a general spring to-do list, and to-get list, before the season gets going.
1) clean out and scrub up your pots, birdbaths, birdfeeders, and anything else that spent the winter grungy or neglected. if you are reusing pots from last season, wash them with a weak bleach solution, rinse well, and let dry in the sun, to prevent the spread of mold spores or bacteria to your new crops.
2) inspect all pots, lanterns, birdbaths, etc for cracks and chips that they might have sustained over the winter. toss them or reuse the ceramics for craft projects. broken glass and broken pottery have no place in the yard with bare feet running in the summer. trust me.
3) clean up your tools. use steel wool and mineral oil to scrub off rust and lubricate all moving parts. don't have good tools? you'll need some if you want to get serious this year with your veggies. at minimum, i recommend a good hand trowel, a very sharp pair of scissors/shears, the best quality pruner you can afford for woody branches and larger stems, and sturdy and protective gardening gloves.
4) in addition, you might want to add to your shopping list: zinc plant tags that you can reuse year after year and a marker to write on them; soft velcro plant ties to stake floppy tomatoes and peas; and a good (and big) watering can if your hose doesn't reach all over your yard.
5) good quality, organic potting soil and good quality organic compost. add sand to this list if you do cacti/succulents. do not use garden soil in containers. EVER. it compacts in the pot and does not allow for good drainage.
6) organic fertilizer. you will need this later in the season as things start growing fast, especially if they are in pots, as nutrients tend to wash out quickly from potting soil in containers.
once you have all your tools and equipment clean and ready, your new fluffy dirt ready to go, and your baby plant seedlings purchased from the nursery or farmer's market, all you need is a nice warm sunny day to get everything laid out and in the ground (or in pots). and i'd recommend a hearty cocktail at the end of the day, also. ;)
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
choosing veggie friends
a big part of being successful gardener is choosing the right plants to grow in your climate, space, and ones to suit your skill levels. often beginner gardeners don't have the experience to know which plants do and do not work in their particular garden, so there are some tried-and-true plants that are fairly easy to grow, hardy, and most importantly for veggie growers....delicious.
COLD-WEATHER CROPS:
plant these now (late March to early April), and again in the fall (September up until first frost):
leafy greens like lettuce, kale, spinach, chard, cilantro, parsley, mesclun lettuces, arugula. sow these as seeds across your dirt, either in a pot or in your yard. choose 'cut-and-come-again' varieties; this means that the more you snip their leaves to eat, the more they produce. (specifically lettuces, spinach, and arugula.) in addition, i re-sow seeds around the existing plants once or twice more before the season is over so you have a continuous crop of baby leaves for salads and such. you might need to cover these at night if our weather dips below the 30s or so.
root veggies like beets, carrots, turnips, and the like. sow them now and pull them out to eat as babies (carrots) or let them mature and eat them before the weather gets hot and they turn nasty.
sow peas and beans in your garden now. they like to get a head start in cool weather before they start producing in the warmer months. cover them if we get a hard freeze or (god forbid) snow.
WARM WEATHER CROPS:
if you are starting seeds, start these now. otherwise, buy seedlings and plant these the first week of May (Derby day). NO EXCEPTIONS OR THE LOUISVILLE WEATHER GODS WILL SMITE YOUR BABY PLANTS.
cucumbers, melons, squashes, and other members of the curcubit family.
nightshade plants like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.
continue to sow cilantro around your existing plants and cut often to prevent bolting. same with chard, it will grow all summer with enough water and frequent harvesting. spinach and lettuce season can be stretched out with enough shade and water.
annual herbs, or perennial herbs that you want to get started in your yard for future seasons.
annual flowers, including edibles such as nasturtiums and marigolds.
RANDOM WISDOM:
you can never have enough basil. plant a lot. you can, however, have enough squash and zucchini. plant none and take advantage of your foolish neighbors who planted way too much.
COLD-WEATHER CROPS:
plant these now (late March to early April), and again in the fall (September up until first frost):
leafy greens like lettuce, kale, spinach, chard, cilantro, parsley, mesclun lettuces, arugula. sow these as seeds across your dirt, either in a pot or in your yard. choose 'cut-and-come-again' varieties; this means that the more you snip their leaves to eat, the more they produce. (specifically lettuces, spinach, and arugula.) in addition, i re-sow seeds around the existing plants once or twice more before the season is over so you have a continuous crop of baby leaves for salads and such. you might need to cover these at night if our weather dips below the 30s or so.
root veggies like beets, carrots, turnips, and the like. sow them now and pull them out to eat as babies (carrots) or let them mature and eat them before the weather gets hot and they turn nasty.
sow peas and beans in your garden now. they like to get a head start in cool weather before they start producing in the warmer months. cover them if we get a hard freeze or (god forbid) snow.
WARM WEATHER CROPS:
if you are starting seeds, start these now. otherwise, buy seedlings and plant these the first week of May (Derby day). NO EXCEPTIONS OR THE LOUISVILLE WEATHER GODS WILL SMITE YOUR BABY PLANTS.
cucumbers, melons, squashes, and other members of the curcubit family.
nightshade plants like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.
continue to sow cilantro around your existing plants and cut often to prevent bolting. same with chard, it will grow all summer with enough water and frequent harvesting. spinach and lettuce season can be stretched out with enough shade and water.
annual herbs, or perennial herbs that you want to get started in your yard for future seasons.
annual flowers, including edibles such as nasturtiums and marigolds.
RANDOM WISDOM:
you can never have enough basil. plant a lot. you can, however, have enough squash and zucchini. plant none and take advantage of your foolish neighbors who planted way too much.
planning a basic garden
this blog will go over the basics of planning a garden, whether you are brand new to gardening, have a very small space to use, or want to try veggies for the first time. this is a very short and simple blurb on a rather exhaustive subject; there are great books and articles written solely on planning a garden and choosing plants for it. this is meant as a good crash course to get you started. the best way to learn is to grow for yourself!
the first thing to decide is the space you have to work with. is it a corner of your landlord's yard? a sunny patio or deck? one large pot on your front step? no matter how small or how nontraditional, decide on a space, get some graph paper, and map it out to scale. THIS IS WHAT I DO, NO MATTER HOW SMALL. it really helps to get a visual sense of the space you have and what will fit in it.
okay, okay, moving on. the second and most important step is to decide what you actually want to grow. you, personally. not what was in peter rabbit's veggie patch. not what your grandma grows every year. not what the garden center has on the first rack you walk by.
a few good rules to think about:
1) grow what you actually like eating. twenty pounds of cauliflower are no good if you gag at the thought of eating one single floret.
2) grow what is cost-effective for you. fresh herbs and heirloom varieties are expensive, even in the summer months. zucchini is relatively cheap to buy, however. if you only have one pot to use, don't fill it up with something that is very inexpensive for you to purchase in a store or a farmer's market. ration your space and use it to the best you can.
3) grow what will actually work in the conditions you have. don't grow tomatoes if you're gardening in a shady, boggy corner of a yard. don't grow an almond tree if you have three windowsill pots to use. obvious, but it bears repeating. research what conditions the plants you like prefer, and give them those, or don't use those plants at all. happy plants are easier to care for and take less time to grow.
once you decide how much space is at your disposal, and what plants you want to grow and are able to grow, sit down with your graph paper and a pencil and figure out where you want to arrange the plants. use common sense; taller plants need to grow in the back of your space. plants that creep or vine can fill in holes or go up front. invasive plants like mint need to be contained in their own space. also keep in mind aesthetics; you can even google photos of what your choices will look like once they grow up, and place them in a way that you think looks good!
if you are planting cold weather crops as well as warmer, summer crops, do two plans; one for early in the year, like right now, and a second one to refer to later on in the season (mid-May) when the cold-weather plants are starting to look tired. that way you can have your warm weather plants picked out and ready to plug in to your garden plot.
for suggestions on some basic veggies and herbs that work in different conditions and climates, see my next blog entry. :)
now that you have your list of what plants you want, head to the garden center, nursery, or farmer's market and pick out some little baby plants to take home with you! keep in mind that little plants grow bigger very rapidly. take into account how big they will be in one month, and two months, and three, when you decide how many of each plant to get. don't fill a barrel with four tomato plants that in another month, will be busting out the sides of it. give your plants breathing room!
a word on seedlings vs seeds: if you are a brand-new gardener, seed starting can sometimes overcomplicate and discourage your efforts. it is easier and more fool-proof to start with healthy seedlings until you get a season or two under your belt and want to add a new gardening skill, like seed starting. i would definitely recommend starting with organic seedlings from a nursery with a great selection, as you can pick healthy plants and go straight home and plug them in your dirt, without having to have any special equipment like grow-lights or anything else like that.
happy shopping!
the first thing to decide is the space you have to work with. is it a corner of your landlord's yard? a sunny patio or deck? one large pot on your front step? no matter how small or how nontraditional, decide on a space, get some graph paper, and map it out to scale. THIS IS WHAT I DO, NO MATTER HOW SMALL. it really helps to get a visual sense of the space you have and what will fit in it.
okay, okay, moving on. the second and most important step is to decide what you actually want to grow. you, personally. not what was in peter rabbit's veggie patch. not what your grandma grows every year. not what the garden center has on the first rack you walk by.
a few good rules to think about:
1) grow what you actually like eating. twenty pounds of cauliflower are no good if you gag at the thought of eating one single floret.
2) grow what is cost-effective for you. fresh herbs and heirloom varieties are expensive, even in the summer months. zucchini is relatively cheap to buy, however. if you only have one pot to use, don't fill it up with something that is very inexpensive for you to purchase in a store or a farmer's market. ration your space and use it to the best you can.
3) grow what will actually work in the conditions you have. don't grow tomatoes if you're gardening in a shady, boggy corner of a yard. don't grow an almond tree if you have three windowsill pots to use. obvious, but it bears repeating. research what conditions the plants you like prefer, and give them those, or don't use those plants at all. happy plants are easier to care for and take less time to grow.
once you decide how much space is at your disposal, and what plants you want to grow and are able to grow, sit down with your graph paper and a pencil and figure out where you want to arrange the plants. use common sense; taller plants need to grow in the back of your space. plants that creep or vine can fill in holes or go up front. invasive plants like mint need to be contained in their own space. also keep in mind aesthetics; you can even google photos of what your choices will look like once they grow up, and place them in a way that you think looks good!
if you are planting cold weather crops as well as warmer, summer crops, do two plans; one for early in the year, like right now, and a second one to refer to later on in the season (mid-May) when the cold-weather plants are starting to look tired. that way you can have your warm weather plants picked out and ready to plug in to your garden plot.
for suggestions on some basic veggies and herbs that work in different conditions and climates, see my next blog entry. :)
now that you have your list of what plants you want, head to the garden center, nursery, or farmer's market and pick out some little baby plants to take home with you! keep in mind that little plants grow bigger very rapidly. take into account how big they will be in one month, and two months, and three, when you decide how many of each plant to get. don't fill a barrel with four tomato plants that in another month, will be busting out the sides of it. give your plants breathing room!
a word on seedlings vs seeds: if you are a brand-new gardener, seed starting can sometimes overcomplicate and discourage your efforts. it is easier and more fool-proof to start with healthy seedlings until you get a season or two under your belt and want to add a new gardening skill, like seed starting. i would definitely recommend starting with organic seedlings from a nursery with a great selection, as you can pick healthy plants and go straight home and plug them in your dirt, without having to have any special equipment like grow-lights or anything else like that.
happy shopping!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
beginnings.
so, after spending this previous summer in yosemite valley, california, i am back in kentucky for another year and looking forward to the impending gardening season. i have the gardening bug bad this year, as i did not get to grow a single leaf last summer!! i know it's just january right now, but before you know it, it will be time to start sprouting seeds and getting the garden planned out.
i decided, to celebrate being back home in the rainy and fertile kentucky weather, i am going to plant my very first medicinal herb garden this year. i have dabbled in years past with growing a few medicinal herbs here and there, but with my combined interest in gardening and my job in the supplement and vitamin department at whole foods, it seems very timely indeed to begin the journey of growing my own medicinal herbs to use inside and outside of my body.
so i am devoting an entire area of the garden specifically to these wonderful and potent plants. the first step to successful anything, i believe, is lot's of research. i already have a pretty good idea of the plants i want to grow, so i am spending some time today learning more about their specific germinating and growing conditions and needs.
here is my (rather extensive and probably totally ridiculous) list of my "starter" medicinal herb garden:
chamomile (have grown it before)
arnica
mugwort (i have wild-harvested it before, but not grown it in my garden)
astragalus
lemongrass (have grown it before)
ginseng (have grown it before)
witch hazel
st. johns wort
fenugreek
mullein
valerian
yarrow
echinacea (have grown it before)
holy basil
calendula
lemon balm (have grown it before)
passionflower
white sage (grown regular sage, harvested white sage in the desert, but never grown white sage in my yard)
how did i choose? some are my favorite herbs, some are what i feel to be basic "medicine kit" herbs, some have sentimental value to me, some i regularly purchase to take internally. so, this is the large and comprehensive list. i have already ordered several of these in seed packets from mountain rose herbs online, which has an amazing and super-easy to use website.
i will be blogging more about germinating these seeds and caring for the little herb-babies once the seeds arrive. in the meantime, i might get into some plant lore and magical herb facts if i have the time!
it's going to be a marvelously fabulous summer, i can just feel it. :)
i decided, to celebrate being back home in the rainy and fertile kentucky weather, i am going to plant my very first medicinal herb garden this year. i have dabbled in years past with growing a few medicinal herbs here and there, but with my combined interest in gardening and my job in the supplement and vitamin department at whole foods, it seems very timely indeed to begin the journey of growing my own medicinal herbs to use inside and outside of my body.
so i am devoting an entire area of the garden specifically to these wonderful and potent plants. the first step to successful anything, i believe, is lot's of research. i already have a pretty good idea of the plants i want to grow, so i am spending some time today learning more about their specific germinating and growing conditions and needs.
here is my (rather extensive and probably totally ridiculous) list of my "starter" medicinal herb garden:
chamomile (have grown it before)
arnica
mugwort (i have wild-harvested it before, but not grown it in my garden)
astragalus
lemongrass (have grown it before)
ginseng (have grown it before)
witch hazel
st. johns wort
fenugreek
mullein
valerian
yarrow
echinacea (have grown it before)
holy basil
calendula
lemon balm (have grown it before)
passionflower
white sage (grown regular sage, harvested white sage in the desert, but never grown white sage in my yard)
how did i choose? some are my favorite herbs, some are what i feel to be basic "medicine kit" herbs, some have sentimental value to me, some i regularly purchase to take internally. so, this is the large and comprehensive list. i have already ordered several of these in seed packets from mountain rose herbs online, which has an amazing and super-easy to use website.
i will be blogging more about germinating these seeds and caring for the little herb-babies once the seeds arrive. in the meantime, i might get into some plant lore and magical herb facts if i have the time!
it's going to be a marvelously fabulous summer, i can just feel it. :)
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