Planting Onions, Leeks and Garlic

A week or so ago I planted a few of my onion starts along with a bunch of carrots I started from seed. So yesterday I bought 6 packs of onion and leek starts,  as well as seed garlic.

I keep records of when I start seeds for "starts" but don't seem to record when I plant all the time. Especially with something like alliums which get planted several times a year. But it is the time of the year for onions, leeks, shallots and garlic. Or rather, it is a good time to plant them.

The onions starts are bunching onions.  I like bunching onions because they last forever.  They divide at ground level and remain scallions (green onions) forever. They're also perennial. Yeah! I like bunching onions!

Of course I got leeks. I bought American Flag and King Richard leeks. They really are my favorite allium! I love leeks for so many things - part of steamed veg. dishes, soups, sauteed in olive oil, and especially a thick layer of leeks on my homemade pizzas.  They are the best!!!

Here is a little video about planting onions, leeks and garlic from Peaceful Valley Farms in Grass Valley CA.

Finally planting a Spring garden in May and June

So we finally got some spring weather about three weeks ago, which came right after our full day of hail! Mother Nature is not happy! It sure is very evident this year with all this crazy weather and events around the world.

Alright, back to my little piece of nature. We have a city lot with some very old fruit trees and many I planted years ago. The (white) fig tree was planted in 1920 and the Santa Rosa plum was planted some time between 1920-1950. There are two Loquots, one old and another was a baby volunteer, a Meyer and Eureka lemon tree,  a pink grapefruit tree, a large Bay tree, Vitex tree, and Elder tree. There is a three year old Suncrest peach, a two year old Fantasia nectarine and a two year old Royal Blenheim apricot (replacing my old 25yr. old apricot that died a couple years ago).

We have several blackberry plants in several beds and this picture shows some of their pretty flowers that will bring fruit soon.

The raspberry bed is shown below. I have had it for several years and it is finally acting happy. Hope it bears well this year. I think I love raspberries best of all!

This next picture is of our new boysenberry bed, planted in mid April. This picture was taken 13 days ago and the plants have filled out significantly since then. I haven't built the supportive structure to hold up the vines yet. All the berries are doing well this year.

My red potatoes are looking really good in this picture. You can see the Calendula (yellow flowers) in the background. Calendula is a wonderful healing herb. Really good for the skin.

The bush beans (below) were planted as young starters. They sat here doing nothing for a couple hot weeks, but now they have buds and are happy. Since this picture, I had to separate them more, because when I planted them I thought they were climbing beans which can be planted closer together.

So this is a little abbreviated inventory of some of my sustainable urban gardens.

PEPPERS in JANUARY ?

Did I mention that this picture was taken in 2011???  or was it December 31 at 9pm???

Yes, your thinking is correct. These peppers were just picked from the vine in my raised bed full of peppers at the New Year! We have had more than our share of cold weather this winter. Lots of nights down in the 20's. Some winters we have no actual freeze nights!  I remember one year about (maybe 15 yrs ago) when we had such a bad freeze (18 degrees) that all my citrus fruit on my two lemon trees and one grapefruit tree froze and then spoiled. That was a very sad year indeed!
Okay back to peppers. In the middle of this January we picked a few more nice red peppers too and they were great!
You can see I gutted the medium hot long pepper that looks like an Anaheim pepper, yet this one is one of those whose name I cannot remember without going out and reading the tag. I believe it is hotter than Anaheims though.
Here is the next step: Ha! Chopped!

Now to make something wonderful from these beautiful peppers!

This is the vegetable side of a fantastic pasta! As you can see, it includes leeks, carrots, green garlic, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers of course, a tiny bit of olive oil and some tomato paste, I see I put in fresh rosemary and probably celery seed, freshly dried oregano and basil from the garden. I can almost smell it cooking! And to top it off, I served it with homemade sourdough whole wheat seed bread.

This is my own recipe that I have improved over time and I can tell you that it is great! So we brought in the NEW YEAR with wonderful fresh and healthy homemade food, including vegetables and herbs from the garden!  Happy New Year to all of you!

A very late summer veggie garden

I did not get my garden planted until the end of spring, early summer. And then I left for vacation in Sept. and Oct. Thank goodness I had a wonderful person caring for my garden while I was away and nothing died. That is a very special garden person for sure.

Oh, and Yes, I had a wonderful time in Ireland and visited many beautiful gardens. In fact, all of Ireland is a beautiful garden.

Okay, back to my garden. I planted it several months after my normal early spring plant time. First of all, the weather dictated that we plant a month late. Plants that sit in cold soil do not develop sooner, in fact they are set back behind plants that are put in soil at appropriate temperatures for spring growth. Then I was busy with college classes until June.

The surprising thing about this year's garden is that it is now (and while I was in Ireland) producing the fruits of my labor. The tomatoes are still on the vine, though I have picked all the red ones and only the green ones are left. The basil is still healthy. The zucchini is still producing. Well, two out of the three are still producing. Here is a picture of one that I will pick tomorrow. It is just above the large leaf that is closest in the picture.

So, here is a close-up of the zucchini that will be part of my steamed vegetable dish tomorrow night. Isn't that a beauty?!!!

While I was in Ireland, my potatoes decided to start growing. I must have left a couple little baby potatoes in the bed last time I harvested them in early summer sometime. I always say I should keep a garden diary and I do write down a few things, but never keep it up. Best intentions! Anyway, as I was saying the potatoes decided to grow all on their own without me even being in the country. Here they look pretty happy.

Oh I forgot to mention the peppers! There are lots of sweet peppers and chili peppers too. These pictures are only incredible because they were taken in the first week of November!!! Gardening fills the soul!

I believe that Spring is finally here!!!

At least it seems that many of the flowers believe that Spring is here.
For several years I have purchased Passiflora incarnata (passion flower) vines from reputable nurseries. I have wanted to grow one on the back side of a fence facing west. Every year they have died. I never saw a flower unless the plant came with one.

So, this last year I purchased another, but this time I put it in a pot and set the pot on the north wall of my house, because plants in pots can't handle as much sun as when in the ground if they are sensitive to too much sun at all. I was just out looking around and noticed that the vine that has crawled up the side of the house now has flowers. It has also traveled onto a trellis which holds an orange trumpet vine (another story). To my surprise there are about five flowers and more to come. Here is a picture I took of one of the passion flower blooms. I am a happy gardener!

 

So what do we know about Passiflora incarnata, commonly called passion flowers?  Well, they don't like my west fence! They are also known as a maypop.

The maypop is a common roadside weed found throughout the Southeastern U.S and also Argentina and Brazil.  It derived this early common name because it just seems to 'pop' out of the ground in May. They grow in USDA zones 5-9, but should be planted in protected locations and mulched heavily from severe cold. Top growth can be killed back from frost. They need partial to full sun (not full sun in Sacramento though), and will adapt themselves to most well-drained soils. During the growing season the soil should be kept evenly moist for better flowering and growth. The flowers range around 3" in diameter and are very unique and quite beautiful. We also know that they start blooming in May! 

The vines can easily grow up to 15 feet in one season. (that is good because I want mine to end up along the railing of a two-story deck) They grow well on a fence or trellis, and they will scramble over shrubs and trees. They produce small fruits in the shape of an oval berry, similar to a kiwi fruit, called granadilla or water lemon. The fruit is edible, but it is pretty seedy. I have friends that eat them though. You can also make it into a jelly. 

The passion flower fruit is also a food source for several species of butterfly and their larvae.

Best of all, the passion flower is a naturally grown medicinal herb, in the treatment of insomnia and nervousness. It is also used as a sedative in nervous disorders (including gastrointestional complaints of nervous origin), difficulties in sleeping, and anxiety or restlessness. Passion flower reduces spasms and depresses the central nervous system. The aerial parts of the plant are gathered during fruiting season and are dried for herbal uses.

Passion flower has a tranquilizing effect, including mild sedative and anti-anxiety effects. In studies conducted since the 1930's, its mode of action has been found to be different than that of most sedative drugs (sleeping pills), thus making it a non-addictive herb to promote relaxation.

The sedative effect of Passion flower has made it popular for treating a variety of ailments, including nervousness and insomnia. Research had indicated that passion flower has a complex activity on the central nervous system, which is responsible for its overall tranquilizing effects. Also, it has an antispasmodic effect on smooth muscles within the body, including the digestive system, promoting digestion.

Also, there are no reported side effects for passion flower. However, it is not recommended for use in pregnant women or children under the age of two. 

(And in self protection - here is my disclaimer: This is not medical advice, but herbal information that you can acquire on the internet or from herbal practitioners. Anyone already taking a sedative or tranquilizer would need to consult a health care professional before using passion flower.

Late Fall Harvests!

This is a late October/November harvest basket with lots of ripe tomatoes, tomatillos, eggplant, onions, zucchini, and even more of every type of pepper (from bell, anaheim, jalapeno, cayenne and everything in between.



This next picture shows more fruits and vegetables in our fall harvest. Basil was also still going strong.


This is also the time for harvesting Evening Primrose seed pods. Then the process of separating the seeds from the seed pods. A pinch of seeds a day is good as an alternative to taking commercial and intensively processed Evening Primrose oil. The seeds really don't have much taste, yet I think they taste good.


Also, this is the last of the fennel seed harvest for the year. Soon after this harvest the rain and strong winds strip the last of the seeds to the ground. A pinch of fennel after a meal is helpful for good digestion and also tastes refreshing. A nice ending to a great meal.


There is a real richness in fall harvests. The completion of so many life cycles are coming to fruition. Nature is showing her strength by making changes on many invigorating levels. It is a stimulating time of the year for many of us.

Dandelions

I love my dandelions. Many are in my postage-stamp sized lawn. Many around the edges of several flower beds. I pick them and feed them to my cat and dog. They like it and it is good for them. Dandelions have wonderful healing qualities. I use dandelions in several herbal preparations I make.

Here is a nice video about all the things that dandelions have to offer.

A pretty good summer!

Considering the fact that my gardens have been pretty much on their own for two months, it has been a good summer.

Why? My organic garden was mulched well in the spring and I have had time to keep up with watering mostly.

The other reason, and a very big one IMHO, is that I have insects. I have had many honeybees and other native bees, butterflies, and lots of beneficial helpers. I have seen butterflies that I can't identify, such as a very tiny (1/2") pretty black and tan shaped just like the stealth plane. This guy was in my vegetable garden and also in my frontyard mostly ornamental gardens. In fact, I saw a larger variety today with this stealth shape (1") with two very white distinctive shapes on each wing.

There are lots of birds this year. I have had hummers, mourning doves, lots of small birds, a couple hawks, crows, blue jays as usual, and nesting mocking birds with the juveniles bathing in the saucer of water on the deck and trying to jump from vine to vine in the climbing roses.

I have one young squirrel living on my deck. His mother used to be around, but for the last two-three months it has just been "little one" - his name.

So, as you can see, it has been fun watching the wildlife when I get a chance.

The harvest from the garden has been fun too! Fun to eat! Here is a fruit and veggie basket from last week. This is before the grapes were sweet enough to harvest yet and the grapefruit was a little high for me to reach. The herb in the basket is basil. Oh we love basil.

If you count tomatoes as a fruit. This is something that seems difficult for me to change my mind about - they would still be on my veggie list. But if you do, then this basket includes four types of fruit and four types of vegetables and basil to make everything taste even better!

By the way, I am feeding the neighborhood wildlife with my huge white fig tree. Actually, they are green in color. They are right ontop of the white eggplant in the basket.

The Jalapeno pepper is sitting on the figs and they are all sitting on the zucchini. I did sneak in a few blackberries in the very front of the basket. The raspberries are taking a rest and the blackberries have really come on big-time!

Now the bell peppers are starting to turn red and the tomatoes (mostly indeterminate) are ripening when I need them. The paste tomatoes (mostly determinates) are going to require processing to make sauce and then freezing within a couple weeks. And the lemons, well, I am nearing the end of the onslaught of lemons. I was getting approximately 20-25 lemons a day. Friends were finally saying, I still have plenty when I would offer more.

Since I am done with the "first" EcoLandscape California newsletter that took all of my time for two months, I am finally getting to update the various websites I have and care for and this blog.

And of course I am putting in time in the garden with some much needed maintenance, mainly pruning and volunteer and sucker removal. I am also getting a chance to feed several gardens with some newly brewed compost tea! A wonderful gift from a friend. In fact, I am going to say bye for now and get out there!

Happy July

Wow! was June a mixed bag or what? We had some unseasonal cool weather and then very hot weather near the end of the month. My plants didn't know what to think about it and the newly planted plants were not happy campers at the end of the month. It was wilt city during direct sun.

Yet, with all of these weather changes my plants grew and grew. Today I only had time to deadhead roses and prune back a tiny bit of my wild Wisteria. Well I did make time to harvest tomatoes, onions, raspberries, zucchini, plums, lemons and grapefruit.

Many things are in full bloom and I am thankful for everyday that I hear the buzzing of the bees. My Vitex tree is still electric with their sound. There are native bees flitting about and today I even saw a tiger swallowtail.

The bees are also covering my El Grosso Lavender in the front yard. The lavender is so happy that I will need to harvest it soon.

All another day!

Tour the White House Kitchen Garden with Sam Kass

Finally, we get a good look at the White House garden, and it's looking fantastic. The cooks are using these wonderful organic vegetables and herbs every night. Yum! Yum! Can't wait to see their summer vegetables.