9-12 (co-ed) or 13-16 (women only)


And here are some books on the topic of preserving produce...

Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Complete-Book-Home-Preserving/dp/0778801314/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309873375&sr=8-1

Canning for a New Generation... http://www.amazon.com/Canning-New-Generation-Flavors-Modern/dp/1584798645/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1309873395&sr=1-1

The Complete Book of Pickling http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Pickling-Relishes-Chutneys/dp/0778802167/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309873419&sr=1-1

Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It... http://www.amazon.com/Jam-Pickle-Cure-Cooking-Projects/dp/1580089585/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309873440&sr=1-1

Wild Fermentation... http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Fermentation-Flavor-Nutrition-Live-Culture/dp/1931498237/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309873458&sr=1-1

Invasivore: if you can't beat 'em, eat 'em

Recently featured in Heifer International magazine (see Heifer.org):

Invasivore:  a website dedicated to eradicating invasive species by eating them.

Of course, the reality is more complicated than “if you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em!” and this blog will explore the many dimensions of this issue in ways we hope will surprise you- and your taste buds. Our organizing principle is the knowledge –courage even- to harvest, prepare and consume invasive species. It is this awareness we think will lead to decreasing the impacts of invasive species by preventing new introductions, reducing spread, and encouraging informed management policies.


Check out the website for recipes, maps, and links to more information about invasive species around the world.


http://invasivore.org/

Baltimore County Master Gardeners classes

Mondays in March, come learn from the Master Gardeners about edible gardens, food preservation, native trees, and other landscaping tips!  Classes are $15 each of $50 for the series. 

Registration info at this link:
http://bcmastergardeners.weebly.com/spring-lecture-series.html

Garden update

The usual July jungle season is passing in our garden.  Sunflowers are dying off (aided by the nibbling squirrels) and the tomatoes are hitting full force.  Anybody want some cherry tomatoes??

We planted some extra basil last month, and it's coming in handy to accompany all those cherry tomatoes in salads.  Still got plenty of rainbow chard and kale in the shadow of the fence, but ripped out the red sail lettuce last month when it bolted and got slimy around the edges.  This type of lettuce is very soft and succumbs to slime quickly:  will not plant that one next year.  I just read an article in an old issue of House and Garden mag that profiled different lettuce varieties:  recognized mache from one of my favorite dishes at Miss Shirley's in Roland Park... that's what I'll plant next year!

My okra experiment is going well.  Over the past few weeks, the two okra plants have grown about a foot, and are now producing huge pods that curl like elf shoes.  Note it's better to pick them when they're less than 4" or so:  more tender and tasty when small.

The eggplant and pepper plants have also shot up, but no fruits yet to be seen.  Got jalapeno peppers but no bells, not sure why.  Overshadowed by the giant flowers nearby, perhaps?  I planted an extra pepper, testing the old Italian school of thought that peppers like to be "so close that their roots touch," but this doesn't seem to have helped.

I thought it would be another sad cucumber year, but boy was I wrong!  Apparently they just needed some loftier architecture to climb:  a four-foot-tall black obelisk in the middle of the garden is proving much better than last year's fence-mounted trellis.  The surrounding marigolds might be helping too, who knows.  Picked up some back issues of Mother Earth magazine last month, one of which contained an article that suggested companion planting isn't so much based in science as in folklore.  I guess it doesn't matter what it's based in as long as it works!

Also growing brussel sprouts and pole beans, which aren't doing much yet, unlike the crabgrass and clover weeds that keep popping up.  A gardener's work is never done.

So it's time to start thinking about fall plantings:  lettuce, peas, maybe some squash and garlic?  What I thought was a zucchini plant turned out to be a pumpkin, so we have one big orange gourd to show for the 20-foot vine that wound its way through everything for a few months there.  Wish it had been a zucchini instead.

Drafts from the archives...

Wow, long time no blog!  I've been traveling so much this summer there hasn't been much time to write.  Just in case anybody is still reading this, I give you a spring cleaning of my previously unpublished blog post archives for now...

How to build an insulating attic stair box (January 2010)
Spring green events to watch for every year (April 2010)
Garden updates (May 2010)
Locavore dining in Baltimore (May 2010)