Reusing and Recycling in the Garden

Spring is here! (Although you couldn't tell it yesterday when it was snowing.) It's time to be gardening. I've been doing a little, but I hope to do more. I did get my tomato and pepper plants put in last week. I had to cover them up before the snow came, but they all survived. I use plastic milk jugs that have had their bottoms cut off to protect them. The plants are small enough that these work perfectly. I had these left from last year and will store them in case I need them next year. If they get crushed or ruined I can recycle them. I read about cutting them into strips to use as plant labels, but I haven't actually done it. I usually just plant my seeds, try to remember what I put where, and get a surprise when they sprout.

I use livestock panels to support my tomato plants. I've been using them for years and will be able to use them for years to come. I also use them for cucumbers, beans, and peas. I've also used cane poles that I cut beside the road to our property. I've used pantyhose with runs in them to tie the tomato plants to the panels, but I don't wear pantyhose much anymore so I usually use plain ol' twine.

I read about using egg shells to start seeds that dislike transplanting. I haven't tried this - I toss all my egg shells into my "compost bucket" - but I love the idea. I've used the peat pellets, but they didn't decompose as quickly as I expected. When you get ready to transplant your seedlings, you crush the egg shell a little (so the roots can grow), then plant the whole thing. What I don't know is how you water the seeds and seedlings while they're in the shells without drowning the little fellas.

Of course composting is a great way to recycle kitchen scraps. I keep a "compost bucket" on the counter by the sink. It's just a plastic bowl with a lid. I throw apple cores, egg shells, orange peels, etc. into the bowl, then dump the contents on my compost pile when it starts to get full.

How do you reuse and recycle in your garden?

Gearing Up for Gardening

This weekend I spent some time preparing my raised beds. I had mulched them with leaves after last year's garden withered, but I still had some weeds get through. So I worked on eradicating the weeds and loosening up the soil. My next task will be mixing in some composted chicken litter and/or composted kitchen scraps.

I also need to make some notes on my calendar as to when to plant my seeds and transplants. I have a hard time remembering what gets planted when, so I did a little internet research. Below are a couple of websites you might find useful. You can also check with your county extension office. They probably have a planting guide for your area.

Another thing I need to do is make a shopping list. I've got some seeds left over from last year, so I need to go through them and see what I've got. Then I'll know what I need. I didn't start any tomato or pepper seeds, so I'll have to buy transplants in a few weeks. I know I need some new gloves because mine have holes in them. I don't mind getting my hands dirty, but some of my weeds are blackberry vines and stinging nettle. I hate stinging nettle. If I can't fix my rake I need to get one of those, too. Otherwise, I think I'm in good shape.

I'm considering trying square foot gardening. One of my friends mentioned this and I had never heard of it. I already use raised beds, so SFG would be an easy adaptation. I've included a couple of links in case you've never heard of it, either.


Spring Planting Guide for Vegeteble Crops (Texas)

When to Plant What (This site contains a link to help you find the average last spring frost date for your area. This will help you determine when to start your seeds.)

Square Foot Gardening

The Square Foot Gardening Foundation

Topsy-Turvy Tomatoes

Have you ever tried growing tomatoes upside-down? I haven't. I saw pictures years ago of hanging tomato plants, but it wasn't until last week that I gave them another thought. My husband's uncle said he was thinking about growing his tomatoes upside-down this year but didn't know how to keep them in their pots. He doesn't have internet access so I did a little research for him.

People seem to like growing them in 5-gallon paint buckets with handles. Drill a hole about 2 1/2 inches in diameter in the bottom of the bucket. Set the bucket, right side up, on something so as not to cover the hole. Gently insert your seedling into the hole so that about 2 inches of stem is protruding from the bottom. While holding the plant in one hand, pack material around the plant to keep it from falling out - something like newspapers, coffee filters, or sphagnum moss. Continue to hold the plant while you add soil to the bucket. Add enough soil to cover the roots by about 2 inches, then add about 2 cups of compost, then fill the bucket with soil to within an inch of the top. Hang your bucket on something STURDY and water thoroughly. If the soil settles to more than a couple inches from the top, add a little more soil.

Water and add fertilizer to the top of the bucket. Keeping a lid (sitting loosely) on the top will help prevent moisture loss, but must be removed every time you water your plants. Some people grow herbs in the tops of their buckets. Check the soil level every few weeks and add more if the level has dropped much.

I don't think I'll try growing my tomatoes this way this year, but I may try it sometime. If you've tried it, I'd love to hear from you. How well did it work for you? Did it work better than growing your plants in the ground?

Is It Spring Yet?

The other day I got a couple of seed catalogs in the mail. Nice, big, THICK catalogs filled with flowers, herbs, fruits, and veggies. When I sit down with a seed catalog I find tons of plants I just HAVE to grow. 10 varieties of tomatoes, 5 kinds of carrots (Don't YOU want to grow some purple carrots?), 3 colors of basil, etc. I have to force myself to face reality: I only have so much time to tend to plants. I've also got laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, kids, and a husband.

One of the catalogs was from my favorite seed company, Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply. If you're looking for organic seeds, check them out. They have a huge selection and wonderful prices. They have more than seeds, though. Peaceful Valley also carries bare-root plants, gardening tools, greenhouse supplies, natural insecticides, beneficial insects, bees, fertilizer, seed starting supplies, and books.

I plan to have a modest garden this year. My rosemary is thriving. My oregano, peppermint, and sage are still alive. I would like to add tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, basil, parsley, green onions, marigolds, and zinnias. Maybe some sugar snap peas? I may also include an "experiment." Something I haven't grown before, just for fun.

Note to self: Just because there are 2 dozen zucchini seeds in a package doesn't mean I have to plant 2 dozen zucchini seeds. Ditto for yellow squash.

Happy New Year!

2010 is just around the corner. I don't usually make New Year's resolutions, but I thought I'd try it this year.

1. Lose 20 pounds. Well, at least 15. Okay, I'll be happy with 10. Why did I look better 6 months post-partum than 19 months?

2. Get ready for my spring garden. I was a slacker last year. I want to start my seeds on time, prepare my soil, and keep weeds at bay. I like being able to walk outside and gather a salad. I don't like paying for organic veggies at the store.

3. Prepare for 1st grade. No, I'm not going back to school, but Olivia will be starting 1st grade. I'd like to get a schedule worked out and a general idea of what we'll study. I won't make detailed lesson plans for every day, but I think we both need a little structure.

4. Build a house. We've been planning to build a house for almost 7 years. I've got my fingers crossed that THIS will be the year.

5. Finish my house plans. See #4.

6. That's enough. If I can do #1-5, I'll be happy.

What's on your list?

Better Things to Do

TV. If kids are entertained by two letters, imagine the fun they'll have with twenty-six. Open your child's imagination. Open a book. ~Author Unknown

In Beverley Hills, they don't throw their garbage away - they make it into television shows. ~Woody Allen

Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn't have in your home. ~David Frost

If the television craze continues with the present level of programs, we are destined to have a nation of morons. ~Daniel Marsh, 1950


It's been years since we had a tv. We didn't watch it much when we did have it. Just a movie once in a while. When our daughter was little we got rid of it. We didn't want to raise a couch potato. Watching television is mind-numbing, certainly not something children need to be subjected to for hours at a time. Everyone knows that children are sponges, soaking up everything they're exposed to. Their little brains and bodies are still developing. Kids need to be learning, exploring, exercising, using their imaginations, and spending quality time with their families. For better or worse, these little people will grow up to be mothers, fathers, teachers, doctors, librarians, bankers, dentists, and presidents. What kind will they be?

Here are a few things to think about...How can a child be healthy when he spends hour after hour parked in front of the tv? How will he learn to interact with people when his best friend is a piece of furniture? How can he make a worthwhile contribution to society when he needs a celebrity to tell him what kind of toothpaste to buy? There are other questions I could ask, but do I need to?

- Read a book. My husband and I love to read. My daughter loves to read, too, and my son is learning to appreciate books (he's only 18 months old and doesn't yet have the attention span to sit through a whole book). The library has a wealth of information to offer you.

- Go outside. Look for caterpillars, chase butterflies, dig in the dirt, swing, "poison" armadillos. Olivia makes "armadillo poison" by mixing dirt, grass, green onions, rosemary, and peppermint (I've told her she'll have to find a substitute for my green onions). Sit in the hammock with a book and soak up some Vitamin D.

- Play games. Olivia likes to play Go Fish, Old Maid, and Checkers. I can't wait for her and Jesse to learn to play 42. It's my favorite game. It'll be so nice for the four of us to huddle around a card table playing 42, sipping hot chocolate, when it's too cold to go outside.

- Plant a garden. Good exercise, good food, good education for the kids.

- Make something. Sew, knit, crochet, draw, work with wood, paint. Be creative. It's satisfying to spend time working on a project and have something to show for your effort.

- Go somewhere. Go to a library, museum, zoo, or arboretum. Take a picnic lunch.

- Learn to play an instrument. My husband and I used to play music a lot before we had kids. I hope music will be something we can enjoy as a family when the kids get bigger (we don't seem to have time for it right now). By the way, people who play music tend to be better at math.

- Cook from scratch. It'll take a little more time than opening a box, but it's worth it. This is time you can spend with your children and the food will taste better and be more nutritious. It's hard to beat a loaf of homemade bread fresh from the oven.

- Perform random acts of kindness. This is something I need to work on myself. Take a meal to a sick friend. Help an elderly person with housework or yardwork. Volunteer at the library. Let your kids see you do something good simply because it's good. Let them be involved so they'll learn about charity and unselfishness.

It's a Boy!

Or maybe a girl. I can't determine the gender of a butterfly. This is a gulf fritillary.

My husband found a chrysalis the other day. We brought it in and put it in a gallon jar, then put a coffee filter on top with a rubber band around it. He also found a caterpillar that had just started turning into a chrysalis, and one that looked like it was about to attach itself, so they went in the jar, too. We'll have 2 more butterflies this week!

Since we're homeschooling, I thought this would be a great experiment for Olivia. (Of course, any kid will enjoy watching a caterpillar turn into a butterfly.) We can cover a multitude of subjects. For example, I'm going to have her draw the life cycle of a butterfly (science and art). We can read about butterflies and passion vines (library skills, reading, and botany). We can also read about harvesting passion fruit (gardening and economics).

We took the new butterfly out of the jar.











Here you can see the upper sides of its wings.







It landed on my robe for a few seconds.







This is the gulf fritillary's caterpillar. Here you'll find some other pictures of the butterfly and caterpillar, as well as a passion flower.




The passion vine (or passion plant) is the only larval food plant for the gulf fritillary. This is a young shoot. The vines send runners underground and the plant spreads like a weed.



The passion vine produces passion fruit. I read that the fruit falls off when it's ripe.

Tomatoes

It seems like tomatoes are the home gardener's favorite crop. It's no wonder, either. Tomatoes can be expensive, especially organically grown ones. Store-bought tomatoes tend to be white inside and almost flavorless. Home-grown tomatoes are red all the way through, they're soft and juicy, and they taste better.

Tomatoes are usually easy to grow. One year my dad had over 70 tomato plants. He ate tomatoes; he gave them to us, his neighbors, and church members; he froze them; I canned them and one of his neighbors canned them. My father-in-law, who lives next door, grew some huge tomatoes one year. He and I both started our tomato plants from organic seeds. His did great - he had healthy plants that produced lots of fruit.

Mine, however, didn't fare so well. For some reason I have a hard time growing tomatoes. One year it was nematodes. This year it's a calcium deficiency induced by water stress. Yes, that means I didn't water them like I should have. (I take much better care of my kids - they're growing like weeds!) We have gotten some tomatoes from our vines this year and we have many more that will be ripening soon.

My husband found this website to help diagnose common tomato problems. Hopefully you won't need it, but if your tomatoes are anything like mine, you just might.

Here a Cluck, There a Cluck

About 4 years ago, I decided to get some chickens. My husband and dad built a nice chicken house. It's of moderate size with several roosts and nest boxes. I think we started with about a dozen chickens. Over the years racoons, hawks, snakes, and cats wreaked havoc in our chicken yard. When our numbers dwindled, I'd buy a few more. Last year we had a terrible time with the coons, and eventually lost our last chicken to a hawk. Since I was busy with a new baby I didn't bother to replace them. Lately, though, I've been considering getting back into the chicken business.

We have an area fenced off around the chicken house. Originally we had a garden there (the fence was to deter deer and rabbits). The chickens roamed around the garden, eating all the pests off our plants. They didn't do too much damage to the plants. Since the chickens could fly over the fence we opened the gate and let them run around the yard, too. A little before dark they'd head back to their house. We had to shut them up at night in order to avoid serving an all-you-can-eat buffet to the racoons.

Chickens are fun to watch, especially banties (they're a miniature variety). No chickens are noted for their intelligence, but banties seem to be a little smarter. Olivia enjoyed feeding them and watching them (and chasing them). Jesse enjoyed watching them, too, even though he was tiny when we lost the last of them.

When you have chickens, it's nice to be able to run outside and grab some eggs. You know what they eat and that they run around outside all day, so you know they produce good eggs. Likewise, their meat should be healthier than what you can get at the grocery store. Also, chicken litter makes wonderful organic fertilizer.

The Infamous Zucchini

Spring is officially here! Have you planted your garden? I finally got most of my seeds planted. I'll try to get the rest of them planted this week. I've always been sort of an infracaninophile (a great word - look it up), so I feel like sticking up for the lowly zucchini. I'm sure you've heard the joke about locking your car door, not to prevent theft, but so people won't leave their extra zucchini in your car. I'll admit I got a little carried away planting it a few years ago - 2 dozen plants is too many! I was new to gardening and it never occured to me that just because they put 24 seeds in a package doesn't mean you have to plant all 24. You can save some for next year.


Another word to the wise: check carefully for zucchini under all leaves. Don't complain to me when you discover a green club in your garden. To the left is one that got away from me (next to my then 8-month-old Olivia). There are many jokes about zucchini, but there are just as many good uses for it. I dug out a couple of my favorite recipes in anticipation. These recipes call for other goodies you've probably got in your garden.




Garlic Zucchini Frittata
(from Taste of Home magazine, April/May 2003)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium zucchini, shredded
6 eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup sliced green onions

In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute for 1 minute. Add zucchini; cook for 3 minutes or until tender. In a bowl, beat eggs and mustard. Pour into skillet. Sprinkle with bacon, salt, and pepper. As eggs set, lift edges, letting uncooked portion flow underneath. Cook until eggs are nearly set, about 7 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Place skillet under the broiler, 6 inches from the heat, for 30-60 seconds or until the eggs are completely set. Sprinkle with cheese and green onions. Broil 30 seconds longer or until cheese is melted. Cut into wedges. Yield: 4 servings

Zucchini Casserole
(My husband already had this recipe when we got married. I don't know its origin. The measurements aren't very precise, so you can adjust things to your taste.)
1 1/2 or 2 small zucchini, sliced or cubed
5 eggs
several slices chopped onion
2 tomatoes, diced (I usually use a can of Rotel)
salt to taste
paprika to taste

Butter a glass dish (about 1.5 quarts). Beat eggs in pan. Add remaining ingredients. Cover with foil. Place in a larger dish and add enough water to come about halfway up the side. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour to an hour and a half.
Variations: You can add some precooked meat, if you like. We like grated cheese on top (add this when the casserole is done). Sometimes we sprinkle cheese crackers on the top (they give it a nice crunch).

Other Ideas
1. Substitute zucchini for cucumbers in your favorite Sweet Pickle Relish recipe. I didn't notice the difference.
2. Substitute zucchini for cucumbers in your favorite Bread and Butter Pickles recipe. I didn't notice the difference.
3. Add some zucchini to your spaghetti sauce.
4. Saute zucchini, yellow squash, and onion (all thinly sliced) in a little butter or olive oil. Try including garlic, too.

Kindergarden

(I included pictures of some of our neat visitors. These were taken 2 years ago.)

Yes, I meant to spell it that way. Gardening is a great teaching tool. One thing kids can learn is how vegetables and other plants grow. Let them prepare the soil, plant seeds, water, pull weeds, harvest the crops. Depending on their ages, you may need to help with some steps. You could even give them their own garden space and let them decide what they want to plant and where they want to plant it. (Tiger Swallowtail to the right)

Olivia likes to plant seeds, but not all of them are big enough for her little fingers to handle. So I let her plant the big seeds and I do the little ones. Sometimes I let her try the little ones, too. Sunflower, borage, nasturtium, and squash seeds are big enough for little kids to plant, as are peas, beans, and potatoes. Radishes, cucumbers, zinnias, and marigolds are great for children because they germinate quickly. Lettuce and basil also germinate quickly but have tiny seeds. (Zebra Swallowtail - really hard to photograph!)

If you plant some flowers, you can watch for caterpillars, butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. We had lots of butterflies and bees around our zinnias, sunflowers, and lantana (buy lantana as a bush). What better way for kids to learn about the life cycle of butterflies than by watching it? Have the kids see if they can identify the butterflies. They can look for caterpillars and may be able to find some cacoons. If you find a cacoon, put it in a jar with a lid and airholes and watch the butterfly emerge. (Giant Swallowtail)

Here are a few other things you can do...
1. Build a bean teepee. Make a teepee with cane poles. Run some twine horizontally around the poles, leaving a door, to make a "web" for the beans to climb. (I'll see about getting a picture.) Plant your beans around the base of the teepee. Watch them grow!
2. Grow a sunflower house. Plant your seeds in a square (or other shape), leaving a door. When the sunflowers grow you'll have a house.
3. Eat the veggies! Don't forget the sunflower seeds. Also, some flowers are edible (nasturtiums, borage, and squash blossoms to name a few). Use herbs for seasoning and teas.




Bee on a sunflower










American Lady and Spicebush Swallowtail






Below are pictures of the gulf fritillary and its caterpillar. The passionflower, an interesting-looking plant, is its only larval food plant.

Companion Planting

If you come to my house in a few months and look at my garden, you'll find flowers and herbs growing with my vegetables. Several years ago, I bought a book about companion planting. Companion planting is letting certain plant combinations help each other grow. Among other things, this could be by providing support for another plant, attracting beneficial insects, or driving off harmful insects.

People have planted garlic or onions with roses for years because they repel rose pests. Marigolds deter nematodes and other critters, so be sure to plant them with your tomatoes. Radishes will attract leafminers away from spinach. Sunflowers and zinnias will attract bees and butterflies, which are good pollinators. Beans can climb up sunflowers.

Here are some other companion pairs:
cucumbers and nasturtiums
cabbage and dill
strawberries and borage
tomatoes and borage
carrots and onions
peas and beans
potatoes and peas
tomatoes and basil (both in the garden and in the kitchen!)
zucchini and nasturtiums
parsley and asparagus

To find more information about companion planting, check out the following sites. You can also find information about raised bed gardening. An alternative to traditional row gardening, by gardening in raised beds you can produce more crops per square foot, while reducing the area you have to weed, mulch, and water.

Organic Gardening
Seeds of Change
No Dig Vegetable Garden

Spring is Getting Closer

I'm already behind on my gardening. I still haven't started my tomato or pepper seeds. I did get my sugar snap peas planted, though. I went out the other day to see if they've poked their heads up (not yet) and I noticed my peppermint and spearmint are perking up. Mints spread and root very easily - some people call them "invasive." You can grow them in pots to contain them. Pinch the tips off to encourage bushy growth (this works for many herbs).

I like to include peppermint in my flower arrangments (I like to grow zinnias and roses). It adds a lot of green and smells good. By the time the flowers die the peppermint has grown roots, so I can replant it or pot it up to give to someone. Peppermint also looks pretty in a little vase by itself.

Here is one of my favorite peppermint recipes.

Peppermint Pineapple Drink
(This is very refreshing on a hot day. We like this with picnics.)

pineapple juice
fresh peppermint leaves
ice cubes

Fill your blender half to three-fourths full of pineapple juice. Add a handful of fresh peppermint leaves and a handful of ice cubes. Blend until the ice is crushed. Enjoy! You can adjust the amount of peppermint to suit your taste. (This is also good made with Pineapple-Orange juice.)

Spring Fever

I went to the mailbox this morning and found two seed catalogs waiting for me! One was from my favorite seed company, Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply. They offer great choices of organic seeds, plants, trees, and garden supplies at great prices. It’s time to start planning my spring garden. I can’t wait to sit and peruse my catalogs. Before I order, though, I should take inventory and see what seeds I still have. While the germination rate may be slightly lower, the ones I bought last year should still be viable.

Last year I decided to try gardening in raised beds instead of traditional rows so I could garden more efficiently (less soil preparation, less water wasted, less weeding). I bought a pallet of cinder blocks and made two beds (ok, my husband did most of the work). He then filled them with rich soil and composted chicken litter. We staked a cattle panel in the middle of each row. I let cucumbers climb up one panel and tied tomatoes to the other. My husband added gutters to my greenhouse to drain into two “water towers.” On the bottom of each water tower is a faucet to which I can attach a hose, enabling me to water my plants with collected rain water.

I start all my plants from seeds except onions and potatoes. I like to use companion plants, so I drew and re-drew my garden plans, moving this and that until I had everything arranged to my satisfaction. I started my seeds and transplanted my little babies. However, since I was in my last trimester, I was too big and too tired to give my plants as much attention as they needed. After Jesse was born in May, I was too busy with my newborn to try and salvage my poor garden. Fortunately, one of the joys of gardening is you can start over. So here I go again!