Are Gardener’s Tired of Advice?By Greg Draiss
Autumn has arrived and soon annuals will fade into the past being replaced by the beautiful colors of fall leaves in our yards and forests. It is the season of pumpkins, mums asters and scarecrows. Autumn is the time to celebrate the harvest while planning for next years’ garden. Autumn is also the time for looking back over our gardens’ successes and failures of the current season. Did I plant those tomatoes too close together again? Why did the basil turn to seed so fast. And where are my cucumbers I know I planted in the bed next to the garage?
While fall appears to be the time of year to kick back, jump in the leaves and enjoy the cool weather in fact it is a time to get back into the swing and rhythms of life. Look too longingly at the pallette of colors in the trees and the frost on the pumpkin takes the remaining harvest you left behind. If not the frost the animals in the neighborhood will take part of your harvest for their winter storehouse without even a thank you note. The thank you note left behind by the critters in the garden will be their offspring next year they bring to forage on your grains and grape tomatoes.
Autumn in fact is a very complicated time in the world of the gardener. What is okay to plant now?What should be cut back now or wait until spring. Is it too late to plant grass seed and what do you mean I can put crabgrass preventer down in autumn?
There is a growing backlash in the garden blogosphere about garden columnists giving advice in the fall. I do not know why one particular blogger has picked fall to pick on but that is the subject of fodder on some garden blogs now that we end summer and move into the fall season. A blogger on a popular garden blog, Garden Rant, claims that garden columns aimed at the gardening public are useless as they give boring advice and are not inspiring.
While not a big deal in and of itself the comments after the post in support of the author were astounding. Almost 70% of the comments took garden columnists to task for the subject matter they provide to the gardening public.
So I ask.....are gardeners tired of advice? I admit I get tired of hearing the news on television on what to do during the inevitable summer heat wave and the contrasting cold spells in the winter. I mean do the talking heads on TV really think we do not know enough to drink more fluids in the grips of a heat wave and you can get hypothermia with a wind chill 20 below?
But I think gardening is different. There are more new gardeners every year who really do not know that fall is the best time for planting lawns, trees and perennials. While a heat wave is the same heat wave on one end of town as another your garden is not the same garden as the neighbor’s across the street. Your garden is a microclimate that is totally different than the microclimate across town in another garden. My geranium is different than yours and the sun shines differently in my yard than yours even though we may grow the same variety of basil or heirloom tomato
The microclimate in our gardens are reflections of us as gardeners as being different kinds of gardeners than the neighbor across the street. Your garden reflects your personality as an individual of the gardening community. Gardeners in a sense are microclimates themselves.
Garden center industry professionals and columnists like myself make our livelihood by answering questions and giving advice no matter how many times the same one is asked. The fact that the same questions get asked by different gardeners shows that gardening is alive and well.
Which brings me the to the underlying subject of gardening. While reading garden blogs and seeing pretty pictures of a great garden on line is a good way to get ideas it remains just that a source of information. All the desk top wall paper and screen savers of flowers will never replace the smell of dirt and the beauty of the real thing.
Why on earth then would a gardener want to spend all their gardening time on line? And why would a garden writer on a garden blog take issue with questions asked by gardeners and the information given out by garden writers?
Perhaps I surmise the answer lies in too much time watching HGTV and not enough time in the garden.
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23 September, 2008
22 July, 2008
Ready Set HARVEST
It looks like I will be drinking a lot of herbal tea this winter. With a little mint added to it as well. Not that I mind tea but I am a coffee drinker. I consume at voracious speed about 12 cups of java a day. The tea inspiration comes not from my needing to slow down the caffeine addiction, nor to ease the obvious withdrawal systems of caffeine addiction. The inspiration to drink more tea this winter has come from my garden.
This spring I greatly expanded my herb gardens. I planted three tiny little lemon balm plants in one garden and a lemon verbena in a 12 inch pot on the patio next to my grilling deck. Like most herb gardens the initial result is disappointing since they take so long to get growing and actually produce something. In June however the herb garden(s) exploded and actually looked overcrowded.
I began taking the much needed cuttings and gave the plants their first haircut of the season around the 21st of June. Low and behold the garden returned to its orderly fashion not seen since Mother’s Day. Since then I have taken three additional cuttings. My garage now looks like a Middle Ages apothecary shop with dried herbs hanging in bunches all over the place. I will soon need to hang wire grids below the path of the garage door to hang more bunches from. I have everything from Chamomile to Coltsfoot hanging in various stages of drying. I just don’t know what I am going to do with all this stuff!
So I will be making lemon tea from the lemon scented catmint, the verbena, lemon balm, regular catmint and the pineapple scented mint. Just for old thyme Middle Ages sake I will probably add the Roman Chamomile flowers and perhaps a little dried basil to the tea. Basil you might ask? Why not, it has to go somewhere. When I drink tea I like old world musty, strong murky teas almost like the grogs concocted by the Middle Ages pharmacists. A little touch of basil in the tea bag will add the deep flavor and aroma kind of like roasted dandelion root gives to dandelion tea.
So what about the thirty cucumbers we picked last night on what was supposed to be a BUSH cucumber plant not a sprawling vine? Some will go into salads, many went to the neighbor across the street and the rest will go to flavor some vinegar and future crops (meaning tomorrows pickings) will be pickled.
Herbal vinegars are very easy to make and add extra dimension and depth to what is ordinary. Vegetable vinegars may seem an oddity but are interesting and flavorful additions to the winter kitchen. To make a vegetable vinegar first choose you favorite style of vinegar. Wine vinegars, cider vinegars and plain old white vinegar are prime candidates. Proportion of vinegar to vegetables is very important to get the most flavor. In fact most people making homemade vinegars for the first time to not use enough flavoring ingredients. The best ratio to use for vegetable vinegar is a 1 to three ratio one cup of veggies to three cups of vinegar. Peel and seed the vegetables of desired and place in a non reactive container. Then simply cover the veggies with vinegar seal the lid on the container and wait. After a week taste the vinegar. If the flavor is to your liking strain the vinegar into a bottle of your choosing, seal the lid and store. If not put the vinegar away again and try next week. For really flavorful concoctions strain out the original veggies, add fresh veggies put the vinegar back in and store for another week or two. Make sure you label the bottle with what kind of vinegar you just made.
This same process can be used for making herbal and fruit vinegars. Contrary to popular belief it is not necessary to heat the vinegar before pouring over the flavor mixture. The only time you may consider heating the vinegar slightly is when using spices that tend to be a little woody. Heating the vinegar then helps release the oils stored in the harder storage area of spices.
Canning vegetables and fruits is a great way to have the taste of the garden all winter long. However if not done correctly the results can be hazardous. A method to preserving the harvest of the season without the long canning process is to pickle them. Always start with sterilized clean jars. If you are using metal lids make sure they are not rusty. I had an overabundance of chile peppers last year and had to pickle them if I were to enjoy them. I found that not only did they taste great but the heat mellowed considerably compared to the flame thrower intensity from when they were fresh picked.
Choose you veggies from the garden and wash completely. Remove any blemishes or bruised sections. Combine in a pot 1 part vinegar, 1 part water and 1 tsp pickling salt per pint of liquid. Bring to a boil for one minute. Then pour carefully over the veggie mixture leaving no air space at the top of the jar. Add some pickling spices if you wish. Store the concoction in a dark cool place for three weeks before serving.
One note if using chiles or other small peppers whole. Poke wholes in them so the vinegar and spices can get inside the fruit. As well this will help the chile settle to the bottom of the jar and remove air pockets.
As for those fresh cut herbs. Cut them in late morning after the dew has dried. Always cut herbs for drying when they are free of dew drops or rain. Best flavor is late morning as well as just before flowers open. Tie into small bunches and hang them in a dark warm well ventilated area. They are ready for use when they are as brittle as fall leaves. Tie them tightly though. Herbs dry they shrink. Loosely tied bunches will end upon the floor. I use binding wire for good tight bunches that stay together.
Epigram Media Serviceprovider of content and photo services845-559-7892
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This spring I greatly expanded my herb gardens. I planted three tiny little lemon balm plants in one garden and a lemon verbena in a 12 inch pot on the patio next to my grilling deck. Like most herb gardens the initial result is disappointing since they take so long to get growing and actually produce something. In June however the herb garden(s) exploded and actually looked overcrowded.
I began taking the much needed cuttings and gave the plants their first haircut of the season around the 21st of June. Low and behold the garden returned to its orderly fashion not seen since Mother’s Day. Since then I have taken three additional cuttings. My garage now looks like a Middle Ages apothecary shop with dried herbs hanging in bunches all over the place. I will soon need to hang wire grids below the path of the garage door to hang more bunches from. I have everything from Chamomile to Coltsfoot hanging in various stages of drying. I just don’t know what I am going to do with all this stuff!
So I will be making lemon tea from the lemon scented catmint, the verbena, lemon balm, regular catmint and the pineapple scented mint. Just for old thyme Middle Ages sake I will probably add the Roman Chamomile flowers and perhaps a little dried basil to the tea. Basil you might ask? Why not, it has to go somewhere. When I drink tea I like old world musty, strong murky teas almost like the grogs concocted by the Middle Ages pharmacists. A little touch of basil in the tea bag will add the deep flavor and aroma kind of like roasted dandelion root gives to dandelion tea.
So what about the thirty cucumbers we picked last night on what was supposed to be a BUSH cucumber plant not a sprawling vine? Some will go into salads, many went to the neighbor across the street and the rest will go to flavor some vinegar and future crops (meaning tomorrows pickings) will be pickled.
Herbal vinegars are very easy to make and add extra dimension and depth to what is ordinary. Vegetable vinegars may seem an oddity but are interesting and flavorful additions to the winter kitchen. To make a vegetable vinegar first choose you favorite style of vinegar. Wine vinegars, cider vinegars and plain old white vinegar are prime candidates. Proportion of vinegar to vegetables is very important to get the most flavor. In fact most people making homemade vinegars for the first time to not use enough flavoring ingredients. The best ratio to use for vegetable vinegar is a 1 to three ratio one cup of veggies to three cups of vinegar. Peel and seed the vegetables of desired and place in a non reactive container. Then simply cover the veggies with vinegar seal the lid on the container and wait. After a week taste the vinegar. If the flavor is to your liking strain the vinegar into a bottle of your choosing, seal the lid and store. If not put the vinegar away again and try next week. For really flavorful concoctions strain out the original veggies, add fresh veggies put the vinegar back in and store for another week or two. Make sure you label the bottle with what kind of vinegar you just made.
This same process can be used for making herbal and fruit vinegars. Contrary to popular belief it is not necessary to heat the vinegar before pouring over the flavor mixture. The only time you may consider heating the vinegar slightly is when using spices that tend to be a little woody. Heating the vinegar then helps release the oils stored in the harder storage area of spices.
Canning vegetables and fruits is a great way to have the taste of the garden all winter long. However if not done correctly the results can be hazardous. A method to preserving the harvest of the season without the long canning process is to pickle them. Always start with sterilized clean jars. If you are using metal lids make sure they are not rusty. I had an overabundance of chile peppers last year and had to pickle them if I were to enjoy them. I found that not only did they taste great but the heat mellowed considerably compared to the flame thrower intensity from when they were fresh picked.
Choose you veggies from the garden and wash completely. Remove any blemishes or bruised sections. Combine in a pot 1 part vinegar, 1 part water and 1 tsp pickling salt per pint of liquid. Bring to a boil for one minute. Then pour carefully over the veggie mixture leaving no air space at the top of the jar. Add some pickling spices if you wish. Store the concoction in a dark cool place for three weeks before serving.
One note if using chiles or other small peppers whole. Poke wholes in them so the vinegar and spices can get inside the fruit. As well this will help the chile settle to the bottom of the jar and remove air pockets.
As for those fresh cut herbs. Cut them in late morning after the dew has dried. Always cut herbs for drying when they are free of dew drops or rain. Best flavor is late morning as well as just before flowers open. Tie into small bunches and hang them in a dark warm well ventilated area. They are ready for use when they are as brittle as fall leaves. Tie them tightly though. Herbs dry they shrink. Loosely tied bunches will end upon the floor. I use binding wire for good tight bunches that stay together.
Epigram Media Serviceprovider of content and photo services845-559-7892
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16 July, 2008
Lemon Chicken is Easy With Lemon Verbena
With it's light green fine textured foliage and great citrus aroma lemon verbena is a winner. I just wish it were hardy in my back yard. Growing to six feet this verbena gives multiple chances at cuttings throughout the season. I have just taken my thirds cutting in ten days. The plant just response well to haircuts.
Very surprised by the rough service on the under side of the leaf. I thought it would be as soft as basil but not so. Rough on the tongue for sure.
I have my verbena growing in a 10 inch pot out by my tropical island just off the back porch.
I hope I have a sunny enough window to place it in for the winter. The cuttings I have taken are now hanging upside down drying out. Some will make it in my rubs for fish the rest maybe in your kitchen.
Very surprised by the rough service on the under side of the leaf. I thought it would be as soft as basil but not so. Rough on the tongue for sure.
I have my verbena growing in a 10 inch pot out by my tropical island just off the back porch.
I hope I have a sunny enough window to place it in for the winter. The cuttings I have taken are now hanging upside down drying out. Some will make it in my rubs for fish the rest maybe in your kitchen.
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