August Happenings

August is usually the time when I begin to peter out.
It's been a hot summer!
I have used the sprinkler more days than not and I closed my eyes as I opened last month's water bill.
This past week there were a few days where the humidity dropped and I jumped at the chance to regain my stamina and catch up on what I have let go in the garden.
Some weeding, pruning, edging and pulling out to make room for new plants soon gave my garden a new cleaned up look.
Let's go on a little tour shall we?

We only have 3 Bartlet pears this year but they are large and beautiful. They look so pretty there hanging on the tree. Every day I keep my fingers crossed as I walk out into the garden that they will still be there. It's a dual between me and the squirrels.

If Black Eyed Susans were edible we would have enough food for the winter. They seem to take over in my garden and I find myself digging up large clumps of them at this time of year to give away. We do enjoy the gold finches and chickadees that feast on them and I would love to experiment with using them to make dye.
 
After digging up the Susans as well as a few other plants I made a list of new plants to fill in the gaps. This is the time of year that local nurseries are trying to clear out.  Over the next few weeks I plan to try to find some good deals.
   
The front garden is taking off. The full sun has given us huge stems of swiss chard and baskets of tomatoes. I still need to fill in with perennial herbs. I will be keeping my eye out for them at the nursery as well.
   
The mint totally took over on top of the rabbit hutch. I pulled it out and dried a bunch to make tea. There is still plenty growing in other areas of my garden to use fresh.
   
We canned San Marzano tomatoes this week (some from the farm and some from our front garden).
It was just the beginning of our preserving. I am looking for a chest freezer. We can't keep up with all of the kale and swiss chard we have growing and I would love to chop it up and freeze for the winter months.

What's happening in your garden this August?

Chipping Away

Things are a bit slow going up front.
It has however improved and I am chipping away at it. Which is better than not chipping at all right?

I made that promise and I am keeping to it, even if it is at snail's pace.

So here is what I have been working on...

:: I dug up everything from the front and leveled out the slope.

:: Since a rock wall is not in our budget right now I settled for a holly hedge at the bottom of the slope. Once the roots settle in I am hoping the shrubs will act as the anchor. I will have to prune it over  time so it doesn't grow too tall but I think I am going to like having a bit of evergreen in the winter months.

:: I salvaged some bricks and made a low wall to separate the top from the slope. I like the effect and I plan to plant succulents along it.

:: I have transplanted several perrenials from other places of my property to the front to help fill things in a bit.

:: It is amazing how full sun can make such a difference in the size of a plant especially veggies. Swiss chard has never been so big or happy on my property. The few that I planted are loving it up front as well as the tomatoes.

Still to do list:

:: I plan to fill in with lots of herbs such as sage, lavender and grey santolina.

:: The soil is pretty compacted and clay based. I plant to apply a good amount of compost and leaf mulch this fall.

:: Replace a concrete walkway to the front door with a stone pathway. 


Until I can purchase some more things I water, I weed and I envision.

Patience truly is a gardener's best friend.

herbs

 I know it may seem a bit silly but even though my garden is right outside my back door I find myself not using herbs to their fullest potential.

This week I found myself picking from a jar of fresh mint (left over from the mojitos) and adding it to dishes I normally wouldn't. 

It got me thinking that maybe if I had several jars with fresh clipped herbs out at hands reach that maybe I would be a little more creative and use them more.

I clipped dill, more mint, anise hyssop, thyme, oregano, sage and flat leaf parsley.

I added the dill to a beet, cucumber goat cheese salad, the mint to jars of ginger iced tea (it's been really hot here!), the parsley to an adzuki bean and quinoa salad and I used the oregano and thyme to make some Zaatar.

Having them out on the window sill had me using them so much more and they are all so pretty as their own little bouquets.

What herbs are you loving these days?

the mojito

we are up to our ears in mint over here. it's growing along the side walk and on top of the bunny hutch. and there is lots of it! i have plans to dry a bunch of it soon for tea to give away as a christmas gift this year. but for now we are enjoying it fresh on top of fruit and ice cream, in popsicles and with the heat that has just hit us, in ice cold drinks.



we are having a porch party tomorrow night and i think mojitos are in order.
the perfect summertime drink.
i even like them without the rum. you can't go wrong with fresh mint, lime and sugar.
and muddling is so fun.

the mojito

12 mint leaves
1 lime
2 teaspoons sugar
2 ounces white rum
2 ounces club soda or seltzer
crushed ice

put mint leaves in tall glass and squeeze lime juice over them.
add the sugar and muddle the mint, lime juice and sugar together.
add crushed ice.
stir in the rum and top off with club soda or seltzer.
add mint garnish.
sip!

happy summertime friends!

gardening tools and essentials

i thought it might be fun to share with you a few of my favorite gardening tools and essentials that i can't live without.

 i don't have many but i like it that way.
 just a few simple pieces that i use almost every day. 


:: when gardening i like my feet to stay clean and dry. 
my gardening clogs are durable and super comfortable.
i've had these for many years and although they are a bit dirty they still seem brand new.

:: the basket scoop is one i found while thrifting. it's perfect for cleaning up piles of yard debris.



:: i admit, i'm not a fan of sunscreen but i do love a good sunhat.
this one is comfortable with a rim that gives just the right coverage.
and the chin strap is perfect for windy days.



:: twine is my favorite thing to stock up on at the hardware store. i can never have enough.
 i use it for so many things but especially in the garden for trellising and tying up plants.

:: i love my little brass sprinkler that's easy to screw on to the end of a hose. for something so small it does a good job in watering the garden.

:: i think my most used gardening tool is my wooden nail brush. it lives at my kitchen sink and gets used several times a day. 

:: my felco pruners are always at hand for snipping and pruning.

:: and my potting trowel  lives in my back pocket.


:: the edger gives a nice clean garden bed edge.

:: the pointed spade that i scored at a garage sale is the perfect size for digging up and transplanting.

:: and my favorite tool of all time is the stirrup hoe.
i used this tool every day when i was farming and completely fell in love.
i recommend that if you were to buy only one tool this would be the one.

what are some of your favorites?
i'd love to hear what you use in your garden.

Just enough

So like I have said in the past, our property is not conducive to a typical vegetable garden due to space and light conditions. And as much as I have always dreamed of a “mr mcgregor “ style garden it has been fun coming up with ways to squeeze in as many edibles as we can.

 I have been experimenting with fruit, vegetables and herbs in different light conditions and have found over the years that many edibles can do quite well in part sun. They may not be as prolific but they will produce.

I have stopped pretending that we are able to feed ourselves completely on this land of ours. But luckily we have other local sources to help feed us.

The farm (where I work), our farmers market in town and our community plot also play a huge part in our seasonal cooking and eating. And our little garden space at home is more of a place to grow a variety of things for fun, to nibble on and to supplement with in the kitchen.

Although I do love a veggie garden of neat little rows I also like incorporating fruits, vegetables and herbs into the perennial garden.
I use strawberries as a ground cover where taller perennials like Spiderwort, Coneflower, and Black Eyed Susans can grow through.
Our strawberries are not huge and may be not as plentiful as they would be in a sunny row but there are plenty to nibble on and each morning there is enough to fill a small bowl for breakfast.
Swiss chard makes it’s way into our containers and is tucked in amongst the perennials.

I love the 'Bright Lights' variety with beautiful brightly colored stems. Swiss chard definitely does well in part sun.
 


Currants, blueberries and gooseberries are planted along the sidewalk where they can receive a bit more light than out back .

Yes they may be tempting to people walking by but we don’t mind. We like to share.
There are many herbs that are just as beautiful as perennial flowers if not more.

Comfrey, Borage, Anise Hyssop and Catmint are some of my favorites to throw into the mix.
And the more shallow rooted and creeping herbs like Mint, Oregano and Thyme grow beautifully in the living roof of our bunny hutch.
 The peas that were growing up the chicken coop are now finished and have been replaced with cucumbers whose little tendrils have just started to grab onto the wire.
Cherry tomatoes are a must. I like to grow things that are easy to pick and pop right into your mouth.

I also like to tuck bush beans in wherever I can which is another great one for nibbling.
We planted a dwarf pear tree in the back yard three years ago. It hasn’t produced a bushel of fruit yet but just a handful of pears is all we need.

 I won’t lie when I say that sometimes I get a bit jealous when visiting a friend’s farmette.
 Or when i stumble upon a beautiful farm blog to find a family producing an entire year's worth of food.

But then I come home or walk out our back door and realize how much I love this little place where there are no rows, and just a handful of peas and where everything grows together like one big happy family.

catnip insect repellent

i am pretty sensitive to insect bites and tend to swell easily.

yesterday when i was working in the garden i got bit by something close to my eye and now look like i was involved in a serious boxing match.
since i am not willing to hide inside all summer long i thought i would do a little research about making my own insect repellent.

i was excited to find a recipe made from a few simple ingredients including catnip which is something i have quite a bit of growing in my garden.
although it may have to be applied more regularly, it is claimed that catnip (nepeta) is more effective than deet. 

there are a few different methods of making the repellent, all of which don't require much time or materials.

to make an oil-based infusion of the plant, gather catnip leaves and stems and finely chop. fill a clean jar with the chopped greens and cover with olive oil. cap jar tightly and shake to bring air bubbles to the top. then fill completely with the oil. let sit in a cool dark place for six weeks to infuse.

an alcohol-based infusion is what i decided to try. i like the idea of spraying something cool and light onto my skin on hot summer days.

gather the catnip leaves and stems, chop and fill a jar with the greens. use 100-proof vodka to fill the jar. cap jar tightly and set aside for six weeks. after straining the alcohol from the plant, you will now have a tincture. fill a small spritzer bottle halfway with the tincture. top the rest of the bottle with water.

you will need to re-apply the catnip repellent, whichever form you choose, about every 30 minutes to maintain optimal effectiveness.

the most simple method of all is to simply take a sprig of catnip and crush it in your hands, releasing the oils and scent.



tuck it into your shirt pocket, hat, around the neckline of your clothes and other places that are exposed. You can also rub the plant directly onto your skin.

here's to keeping the bugs away!

transplanting

i don't know about you but we live on a budget. and as much as i would love to spend every penny of my weekly paycheck on plants, i have to try hard to refrain at this time of year.

to stick with our budget i have made a commitment to fill my garden this season with as many plants as possible from other people's gardens.

most gardens are in need of a little thinning of one plant or another (i know i am always looking to give away black eyed susans) so it's usually not hard to find someone looking to share a piece of their garden. heck i have even seen transplants on freecycle and craigs list.

just like thrifting, i love the thrill of plant shopping in other people's gardens. you never know what you will find. sometimes there are just the basics and sometimes you can find the score of your life.

i also like having a garden with a story. little pieces from here and there.

today i went to my mom's to dig up a few simple shade lovers. a french variety of forget-me-not, a ground covering strawberry begonia and a few miniature hostas soon filled my basket. and off i went to give them a new home and my garden another piece to it's story

Some tips when digging up and transplanting:

:: transplant on an overcast day or during the cooler morning or evening hours.

:: be prepared. bring your own tools as well as baskets and containers to hold your transplants. boxes, baskets, crates, trays and buckets work great for transporting.

:: dig deep. dig out far enough from the plant to get all the roots without breaking or damaging them. and include as much soil as possible around the root system to keep the plant from drying out.

:: water your plants lightly as soon as you dig them up. plants can go into a bit of shock when their roots are disturbed. give them a little boost with a drink of water as soon as they are dug up.

:: transplant your plants as soon as you get home. have an idea of where you want your plants to go and if possible have the holes already dug. if not, no biggie but don't leave them to sit out too long or even worse forget about them until the next day.

:: don't bite off more than you can chew. translated- don't dig up more than you can plant. i have made the mistake many a time of digging up way more plants than i realistically had time to transplant that day.

:: water everything as soon as it is planted and then every day for at least a week. the biggest mistake you can make is under watering your transplants.