Wisdom of the Trowel

Total lack of posting!

2009-07-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
Yes, zero, zip from me in two months! Bad! However, given the impending arrival of my little man in October, I've been doing full-time reading about how to raise a child! SO much more involved than a garden. Cloth diapering alone is a full time reading and researching project. I'm keeping the blog and hope to drop in periodically or maybe next summer at the latest, because I'm still gardening and still learning in that area...it's just in second place right now!
Thanks.
Heidi

What we've been eating and solar oven news

2009-05-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

We've been lucky enough to be able to eat from the garden for a while now. The broccoli was ready around March 6th and we've been enjoying it regularly until most of it quit a few days ago (the younger plants are starting now). We've also had spinach by the mound - almost too much spinach! - for weeks now. Also kale, mesclun mix, and last year's onions that sprouted in the fall, too, as well as carrots, Asian greens, a couple of leftover kohlrabi, and garlic scapes. Lots to eat and enjoy!

Luckily, the ridiculous, crazy, out-of-control compost gift butternut squash, or the Lewru Special, as my friend Frau calls it, produced 17 squash on one vine last year! NUTS! So we've been slowly working our way through that. It stores really well! I was surprised, actually. Here it is almost a year and I've got one left that looks to be in great condition.

It has been trickier than you might to think to use up 16 butternut squash when you have a husband who doesn't think vegetables should be sweet. I've had to dress it up with sauces and disguise it in frittatas and mash it into chili and cakes and such. I think my habanero cream sauce was a hit, and the savory pumpkin quiche (which could just as easily have been butternut squash) went over well, too. I definitely got creative with the vegetable!

My inaugural run of the sun oven resulted in a beautifully sunkissed butternut squash. Then last weekend I baked that into two loaves of butternut squash bread which turned out magnificently! All in all, it's been a nice time to eat from the garden...still looking forward to tomatoes and peppers, though!!

Oklahoma is the New Oregon!

2009-05-05T09:47:00.001-07:00

...yep, that's right! Without the hipsters and the bike messengers and the crazy cool art and music scene (ours is on a much smaller scale), and, oh yeah, the mountains and ocean...but boy do we have rain! It's been cloudy and rainy since April 23. Today makes 14 straight days. 2 weeks of rain! We topped 7 inches over the past few days, with a community just East of us having 10 inches! Ouch! Flooding has been a problem in some areas, but luckily not at casa 36-95.

In the meantime, that "start your engines" theme I roared a few weeks back...yeah, that was a bit premature. I transplanted and planted that day, but then nothing since then until two days ago. It was just too rainy and chilly and the soil was too mucky to get much done. But on Monday afternoon I finally had a break in the weather that coincided with a break from work. So transplanting peppers was tops on the list.

I usually like to get my peppers out on April 15, same as the tomatoes. Some people think this is too early for heat-loving peppers. I say, let them get tough! If it gets really cold at night or something I'll cover them with frost blankets, but typically that's a late enough start that it doesn't freeze them out.

This year they got transplanted almost three weeks late on May 4. Weather was a problem, but I also wanted to wait until my broccoli was ready to pull out (sayonara broccoli, you were great while you lasted!). The peppers needed to go into their vacated homes, so it was sort of a waiting game.

I'm actually glad I waited, too, because the soil has warmed up some and they avoided getting waterlogged in all that rain. Monday I went out with my trusty Epsom salts and bone meal, a trowel, the flat of peppers, and a chart telling me what's what, as well as a sketchy map of the garden so I could know what's what went where.

Rodale's, which the regular reader will recognize as my gardening Bible, recommended transplanting with the mix of salts and bone meal in order to encourage good root growth. I tried it last year and it seemed to be a winner so I'm trying it again this year. So far I've only used it with tomatoes and peppers, though. (Incidentally, I have the 1992 edition of the Rodale's encyclopedia and but I'd really like to get the new version that just came out in February of this year...)

After digging out a hole slightly bigger than the root mass and soil ball of the plant I wanted to transplant, I mixed about two or three teaspoons of salt with 2 tablespoons or so of bone meal (available at any garden store in the natural section). Last year I included compost, too, but this year I'm trying it without to see if that encourages the roots to spread faster rather than staying in one little ball for too long, feasting on compost. The book didn't mention anything about salt and grubbies, but I know that if you mix salt and slugs, for instance, you get a nasty (and probably painful) outcome. I try to avoid this by removing any slithery looking creature to a few inches away. I don't know if salt hurts worms, but I don't want to take that chance! They're garden heroes!

So once the salt/bone meal mix is in the hole, carefully pull the transplantee out of its former lodgings. I like to gently squeeze the plastic seed cell and invert it, if possible, to let gravity help. Be careful not to pull too hard on the stem or you can damage the roots. Once it's out, carefully plop it into the new hole, cover the root ball and fill in with soil, gently tamping down the whole bit to help the roots connect with soil. If you don't expect rain, water the transplants with a light stream. If it's sunny, you might want to protect them from bright sunshine for a few days until they get going. If they're small enough, I'll sometimes just cover them with leaves or set up a frost blanket propped up with sticks or something. No worries of that here, though. Remember: Oregon!

I still need to plant the corn in my three sisters garden (squash is a check but beans are still on hold, too), as well as ground cherries, basil with the tomatoes (they heart each other), some more poppies because I love them, and some green beans...ah summertime, I will never quit you! :)

I saw a question on a listserv I'm on about starting seeds indoors. While it's too late for early summer plants, seed starting is definitely still an option for a fall garden, so I'll post about that next. I've also been reading up about the tilling vs. not-ever-under-any-circumstances-tilling debate. So maybe I'll rustle up something on that.

As school dies down and the garden ramps up, so does this blog! Stay tuned!

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines!

2009-04-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

Gardening season is ramping up in a BIG WAY around here, although it's coinciding with my belly this year since I'm pregnant! Not sure I'll be able to do a lot of the heavier maintenance (which is fine with me!) but I can still pull weeds and transplant tomatoes and such.

Which is what I did on Tax Day, 2009! 19 tomatoes went into the ground, including Green and Black Zebras, Paul Robesons, a Great White, some Thessalonkis, some Cuor di Bues I got in Greece, some Cherokee Purples, some determinate Big Months, some Golden Queens, and a Bonus tomato from a random seed that fell on the floor while I was planting my seeds. Of course I've planted them too close together again, but I vow to keep them well pruned this year (Ha! Well, see!) which should ease up on the space issue. They're in a spot where they should receive 8+ hours of sun, so barring a repeat of last year's rainy, mucky bad weather, we should see a good harvest.

The tomatoes are spaced in a diamond pattern at the bottom of the picture. At the top middle is a small clump of Sylvetta arugula and behind that some flowering kohlrabi and broccoli.

Here you see my awful, terrible, no-good attempt at thinning.

The thinning didn't happen. These are the Great White tomato seedlings. I put two of each seed in each cell. Some died off or didn't sprout. If they did, I still couldn't manage to kill them off, even though I always vow to scrupulously thin each year (and fail). Maybe someday. It's partly that I don't want to kill something that wants to live but it's also because I am a frugal bastard. Instead, when I transplanted the tomatoes, I just separated them as much as I could to get them growing different directions. Then I'll see if I can cage or stake them enough a part to be viable. If not, I may still have to do some hacking...

My tomato seedlings stayed in the cell pack a bit long. I planted them Feb 13 and they came up in the next week or so. I should have moved them into larger pots (or transplanted them into Walls of Water or something) a week or two earlier. Instead they ended up a bit leggy. This is perfectly okay, though, since it's common place to pull off the bottom set of leaves of the tomato plant, trench it, and allow the stem to grow more roots, which strengthens the plant. To trench the plant, dig a sideways trench instead of a deep hole. Lay the plant in there with the roots and stem horizontal to the ground. Cover with soil, leaving the top part of the tomato poking out. The top will turn itself toward the sun in a few hours, leaving it growing in the proper direction. The stem puts out roots, strenthening the whole thing. I also add a teaspon or two of regular Epsom salts and about a tablespoon of bone meal to each hole or trench. This helps with root development and also helps strengthen the plant. For the Rodale's Organic Gardening Encyclopedia told me so.

Here's a full view of the backyard garden.

You can see the wood planks we used to hold down the frost blankets all winter. They'll get put away in the next week or so. In the back left is a huge patch of gorgeous garlic. We planted two pounds worth of Bavarian Purple and Ontario Purple Trillium garlic last October so we're hoping for a big harvest. Garlic takes 9 months - like a baby! - so we've been watching it all winter. Soon...soon.

In front of the garlic are onions and then fava beans (they look lime green in this picture and actually have small favas on them!) followed by more broccoli, then a scrubby looking patch of mesclun (wild lettuce mix) which should spruce up with some sun in the coming weeks. We'll soon be eating salad by the bowlfuls!

Garlic!

Broccoli!

To make room for the 14 peppers I have to transplant soon, I'm going to pull some of the broccoli this coming week. The stuff that's flowering will go and I'm thinking about pulling the lush de Cicco specimen on the bottom left because it's doing NOTHING! No broccoli shoots to speak of. I am disappointed! Last year I waited until the end of June to pull them out - they were hole-ridden by stupid cabbage moths at that point! Don't think I'll be that patient this year. I'll probably at least cook up the leaves, though. I'd hate to throw away a perfectly beautiful plant that is edible and tasty.

Then the peppers are going in! The limon peppers bit it during transplant into larger pots this year. Not surprised. Same thing happened last year, but one made a miraculous Lazarus-from-the-dead recovery. That's why I only ended up with one plant last year. I don't think I'll have any limon peppers this year! The rest of the peppers look fine and will be transplanted soon, probably this coming week.

I also re-planted five kinds of winter squash yesterday - jumbo pink banana, Japanese black futsu, Chicago warted hubbard, compost butternut from last year, and buttercup. I don't have high hopes for them since only one of my six plants survived The Horrendous Squash Bug Infestation of Ought-Eight. Here's to hoping this year is better for squash, both summer and winter!

Still plenty to talk about - smothering bermuda with cardboard collars, pimping your soil, growing cucumbers over ugly hedges, and the Sand Springs Herbal Affair '09...more to come!

SNOW!

2009-03-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

Gotta love Oklahoma weather...two weeks ago it was 84 degrees outside and beautiful. Today we're accumulating 3 inches of snow and counting. I spent a fair bit of time last night dragging out the frost blankets and a load of old sheets and towels to cover everything. I have tiny mesclun, spinach, radish, and lovage seedlings coming up, and the onions are setting in pretty well, too. Hope the weather doesn't derail too much. Hope the towels are sturdy enough and that the snow is insulative once the mercury starts to really drop (it's still above freezing, just snowing like mad!).

I don't have any pictures (b/c my husband took the camera with him to SXSW...I was jealous!) but last weekend I bought bird netting to stretch over some seedlings. The birds had done their best to clip and entirely pull up my kale and Swiss chard seedlings, and I'd meant to get bird netting last year but never got around to it...so it was definitely time. It was fairly easy to stretch out, too. I stuck some sticks in the ground and draped the netting over it. I think it will probably be somewhat of a pain to pull back up, though. It's already looking like it's tangled. But if I get some plants out of the deal, I'm better off than I was last year with just a bit of money (my netting was $7.99 at Lowe's) and time invested.

The squirrels are also starting to be a problem (well, not today!). I have containers of spinach and radishes which they've already dug up (do they think they put nuts there?). I have a bunch of surviving seedlings, but they messed up a few. I also suspect the squirrels of snapping off the fava beans at soil level. The irony here is that they probably just take a nibble and throw the stalk down, because they're always laying nearby, barely eaten. That's frustrating. One year I lost an entire corn crop that way, but I think that was raccoons. I'll have to figure out a better squirrel deterrent this year...I'll keep thinking.

In the meantime, hope all of your gardens are growing well and that this snow doesn't screw up too much!

Why overwintered gardens in Oklahoma rock!

2009-03-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

Largely, because of this:

These pictures were taken on March 6th! The purple shoots are from Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli from Baker Creek Seeds. It is specifically an overwintering type that can take cold. I planted the seeds around Sept 15. They grew to about 10 inches or so until winter hit and then kind of went dormant - too dark and cold. But whenever we had a mild sunny day, I know they were collecting the rays and packing them away. Then as soon as it turned mostly mild in late Feb, voila, it was a race to sprout!

This is the broccoli that I experimented with replanting the thinnings. It worked remarkably well event though I wasn't very sensitive with how I pulled out the plants I wanted to thin. Didn't seem to matter, though, except that the thinned plants are still a bit smaller than the ones I left standing.

Early Purple Sprouting is a sprouting type of broccoli, as opposed to a heading type. The broccoli we buy at the store is heading type - you get a large single flower cluster that can span six inches across or so (it's also undoubtedly a hybrid variety, grown in a monoculture green house, with loads of pesticides, but I digress...). Sprouting broccoli, on the other hand, makes many more, smaller flower clusters, sort of like the side shoots you might get after harvesting a head of broccoli. I'm also growing a heading type, Di Cicco broccoli from Seeds of Change, but they are still developing. It seems the "Early" in Early Purple Sprouting is quite accurate!

Last fall, when I started my overwintering garden, I was planning on it being a fall garden - but I planted too late! Rookie mistake... In any case, it's a happy accident this spring and something I'll likely continue. In addition to the broccoli, which will be the star due to the abundance of plants we have, I also have kale, spinach, miner's lettuce, cabbage, leeks, a few carrots, a few turnips, a few rutabagas, and a few kohlrabi, a ton of garlic, some fava beans, and a few random onions that never came up last spring. All of them are looking great and putting on serious growth.

How did we manage this nature-defying trick? Very simply: Frost blankets. Yes, that's it. I have two large frost blankets and then we also used a sheet, a tarp, and some containers so that everything got covered by something. At first I covered whenever it dropped below 32. This might have helped the plants acclimate, but I soon realized I didn't need to do this (when I forgot to cover and nothing died). After that realization I started covering if it was going to drop below 28 degrees. Yes, it meant we had to trudge out to the garden on a regular basis and arrange all of our sheets. Yes, it probably was an eyesore for the neighbors, but they're nice. And yes, we have relatively mild winters in Oklahoma. It did drop down to 9 degrees though, over Christmas. I'd decided just to leave everything covered while we were out of town and when we came back, after five days of being covered, everything looked a little tired but no worse for wear.

In sum, I highly recommend it and will do it again! Here's some of the fruits of the bounty...

They soon looked like this:

And then turned into a delicious winter root pasta e fagioli! Yum!

If you haven't gotten your lettuce and greens in, it's time! Carrots, onions, beets, broccoli, cabbage, get at it! I'm going to plant my butternut squash next weekend to see if I can get a repeat of last year's monster. We'll see...

Happy gardening!

Shovel-ready blog

2009-02-28T08:26:00.000-08:00

Well, there's been a flurry of activity over in my backyard, thanks in large part to an open weekend and lovely weather. I finally got to go out to enrich one swath of the back garden that's been neglected for a while - three bags of compost and three bags of manure, graciously spread for me by my awesome husband. Thanks, babe!

Add to that the planting of 150 sweet yellow onion sets, weeding approximately 225 square feet, deep-feeding the overwintered vegetables (which are doing great! more in another post soon), and planting radishes, daikons, shallots, leeks, Brussels sprouts, hamburg rooted parsley, and parnsips, and I'd call it a very productive afternoon in the garden.

BUT...I'm already seeing harlequin bugs, which frustrates me.

http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74/image/84867830

Seems a bit early...Also spotted two of the dreaded white "butterflies" that indicate cabbage worms to come. Perhaps our relatively mild winter was too mild!

http://web2.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/mwvr/viewreport.php?action=entire&issue=13&date=2005-08-19

In any case, I'll have to watch out for them this year. Last year they pretty much devastated my cole crops. The snails were also a problem and I've been saving and crushing my egg shells all winter to make a homegrown version of diatomaceous earth. Don't know if it will work, but it's worth a shot!

I am very pleased with how everything has overwintered so I'm excited to write more about that and include pictures...soon!

Sweet little sleeping seedies!

2009-02-13T10:42:00.000-08:00

Well, all the little pepper-fellas but the red savinas from 2003 (which I predicted wouldn't sprout and so far haven't) are up and awake and stretching their little leaf hands up to the lights.

They're back! Peppers planted 1/23/09

I have a few that are still trying to outgrow their seed shell. You can see that in the picture above. If the shell is just hanging on to the edge of a leaf, it's not that big of a deal, but there are two that are mostly still contained in the seed shell, on top of a relatively long stalk. This is a problem because the seed leaves are pivotal to get the whole plant off the ground (so to speak). The first two leaves make enough plant juice for the rest to grow forth. If they break off, the plant is dead, nothing-doing. And it's sad to watch it go from a green, headless stalk to a withered up brown thing...In the past when I've tried to worry these off I've usually ended up messing up the plant, either breaking off the leaves all together or seriously clipping them. So I'm trying to resist doing that this year (like not picking at a sunburn!). I'm trying to keep the seed shell damp so that it'll be easier to outgrow and split.

You can also see my super-awesome, massively high-tech approach to lights. They're located on top of my refrigerator. On one side I put tacks in the wall and propped the lights on top of them. The other side balances on phone books. This way I can keep the lights as close to the plants as possible and move them up as needed. I've seen ingenious ways of doing this that involve carpentry and chains. This is my low-fi version! And hey, it works for one flat, so why not?

Today I planted my tomatoes. I want them to be a bit bigger than last year's by the time I plant them out (1st or 2nd week of April in these parts). After my super-fun seed swap with the Frau, I ended up with a variety of tomatoes for this year. I double planted each cell pack and will hopefully end up with the following:

Green Zebra (seed saved from last year; hugely, hugely productive!)
Pink Paul Robeson (I saved seed from a plant that went more pink than the rest and so tasty!)
Paul Robeson (ditto - last year's purchase from Baker Creek)
Black Zebra (New to me - THANK YOU, FRAU!)
Great White (New to me - THANK YOU, FRAU!)
Thessaloniki (free gift seed pack from BC)
Cuor di Bue (picked these up in Greece!)
Pink Israel (free gift seed pack from BC)
Big Month roma (this year's purchase from BC)
Opalka (last year's purchase from Pinetree)
Golden Queen (last year's purchase from Pintree)
Banana Legs (on clearance at Pinetree last year)
Cherokee Purple (I grew these five years ago and LOVED THEM - THANK YOU, FRAU!)

I also planted ground cherries due to the enthusiastic recommendations of my co-local gardener and oklavore. I'm excited to see what happens with them! I've never tried anything like them (fruit, berries, tomatillos, nada!). Hopefully I will get to make jam, too!

Happy planting!

Why choosing where you buy your seeds matters

2009-02-05T11:23:00.000-08:00

Hello, hello!

It's garden-dreaming, seed-buying, row-sketching, and early planting time! If you haven't already bought your seeds, let me encourage you to read this article. It's very important to support the good guys when it comes to where your seed dollars go. Our food supply has been forced into exponential reduction in richness, quality, and diversity by a few, huge, deep-pocketed members of the agribusiness industry. At one point there were thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of varieties of vegetables and flowers. Now, most people are offered a few types which are largely specialized and barren hybrids, incapable of reproducing on their own. Instead of being able to save the seeds from these plants growers have to buy new seeds and plants each year. It makes great fiscal sense for the devious minds and moneyholders involved. It gives the average farmer the shaft, not to mention the dangerous ramifications involved when some of these seeds are genetically modified to produce their own pesticide or resist certain herbicides (which we're subsidizing, by the way). If you buy your seeds at your local garden center, chances are you're supporting that ecological genocide.

Diversity = complexity = richness = safety. You can find a treasure trove of gorgeous, safe, open-pollinated (ie "savable") seed stock from such modern seed heroes as Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, The Seed Savers Exchange, Seeds of Change, Native Seeds, Pinetree, and the Sand Hill Preservation Center. Do you know of other good companies you'd recommend?

Please read the article and be thoughtful when you make your purchases. There are waaaaaaaaayyyyyyy better tomatoes than Better Boy and Early Girl. Go grow some heirlooms or open-pollinated varities and give Monsanto et al. the big, fat financial finger!

Pepper planting time!

2009-01-28T08:13:00.000-08:00

(Clockwise from top left: red chile, Roberto's, ancho, aji limon, tabasco, green tomatoes, a lone late fall okra, anaheim, habanero)

2008 Pepper Report & 2009 Pepper Planting Mania!

Yes, it's early! But I wanted to get a jump start on my peppers this year, since the ones I grew from seed didn't really come into their production height until September/October. I'd planted those seeds toward the end of Feb last year and planted them out toward the end of April. It gets hot, hot, hot in Oklahoma and our first freeze wasn't until November 6. Most of the peppers hung on until November 20, though, with the help of frost blankets. Then everything except the over-wintering crops went down hard.

(Left corner: tabasco peppers; right corner: Hungarian wax. Also one Roberto's Cuban and one jalapeno)

This year, I planted 18 seed plugs with 2 seeds apiece, on Jan 24 (for the list, see the bottom of the post). I'm hoping that giving them an extra month will mean more peppers earlier in the season. The biggest of my home-seeded plants were producing well but the smaller guys had really just put on a bunch of peppers right before the first frost. The plants I bought were all big, bushy, and beautiful, producing extravagantly by August. So with that in mind, I bumped up my seeding date by about five weeks.

Last year I grew 11 varieties of seeds and 3 peppers from plants. Below are some notes...

(Clockwise from left corner: Hungarian wax (looks like a yellow finger), tabasco, cayenne, red bell, habanero, Anaheim)

Seeds
* Hot pepper mix (included jalapeno, cayenne, Hungarian wax, red cherry, & Anaheim): This was a Burpee's packet I bought from Lowe's. I double-planted 9 seed plugs and ended up with 1 jalapeno (did okay but got taken out early by some sort of disease that looked like anthracnose on its leaves), 1 cayenne (same story as the jalapeno), 3 or 4 Hungarian wax (these did well, showed disease tolerance, and produced about a dozen+ peppers per plant. I pickled these and they lasted about three-four months), and 3 or 4 Anaheim (one grew well from the beginning and was highly productive. The others were stragglers and had put on a bunch of peppers in Nov when it got cold. Good disease resistance). I didn't get any red cherries!

Pickled Hungarian wax peppers

* Roberto's Cuban Seasoning: Got this from Baker Creek but they haven't relisted it this year. It was described as a habanero-flavored, low-heat pepper, which it was. It was AWESOME!

(Roberto's Cuban Seasoning/Aji Dulce)

Baker Creek is carrying a new pepper called Red Mushroom that seems to bear a physical similarity to this pepper, except Roberto's wasn't hot or was only very, very mildly hot. I read an article in Gourmet (I think) over the summer that described a similar pepper called aji dulce, which is probably what Roberto's really is. Anyway, phylogeny aside, I planted 6 of these and three made it into the garden. One grew exceptionally well and early (saved seeds from this one), and the other two were in the straggling bunch that had just set well (although on smaller plants) when the first frost hit. Dommage!

* Lemon Drop (aji limon): From Pinetree. I bought these seeds because I tried one from the pepper lady at Pearl's Farm Mkt in Tulsa. The one she gave me actually did have a lemony accent. Mine had a lemon smell, but not much of a lemon flavor. And they were HOT! I planted four of these and two got planted out. One died. The other did really well, producing early and prolifically. I liked it and used it quite a bit (excellent minced with mashed chickpeas and garlic) but may try again for more lemon. The growing conditions and the fact that I only got to sample one plant may have affected the flavor. I saved seeds and still have 1/2 the packet, as well.

Accidental bliss - Gifts from the compost
* Red chile: This is the pretty red triangular pepper sold at the grocery store as a Red hot chile. Kinda generic name. I put them in chili and salsa and loads of stuff, so there are always tons of seeds in the compost. I don't know how many of these came up - probably three dozen or so! I let about half a dozen grow to maturity and they didn't disappoint. While not exceptionally prolific (they didn't get off to a start until June, maybe), they were reliable and lasted a long, long time, right up until the second hard freeze. Nice heat and disease resistance.

(red jalapeno, tabasco, red chile, Roberto's Cuban, Hungarian wax, the larger pepper at middle-right is an ancho)

* Ancho: Also from the compost and also grew slowly. The peppers were normal sized, not the monsters you see at the store. Good heat and good heat/cold tolerance; one of the last peppers to bite it! Like the red chiles they were somewhat spindly but they were only getting probably six hours of direct sunlight...

Plants
* Tabasco: Plant bought at Lowe's. This plant exploded on me. I ended up with hundreds, if not a thousand, tiny orangy-red peppers that were hot, hot, hot! I made tobasco sauce, froze them, dried them, and of course we ate them fresh. This plant was almost too productive and lasted until the bitter end.

* Habanero: Ditto. We had more habs than we could handle. Ate fresh, made sauce, pickled, dried, frozen. Very prolific and very, very hot! Also bought at Lowe's.

* Red Bell: Not very productive. I think we got four or five bells off this plant and they were mostly undersized. I think it got whatever foliage disease the jalapeno got. Also bought at Lowe's.

(tabasco, cayenne, jalapeno, Hunagarian wax, Roberto's Cuban, habanero)

I guess that completes the 2008 portion. For 2009 I'm focusing more on smaller sweet peppers since the larger ones seemed to have trouble in my micro-climate (which doesn't feature tons of all-day sunshine). I'll planted the following:

* 4 seeds from the Hot Mix - Burpees (Lowe's)
* Ashe County Pimento - Baker Creek
* Jimmy Nardello Italian (for frying or drying) - Baker Creek
* Italian pepperocini (mildly hot for pickling) - Baker Creek
* Leutschauer Paprika (medium hot for drying/grinding) - Baker Creek
* Pasilla Bajio (medium hot mole pepper) - Baker Creek
* Red Cheese pepper - Baker Creek
* Aji limon - Pinetree
* Aji dulce/Roberto's Cuban Seasoning - Baker Creek
* Red Savina Scotch Bonnet - these are from some peppers I grew and froze in 2003, so I kind of doubt they'll germinate...we'll see.

And there you have it! The pepper round-up and opening, in one go! The irony about writing this today, however, is that I'm only sitting at home due to being iced in for the second day in a row! So of course my thoughts turned toward warm soil and tasty, spicy peppers. Can't wait!

How does your (winter) garden grow?

2008-12-30T11:31:00.000-08:00

After perusing the Frau's latest garden musings, I felt compelled to get my garden cap on. The seed books are coming out - and Baker Creek's is a piece of art this year! - and the garden jones is coming back slowly...

This is my first year to plant a fall/winter garden and I think I learned a few things...

1) Start earlier. Trust the planting dates. Even if it's 106 degrees outside. I started most of my stuff in mid-late September and it didn't have enough time to mature.

From what I gather the plants are supposed to be full size by the time it's cold, cold, cold. Call me dense, I'm just now putting this together. That way, the garden acts like a form of cold storage, keeping your (now dormant) carrots, parsnips, cabbages, turnips, etc. freshly bedded in a pile of leaves. Aha moment for me!

What I have, conversely, is about 20 mid-sized broccoli plants (the overwintering variety) who are hanging on quite well, a few smallish cabbages, some tiny parsnips, a bunch of lovely (and correctly cultured) prepubescent garlic, some fava beans that are putting up a helluva fight, some spinach and small kale plants, and some teeny, tiny leeks that will probably be the world's most all-weathered vegetables by the time this winter is over. Between two frost blankets, a tarp, and a few upside down planters acting as cloches, we're making it through. It got down to 10 degrees while we were away for the holidays, but everything seems to have pulled through (although the fava beans look like they need to be in the vegetal ICU).

So I'm hoping that all of my covering is not for want and that I'll be able to see these plantlings into the spring, at which point - I'm crossing my fingers here! - they'll pick up where they left off and produce me something or other...Or perhaps I'm in denial of biology, physics, and the earth's natural cycles and all I'll have to show for it is a bunch of deep green leaves. Either way, it's been a learning experience. (And I could probably survive on the deep green leaves if I needed to!) I will definitely have garlic, though. Hallelujah!

I tried something new with the broccoli this year, too. When I thinned it out, I replanted the 6-inch thinnings and all but one took. So no waste! Hopefully it will make it through the winter and give me some early spring broccoli shoots! The weather's been sunny and warm the past few days, so who knows...

I used the last of my fresh peppers yesterday when I made a big pot of black bean soup (very simple - just 1 lb beans, soaked and cooked with 2 diced onions, 4 garlic cloves, some chicken/vegetable stock, hot peppers to taste, served with hard-cooked eggs, green onions, and lemon juice. YUM!) The pepper plant didn't give up the ghost until early December, I think, when the garden went down hard (all the frost blankets in the world probably wouldn't have saved them!). I still have a few tired looking tomatoes that have ripened slowly since that time. And 10 or so butternut squash out in the garage. Not bad.

Still have yet to decide what to purchase/try this year. I still have a bunch of seed left over from last season plus all the seed I saved. Still though, I want to try some different hot peppers. I don't want as much okra. I'm going to try cowpeas over our fence (let them duke it out with the morning glories) since they last all the way through the major hot summers...Ah, garden dreams! I can't wait!

Hilarious - Now with the Sonic guy

2008-12-02T17:27:00.000-08:00

In The Know: Should The Government Stop Dumping Money Into A Giant Hole?

Stolen from jedimomma.

Consuming thanks

2008-11-28T10:08:00.000-08:00

One day post-Thanksgiving and I'm thinking about what a weird (and sometimes lovely) world we live in. One day post-Thanksgiving and I'm not shopping.

Black Friday, indeed - a clerk at a Wal-Mart in Long Island was trampled to death and a shopper had a miscarriage...in order that the families of these mad shoppers could have the latest techy toys and High School Musical pajamas? What is this sick thing within us humans that pushes us to externalize our wealth and make it a symbol or replacement for love? This drive to consume, is it evolutionary? Has it gotten mis-translated and warped by modern times as many other evolutionary safeguards have? (Update: thank god the pregnant woman and her baby are both okay, the reports of a miscarriage were false.)

In another post on ecopsychology I pondered the implications of a brain that evolved in concert with nature now feeling the brunt of a technological divorce from that shaping force. For instance, we have an incredibly effective internal alarm system called the fight-or-flight response which triggers a whole host of bodily responses in case we need to get the hell out of dodge. Breathing increases, heart rate increases, the blood rushes to the core to support increased heart-rate and organ activity to facilitate fleeing or standing to fight. Highly adaptive over millions of years, no doubt. And still adaptive in times of true need. Yet highly inconvenient if triggered by a rude motorist who cuts you off in traffic, or if set into effect before an exam in the form of test anxiety, or if made more susceptible to triggering as is the case in panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.

Is our drive to consume similar?

It was at one time highly adaptive, certainly. We needed protections against the future - food, warmth, fuel in the form of firewood. Consuming could be seen as a hedging of bets and a protection against terror, simply put. Bringing things under one's dominion, leading to a prosperous life full of the illusion of control, probably helped people sleep easier at night and did help get them through lean times. Even gaining weight - at which we are spectacularly adept now - was an evolutionary advantage against hunger. People from the colder Northern climes gained easier and those of us who are their descendants still do!

There is a similar drive to amass within the peak oil movement, although it's metaphor is the squirrel storing winter nuts, rather than useless gadgets and new plastic crap from China. But nonetheless - we have within us a need to gather things for our protection. It affords us a greater illusion of control in an uncontrollable life. It helps us to feel okay in a world on the verge of considerable change. And there are many unscrupulous folks out there who would take advantage of this potential weakness - indeed there are a lot of people making money off the threat of peak oil, hocking expensive wares through manipulative fear.

I'm certainly not saying we shouldn't be thoughtful about potential shortages and therefore take time to save useful items, or even to consider purchasing a few new things (preferably used!). It would be imprudent to suggest that we shouldn't prepare. It would be impossible - an nonsensical - to suggest that we stop consuming.

But I think it's hugely important to be honest with ourselves. Is our consumption coming out of fear? Has an evolutionary advantage been kicked into hyperdrive by the availability of 32 kinds of ketchup and 18 types of maxipads and an infinite variety of clothing and toys? Are we being wise when we purchase out of misplaced anxiety? How much are we controlled by our instincts to hedge our bets? Is uncontrolled, mindless consumption of clearance junk from Target or Black Friday "deals" from Macy's a sickness? When does it become one? At what point have we lost our balance?

At what point can we feel okay without lists and lists of things we can turn to to protect us? At what point do we realize that our true wealth, security, and comfort is internal and interpersonal?

At what point do we have enough?

Fall wrap-up

2008-11-26T06:32:00.000-08:00

Well, witness what an academic semester looks like by reviewing this blog...One post in November, one post in October, two in September...Ouch! It's like a tsunami came and sat on my head! (Which is what it felt like, incidentally...)

So what have I been up to over the past several months?

One, riding the wave of course prep and lecture development for a class I hadn't yet taught (2 more weeks of that post-Thanksgiving, hallelujah!).

Two, riding the rising tide of mental health use. We've been so busy this semester! I don't know if it's the economy and all the bad news in the media that's made us busier or if it's just a fluke. I do know we've been smacked hard.

Three, checking in on my garden from time to time...I have loads of over-wintering broccoli, turnips, carrots, leeks, tons of garlic, chard, spinach, and kale all sitting in their maturing adolescence out back. I've had to cover everything with frost blankets 3 times so far and expect to 3 more times this coming weekend (I'll probably just throw on the covers and leave them for that stretch). But they look great all in all, provided the early spring isn't too brutal, we'll have crops all the way through here. I tried to transplant the broccoli thinnings this year and I think it's worked pretty well. About 3/4 of them survived the transplant, so that might become a new practice. Nothing lost if they don't survive beyond a few minutes of my time.

Four, the end of the food prep! The peppers went absolutely gonzo until a killing freeze knocked them back last week. I have so many different pepper products that I may not have to grow to peppers next year (not that I won't!). I have about half a pound of pepper flakes in the mild, medium, and hot varieties; habanero pepper sauce; tabasco pepper sauce; aji dulce pepper sauce; aji limon pepper sauce; green chili relish; pickled habaneros; pickled Hungarian wax peppers; frozen dried peppers of all varieties; and frozen hot chili sauce. And there's probably more stuff I'm not thinking of right at this moment.

I do think I'll scale back my pepper production next year. I got tired of having to come up with new ways to save them! I must have gotten several hundred tabasco peppers (they're small, don't forget) and close to a hundred habaneros off one plant each! It was sick! Next year I think I'll do a jalapeno (mine wasn't prolific this year and I love the large dried flakes/pieces that jalapenoes make when you dry them. Delicious in mashed potatoes!), a mole pepper, the aji dulce I can no longer live without, and a smaller bell (I'd rather have more smaller than fewer large bells).

Also in the food prep category, I canned up 10 qts of beef stock made from the lovely, silky knuckle bones from my local food co-op. Bought a 20 pound bag of potatoes to save in our cool garage, stored the 12 leftover butternut squash from this summer's bumper crop, and bought several small pie pumpkins for the makeshift garage-root-cellar. Dried 10 bell peppers I found on sale. Inventoried all the food storage to date. I've had to watch the mounting anxiety I feel whenever I see anything to do with the economy. It seems like most of the peak-oil bellwethers have moved from advocating a 3-month food supply to at least a 6-month supply. What do you guys think?

I've been struggling to find time to breath and I found that time away from the computer was the way to go for me. I was still (and am still!) reading/scanning other people's blogs - in brief, stolen moments - but writing on top of the lecture development was too much. I guess when I get busy I prefer to power down and away whenever I can. Hopefully I'll have some time to write over the next few weeks until the semester picks up in the spring.

Hope you are well and enjoying the winter gardening and/or planning for spring. My Pinetree catalog came last week! First of the season... anyone else starting to get seed catalogs?

At the doorstep of history

2008-11-05T06:08:00.000-08:00

Last night I was so happy I cried. We weren't prepared for the sudden announcement - I still thought it too soon and didn't want to get my hopes up. Then there was jumping, dancing, obscene phone calls left on friends' voicemails, a congratulatory call (reaching across the aisle) from my sister and mother, more tears of joy, glasses of champagne.

And awe. I was in awe. I am in awe.

It kind of feels like waking up after a bad dream and having that soothing, grounding feeling in your stomach when you know things are going to be okay.

Thank you to everyone who organized, activated, shook, rattled, rolled, and voted for change! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, Mr. Obama, for your inspiration.

This is history.

Long Silence = Whirlwind Fall

2008-10-01T08:59:00.001-07:00

So a wise woman, and former teacher, reminded me that I'd be busy this fall with teaching...And I thought, surely not! I'm pinch-hitting a course this fall but was given the syllabus, book, and powerpoint dummies (and they were seriously dummies). I thought it would be easy-pleasy. But OH MAN. Prepping 2 weekly 75 minute lectures (and reading and grading and test making) is very different than teaching the upper-level discussion/seminar-based courses I've been used to...Egads.

So yes - a long silence on my end. However, I did have time for a guest blog over at Green Tulsa. I talked about trying to steal little bits of time for myself whenever and however I can and then to use them mindfully...very a propos right about now.

More on gardening, living, and eco-psychology coming as soon as I can take a deep breath...

This is great!

2008-09-15T06:20:00.001-07:00

August Eats Stash

2008-09-11T09:02:00.001-07:00

August 23 - yellow tomato salsa; sandwich toppings; roasted peppers
August 21 - mixed beans with herbs
August 19 - baked potato toppings; sandwich fillings
August 18 - jalapeno poppers; lamb's quarters, peppers, onions, tomato stiry fry
August 15 - veggie burger fixings; additions to chicken stock
August 10 - salsa; 14 frozen batches of pesto; Island Stew
August 9 - veggie burger fixings; Spicy Marinara with fresh herbs and angel hair pasta
August 8 - Dixie Special (yellow squash, (turkey) bacon, onions, tomatoes, peppers)
August 7 - grilled chicken with pickled okra, habanero pickles, and cherry tomatoes
August 6 - 9 1/2 pints peach and blueberry jam (didn't grow, but proud I tried!)
August 5 - veggie burger fixings
August 4 - green beans and onions
August 3 - tomato salad with fresh herbs and balsamic vinegar
August 2 - jambalaya!!!; homemade tabasco sauce

All Quiet on The WidsomBlog Front...

2008-08-25T07:35:00.000-07:00

This week: school starts and the madness begins.
Next week: I'm blowing it off to go here.
The week after that: I'm back in black, baby.

Have a good coupla weeks!

PS: the fall beans are off; the shallots and leeks are transplanted; some late tomato seedlings have been set out...the true fall garden goes in Sept 13. Stay tuned for disco!

I heart Al Gore

2008-08-19T05:57:00.000-07:00

I loved this so much over at jeneflower's blog that I had to do a repost.

Fall Planting - woohoo!

2008-08-15T17:18:00.000-07:00

Well, the weather this year has been down right weird. It rained and rained and rained in June. Then it got normal - hot and scorchy in July and most of August so far but the past week it's been around 80 degrees and overcast with some rain. Portland weather!

In the midst of the cool down I decided to start the fall garden with a first sowing of green beans and romano beans. The spring beans did well until the spider mites nearly obliterated their numbers. I'm hoping the cooler fall weather will spare them of this menace since heat seems to send spider mites into heat (the reproductive kind). I also tucked in some more winter squash (Chicago warted hubbard, black futsu, and jumbo pink banana) since the last round got decimated by squash vine borers. Not sure I'll get anything off of them but I'll try. Today I followed up with a mix of fish emulsion, hot pepper spray, and insecticidal soap to get the heat-oppressed garden back up to par. The peppers till look good, as does the okra, sylvetta arugula (that stuff is amazing!) and cherry tomatoes. Everything else looks sad and will probably come up soon.

Several weeks ago I also started some fall tomatoes (a pink Israeli tomato I received as a thank you from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds - it's a trial tomato not for sale, so we'll see), shallots, leeks, and beets under lights inside. I plan to plant out the tomatoes tomorrow and hold off for cooler weather for the other stuff. I've been trying to decide what and how to plant everything for this fall. I just got a big order of seeds from Pinetree that included three kinds of kale (konserva, dinosaur, and dwarf blue), rutabaga, brussel sprouts, daikon, spinach, collards, cabbage, miner's lettuce, salsify, and some seeds for next spring (banana legs tomato and the bianco lungo cucumber). Garlic should be arriving from Territorial soon. I already had some carrots, broccoli, leeks, favas, turnips, and peas that are relatively cold hardy so we should be good. I need to get a few more frost blankets, though. Between that and some salvaged windows we should be able to make several things last through the winter. Okie winters involve a lot of ice but aren't typically ridiculously cold.

In terms of putting away the harvest, we've been busy on that end, too. I've made 14 large batches of pesto (anyone want some???) which are currently in the freezer. Dried and froze some tomatoes. Dried habaneros and cayenne for Pizza Flakes from Hell. Pickled peppers. Pickled cucumbers. Canned salsa and jam. Made homemade tabasco sauce. Canned tomatoes and green beans. Stewed and froze some tomatoes. Dried loads of dill, rosemary, and cilantro. Tonight I'm canning up loads and loads of chicken stock with homegrown onions and carrots and herbs. Oh, and the crazy volunteer butternut squash has just provided number 17! I've got them stored in an old bread box until it cools down enough to clear a space in the (largely uninsulated) garage. I checked my calendar and I first noticed it had come up on March 29 which is ridiculously early and cold. I didn't bother to cover it when it froze two more times after that, so it was one hardy bitch! :)

And lest it sound like its all roses here, it's not. Absolute failures in the garden included the aforementioned winter squashes and the chartenais melons (nice vines - no fruit!). Largely failures included the broccoli, red onions, and white onions (the yellows did great). Somewhat failures included the damned Opalka tomatoes! I'm so disappointed about them!!! I'm going to do some more research to see if I can clarify the problem...

Well, I suppose that's it. I need to work on the course I'm teaching starting in...10 days...Au revoir summer. You were one belle soeur if only for just a little while...

The journalistic prowess of Martin Brashear and company

2008-08-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

ABC did a Nightline story on (mostly) peak oil survivalists last night. Of course the whole thing was sort of like "Look at the crazy monkeys in the zoo, little Johnnie! Aren't they weird? They're saving FOOD!"

Someone, somewhere, on some blog (probably lots of someones) made the point that the green movement/peak oil preparedness movement/locavore movement, etc. is garnering enough attention and short time devoteeship that it might eclipse itself into trendiness (which it has) and eventually passe-dom. I certainly hope this is not the case...but stories like this don't help.

Nightline story on survivalists

Games

2008-08-12T06:05:00.001-07:00

Two night ago was the first time I found myself jumping up and down and screaming in my living room in quite some time (well since OU played last year...). I get somewhat turned off by the melodrama that goes into enormous sporting events, but watching the athletes themselves is such a pleasure. Especially when you get this:

Frickin' awesome

Last night lovie and I marveled at the absolutely outrageous Chinese gymnastics team. Those dudes nailed their landings, you could see shock waves rippling through their backs before they stood up. Good god.

And Jonathan Horton is like a bullet with magnetic feet.

He may be from Houston, but he goes to THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA!!!!

Diving or Jumping?

I can do without the Morgan Freeman schlock, but this stuff is sweet.

Pepper Report

2008-08-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

Another update on the growing guide...

This year I grew Roberto's Cuban Seasoning and Lemon Drop peppers from seed, as well as a hot pepper mix that included ancho, jalapeno, cayenne, Hungarian Wax, and poblano. These I started under lights inside in March and April. I bought plants for habanero, red bell, and tabasco. All were planted out the last week of April in a soil amended with homemade compost, store bought mushroom compost, and manure.

Roberto's Cuban Seasoning
Started 9 seeds of which three were viable. Planted those out - 1 died and two are still a-growin'. One is now reliably producing a gorgeous and delicious wrinkled Chinese lantern type of pepper. The other is still growing and is stunted for some reason, although it looks healthy. Roberto's is billed as being a heat-free version of the habanero with that delicious taste. While it doesn't look like a habanero, it could be reasonably similar in appearance to a savina or scotch bonnet, but wrinklier. It does have that phenomenal taste and very low (though not heat-free) heat. I had trouble getting these maturity, but I frequently have trouble starting and maintaining peppers from seed (except for Fish Peppers which seem to grow themselves). They're worth the trouble, though - great pepper if you can get em going. Very, very, very tasty!

Lemon Drop
I started 6 of these, of which 2 were viable. Planted them both out and 1 died. The other is now covered in green peppers that are beginning to ripen to yellow. I guess I can't really comment on the flavor as they haven't ripened yet, but hopefully they will taste like the one I got from the pepper lady last summer - it tasted like a pepper dipped in lemon! YUM! In any case, these too were persnickety in terms of the growing culture. I don't have much space for heating mats and a big lighting rig, but I bet that would help my pepper turnout...

Hot Pepper Mix
These grew very easily in comparison to the speciaty peppers mentioned above. They are likely hybrids, though - wasn't mentioned on the package specifically what variety they are. In any case, they were much easier. So far I've gotten some of all, but the real stars have been the Hungarian Wax peppers which have gone mad. The anchos are doing okay. The jalapenos are doing well. The cayenne is working on it. The poblano is not doing so okay. Both the poblano and the anchos are somewhat spindly and growing straight up, rather than bushing out. Not enough leaf cover to prevent sunburn on the fruits. Lame. I think next year I will pinch all of my peppers when they are young things and remove the first sets of flowers. I want busy, bushy plants!!!

Red Bell
Hmph. Usually when I've purchased plants they've done well. Well, not these. The plant looks okay but I've only gottn 4 bells off it so far. Boo! And the first had BER on the side of it. I know it was a weird year weather-wise (wettest on record by July!) but still. Not impressed this year.

Habanero
I've had good luck with habaneros in the past and this one is no exception - big, bushy plant with loads of lethal orange beauties. Doing great.

Tabasco
This is probably the standout plant in my garden this year - well, this and the Grendel Squash of Doom - but this one is much more manageable and productive in a much, much smaller amount of space. This plant is literally covered in hundreds - yes, really - of tiny peppers. I'm constantly pulling them off. Very much worth the space and time, particularly if you love things bloody spicy. Need I mention homemade tabasco???

Homemade Tabasco

2008-08-08T06:55:00.000-07:00

Easy, very hot sauce to dribble onto everything. Except people. This could seriously burn eyes and sensitive membranes (never pick your nose after cutting peppers...it's just a bad idea). Use hot pepper safety.

Homemade Tabasco - makes one jar

Save yourself a Tabasco jar with lid and plastic stopper.

Simmer about 1 cup of distilled white vinegar with about 1 1/2 cups tabasco peppers until peppers look soft and mushy (maybe 15 mins?).

The little orangey-red peppers in the left hand corner are tabasco peppers

Grind it up in a food processor or food mill. If you are so inclined and have the time and equipment, put it through a sieve to get out the seeds, etc.
Place a funnel into the neck of the bottle - you might have to shove it down on there. This one came from a flask kit.
The bamboo kebab stick helps you poke the pulp and seeds through so they don't just bottleneck the funnel. Top remaining pulp with enough vinegar to cover (maybe a tablespoon or so).
Shake! Shake! Shake!
I left enough room to add more peppers, so adjust accordingly. I think I'm going to regrind this or maybe sieve it because it's getting clogged. Or I might just remove the stopper and see how that goes.
This sauce is really hot! It tastes a lot like regular Tabasco except it's not fermented for three years because frankly I don't have that kind of patience or self-discipline. We had it on eggs and on jambalaya and it really is great on most savory things. But be careful, though, because it's firey hot. The seeds make it hotter than the real deal.

Et voila!

July eats stash

2008-08-07T06:49:00.001-07:00

* July 31 - sandwich fixings and salad
* July 30 - Buffa-pho (peppers, basil, onions), mixed beans, Greek salad
* July 28 - Faux Nicoise
* July 27 - green beans; tomato salad
* July 26 - lavender infused vodka...
* July 25 - turkey and bulgar burger fixins', yellow tomato salsa, homemade pickles
* July 23 - Butternut alfredo with edamame and oyster mushrooms (I didn't grow those!); tomato salad
* July 22 - caprese salad
* July 20 - lamb's quarters and bulgar stir fry with carrots, onions, eggplant, okra, tabasco peppers, and tomatoes
* July 19 - 13 pints tomatoes, 3 quarts mixed beans
* July 18 - bulgar pilaf with onions, carrots, and dill
* July 16 - butternut squash with goat cheese and pasta; dill and habanero pickles
* July 15 - tomato salad and sandwich fixings
* July 13 - Greek salad
* July 11 - gi-normous batch of salsa
* July 10 - salad & enchildadas (tomatoes, onions, peppers)
* July 9 - zucchini & onion frittata with tomato salad
* July 8 - salad
* July 6 - tomato salad
* July 4 - big batch of salsa!
* July 2 - butternut squash and onions in habanero cream sauce over wild rice with mixed tomato salad
* July 1 - Green tomatoes, onions, & mixed herbs with organic chicken and pickled onions

Swimming in powerpoint slides

2008-08-07T06:06:00.000-07:00

Ola!

I feel I've been silent too long!!! Truth is I've been crash prepping for a survey course I'm teaching this fall, still helping with campaigning (it's run-off time), still trying to improve my food storage skills (peak oil can be fun and instructive despite the scariness!), still trying to beat the heat, and still trying to relax after all that. So...my posts may be few and far between (or not, who knows) for a month or so. AND in 3 1/2 weeks my lover and I are taking a belated honeymoon to Greece! Woohoo! I'd feel guilty about the carbon issues except that it will very likely be our last trip abroad (besides O Canada and El Mexico) maybe ever (unless newer, better, cheaper technology develops fast and I don't mean hot air balloons). So it's going to be a busy month!

Tara, at Enough..., gave me an award for my quest for knowledge and frequent invocation of the triple word score - thank you, Tara! Using large words in public makes me feel that my indentured servitude with Sallie Mae is somehow worth it. Some.How.

In kind, here are few fun and random facts about moi:

1) Je parle francais. Au moins, j'ai parlé francais auparavant - which is probably self-evident by the spelling and grammar errors. My folks lived abroad for a little over five years so I spent time in France, the Philippines, Malaysia, and New Caledonia.

2) I spent 18 magical months working with these guys: Pongo and Grub back in 2000.

3) I am a twin.

4) My grandmother's family on her father's side was in the land run. My great-grandmother was an educated well-to-do woman who graduated from Boston College in the early 1900s but found herself a spinster at 28! She decided to make an adventurous trip out to Oklahoma to see her cousins and ended up meeting my dashingly good looking (but illiterate) great-grandfather who roughnecked on oil rigs. They married. They had four kids. She had a stunning nervous breakdown from which she only partially recovered. They never divorced but lived across the street from one another in matching tar paper shacks. Aren't people fascinating?

5) I am distantly related to Edgar Allan Poe but come without the torment or the inspiration.

Some pictures before I go!

Vegetable Art I

Vegetable Art II

Vegetable Art III

Pickled Peppers I wrote about here.

The Growing Guide for the Little Pink House 2008, pt 1

2008-08-01T12:19:00.001-07:00

So I wanted to make some notes on what worked this year and what had problems. As we cruise into August I don't have super high hopes for everything. I think the okra and squash will stay strong and the tomatoes will probably limp through but we'll see. We'll all do the best we can in 106º heat...

Tomatoes:
Opalka, Paul Robeson, Golden Queen started from seed under lights in March
Green Zebra, Amish Paste, Ananas, Mexican Midget, large red cherries bought as plants

Opalka - Large, horn-shaped paste tomato; giant plants, very late to set fruit, have harvested two tomatoes to date! Disappointing. They tasted good, but not great. It was exceptionally meaty and there were very few seeds, as to be expected from a paste tomato. Also the Opalkas are showing the most heat and time damage - I think! - with the bottom 1/4 yellowed and drying. I'm seeing a resurgence of Blossom End Rot on these, unfortunately, and I guess it's due to the dry, dry weather. I think it's the climate here - maybe it was too hot too fast or too rainy. Did not live up to the rave reviews I read online. (Pinetree)

Paul Robeson - black-brick tomato; big plants, good fruit set with heavy, large fruit. I was surprised at how big the fruit is, actually. Baker Creek said 7-10 oz but mine have averaged on the large size with several 2 lbs+. Serious problems with cat facing and cracking but awesome taste. I planted 6 from seed and 1 of the 6 has turned out to be more pinkish-purple than the rest and resistant to cracking and cat-face. Guess which one I'm saving seeds from? I labeled them Pink Paul, which I like! These tomatoes have tasted great, just wish I had more of them. They have ceased setting fruit over the last few weeks and one looks as though it may have some form of wilt.

Golden Queen - 3-4" orangish-yellow tomatoes; big plants, great fruit set - having a bumper crop of these, actually. Mine are smaller than 3-4", more like large cherries at 2-3". They taste great and are pretty, one complaint being a rather thick skin. Not much loss of acid like you sometimes get with yellow tomatoes. Still setting fruit despite the temps! Definitely a keeper! (Also from Pinetree.)

Green Zebra - 4"-5" ripens to yellow with green zaggy stripes, green on the inside. I LOVE this tomato! So flavorful and psychedelic. They had some early troubles with BER but have gotten over it and are now doing great. Very prolific and still setting fruit even in the heat. I will definitely keep this one around. (Bought plant.)

Amish Paste - giant paste tomatoes that grow so thick they're almost heart shaped. I've pulled several of these and they're good, but not great. Not prolific for me and the plant is drying up around the base due to heat stress. No new fruit in several weeks. Not sure what the problem is this year but haven't had good luck with either of the paste varieties I tried. (Bought as plants.)

Ananas - Large, yellow striped tomatoes with a red core, up to 2 pounds...Boo. I was prepared to be delighted with these beautiful fruit and they were beautiful...but I couldn't get them up to a ripe harvest before they had cracked and became infested or rotted. So I tried a couple that weren't ripened to perfection and they weren't that good. Very thick, so would probably make good salsa roughage, but not that tasty. Again, this is probably due to my/Oklahoma's error as I hear it's a fabulous tomato. Maybe a bit delicate for our climate or needs stronger/more pesticidal attention (we're all organic chez nous). (Bought as plant.)

Mexican Midget - tiny little gum-ball tomatoes. SOOOO freaking good!!! Producing like crazy, even now. The plant has spred enormously and every day I get at least a handful or two of these guys. Very reliable and delicious - the skin isn't too thick, either. Definitely a keeper! (Bought as plant.)

Large Red Cherry - 1 oz+ cherry tomatoes labelled generically as large red cherries. They are producing well now, despite the heat, and the heat seems to have improved their flavor. At first I was not at all impressed but they've gotten better over the last few weeks. I don't have science to support me on this, but I'll bet it's something chemical. In any case, I won't devote too much early garden space to these but might consider adding some in June or very early July. (Bought as plants.)

Here are some of the troubles I've experienced with my tomatoes this year - septoria leaf spot, aphids, spider mites (though not bad, the beans have had it much worse), stinkbugs (eww), BER, and blossom drop. I'd say the single most impactful thing has been the blossom drop, which as I wrote about here, is due to environmental conditions usually. Therefore I've started researching tomato varieties that like heat (and aren't hybrids, as I like to save seeds). I'll have that out fairly soon. I'll update with the rest of the garden roll call soon, as well. The sad fact now is that the heat is taking its toll - stuff's starting to get ugly and there's not much I can do about it except write! (And make sure everything's watered, of course!)

Here's a question for all of you garden pros out there - how do you distinguish between normal heat-related dying, yellowing, drying, and browning of the bottom foliage of your tomato plants with wilts and blights? Enquiring minds want to know!

Buffa-pho

2008-08-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, this was so good I have to share...somehow this has turned into more of a kitchen blog than a gardening blog but as I said yesterday, the garden is in deep-heat-survival mode.

So I ordered a buffalo roast from our coop last month. We used it as a roast, as yummy sandwiches with dijon mustard and pickles, and as BUFFA-PHO.

If you're a pho devote like myself you'll realize that all you really need to make a good pot of pho is a few fine ingredients. Simple, simple. Pho is Vietnamese noodle soup which includes a meat, onions, peppers, rice noodles, fresh bean sprouts, fresh basil, lime, and a squirt of hot garlic chili paste. Man, is it good! And it's fairly light, too, so while it's soup, it's still good on a summer night. No food coma afterwards. Typically it's made by quickly heating raw meat in simmering stock and then serving immediately. I usually make it with leftovers, though, and it's great!

Here are rough estimates of what I threw together the other night, remember my constant motto - taste and adjust!

Buffa-pho for two

about 6 oz thinly sliced buffalo roast (throw in the freezer for 30 mins to make it easier to slice the meat thinly
1/2 pkg rice noodles, prepared according to directions (boil water, remove from heat, soak, use)
2 peppers, hot or not, sliced
one small onion, thinly slice in rings
2 cups stock + 2 cups water (or 4 cups stock, we were running low)
about 2 tsp soy sauce or Braggs
1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts
about 8-10 basil leaves
1/2 lime, quartered
Sriracha sauce at the ready!

Heat stock and slice meat while it's warming up. Toss in onions and meat and peppers. After four or five minutes add the rice noodles. Let it all get hot but don't cook it for too long - the veggies should still be crispy. Ladle, and garnish with bean sprouts, torn basil leaves, squirt on lime and Sriracha and you're ready to go!

The garden is laying down

2008-07-31T06:23:00.000-07:00

...just for the next few weeks. It's soooooo hot out that everything but the okra seems to be asking for a nap. The heat here is sweltering and oppressive. No real rain for almost three weeks now and the hum of the cicadas entices us all to go into hibernation.

But despite that I picked two more butternut squash (11 and 12 from one vine!), tons of small tomatoes, loads of peppers, some cukes, the last of the carrots, and some dill that pleaded with me to end its suffering.

On a whim I made pickled peppers last night. Easy pleasey.

1 Quart of Fridge Pickled Peppers

Wash about 20 medium sized Hungarian Wax peppers and 2 cayenne. Slice into rings and shake off excess seeds.
Boil up 1 qt of water, 1 cup of vinegar, and 2 tbsp kosher salt
Push peppers into quart mason jar
Add 1/4 tsp dill seed and 1 tsp black peppercorns
Pour hot brine over peppers and let cool.
Refrigerate. They'll be good almost immediately but better next week. They'll last 3 months or so.

Yippee!!

10 minutes to chic

2008-07-29T06:05:00.001-07:00

Not sure why I'm so busy lately. Okay, maybe I do: the course I'm crash-prepping starts in a month, my friend's election is wrapping up, my partner played a music festival this past weekend, and I just developed a training module for work...maybe that's why I'm a bit tired and have no time to blog...

Or cook for that matter. Here are two quick, cool recipes we've had in the past few days.

Chilled Avocado Soup
(I know I saw something about avocado soup on someone's blog but I can't remember where it was, so if I haven't acknowledged you, please link to your recipe in the comments!)

3 ripe Haas avocados, peeled and chopped
juice of 1 lime
2 cups milk (I used skim, you use whatever)
1 cayenne pepper, chopped (you can use ground red pepper or a jalapeno, or omit)
1/2 dozen currant tomatoes (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Toss in the blender, puree, chill, eat with tortillas. Be happy your kitchen is cool.

Faux Nicoise
1 1/2 cups left over bulgar
Salmon or tuna (we used salmon)
1 cucumber, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
kernels from 2 ears of cooked corn
1 cup green beans, lightly steamed and cooled
1/2 cup mushrooms
1/4 black olives, pitted and chopped
1-2 tomatoes, cut in large pieces
faux vinaigrette - 2 pts mayo to 1 pt lemon juice and 1 pt dijon, add fresh thyme and/or basil

Layer, dress, eat.

One quick garden note: I think it's almost time for my beans' final rewards. The romanos are so decimated by spider mites and the bush beans are just...tired. I'm still flummoxed as to whether to follow the fall planting guidelines (which suggest I should start planting fall things now) or to wait until it's not 100 degrees outside. Logic says the extension office most likely know what they're talking about. My intuition says "hold the damn phone, nothing wants to germinate when it's this hot!" I'll keep you posted on who wins...

Holy Toledo, Batwoman!

2008-07-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

Bats! I saw BATS in my back yard last night!!!! Swooping and darting up through the space between our trees...It was AWESOME!

(image courtesy: http://www.rozylowicz.com/retirement/carlsbad/carlsbad-bats.html)

I don't know if you know about the mosquitoes in Green Country, OK. They are absolutely horrendous! I've heard they are worse this year (this is our first year in this area) due to the mega rains we've had. It's already the wettest year on record in July with many more months to come.

So when I saw the bats arrive, I wanted to stand up and do a bat cheer! Welcome home, my flying friends! PLEASE stick around! PLEASE eat several hundred mosquitoes tonight! (Mosquito tartare is delicious, I hear.) PLEASE beat that nasty white-nose syndrome! Yaaaaaay, BATS!

Several years ago I used to drive out to Weatherford, OK to some bat caves my ex- knew about. They were a locals hang-out for college students who wanted to chill (i.e. drink beer) on hot summer nights. We used to go during the day and explore the caves and gather guano. It was stellar in the garden! I hear that the caves have become more protected and that people from OU and OSU are conducting research there.

That's probably the strangest thing I've lost in a break-up...access to guano. Ah, well, what can you do? Maybe the bats will do a gracious fly-over of my garden. That would be nice.

YAAAAAAAAAAAY, BATS!

Fridge Pickles of Death + home-econamarama

2008-07-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

...or maybe Fridge Pickles of Doom. Which one makes you more afraid? Disclaimer here, folks, I have been called Asbestos Mouth by a former roommate. I like the heart palpitations that go along with extremely hot peppers. That and the spins make peppers quite a nice legal high! Either way, this pickle is supposed to burn your face off. Here at the Little Pink House in Northeastern Oklahoma we're of the mind that more is more. More spice, more garlic, more sour, more heat! Turn it up to eleven!

Fridge Pickles with Habanero and Garlic - makes one gallon

1) Grow pickles.

2) Harvest pickles (about five pounds, maybe? Maybe more? As many as fit in the jar. No more, no less...)

Sample Pickles

3) Harvest dill.

4) Harvest dill flowers. Harvest habaneroes. Harvest onions (or cut some from your braid in the garage).

5) Clean and wash pickles and habanero. Place in a bowl of ice water for 30 minutes.

6) Clean out a big pickle jar you've been saving for just this occasion.

7) Fill with 5-8 dill flowers and some extra dill fronds, a whole head of peeled and separated garlic, 2 small, quartered spring onions, 1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns, and 1 tsp. coriander.

Top View!

8) Boil up the brine - 10 cups water, 2-3 cups vinegar (depending on your sour jones), 1/2 - 3/4 cup Kosher salt (depending on your salt jones...and your blood pressure). Stir until salt dissolves.

This is what simmering water looks like:

9) Prick the habanero with a knife or fork. Place the pickles and the pepper in the jar. (This makes for a spicy pickle...if you don't want it that hot, use less - maybe a strip of habanero - or use a jalapeno or other milder pepper...or skip it if you're from New England......kidding.) Observe hot pepper safety.

10) Put the glass jar in the sink, just in case there is some heat reaction type breakage. This has never happened to me, but I always put it in the sink just in case because that idea is scary as hell. (Flying shards, oh my!) Let the brine cool slightly and then pour it into the jar. There will be an almost immediate color change.

11) Top with a handful of wild grape leaves (or cultivated grape if you are so lucky) for crispness. My grandmother told me about this tip.

12) Let sit in a cool dark place for 3 days to a week then move to the fridge...Voila! Fridge pickles!

**A note of caution: The brine will be spicy due to the pepper for several days. I found that the first few days it actually burned my hand on contact (not bad, but enough) and then lately has mellowed. Just be careful when handling and cutting super hot peppers.

And, in other news, I spent Saturday canning. My first time! I was a canning virgin until July 19! I canned up 13 pints of homegrown tomatoes and 3 quarts of beans. Unfortunately the liquid in the beans is no longer to the top of the jar. I don't know if I had seepage or what, but I imagine I'll have to eat them up pronto. I'll blog more about this soon, because I had so many questions and it was quite the process...

I've also been seed saving like mad! So far I've sifted out Viroflay spinach seeds, red savina peppers, butternut squash seeds, dill seeds, onion seeds, and three kinds of tomato - Golden Queen, Green Zebra, and a specimen from the Paul Robesons that was more pink than the others and had much less cat-facing. I've got lettuce and radish seeds at the ready but haven't gotten them sorted out yet. And the birds are digging the drying sunflower seeds!

Super high-tech seed saving technique - looks like the Star Wars backdrop in reverse!

Also yesterday we wandered into the part of the yard that makes us long for a compass and a boyscout tent to start cleaning out the (I shit you not) 5 foot tall weeds that were growing there. Mostly lamb's quarters and poke and various vines, morning glories, the heart-shaped leaf type (I don't know what that is), and wild grape. Long, hot story short, we ended up taking down two huge lamb's quarter bushes and made up a tasty stir fry afterwards featuring bulgar, okra, Turkish orange eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, Tabasco peppers, lime juice and peanut butter (for that delicious Thai flavor!).

Pre-dinner time

And then tonight I was sooooo inspired by Melissa's delicious basil culinary dare-devilry that I whipped up a nectarine, basil, and goat cheese salad with blue berries, lime juice, and a dash of Tabasco! Yes, really! Tabasco! Just a dash - it really made it all come together. YUMMMMM!!!!

So that's all for the home-econamarama...more on canning and my exquisitely local review of what grows well at the 36-95 in peak summertime heat...coming soon.

Pot-pourri means spoiled pot

2008-07-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

...or rotten pot, but whatever, 'tis but semantics en francais...

I've been overly busy of the sort that happens when you think your life is about to slow down and then - wham. Random things demand your quick attention.

Like piano moving, for instance. Everyone's favorite scorching July afternoon activity. But I realized something this time around (my piano has moved at least a dozen times and three times overseas and back...it's a long story)...you have truly reached a different kind of adulthood when you are delighted to pay someone else to move a piano for you. There was a time when I was 22 or so when I would have thought it was an extravagant and asinine waste of money to pay some big dudes to move my piano when I could just round up enough beer and burly guys to do it for me. These days brawny guys willing to move pianos for beer are in short supply in my life. At this point they'd rather I just pay someone to do it, too.

So that's what I did on this glorious Bastille Day. I loaded up a trailer and some ratchet straps, watched two guys move it onto the trailer in 10 minutes (that'll be $90!), drive up the turn pike, rinse, repeat. Truly different sort of adulthood. And now we have a spinett piano shoved into our adorable little pink house. For you and me.

We also went camping over the weekend which was delicious. It has been way too long since I camped. Last summer I got to spend a weekend in Arches National Park so this was ... quite different ... but fun and pleasing nonetheless.

The garden has me overloaded with tomatoes already and is also demanding a lot of 90+º day-attention. So far the heat and the accompanying spider mites are winning an ugly battle, but I don't give up easily...Well, I fade a bit when the weather is hot but I come back like a raging bull come Indian summer.

I'm still way too busy trying to save seeds from onion heads and radish pods. That is some tedious work. I need to figure out a threshing mechanism because I felt like an uber-chump picking out those damn seeds for three hours. Chumpsville. Population: me. Help needed if you got it!

The squash vine borers also took out (in the mafia sense) two of my four jumbo pink banana squash. They were 2 feet long and beautiful - they'll be missed. I'm nervous for the remaining two, as well as the Black Futsu and Chicago Warted Hubbards. I've been looking for some Bt to do a syringe full of intervention but I can't seem to find anywhere around here. Is that weird? Not at the big garden stores and I can't locate a good local supplier here. There are some boutique greenhouses but no medium sized supplier like Horn's in OKC.

The compost volunteer butternut squash is rokken like dokken, though! So far untouched by those damn diamondback thugs. We've harvested 7 of those delicious squash to date and one was 3 1/2 pounds. Notice the difference here?

Freaky genes

One normal sized, one talked to Rogers Clemens...what can you do? Squash these days, it's really a tragedy. A national tragedy.

More recent harvests...

There's tomato creole, tomato gumbo, pan-fried, deep-fried, stir-fried...

...pineapple tomato and lemon tomato, coconut tomato, pepper tomato...

...tomato soup, tomato stew, tomato salad, tomato and potatoes, tomato burger, tomato sandwich...

and...that's, that's about it. (Merci, Forrest Gump!)

On this one you get produce and a whiskey chaser

...and it's almost time for pickles!!! I'm planning to make fridge pickles tomorrow. I don't eat so many that I need to actually can them but I came up with a mean dill fridge pickle featuring habañero and garlic. Simply smashing!

These guys are destined for brine

And I guess that's pretty much it for now.

That's all folks!

June eats stash

2008-07-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

To minimize widget sprawl I'm going to keep these notes to a month and then store them as one entry...Canning and pickling is on deck for next week. Woo-hoo!

June 30 - okra, cherry tomato, & habanero hash
June 29 - coleslaw!
June 25 - Green bean & eggplant pesto
June 24 - Pork chops with kohlrabi greens, okra, romano beans, garlic, onions, and Hungarian wax pepper
June 19 - Lamb's quarter & basil risotto
June 17 - potato salad

Wastrels and the wastey wasters they rode in on...

2008-07-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

Maybe I'm getting old.

Maybe I'm getting such an utter head change from being on a downward consumption shift over the past few years that I've gone a bit stodgy.

Maybe I'm just in a bad mood.

But SERIOUSLY. There are some college kids I work with who have no sense whatsoever of conservation (prime teaching opportunity, right? If I can be delicate and encouraging rather than ranting like I am right now...)

They turn the thermostat down to 66 degrees. They leave the (single stall) bathroom light on constantly. If we run out of coffee they make a whole new pot, even if it's 4:30 and we close at 5. They leave all the lights on in all the rooms even if they're not in there and won't be (this is the one that makes me feel old and revives the spectre of my dad c. 1982).

And god knows it's not just them. Our neighbors always have gobs and gobs of trash to put out twice a week since they recycle nothing. Most of it doesn't get hauled away since we're only allowed two bins each per pick-up. We barely have enough trash for a once a week haul...I'm just sayin.

A co-worker will have an entire conversation with the door of the refrigerator open while I'm itching to shut it, even though it's being held open...

People drive down our street and gun the motors on their giant-ass pick-ups and SUVs. They do seem to be fading in popularity, but still! Why waste gas that way??

When I worked in the Borders Cafe several years ago I used to have nightmares about all the plastic and paper cups being thrown away. A lot of times people would ask for a double cup instead of using the heat sleeve. I would try ever so casually to encourage people to use the ceramic dishes we could wash and re-use but it rarely got me anywhere. I would imagine stacks of cups stretching to the damn moon...

I know I have things I need to work on - so I'm trying to remember to refrain from judgment and recognize that we're all at different steps on the journey (even if it feels like some people haven't yet packed their bags). So I'll take a deep breath and calm down.

In that spirit here's a confession of what I need to work on to reduce waste:
* stop with the Diet Coke already! Cans and cans, even if they're recycled! Lame!
* get the solar oven thing going, either by homemade option or by buying one. A hot house is lame!
* line dry every time, even if it's 8000 degrees outside. No excuses. Lame!

What do you need to work on? I promise I won't make fun of you.

Please don't kill that bug!

2008-07-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Hope you're refreshed and enjoying yourself after the 4th weekend. We had a great time relaxing with friends and family. Even snuck in a discussion of peak oil and its ramifications here and there...poolside, no less. Ah, sweet irony.

After my blog on nasty garden bugs, I promised to follow up with this one, which will feature some of the dudes you want to keep around. So if you see these guys, please don't raise your fist or get out your pinching claws. These are the ladies and fellahs who help support your organic jones. Don't kill them!

Now why do they support your organic jones? Because diversity is the key to a healthy garden (and many other things, but we're talking gardens here). If you have a plethora of veggies, foliage, fruit, and bugs they all get to benefit from one another. Multiple plants draw in multiple bugs which helps balance their populations (i.e. they eat each other like mad). This is probably also why mono-cropping organically, particularly on a large scale, is an unlikely prospect. We want riots of color, texture, and variety.

Many of these bugs you probably recognize right off, like the adorable ladybug.

The Lovely Lady Bug

(image courtesy: http://www.allergizer.com/50226711/dealing_with_ladybug_allergies.php)

Fewer Spots
(image courtesy: http://photoalbum.davison.ca/ZhenPhotoDiary/Pages/..%5CPages%5CLadybugs.cfm)

Slightly different shape

(image courtesy: http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegal/coleoptera/lady/0156.29cmaculata.html)

Why we really love them - beheading an aphid(image courtesy: http://www.ladybugindoorgardens.com/controls.html)

Ladybugs also come in oranges and ivories, although I haven't seen any ivory ones. Be sure to protect the nymphs and the eggs, too.

Nymph

(image courtesy: http://entomology.unl.edu/images/beneficials/beetles/bene_beetles.htm)

Eggs

(image courtesy: http://www.entm.purdue.edu/entomology/urban/new_urban/misc_photo.html)

Next, of course, is the bee of which there are many varieties. The honeybee is a major pollinator and is also falling prey to a mysterious illness euphemistically called Colony Collapse Disorder, which you can read more about here.

Honey bees(image courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/56119072@N00/519742656/)

Get well soon, little fellah!(image courtesy: http://www.carolinabees.com/about/bees/)

If you really want a massively hungry and warlike creature in your garden (a good warlike creature, a scourge, if you will) then be sure to cultivate any and all friendships with these guys:

Hi!

(image courtesy: http://www.mzephotos.com/gallery/insects/praying-mantid-dark-eyed.html)

Praying Mantis(image courtesy: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Praying_mantis_india.jpg)

Mantises eat flies and aphids and the bigger dudes actually have a taste for meat, stalking lizards, frogs, birds, rodents, and snakes! Holy camoley.

Lacewings are a common garden visitor, as well, and someone you want to be friends with. While the adults stick to pollen and aphid honeydew, the larvae are voracious feeders, pigging out on aphids, caterpillars (yes!), beetles, scale insects, leafhoppers, thrips, small flies, mites, and sometimes one another. I guess they're temperamental.

Here's a good website on lacewing activity with loads of pictures.

Adult Lacewing

(image courtesy: http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/pests/ipm1025beneficial.htm)

Lacewing nymph

(image courtesy: http://adlib.ac.uk/adlib/content.aspx?doc=10816&id=10835)

Another keeper is the ground beetle. It eats anything it can catch and kill, including grubs. Hang on to them. They only come out at night and they mind their business. Don't pick them up, though, because they emit a nasty smell.

Ground beetle

(image courtesy: http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/icm/2006/5-15/insects.html)

If you're lucky you might spot a robber fly. I saw a couple of these over the past few weeks in the back yard and I didn't know what they were until just now (as of this writing when I found them online!)...they look like mean-ass dragon flies but they eat all sorts of things we prefer not to be bothered with ourselves, such as wasps. Call in the robber flies and avoid the poison sprays! They also eat grasshoppers and other prey as big as themselves oftentimes. Now that's some insect muscle flex!

Call me deadly - Robber Fly

(image courtesy: http://www.visitingnature.com/)

I will eat you!

(image courtesy: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Robber_Fly_1_REFON.JPG)

The tachinid fly does us a favor by laying its eggs on another species, typically caterpillars but also bugs and grasshoppers. The eggs eventually hatch and burrow into said species, basically using it as a food source. Like that giant alien did to humans in the Alien series (Sigourney, I love you!). Very medieval nasty stuff. But hey, in this case, we benefit. There are 1300 species of tachinid fly in North America - mostly they're gray, black, or striped, but they can be hard to distinguish from regular house flies.

Tachinid fly

(image courtesy: http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_tachinids/index.html)

House fly

(image courtesy: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/publications/books/housing/figure_list.htm)

If they're flying around, chances are you won't be able to tell which is which. Moral? Leave 'em be. The other predators and frogs should be able to sort out extras of either species, anyway.

Predatory wasps do much the same thing. You can tell a predatory wasp from a regular wasp because the predator is smaller. The ones I've seen are a slightly orangey color and have small greyish-bluish wings - they remind me of flying tripods, sort of like a cross between a wasp and a fly.I'm not sure if they sting humans, but they haven't ever bothered me (then again, I'm not the sort of person who freaks out when they see a wasp or bee). They eat aphids, whiteflies, and moths, such as cabbage loopers and hornworms. Think small attack drone, specially designed for dangerous reconnoitering missions.

Brachonid predatory wasp predatorizing

(image courtesy: http://www.forestryimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=1323021)

Eggs on a caterpillar becomes parasite and host

(image courtesy: http://www.texarkanacollege.edu/~mstorey/bugs.htm)

Here are a few more to keep around - be friendly-like...

Assassin Bug - flies, mosquitoes, beetles, caterpillars

(image courtesy: http://kaweahoaks.com/html/assissin_bug.html)

Centipede - slugs, worms, fly pupae(image courtesy: http://ruudvisser.wordpress.com/2007/01/)

Damselfly and Dragonfly - beautiful and voracious, love mosquito tartare and aphids

(image courtesy: http://www.bentler.us/eastern-washington/insects/default.aspx)

Rove Beetle - aphids, springtails, mites, nematodes, slugs, snails, maggots, and compost makers

(image courtesy: http://www.duke.edu/~jspippen/naturephotos/beetles.htm)

The day the Rove beetle larvae met the housefly maggot... (friendship did not ensue)(image courtesy: http://entomology.unl.edu/images/beneficials/beetles/bene_beetles.htm)

Yellow Jackets - caterpillars, flies, beetle grubs (and sting us human folk, too)

(image courtesy: http://www.worsleyschool.net/science/files/yellow/jacket.html)

Spiders eat more bugs and insects than any other beneficial per year, combined!!! Do watch out for black widows which like to make webs inside stored planting pots.

Spiders are garden heroes!!!

(image courtesy: http://www.spiderzrule.com/superstitions.htm)

Soldier Beetle - aphids, caterpillars, grasshopper eggs, beetle larvae
(image courtesy: http://www.geocities.com/brisbane_beetles/CANTHARIDAE.htm)

Firefly!!! - larvae, snails, slugs

(image courtesy: http://entomology.unl.edu/images/beneficials/beetles/bene_beetles.htm)

So that just about does it...I'm sure there are many more and I thought about including earthworms, which are my personal favorite garden creature. But I think I'll dedicate a whole blog to the precious worm.

In the meantime, please know your bugs. Get to know them. Watch them. See if you can catch them eating. I got to watch a lady bug take down an aphid bite by bite last week - it was amazing! Re-think the use of broad-spectrum pesticides...use diversity to invite good bugs to do your dirty work for you.

Two good websites for more information:

http://www.gardenguides.com/pests/tips/beneficial.asp

http://www.govlink.org/hazwaste/house/yard/problems/goodbugs.cfm

¿Dónde está la freedom?

2008-07-04T09:16:00.000-07:00

Freedom...Lately when I hear that word, it comes out in my head in a thickly Te-jas-accented George W. Bush voice, which is sad. I don't want to make a political mockery of such a fine word.

I also think of fierce survivalist types who use freedom to mean more of an anarchical state - no rules, no taxes, the ultimate survival of the fittest (in a heavily armed little shack in the woods).

Then I think about when I was a little kid and freedom was more innocently connoted in my mind. Freedom meant George Washington, and Fromseatoshingingsea, and the Civil War that emancipated slaves.

In A Language Older that Words Derrick Jensen said that with increased awareness comes decreased happiness. When we know too much, it's hard to recapture the easier, blissfully ignorant stage of ourselves that believed in over-arching concepts. I'll show my jaded side and state that the idea of freedom in the US seems skewed to me. So many people hold the idea that we are a meritocracy and that with enough work or sweat equity anyone can do anything. Well, I don't necessarily think that's true - we don't all start out on an even playing field. If we did, I might believe that. But some people grow up in urban wastelands dodging bullets and dropping out to help feed the fam by age 12. Some people have parents who beat them or severely neglect them. Can some people rise out of these circumstances and make something of themselves? Absolutely. As a law of averages, though? No way.

And then, of course, there are a multitude of other freedoms that escape the working class but are the birthright of the wealthy...there are freedoms that are curtailed by political machinations and behind-closed-door-deals with multinationals...there are freedoms that are lost whenever any form of civilization of society is reified in our minds. We've all collectively agreed to play a game and (largely) abide by the rules. Is that freedom?

So maybe I'm trying to go too broad with the idea of freedom. Since I'm having trouble "feeling the freedom" on a national or international scale can I localize freedom? What does local freedom look like? Am I referring to local rules and regs as impediments to freedom or to the freedom I have within my personal sphere of influence or relationships? (I don't know!)

Maybe freedom is a state of mind. Maybe freedom escapes dogma and a rigid set of rules. Maybe freedom is a worldview.

I'm free to love, laugh, garden, kick my heels up, follow the rules I agree with and gently break those I don't (with an understanding of the potential consequences involved...). I'm free to get the sort of education I can afford. I'm free to give the finger to the corporate machine. I'm free to disagree with a political machine (hallelujah, now that's a freedom! I loved the bit about the American flag sticker on Tara's blog).

In that spirit, I'll close with this quote that I saw on the Urban Homestead blog - it's great.

"Interdependence is and ought to be as much the ideal of man as self-sufficiency. Man is a social being."

Mohandas Gandhi

To celebrate our freedom, we're doing the most Okie thing we can think of - going to the lake to grill out. Food, family, and fun - that's freedom.

Recette

2008-07-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

This was sooooo good that I had to share. Please note that I don't really use recipes so this is rough and tumble and will need your good judgment and flexibility. My cardinal rule is "taste and adjust!"

Butternut Squash over Wild Rice with Habanero Cream Sauce
(*Note: I use "cream" loosely.)

1 Butternut squash, peeled and sliced in rings
olive oil for brushing
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 habanero, seeded, de-veined, and finely minced (use latex gloves or put one hand inside a bag to otherwise protect yourself. Our hab was not incredibly hot or I would have used 1/4 if it was)
6 pcs turkey bacon, chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 can cream of celery soup (or a Bechamel if you have more time than me)
1/4 c organic milk
1/4 c shredded cheese
3 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
3 c prepared wild rice blend

Brush each side of your butternut squash rings with olive oil. Dust with salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes at 365 degrees (I don't know why I turned it to that, but that's what it landed on), flipping once.

Have rice simmering during this time as a wild rice blend can take up to an hour.

Saute onions, bacon, and pepper in butter until the onions are translucent. Add the soup (or your lovely sauce), the milk, and the parsley. Let simmer five minutes or so and remove from heat to thicken. Stir in cheese and allow to melt.

Dish up the rice, top with the squash (cut into smaller chunks), top with sauce. Enjoy!

I had originally envisioned an actual cream sauce with shaved Parmesan or Taleggio. Didn't have any on hand and I'm usually too health conscious to consider using large amounts of cream and butter. Although sometimes you just have to...

Hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

Also, thank you so much to Anajz at The Sustainable Backyard for my fun-to-read award. Anajz, you're so kind! I truly thank you.

I state my case in a graphical way

2008-07-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

Wednesday harvest, June 25

Tuesday harvest, July 1

The backyard explodacon...all of the squash your trained eye can squint on these pages is part of a new one world order of squash. It springs huge and monstrous from your compost pile. It takes over the backyard. It produces tons of tasty butternut squash. If you question it, it makes you get a switch. If you cut it, it will deport you. One. World. Order.

RIP broccoli

Garden Notes

2008-07-02T07:35:00.000-07:00

Well, things are really exploding out there. The volunteer squash plant that came up in April is e-freakin'-normous. It has run all over the back garden with vines going out in several different directions. I've pulled off two butternut squash so far and it's got several more ready or almost ready. The okra is producing nicely, as well, and I think the cucumbers are getting ready to kick into high gear. Yesterday I pulled my first Amish paste tomato (huge!) and several smaller Golden Queens. Also a bunch of cherries, large and the Mexican Midget variety, and the first (and likely only!) Eight Ball zucchini. Pulled up all the radish pods to dry for seed which cleared out that area nicely - seeding radishes are ridiculous! I will definitely use some sort of staking or caging method if I do that again.

Yesterday I also made a half-assed attempt to turn the compost pile. It seems that when I added the charcoal it really did the trick... all of the leafy and green mass has melted down leaving a pile of smallish sticks I had difficulty "turning." It went from 3 1/2 feet to less than 1 in 3 weeks? Wow. Science is scary!

I also top-dressed the cukes, remaining zuke, burgundy okra, which is still looking spindly compared to its green brethren, and my lovely winter squashes which are looking great. The Jumbo pink banana looks the best, very full and opening blossoms now (planted May 31). The Chicago Warted Hubbard and Black Futsu are both still putting on leaf growth and size but look nice.

For some reason the potatoes haven't given up the ghost yet! They still look strong and healthy despite the high temps. I was under the impression that potatoes are usually harvested when the foliage dies back, typically June in Oklahoma (right?). I grew potatoes twice previously, just a tiny little crop, and it worked on that timeline. Well, these still look great! So until the foliage dies back, they'll be in the corner of my garden, sitting in a giant black tub. I added more soil and compost yesterday to encourage more of those tubers!

I also ordered garlic from Territorial Seeds. I got the Bavarian Purple garlic and the Ontario Purple Trillium garlic, both hardneck varieties. Softneck supposedly stores longer but the Bavarian stores 9 months to a year, so I'm not worried.

Pictures to follow soon!

Taking a cue and finding a clue...

2008-06-30T18:43:00.001-07:00

One of my dear friends keeps a running list of her solar-oven goodies. I thought I'd do something similar with my homegrown meals. It helps me to keep track and see very clearly the fruits of my harvest many moons after digesting them! Plus keeping records is an essential part of becoming more self-reliant. If I know what did well, when, and how, I can further refine my plant management system for next year. I also know what does well in this micro-climate and how it was impacted by our crazy weather (although everywhere seems to be crazy of late). It also helps me know when to buy more seed of what.

Here are some good examples of excellent record keeping here and here. That last link is to the energy conservation charts of my hero, Bob Waldrop. I can't sing his praises enough. He's like John the Baptist, only I don't think he eats bugs. He sure does shake the hell out of the Oklahoma status quo, though. He single-handedly started the Oscar Romero Catholic Worker House delivering tons of food each month to the poor, created the Oklahoma Food Co-op, ran for OKC mayor, and moderates the Running on Empty2 yahoo group (since 2001)!!! I so would have voted for him had I been an OKC resident at the time. Bob - you're awesome! An inspiration! Thanks for all you do!

Brain Drain on Parade + Bug Extravaganza

2008-06-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

So I just completed (hopefully) the last test of my job-related capabilities yesterday morning - an oral examination in front of a five-member panel at the State Capitol. Ouch. I stressed out so hard and then it went fine (I think! I'll hear the results later this week...). That's been on my mind quite a bit, though. Afterwards the Frau was kind enough to take me out for some restorative pho at my favorite joint, Pho Cuong. Thank you, Frau!

What has also been on my mind is bug damage! In addition to Those Little Bastards the Flea Beetles and the cabbage worms of yore, I've been struggling with the explosion of spider mites and aphids that accompanies hot weather. For whatever reason their numbers hit the bigtime when it it gets hot. So this morning I was out spraying with a hot pepper and soap spray which I let sit for an hour or so and then rinsed.

Flea Beetle Bastards
(image courtesy http://www.gardenplotter.com/rospo/blog/2007_06_01_archive.html)

I've also seen the first monarch caterpillars of the season, so beware! I frequently find them on my dill, fennel, and parsley - and those voracious buggers can take a plant down in a day or two! So watch out for them, but please don't kill them! Relocate to a plant you don't mind having gnawed on... Tree-of-heaven, anyone?

Monarch Caterpillar

(image courtesy: http://www.richard-seaman.com/Arthropods/Usa/Caterpillars/NorthernIllinois/index.html)

I pulled a bunch of harlequin bugs off of my broccoli plants, which I finally decided to pull up, as well. I cut them off at the stalk with the hare-brained idea that I might be able to "over-summer" them until this fall if I cover them with enough compost and humus. They'll probably die, true, but it's worth the experimental value!

Harlequin bugs - nothing funny about 'em!

(image courtesy: http://www.geocities.com/green_cache/beetles.html)

Naturally I've also picked and killed several of these dudes, the famed Cucumber Beetle of Death!

Spotted Variety

(image courtesy http://www.mastergardeners.org/tips/july.html)

(Be careful - there's a multi-spotted ladybug with this spot pattern but a red background, which looks very similar!)

Striped Variety

(image courtesy http://www.hort.uconn.edu/Ipm/veg/htms/cukbtltcrop.htm)

The stink bugs have been hiding out in the cat-face scars on some of my larger tomatoes. Those cheap opportunistic bastards! Seriously, if you have deeply dimpled tomato fruit, check it for stink bugs, you might find some! I've found them in green and gray chez Lewru. There are also a greyish-red-brown stinkbug that is predatory and eats Mexican Bean Beetle nymphs, so be sure you know what you're about to smash. I'm just sayin'...

Stinkalicious Stink bug

(image courtesy http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/youth/bug/bug034.html)

I also saw one of these guys... beautiful but not a friend 'o the jardin!

Candy-Striped Leafhopper(image courtesy http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/2007/09/candy-striped-leafhopper.html)

And these guys will not leave me alone!

Domed Death Machine (i.e. snail)

(image courtesy http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about100.html)

Nasty folks I haven't seen around here yet:

Colorado Potato Beetle

(image courtesy http://www.duke.edu/~jspippen/naturephotos/beetles.htm)

Mexican Bean Beetle - no this is not a yellow lady bug
(image courtesy http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef105.asp)

Squash bug

(image courtesy http://mdvegetables.umd.edu/)

Squash Vine Borer

(image courtesy http://www.whatsthatbug.com/moths_5.html)

(In fact, I haven't seen the squash vine borers but I probably have them as one of my Eight-Ball zucchini was taken out recently and the stem was all exploded and gross with orange mush inside...I heard those guys add this sort of injury to insult. And incidentally, Frau, this isn't what we saw on your zucchini is it?)

Resulting damage from teeny-weeny bugs:

Aphid Damage (leaves are sticky, yellowing and may have brown spots, may be distorted in shape)

(image courtesy http://www.entm.purdue.edu/entomology/vegisite/commercial/squa&pump.html)

Spider Mite Damage (look for tiny webbing best seen in sunlight)

(image courtesy http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/johnston/homehort2/pests.html)

Mondo Spider Mite Damage

(image courtesy http://www.naturescontrol.com/mite.html)

Leafhopper Damage (look for pale veins, marginal yellowing, and downward curl)

(image courtesy http://apps.omafra.gov.on.ca/scripts/english/crops/agriphone/article.asp?ID=1312)

And, naturally, there are rollie-pollies and mosquitoes and june bugs and grasshoppers and the like, but you don't really need pictures of those for identification, do you?

It's important to know your bugs, folks! Be aware of who you have visiting your garden. It's not hard for one or two interlopers to turn into an infestation. If you want to be able to reliably produce your own grub, get rid of your grubs!

Okay, enough of that. Be looking for a follow-up to this post entitled "Please don't kill that bug!"

Gardening to save money

2008-06-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

The Frau asked me how much I think I save on food by gardening. It's hard to say, really! I have been tracking my gardening expenses, but it's accurately measuring what I get back that's more difficult. Someday I might be on par with the folks at the Urban Homestead who track their produce in pounds (in terms of record keeping, not growing...not sure I have the ovaries for their operation, or at least not yet, anyway!). As of yet I don't even own a kitchen scale (note to self...).

It might be best to try to look at how much I spend on produce, which is a lot, I think, compared to most people. (Maybe? Perhaps I'm not sure about that statement...And I'm not referring to vegetarians or people who shop exclusively at Whole Foods, which I can't afford...Have you met Sallie Mae? She's my corporate sponsor.) I'm estimating $80-$110/month for two.

My expenditures have been reducing in a rolling sort of way since early April. First I replaced greens and lettuces and radishes, then came kohlrabi, turnips, turnip greens, arugula, cabbage, carrots, green beans, etc. Soon it will be more peppers, eggplant, and loads and loads of tomatoes...you get the picture.

I think it would be fair to say that my produce expenditure are now cut by at least half. At least. Maybe more. I'm still spending money on potatoes and tomatoes until my ripen up, and of course we don't have any fruit planted at our rental, so we shell out for that (Frau, you lucky lady, I know all about your peaches and pears!). Once we land somewhere permanent that will be our next landscaping investment. Fruit trees, bushes, etc. and maybe also a small greenhouse... (I can dream, can't I?)

I'm also spending on supplemental salad materials since I eat a salad every day for lunch - bell peppers, cucumbers, celery, etc. I have a feeling that I'll be buying salad greens again soon, too, once the arugula quits for the summer. The NZ spinach hasn't exactly taken off yet and the last of the lettuces are now approaching two feet high! Luckily, the peppers and cucumbers I planted are waiting in the wings to offset that. I also tried to plant enough tomatoes to can some for the fall/winter. I plan to do as big a fall garden as I can to get some extra stuff out of it for storage.

All of our dinner vegetables have been provided by our produce for a while now, with the exception of garlic and mushrooms (and are mushrooms really a vegetable?). We've had greens and rice in numerous ways; carrot, kohlrabi, and turnips with meat; spring onion soups; lamb's quarter and basil risotto... Last night I baked Asian style pork chops with kohlrabi greens and okra, romano beans, garlic, onions, and a Hungarian wax pepper. With the exception of the garlic, all of the vegetables were from the garden. Tonight we're having green bean and eggplant pesto with wild rice (which, unfortunately, I can't grow!). Tomorrow it'll be that big butternut squash and a salad and whole wheat bulgur. This weekend we'll probably have some cabbage one night and a homemade pizza with Hungarian wax peppers and basil and onions.

Counting seeds, soil amendments, bamboo stakes, and a few plants here and there, I've probably spent around $125, give or take, for this season. I still have tons of seeds left and the stakes will remain viable for at least a few years. Plus, every year I learn a little bit more about seed-saving and save a little bit more over time. My largest expense was on soil amendments, which I probably wouldn't do every year, given that our homemade compost has been supplementing everything and is a continual process in and of itself. So is it a viable operation? Yes. And knowing where and how my food was grown, and being able to harvest it immediately before I eat it, makes that a resounding "definitely!"

If I were trying to turn this into a city program for low income folks, I would first try to get some sort of grant/donation money to help pay for seeds and compost. I'd try to get farmers to donate manure. I'd try to organize digging teams and present a brief workshop on watering, weeding, etc. using the local knowledge as team leads. Then I'd recommend high yield seed/plant varieties such as greens (turnip, mustard, collards), beets, turnips, tomatoes, beans, summer squash, zucchini, and peppers. Teaching composting, canning (not me, I'm a newbie!), and cover cropping would be important, too.

Man, that would be cool! And it will probably trend in that direction given the price of groceries and gas and energy bills and the diminishing returns on oil...

Lawns are for wusses. Give me a trowel and some dirt any day.

Political horticulture

2008-06-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

Twice in the past week I've gone out to knock on doors with a friend of mine, Seneca Scott, who is running for State Congress. He is a solid Progressive Democrat and I really hope he wins! For the working people!

There are some pretty low income areas included in the vast area that makes up his district. We saw a lot of broken drainage pipes, mean looking dogs (including one pit bull that was loose and growled at us...I got back in the truck...), and abandoned houses, as well. That area - huge, like I said, lost its last grocery store a year ago. Even the neighborhood cornerstores have packed up and left. You want food? Drive several miles to the nearest SuperWalmart or hit up a convenience store (for expensive junk).

But what struck me, as we knocked on door after door, was how many of these people were growing their own food. Two of the people we spoke with specifically mentioned "putting in a garden" to save money recently. I saw some nice looking plots that contained greens, tomatoes, peppers, etc. One gentleman looked to have an urban homestead going with rick upon rick of firewood and a huge garden full of okra, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, etc. It was definitely enough to support a family. One woman was saving water in old milk jugs to water her plants with later when it dries up around here. She had woven together a lovely frame of sticks to cover up the five-gallon buckets in which many of her plants were growing. It looked really nice. And - to top it off, we heard roosters crow in 2 different areas!!!

I wish this was done more! Homegrown produce, homegrown eggs (I so want chickens!) and maybe even meat! But although we saw several places growing veg, most were not. Each time I saw a wide open plot with plenty of sun I had to mention that it would be a great place for a garden; I'm sure I grew tiresome. In one area the sidewalk banks are enormous - maybe 10 feet deep. That would be perfect for a full sun garden. And we saw a lot of free, wild edibles growing around the area, too (less needless mowing activity).

We need a homegrown cultural revolution. We need victory gardens! Defy the corporate mindset, corporate agriculture, and nameless, faceless, tasteless food! Get dirt under your fingernails! Get out into those psychologically healthy restorative spaces. Make your back hurt and your skin glow! Get off your duff and plant something!

"Hallelujah! Holy sh*t! Where's the Tylenol?" (Name that movie.)

Ecopsychology, the beginning for me

2008-06-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

My garden made my recovery from my solar disappointment much more bearable. It's amazing to me how healing and centering it can be to put your hands in the dirt.

I first started seriously gardening while living in Florida. It was ideal real estate for a vegetable garden - smack in the middle of a 10,000 acre research ranch. I carved out a little 10' by 12' plot and plugged away. Cabbages, cantaloupes, collards, tomatoes, peppers, pennyroyal, New Zealand spinach, cleome, coreopsis, candytuft, sunflowers, and zinnias...and much more.

I also happened to work at the Center for Great Apes for 18 months or so while I lived down there. At the Center I mostly did office work but once a week I also got to help out with ape care, cut browse, help with grounds maintenance, etc. So I was outside a lot, immersed in nature, with beautiful views and plants and the vibrations of growth all around me.

I think it really saved me. I was in Florida because my first husband worked on the research ranch. Our relationship had always been rocky but in Florida it really went to shit. I was a young thing, a kid, really. Too young to be married and halfway across the country from my family and roots. It didn't last long and I eventually packed up and came back to Oklahoma to go to grad school.

Looking back I really believe that my connection to the earth (as cheesy as that sounds) got me through. Being able to sit on the earth, put my hands inside it, feel it under my fingers and under my fingernails...I felt connected to something deeper. I could feel the rhythm of the season and the passage of time felt inexorable. Like a deep core hum that this, too, will pass. And it did.

I don't know what the ending of my first marriage would've been like if I'd been city bound or (horrors!) suburb-bound during that time. While going through that really sucked, I think it happened in the best of all possible places.

I think this really gets at the idea of ecopyschology - that we are tied in very fundamental ways to ecology and the earth in terms of our most basic psychological experience. There are fascinating theories about ecopsychology. The most compelling to me is the idea that we evolved as a species over millions of years in concert with a growing planet. Prior to agriculture we were hunter-gatherers who recognized and used and saved the resources available all around us. And then suddenly, within the last 100 years, we've started this radical shift toward alienation from nature. What sort of profound implications can this have on our psyches? Our brains? Our lives?

I know that it's terribly complex and involves multiple factors, like more "free-time" with which to grow more neurotic, and more mobility which causes a loss of sense of place, etc. But how about the research that simply having a view of nature lengthens attention span, soothes the brain, and speeds healing? That is powerful magic!There are actual journal articles reporting on research related to these topics but they're only accessible via paid library subscription. Some to try if you have access:

Kaplan, R. (2001). The nature of the view from home: Psychological benefits. Environment and Behavior, 33, 507–542.
Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: Towards an integrative framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15, 169–182.
Kaplan, S., & Kaplan, R. (1989). The experience of nature: A psychological perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Kaplan, R. (1985). Nature at the doorstep: Residential satisfaction and the nearby environment. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, 2, 115–127.
Berto, R. (2005). Exposure to restorative environments helps restore attentional capacity. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 25, 249–259.
De Vries, S., Verheij, R. A., Groenewegen, P. P., & Spreeuwenberg, P. (2003). Natural environments, healthy environments? An exploratory analysis of the relationship between green space and health.
Environment and Planning A, 35, 1717–1731.Frerichs, R. (2004). Gezondheid en natuur; Een onderzoek naar de relatie tussen gezondheid en natuur [Health and nature; a research into the relation between health and nature]. Graveland (NL): Vereniging Natuurmonumenten.
Hartig, T. (2004). Restorative environments. In C. Spielberger (Ed.), Encyclopedia of applied psychology (Vol. 3, pp. 273-279). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Hartig, T., Mang, M., & Evans, G. W. (1991). Restorative effects of natural environment experience. Environment and Behavior, 23, 3–26.
Hartig,T.,& Staats, H. (2006). The need for psychological restoration as a determinant of environmental preferences. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 26, 215–226.
Ulrich, R. S. (1984). View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. Science, 224, 420–421.
Ulrich, R. S. (1993). Biophilia, biophobia and natural landscapes. In S.R.Kellert,&E.O.Wilson (Eds.). The biophilia hypothesis (pp. 73–137). Washington, DC: Island Press.
Van den Berg, A. E., Koole, S. L., & Van der Wulp, N. Y. (2003). Environmental preference and restoration: (How) are they related? Journal of Environmental Psychology, 23, 135–146.

It's fascinating stuff. I plan to write more about it here along the way.

In conclusion, here's what makes me feel connected today:

Garden seen from the northside:

Ichiban eggplant ready to eat this week:

Jumbo Pink Banana Squash planted May 21-ish

Volunteer Sunflower

Okra flower

Hungarian Wax peppers

Cabbage!

Eight Ball Zucchini

Saturday's Harvest (a squirrel precipitated the picking of the volunteer butternut squash)

Solar Oh-no.

2008-06-23T06:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I, too, tried and failed at using a home-made solar oven (and a bunch of commas there at the beginning, see that?). I was disappointed. Vastly. Deeply.

I started with plans from Backwoods Home Magazine and from Cooking with Sunshine. I used two boxes, lots of foil, black paint, black cookware, double-strength glass, a car sun reflector, and newspaper and paper grocery bag insulation. But no dice.

It looked good enough:

So, bummer.

My partner helpfully stated that my "engineering" was off. I told him where he could take his engineering.

Then - in a much more helpful vein - he promised to help me try it again. His suggestions: smaller boxes. Maybe it's too big of a set-up? My guess is that the space between the two boxes is too large and that they need to be closer in size, that the insulation wasn't cutting it.

We salvaged a big old mirror that we might be able to rig up to a metal box - this was his other suggestion, to try to find a metal box. So we're still in the market for the home-made job. But who knows, with the rave reviews of the readymade product, we may eventually take that option.

In the end the pot of beans and the cornbread were about half done after sitting out 8 hours! I put them in the oven for a while and we still had dinner - it just wasn't as low-tech as I'd hoped!

Weekend projects and garden update

2008-06-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

The rain has been crazy here, but we've been blessed with no flooding in our area. We've had over 12 inches of rain in the last month, which is 248% over normal!

So needless to say I didn't get to spend too much time outside over the weekend. I did putter around on Sunday, pruning bushes, putting down more hay, weeding, and cursing out the flea beetles. I also dragged all the leaf litter from the fallen limbs we had down from a few weeks ago back to the compost pile. I added that, some paper shreddings, and some charcoal to the pile to really start it a-sizzlin'. It's already shrunk down by about a foot, but I think that's mostly due to the water.

I was outside for two hours on Sunday, but I worked up the sort of sweat that looked like I'd been out there all day long. It's Florida humid here - you walk outside and it feels like you just stepped out of the shower. Add grime, dirt, hay, grass clippings, and leaf litter and it's not a pretty picture! But while I was rummaging around in the humus I had the pleasure of finding two toads and a small garden snake. I thanked them for hanging out in my backyard and left a small pile of twigs and leaves for them to call their own.

Instead of playing outside, I played inside and completed various projects around the house. First I braided all the good-sized yellow onions for storage and they're now hanging over my dryer (conveniently placed hook is the only reason why they're there). I'll probably just snip them off from the top as I use them. I'd originally planned to snip off the bottom ones, but that might unravel the whole braid. I also had a bunch of spring onion sized baby onions that I threw into an empty bottle of pickled jalapeños. There was still plenty of spicy-hot brine and it's making them into fabulous fridge pickles. In a week or two they'll hit their prime and we'll have a lovely snack on our hands (great with cheddar cheese).

Onion Braid

I also made lavender infused vodka! I had some extra lavender that needed to be used and that seemed like the best solution that the interweb could throw at me. It's pretty, too! After a couple of weeks I'll check it for flavor. If the flowers still look okay I'll leave them in, but I imagine I'll eventually have to strain them out.

Lavender Infused Vodka

The weekend before last I pulled some wild yarrow out of the ground and had set that to drying. I finished that and crumbled it into tea. Yarrow is an amazing plant. I'm so happy that it grows wild in Oklahoma. It's a good spirit to have on our side.

The last adventure was making more of my super-vitamin-green-powder that I mentioned at the end of a previous blog. So far I've dried cabbage, broccoli, carrot, kohlrabi, and radish leaves for the powder and have about half a jar full. I dumped a big spoonful into the barley stuffing for stuffed peppers that I made last week. It added flecks of color, but no real flavor difference that I could tell. Hopefully there is a nutritional component to this or it's a lot of work for nothing! However, I do feel some margin of satisfaction that I'm getting to use these leaves for something other than compost.

Super Vitamin Green Powder

In garden news I've got several Hungarian wax and habanero peppers that are skating on the other side of being ripe. I also found some cherry tomatoes that are starting to turn an orangey red, too. I'm betting that in a couple of weeks I'll have all the makings of a great salsa! (I need to replant cilantro, though, and Frau, if it bolts be sure to save the coriander seeds. They're delicious in soups, stews, and Indian food and for flavoring beer! Plus you can regrow next year...Marvelous stuff!) My sunflowers have opened, the nasturtiums still look great (I'm trying to resist picking them all for salads since I love the little seed node that comes up behind it - great pickled!).

Let's see what else, still getting some broccoli side-shoots and I have six or so softball-sized heads of cabbage that will come up soon. The beets are kaput - never made, the leaves only got 5 inches long or so (I read that they're heavy feeders and the soil on that side of the garden was not well-amended. Maybe that's it.) The burgundy okra is coming up but still looks a bit spindly from being planted in the thick of the turnip leaves. It's starting to fill out, though, now that all the turnips are gone. The three winter squashes all have two or three sets of leaves and will probably explode any day now. The volunteer squash has taken over the back yard and has two or three viable looking butternut squash on it.

The zucchini and Suyo long Chinese cucumber keep making plenty of flowers but none of the fruit has yet been properly fertilized that I can tell. I know this is normal at first, but I thought there'd be something at this point! They were victims of the transplant fiasco, however, so maybe that has something to do with it. And the stem on the zucchini looks like it might have some squash borer damage except that the plant hasn't wilted and doesn't look bad at all. I love the mini-mysteries included in a daily dose of gardening. I find myself thinking, "huh," quite a bit. The two cucumbers left in quite a lot of shade (they get about 4 hours of sun/day) have started producing and we harvested a tasty cucumber last night. It had some squirrel damage - little bite marks - on it, but I just cut those away and it was fine! I'm supposing our harvests will be low from these shaded plants, but at least we got one! Maybe we'll get a few more - that would be a lovely surprise (and good to know cukes can grow in that little sun).

We also harvested the second big helping of beans. Tonight I'm planning to make a mushroom, lamb's quarters, and basil risotto with pistachios, a garden salad (literally!), and green beans. It'll be an almost 100-foot meal (except for the pistachios and rice!). Now that's satisfying.

Romano Pole Beans & Provider Bush Beans

Since the root crops are gone I'll probably spray the spring side of the garden with fish emulsion and pepper/garlic/soap spray this weekend. That side is slowly transitioning to a deep summer garden, hosting winter squashes, okra, and New Zealand spinach. I'd still like to try some cowpeas (black eyed peas) which people grew right through the summer sizzle in Florida and left them to dry on the vine. Maybe some collards, too, although it might be too late for that. We'll
see.

Dragon Carrots flanked by De Cicco broccoli and bifurcated honor guard

Kohlrabi, turnips, and buttercrunch lettuce

A local bowl

Wedding bling = Eco-bling!

2008-06-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

Today we made our first official purchase with our wedding booty:

Woo-hoo!!!!! You're looking at the All American Pressure Cooker/Canner, 25 quart, which doubles as a moon probe (it looks sturdy as hell)! (Technically we allocated some cash to join the Oklahoma Food Co-op, but that wasn't an actual hold-it-in-my-hands purchase, so I'm calling this the official!)

To accompany it, I got this book:

Now hopefully the tomatoes will cooperate (and then there are the beans and carrots and peppers and salsa and spaghetti sauce and soups...)! So far the Green Zebra, Amish paste, Paul Robesons, Golden Queens, and Ananas look great - covered in medium-sized green fruit and no more BER to speak of. But alas, the Opalkas, the paste tomatoes I am so excited about, aren't making! I have 8 of them, too! I've found one or two thumbnail-sized fruit on each of the plants, but that's it. The plants are all good sized but have serious blossom drop and now the tops of the tomato plants are getting frilly (which I've researched and suspect is tied to too much water or 24D herbicide drift damage but nothing conclusive yet). They're a Polish breed so maybe the Oklahoma spring/summer is squashing them (Others who've grown it here, please give me hope!)

So that's one big giant bummer. Maybe I can get the six in the back garden through August - they get a lot of shade back there - and have fall tomatoes? Maybe that's wishful thinking, but that's okay with me. I really want a tomato that looks like this and they're supposed to taste out of this world:

In other news, the garden is producing well! Today I went over to my co-workers office to show off my completely-backyard-grown-salad (except for the cheese!). It consisted of buttercrunch lettuce (which is almost done and starting to bolt), dragon carrots, kohlrabi, cilantro, and broccoli. Yes, I wanted to brag a bit. But my lovely co-worker is no newbie to homegrown produce and she also has a heart of gold (three weeks ago she rescued a baby bunny that had been abandoned by its mother and took it to a wildlife animal shelter). So she let me brag in good cheer! :)

Notes to self regarding future pest control: floating row covers are a must for brassicas! And I need to watch the eggplants for flea beetles - the three I have now have been riddled by those little bastards. Other than that I've found a few cucumber beetles, some sort of unidentified bugger, and of course, aphids. Not too much out of control with those...

How do you other organic gardeners cope with pests? What's your favorite remedy or stand-by prevention method? Would love to hear it!

Until we meet again!

And speaking of giveaways...

2008-06-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

My blogging buddy at The Sustainable Backyard is celebrating her 100th post with a drawing for a subscription of Mother Earth News! How fun!

Plus - rumor is she may be posting a blog on how to make your own laundry detergent in the near future. Stay tuned for disco!

Do you love to cook?

2008-06-12T06:29:00.000-07:00

I do! Constantly!

Last night I made 21st Century Tomato Basil Bisque with the sweet basil from my garden. It was delicious! I need to get in the habit of taking pictures when I cook, because it's also a very pretty soup - green and red and glistening!

21st Century Tomato Basil Bisque
Very easy instructions:

Heat 1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp olive oil
Add 2 leeks (or one medium onion) chopped,
...let soften (5 mins-ish)
Add 3-6 garlic cloves (we opt for a lot chez Lewru!)
...saute until golden (2 mins-ish)
Add approx 2 lbs tomatoes, chopped (seeded and peeled if you're fussy)
Add 1 regular-sized can stewed tomatoes for extra juice
Add 1 tsp sea salt
...let cook for 15 minutes on medium/low
...the tomatoes should break down a bit
Add approx 2 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth)
Add 1/8 c dry quinoa
...stir
...let cook for 30 mins more (or as long as you like, at this point)
Add 1-2 oz fresh basil, snipped in ribbons (we use a lot here!)
...stir
...let cook for a minute or two (you can turn the heat off at this point)
...puree if you feel like it (or don't if you like the chunkier texture)
...bowl it up!
Add a squirt of lemon and shaved parmesan to each bowl!
Eat with good crusty bread slathered with pesto!

If you love to cook and you love giveaways, you have to check out this site: My Wooden Spoon! She is currently giving away a KitchenAid Stand Mixer...this is too fabulous! I would love one.

Blossom End Rot, Cat Facing, & Blossom Drop! OH MY!

2008-06-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

Oh, my precious tomato plants are having their fits-and-starts growing pains right now!

It's been unseasonably hot and uncommonly windy for this windy state! It's been damp with loads of rain, too, demonstrating that with climate change, Oklahoma is the new Louisiana (would that we had the same lovely cuisine!). Last night it rained about 2 ½” and since March 1, it’s rained 24 inches - TWO FLIPPIN' FEET!!! Outside it’s green and humid and smells like growing things. And it’s been raining since midnight last night which means over twelve hours!

It also means trouble for my tomatoes…I’ve found blossom end rot on a couple of Green Zebra tomatoes and the Opalkas are having trouble with blossom drop. Several of the Paul Robesons are showing cat-facing. The first two problems have to do with weather. The second is likely caused by some jack-ass spraying herbicide. Did you know that herbicide can drift up to 5 blocks (did I mention it’s been windy?)??? It’s probably damage from 2-4 D. Now my tomatoes are paying the price for some yay-hoo who wanted to get rid of weeds or grass in the cracks of his driveway. Thank you for your consideration, yay-hoo! Next time, bend down and pull them out yourself. It’ll help with the beer gut. (Rant ends here.)

Meow!

(Picture from Purdue Plant & Pest Diagnostic Library)

This post is more about the other two problems, though. I found out quite a bit about blossom end rot. I knew it was caused by calcium imbalances and that it could be triggered by fluctuations in soil moisture (this was the extent of the info offered in my old stand-by edition of Rodale’s. I was kinda disappointed!). Beyond that brief bit of trivia, I was a babe in the woods.

To start off, blossom end rot is a physiological problem rather than a disorder. It can be caused by a number of different factors and can be made extra-nasty by a combination of these factors. These include: low calcium in soil (uncommon), too much nitrogen spurring excessive early growth (common), soil temps too low when tomatoes are set out, repeated soil drying, sudden interruption of moisture, or way too much moisture (as in our case currently, in OK). A sudden lack of water is the usual suspect but too much water early on can effectively drown the plant, smothering the root hairs and leading to BER during sudden hot weather. One source mentioned that it might be more serious on the windward side (it’s drier) than on the leeward side of your plants. That’s exactly where it hit mine – on the poor fellah who’s acting as a windbreak!

Sciency stuff: Normal cell development requires fairly large concentrations of calcium. Soluble calcium moves through the vascular system from the roots to the leaves. With moisture distress it moves quickly to the leaves where it is transpired (sweated) out into the air. Tomatoes (and peppers and eggplants and melons) don’t transpire as much as the leaves do – their cellular structure is different. When a tomato lacks access to calcium, the tissue breaks down, leaving the ugly patch at the blossom end (opposite the stem end, where you can sometimes find the little dried bits of the original flower).

(Picture from: The Ohio State University Extension Office)

So in effect, calcium can be present in the soil and present in the plant, but might not be making it down to the precious blossoms/nascent fruit. One site called this a localized calcium deficiency. Even a brief amount of water stress can cause it since the fruit are last on the receiving end of the calcium train.

Interesting tidbit: “Ninety percent of the calcium that the mature fruit will contain is in the fruit by the time the waxy suberin layer (the waxy layer on the final skin of the fruit) has formed, when the fruit is about thumbnail size. When this calcium deficiency occurs in the end of the fruit, an area of rapid growth, it causes cells to collapse producing the sunken lesion symptom of blossom-end rot.”

It was mentioned in several places that blossom end rot usually hits your first tomatoes (the ones you lust after) and then clears up. A logical fallacy made by many, as pointed out by Dr. Carolyn J. Male, is that adding eggshells or using a calcium spray after the first sign of blossom end rot takes care of it. Rather, she says that adding calcium doesn’t work and that plants largely take care of it themselves. (And we thought we were so crafty and had such green thumbs!) From this perspective, BER is caused by rapid plant growth coupled with water stress and inadequate root development to support the plant and take up the necessary calcium. When the roots develop adequately, they’ll take care of the job, thereby clearing up the BER. It’s not the eggshells! (They are good soil conditioners, though, and may help deter slimy bugs.)

It was also noted that infected tomatoes should be pulled off. They won’t be any good and the nasty patch can play host to other infections and fungi that can seriously foul up your plant. So pluck them off, say adieu, and wait for the next crop, which should be okay (longer growing time, better root system!).

I particularly liked this excerpt, again from Dr. Male:

“Many books and magazine articles tell you that by adding Ca++ in the form of lime or eggshells, for instance, that you can prevent BER. That does NOT appear to be true. University field trial experiments have so far failed to show that BER can be prevented by addition of Ca++…Some data strongly suggests that foliar spraying with Ca++ is of no use because not enough gets to the fruits to do any good. And it's known that the sprays for fruits that are sold are useless. No molecules can get across the fruit epidermis…So, BER is a physiological condition, cannot be cured, and current literature data suggests it cannot be prevented. It occurs on some, but not all varieties of tomatoes, is usually seen early in the season and then stops, for most folks. It would be nice to say that you could even out your watering, prevent droughts and heavy rainfalls, ensure even and not rapid growth of plants and not disturb the roots by shallow cultivating. But on a practical basis, I think we all know that's almost impossible. So, BER has never bothered me, I just ignore it, and it goes away with time.”

Now that’s a sensible woman!

Here is a catch-all of the recommendations I found to address BER:

· Don’t force you tomatoes to grow up to soon! Let them have a nice, easy-breezy childhood. Too much nitrogen can stimulate too much early growth and cause BER.

· Don’t be too hardcore with your hardening off when you move your transplants outside. Be gentle.

· Hot, drying winds can contribute – try to plant in protected areas or provide a windbreak.

· Definitely use mulch! For multiple reasons, but in this case, to even out water moisture and prevent BER. Avoid plastic sheeting in hot, wet environments.

· Don’t plant too early when the soil is still cold.

· Remove affected tomatoes to prevent secondary pathogens.

· Select cultivars that are appropriate for your region or be prepared for some headache.

· Prepare deep soil to aid with root development.

· Be careful when you’re cultivating or pulling weeds near the tomatoes. Watch the roots!

· Too much pruning can apparently lead to BER.

· Tomatoes need 1 to 1 ½” water per week. Aim for that!

· The addition of Epsom salts to acidic soil can aid in the uptake of calcium.

And now just for a short little bit on blossom drop…Helpfully, it can be caused by temperatures that are too low or too high, too little or too much nitrogen, too little or too much humidity, lack of water, lack of pollination, insect or disease stress, or too many tomatoes already set. Not much doesn’t contribute to blossom drop, it seems. I’m chalking mine up to the winds and the heat. Given that it’s just the Opalkas, they might have a sensitivity in this area (any other Okie gardeners have experience with Opalkas in the past?)

Specifically, blossom drop can be caused by high day temps (above 85ºF/29ºC), high night temps (below 70ºF/21ºC), or low night temps (below 55ºF/13ºC).

Some recommendations:

Gently shake the plant to help with pollination (no need here, did I mention the wind??).
Set out at the appropriate time – don’t try to rush it and don’t wait until it’s so late that it’s too hot for fruit to set.
Watch the fertilizer (leads to leaf growth and not flowers).
Hose the plants if humidity is low (but watch out for overhead watering during full sun which can cause sunburn…water droplets act like magnifying glasses). Probably don’t want to do this if there are a lot of diseases in your area which can be transferred through wet foliage.
Plant varieties that like your weather.

Sources:

http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1059/ANR-1059.pdf

http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/Factsheets/blossomrot/blossomrot.htm

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/plantdiseasefs/450-703/450-703.html

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3117.html

http://extension.usu.edu/htm/faq/faq_q=427

http://www.victoryseeds.com/information/carolyn_ber.html

http://gardening.about.com/b/2006/06/13/tomato-blossom-drop.htm

http://www.kdcomm.net/~tomato/Tomato/blossom.htm

Onion Harvest!

2008-06-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

I'm doing the lyric transposition thing again, this time with Kool and the Gang. Try this: Onion Harvest! To the tune of "Jungle Boogie." I can't explain why this happens in my head, but it's completely without any control or contrivance on my part. It just pops into my head: "Onion harvest! Do-de-lee-doo. Do-de-lee-doo. Onion harvest! With the get down! Onion harvest! Do-de-lee-doo. Do-de-lee-doo. Onion harvest! Chah! (awesome brass solo)..."

So yes, today it was an onion harvest day. Most of my onions have either plopped over or flowered, as you may remember (unusually popular google term, that). A few days ago I pulled them up a bit to break some of the roots and slow their growth. It's been so freakin' wet around here that I was afraid they might start to rot in situ, so today I pulled all the onions that had given up their growing ghost. Now they are lying on my deck, drying in the sun:

That is approximately 50 onions and a few peas drying. As you can see the yellows did really well. The reds did okay, but never really got up to size. The whites did poorly. Almost exclusively they were the ones that flowered so early, although a few reds flowered, too. None of the yellows did. Curiouser, and curiouser!

There are probably still 15 or so in the ground that are still growing strong. Another 15 are in my fridge - I saved out the tiny ones that keeled over to make pickled spring onions. We've been pulling and eating scallions for weeks now, so I have no real idea how many I got altogether. I know that I planted three standard size clumps of sets.

I also let a few continue to flower in the garden for possible (long shot) seed and/or volunteers:

You can see them from afar here as the leaning towers of pom-pom:

Some of the stalks winded up in the compost (you know, I use "wind up" or "winded up" a lot in my common parlance, but written it sure looks like something to do with weather. Anyway...).

Part of me wishes I'd planted more onions, because frankly, Mr. Shankley, I just can't get enough of them. It seems like any meal that I make calls for at least ONE onion. And some, like luscious French Onion soup, calls for at least, at least, 3 pounds of onions. I make a wicked concoction that is an oxtail soup and French Onion soup hybrid. It is the stuff of the gods... And yet, I digress, again!

Next time I plant onions, I'll plant more and I plan to order sets from a reliable source. As I discussed here, my sets from Lowe's were not necessarily trustworthy.

The rest of the garden is getting ready to explode with fruit flavor...make that vegetable flavor. Notice how much the sunflower has grown in three weeks!

Here she is from atop (she's a volunteer, remember, or I would have been more thoughtful with her placement):

Beautiful okra:

New Zealand spinach sprouts in the shadows of the lettuce they will replace:

Arugula + culprits:

Lamb's Quarters...To us it tastes like a cross between asparagus and artichokes. Fantastically delectable with butter and garlic:

And finally some Provider bush beans, which I specifically ordered due to Pinetree's description of them as "beanier":

The onions are loaded with little green fellas and the peppers are starting to carry some baby fruit, too. I'll try to take some pictures of the bean teepee and the tomatoes soon for that update. I've been busy trying to assemble a sun oven, because Hausfrau has me so jealous. And also today we said goodbye to our sweet adopted stray kitty, Rigby, (Eleanor is another one of the strays who frequents our block). My cousin's friend kindly offered to adopt her and she and her 9-year-old son came to pick up The Riggs today. It was a bit emotional for me, which sort of caught me by surprise.

Goodbye, Rigby! I didn't realize how attached I'd become to you as my backyard buddy, my chaser of birds, my friendly garden pal who liked to lounge on the straw and occasionally smush my tomato seedlings. I hope it works out for you at your new home. I hope you enjoy (finally!) getting to go inside like you always wanted to here. I hope you love them and they love you. We loved you well.

PS: We would have totally kept The Riggs except that we've already got two indoor cats: Miso, who has feline leukemia, and Tavi, who doesn't. (Thank god for the vaccine!) Plus, I'm allergic. One more kitty in the house would've damned near killed me. But believe me, it was a tough decision, nonetheless.

Tree-of-Heaven, my arse!

2008-06-05T06:46:00.000-07:00

So another mystery solved, dear readers! The annoying yet endearingly tenacious bugger I wrote about previously is Ailanthus altissima. Ailanthus, meet worldwideweb readers; worldwideweb reads meet Ailanthus. You should meet formally, after all, given that if you're in one another's proximity you're bound to become intimate "friends."

Hi!

Ailanthus altissima also bears the ironic moniker Tree-of-Heaven (which is also, incidentally, a Korean drama!)

Some research reveals that the Tree-of-Heaven was initially imported and PURPOSEFULLY planted by well-meaning, no doubt, but ignorant horticultural enthusiasts in the 1700s. Then they realized it's invasive as hell and, oh yeah, it stinks! It has a significant place in Chinese herbal medicine, according to Wikipedia, being used for its astringent properties in curing mental illness (by way of chopping the root and mixing with young boys' urine and fermented black beans, naturally) as well as baldness and many other things.

Remember what I said about the bag worms really digging this stinky nuisance? Well, in China it's used as a host crop for silk worms! That's probably it's best use, right there. Another awesome thing about Ailanthus is that it synthesizes its very own herbicide which kills off competing plants in the germination phase. Fantastic! The USDA National Agricultural Library categorizes Ailanthus as an "exotic weed" and in some places is listed as a "noxious weed." Given it's "long and rich history" in China, how's that for a downgrade? Ouch!

To be fair the bark of this tree/weed is still used in Chinese medicine and may actually help with asthma and arrhythmias if taken in small quantities. And it is extremely fast growing, which is currently a bane but may eventually prove useful as it makes great firewood (file this in the back of your minds, peak oilers!).

Here are some tidbits from what I read:

"This tree, often incorrectly referred to as stinking sumac, grows along highways, in disturbed areas, in the rocky outcroppings of fields and anywhere else its prolific seeds seem to land.

Tree of Heaven was originally introduced from China as an ornamental tree. You might know it from 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.'...Often there will be one or two larger trees surrounded by a legion of these straight and erect seedlings. If you happen to see this tree on your property, do not cut it down. When this tree is cut down, it goes into self-protection mode, sending out dozens of shoots that can sprout up quite a distance away, it seems as far as 50 feet. It will also resprout form the stump." (http://www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/articles/frederick/2004/non-native_plants.htm)

From Wikipedia:

"...enthusiasm soon waned after gardeners became familiar with its suckering habits and its foul smelling odour. Despite this, it was used extensively as a street tree during much of the 19th century."

And so there you go. Next mystery - why are caterpillars impervious to diatomaceous earth? Other suggestions?

Woo-hoo!

2008-06-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

I just joined the Oklahoma Food Co-op! I've been wanting to do this for years but funds were so low as a grad student that even just $50 to sign up was out of my budget! I used some of our wedding bling to sign up and now I'm trying to figure out what our first order will be! Yippee!

Seriously, I interviewed Bob Waldrop, the founder and President twice for my research on activism - once for the thesis and once for the dissertation. He is a phenomenal guy, just a powerhouse, and such an inspiration. He's up there with Carrie Dickerson (who I also interviewed twice, brag, brag) in terms of Okie activists! I have such incredible, exuberant respect and awe for that man. And last night I saw him featured on OETA's Statelin e. Cool!

Yippee! Local food! Yippee! Farm fresh goodness! Yippee! Smaller carbon footprint!

To train or trail, that is the question...

2008-06-03T12:27:00.001-07:00

I'm currently engaged in an experiment. I love experiments, particularly if they provide worthwhile information.

This year's experiment involves a whole helluva lot of tomatoes.

The Players:

In the front bed (the study avoidance bed) we have 11 tomatoes growing in 10+ hours of sun. They're growing East-West so the sun moves over the row fairly evenly. On one side is a 5' privacy hedge which acts as a sort of windbreak. All of these tomatoes are staked or caged. They're growing in a foot of loosened soil, which includes some Okie red clay, as well as plenty of manure, homemade compost, mushroom compost, old leaves, and pine needles for acidity - the soil here is pretty alkaline. Three of the 11 are from transplants. The rest are from seed.

In the back (the original bed) we have 17 tomatoes that are currently growing sans stakes! Stake-free, baby! I imagine this is like a tomato going bra-less, which has got to be much better! This bed gets only around 6 hours of sun and on the corners it gets less than that. It's growing in the same soil mix with the addition of 5 pounds of raw coffee to the entire row (25' x 5') for extra acidity. One of the tomatoes is a volunteer, so she's a lovely surprise. The rest were all grown from seeds except for three cherry tomatoes.

I may still buy a few cages for these tomatoes, but I really want to see what will happen. My old Rodale's says that unstaked tomatoes can grow up to 20 FEET LONG and produce like monsters, too, although they're more prone to disease. The folks over at Tomato Casual seem to think it's a foregone conclusion that tomatoes must be kept off the ground. I used to think that too, until a happy accident at my parents' place. They had some Cherokee Purples (which is a fabulous, truly wonderful tomato, especially when combined with orange habanero to make a beautiful salsa...but I digress)...anyway, these Purples decided no silly cage was going to hold them in - DON'T FENCE ME IN, MAN! - so they threw their cages down on the ground and went hog wild. Three plants grew to an enormous size and made my parents all sorts of tomatoes, buckets and buckets and buckets. Plus there were plenty of volunteers, too, because I guess there's no way to get all the tomatoes and some rotted in place.

If this experiment doesn't result in Massive Tomato Funk then my main concern will probably be space. There are also about 20 peppers growing back there (including the volunteers), a volunteer squash, two volunteer sunflowers, and some okra. It's a full house but I think I'm going to let them duke it out. Or I might stake a few of the Opalkas (I really want lots of tomatoes for canning) and let the rest of them have a go at it... I'll keep ya posted.

~~~~~

And in other news, last night I cleaned up the broccoli and cabbage beds. I pulled up several to compost and make room for the cukes and zukes. I decided to dry most of the cabbage and broccoli leaves as recommended by Sharon to grind into powder (#2 under Summer). She said to add it to bread, but I'm thinking I'll probably add it to soups, stews, and casseroles. If I ever make bread again - which I really want to, but I feel like I suck at it, then I might add it. Green bread sounds cool. I usually use all of my eggshells, which she also recommended for additional calcium, in the garden.

Garden update!

2008-06-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

I definitely have to post a description of the lovely garden wedding we just had, but I want to be able to post pictures, so it might be a few days. My parents' garden looked FABULOUS. They worked themselves near to death, I think (maybe to the pain).

So the garden is growing well but was set askew (slightly northeasterly) by the 60-mile-an-hour straight line winds that rocked Tulsa on Sunday (taking our power with them for 2 1/2 days!). Most things have managed to right themselves, but the peppers, backyard tomatoes, and the two volunteer sunflowers are still growing at a little bit of a keel. I should be able to get them trained back up soon.

The onions are pretty much done and drying. I have a British book that recommends forking them up part of the way so that about half of the roots break. This slows the growing process and starts them drying. So that's what I've been doing the past few days. Whenever one fell over I'd pull it up a little ways and then push the stem down the rest of the way.

The Viroflay spinach is mostly all gone to seed with a few lone survivors. It looks like I might get some seed barring more strong winds (but this is OK, so no promises!). The older seeding radishes are growing monster seed pods compared to the pictures I posted earlier. I ate one yesterday. It was slightly larger than a stubby golf pencil and quite tasty! I didn't take any pictures but if you google radish seed pod you'll see what I mean. I read that they can be pickled or eaten fresh at this stage and that some people would rather have these than radishes! Fascinating!

The Dragon carrots are JUST NOW getting to be on the smallish-size of worth pulling. They've been delicious but so slow growing. I pulled up a couple yesterday that were around six inches long (although most of that was the whisper of root that isn't really part of the eatin' carrot!). They are beautiful and tasty, though.

The Sylvetta arugula has also been really slow growing, but once established has been awesome. For the longest time nothing came up, nothing came up, and then there they were. Looked a lot like weeds - smaller than regular arugula and a stronger flavor - more of a bite. Once the plants were in I've been able to re-crop them three or four times, cutting off all the major leaves and leaving just a few to do the refoliation. Awesome in our salads!

The buttercrunch lettuce has been reliable and is still producing. The few that chose to overwinter themselves have gone to seed but the rest is trying to head up now. We've been using them as cut and come again (and so have the snails).

The kohlrabi is growing strong. I still have 10 or so that are in the process of bunching up. The beets are looking better but are still only 7 or so inches long at the leaves (not sure why!). The turnips have been good producers, especially the abundant and delicious greens! The turnips themselves have been good but hot, more like a radish. If anyone knows why, please enlighten me!

The broccoli was a spring-time bust! The plants are huge and would probably make me something if it weren't already 92-degrees outside. I've gotten one teeny floret but hey, it's my first go with broccoli. I'll bet I can overwinter it here with some floating row covers and/or portable greenhouse situation, particularly the Early Purple Sprouting which is supposed to be good for that. The cabbages are largely a wash, but there are a few tennis ball size heads we might stir-fry up.

I've already got Black Futsu, Chicago Warted Hubbard, and Jumbo Pink Banana squash already coming up in the midst of the fading spring crops. I plan to just cut the cabbages and broccoli off at the roots rather than pulling them up, so that the newbies can root down well. The transplanted zucchini and cucumbers are going strong.

All the tomatoes look like they took steroids! So far so good on that front. The peppers have tiny little guys on them now and the okra is about a foot tall. Plenty of lamb's quarters to keep us in summer time greens, and the New Zealand Spinach is up, too.

Tonight I have to stake more tomatoes and weed, weed, weed. Rock and roll!

Eco-bling!

2008-06-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I am now freshly married. After a weather scare, the ceremony went off without a hitch. It was really hot, but beautiful. Maybe some pictures to follow...

The question on my mind is how to make the most of my friends' and family's generosity. With all the talk of peak oil, food shortages, a fragile economy, and climate change (our power is currently out, going on 36 hours, after high winds hit yesterday) I want to do what I can to be prepared. We aren't wealthy, though, and we just got married, and I am Sallie Mae's indentured servant (she's a harsh task-mistress). So how to prioritize what we should get/need to get on a budget?

Here is a list of the items I've been thinking about, and they're in no particular order:

Water catchment system

Two tanks, hose set-up, drip irrigation unit

Solar Oven

Might wait on this if the home-made version is up to snuff

Grain Mill

Preferably manual

Pressure Canner

Definitely will be bought this summer

Clay oven

Probably lower on the list

Greenhouse

Long been a dream, but I think home-ownership should come first...

Food containers with gamma lids

Also not fun to think about moving...

We're also definitely getting lovie a new bike and getting mine a tune-up. I think being better schooled on bicycle maintenance will be a good skill to have, also.

I guess I'm thinking more about skill acquisition as opposed to object acquisition as part of my preparedness plan. I want to learn more about first aid, re-learn CPR, etc. I'd love to do an herbalist course or even an EMT unit at some point (maybe...maybe not...). I also want to learn more about gardening in this climate, hone more reliable bread baking skills, get the basics on seed storage, try my hand at solar oven cooking, and perfect my skills at crocheting and knitting (pretty solid novice). I guess I feel much more competent at learning things as opposed to buying and using things. Maybe that's it?

But regardless, some purchases will be made soon. Definitely the pressure canner and the bike. Maybe a solar oven down the road. Definitely some more items for the garden...

bean teepee...wider than a mile

2008-05-29T06:28:00.001-07:00

For some reason whenever a phrase has enough syllables to fit into the refrain of Moon River, that song pops into my head. Like this: "Bean TEE-PEE...wider than a mile..." or this: "RumSHPRINGA...wider than a mile..." or this "ChinCHILLA...wider than a mile, I'm crossing you in style, someday..." (Merci, Mancini!)

So to get back to my lovely friend, Hausfrau's, request to hear more about my bean teepee, I though I'd write a bit about that today.

So essentially I looked at a couple of pictures in Rodale's, bought some bamboo poles, and got started. That was the essence of my prep.

So I decided I'm going to start every sentence with so...

So I took three poles, banged them about 8" to a foot into loosened soil:

Then I wrapped the entire thing in kite string to give the beans more places to crawl:

Top:

Bottom:

Inside:

This is after I first planted everything around April 20 or so. You can see the tiny little tomatoes inside their cages in some of the pictures and one larger one that was a transplant (the rest were seed starts). I'll have to post updated pictures later this weekend because now the plants are seriously tall.

This is in our front yard and my partner and neighbor are convinced that most of the tomatoes will end up stolen or smashed on cars and houses. I certainly hope not. That would be discouraging. I'm trying to think of ways to deter people from taking them and have come up with netting or some sort of cheap baling wire fencing. We have a motion sensor flood light that should take care of night time vandals, but I don't know about the daytime. I'm tempted to put up a sign that says "Please ask first" but that might just be inviting trouble. Thoughts would be appreciated! I'll post new pictures soon.

primordial weeds

2008-05-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, chickens, I need answers: What the hey is this weed-tree-thing? (And, no, it is not a pecan tree. I promise. Really. It's not.)

It grows super-fast and sends up tons of underground shoots that we constantly mow down:

It comes up in cracks and corners:

When you break off plants taller than 8"-10" it stinks like bug guts. And bag-worms love it, which is double-gross. Plus, in no time at all, it grows into this:

ARGH!!! This weed-tree is my bane! It grew around my old duplex in Norman and now here it is again. Boo!

The only thing is that I have to admire it's tenacity. It's like the cockroach of trees. I'll bet dinosaurs were munching on it hundreds of thousands of years ago. Mmm - bug-guts tree! Delicious.

(http://littlehealer.wordpress.com/2007/11/06/trip-to-dinosaur-island/)

And on the edible tip, at least with something like bamboo you can eat the new shoots. This things is just a major pita.

In looking around the web for info on this "tree," I found this website, which is pretty darn funny: Noah and the Tree Race. Very creative family!

That was quick!

2008-05-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

These two sites are awesome!

Bob Moul's caterpillar gallery

University of Georgia bug identification page

Apparently, I have this dude:

Cross-striped Cabbageworm (Evergestis rimosalis): The adult moth is small and yellowish-brown. The larvae are green and have numerous black transverse bands across the body.

So it turns into a moth. Why am I more readily able to think about killing moths than butterflies? I ask you.

seed saving novice-style...

2008-05-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

It was a soggy, humid Memorial Day weekend around my place, but I still managed to do my transplant surgery on the zucchini and two cucumbers, laid out more hay on the gardens, trimmed a hedge (actually, my lovely neighbor did the whole thing and she just had me hold the leaf guard), and clipped back some trees. It was nice to check off so many things!

I am definitely not getting enough sun on the tomatoes and peppers in the summer garden (pics in last post). Compared to the tomatoes out front, which are getting 10 hours or so, these guys are small. That's why I decided to plant in the front yard, but hopefully I'll still get something out of the back garden. All of the peppers are there!

I also took some pictures of my radish and spinach plants that are bolting. I recently bought Seed to Seed and have been planning to save some of my own this year. I've harvested easy seed-things, like zinnias, marigolds, black-eyed susans, tomatoes, and peppers, but somewhere between the harvesting, drying, and storing, they have typically ended up on a dusty shelf somewhere as food for the scavenger bugs. So that means that this year a prime goal will be organization and thoughtful storage. What's the point, otherwise but a lot of wasted work??

I also want to try saving some seeds that are slightly more difficult. For instance, I learned from Seed to Seed that in order to get spinach seeds you need a male and a female plant. So I went out to the backyard, and what do you know?

Female:

The seeds will form along the stem. There are clusters of small white hairs that are lustily waiting for pollen from this guy:

This picture didn't turn out as well, but you can see the male flower stalk sticking up in front - my camera didn't want to focus on it but hopefully you get the idea. It looks sort of like a goldenrod spike.

I also noticed that some of my radishes, which have been flowering for some time, are finally developing their seed pods! Yippee!

I'm not sure that I'll be able to save viable seed this time, but I have a much better start than I did before (no book, just some curiosity and an envelope!).

I think most of the cabbage is a wash. I've been pulling cabbage loopers for weeks now and didn't seem to make a dent. I tried diatomaceous earth (nada), hot pepper spray (nope), and the manual pull-and-remove method (huh-uh). I may try bt (bacillus thuringiensis) but couldn't find any at Lowe's. I'd be interested in reviews if anyone's used it.

In my (uber-)brief research, I see that "in a purified form, some of the proteins produced by Bt are acutely toxic to mammals. However, in their natural form, acute toxicity of commonly-used Bt varieties is limited to caterpillars, mosquito larvae, and beetle larvae." (http://www.mindfully.org/GE/Bacillus-thuringiensis-Bt.htm)

Which I guess means the pretty butterflies and useful lady-bugs, too. I could be careful and just spot spray the problem crops, though, maybe?

I also found this: "The beauty of this popular control is it only attacks caterpillars in the Lepidoptera family and doesn't harm other insects, bees, pets, and humans. The downside is that all butterfly and moth larvae are susceptible to this pesticide, so use it sparingly and avoid it on butterfly larva plants, such as parsley.

There are also strains of Bt that attack Colorado potato beetle larvae (Bt 'San Diego') and mosquito larvae (Bt israelensis)." (http://www.garden.org/ediblelandscaping/?page=10steps-organic)

I noticed that now it's not just the cabbage loopers but these guys, too:

The white powder you see is leftover residue from the diatomaceous earth. So if this isn't blatant caterpillar scoffing at my attempts at playing god with their lives, I don't know what is.

Sadly several of my cabbage are now in the compost (notice the volunteer squash!).

Live and learn, right? Once I've identified my latest interloper, I'll be back with results. I suspect it is a the fore-bears of something beautiful. Quelle conflict! Beautiful but deadly to my food!

picture pages, pictues pages, time to get your picture pages; time to get your crayons and your pencils!

2008-05-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

I loved that Bill Cosby Saturday morning doo-dad. I never did buy the activity book or the fun pen that made noises, but I watched him every week!

So today I finally got around to pulling the pictures off my camera and onto my computer. I also laid down some more hay and planted Burgundy Okra, New Zealand spinach, and Black Futsu, Jumbo Pink Banana, and Chicago Warted Hubbard winter squash. I've never grown okra or winter squash before so we'll see what happens. I grew New Zealand spinach in Florida and it went gang-busters, turning into more of a ground cover than a vegetable. I doubt it will do that here, but time will tell all fortunes...

I had to transplant some cukes and the zucchini due to a truly sophmorish mistake! In my experiment planting beans and cukes under a tree, I didn't take into account that this particular tree would be super-slow to fully foliate. So now that it's completely leaved out, I only get four hours sun underneath. Boo! I feel dumb! It's humbling! And it's fine... I chalk it up to the infinite learning curve and say meekly, "Whatev."

I left all the beans under the tree. The soybeans, which are slightly more shaded, will probably do nothing but they can grow the season, just to see (and to be, they live, after all!). The Provider beans might get enough sun to provide a small crop - we'll see. But I moved one each of the cukes and the zucchini. I don't know if they'll survive the transplant, but if they don't, that's okay, too. It's all okay until the days of true gardening guerilla warfare brought on by high-peak-oil. Until then, it's all practice, babies.

Now for the 2-penny nickelodeon!

First, I present to you le jardin c. April 19 of Anno Domina 2008:

I planted most of the spring bed out in late February, although the spinach went in in January and the beets in March, etc. Notice the "homemade bird scarer" which is a steel can suspended over the bed by braided plastic sacks. There are several more that have been pushed over to the side of the yard. Incidentally, I don't think they worked that well. Hanging the wind chimes on the clothesline overhead did a better job of it, I think. That, and the recent addition of a stray cat who has adopted us. Rigby is my watch-feline (and in search of a more permanent home...).

About two weeks later, the miracle of sun+water+soil+seed transformed into this:

And then today here we are, miracle of miracles:

The sunflower you see at the far left of the summer bed (the less grown of the two) is a volunteer, and from whence it came, I know not. I had a bunch of volunteer peppers, too, that came out of the compost. Of course, if I were composting correctly, seeds wouldn't survive it...but I'm not turning it often enough and the snails are mostly taking care of the decomposition, so oh well. Why turn the compost pile when you can have snails and earth worms do it for free? :) I do have to be careful when using the compost, though, being sure to pick out the grubbies to protect my plantlings.

I also have a volunteer squash that I let go for it. I know, I know...you're not supposed to let volunteers grow unless you're sure of the seed - which I'm not. In fact, the peppers and the squash are most likely from store-bought produce (horrors!) and therefore from hybrid seed (double-horrors!). I let a squash go a few years ago in similar circumstances. It produced three amazingly shaped squash which were ugly but completely edible. Plus, I dig experiments, so volunteers - grow on! (And, I admit, I have a really hard time killing anything, which is the truth behind the euphemism "thinning." I need more of a spine to be a better gardener...I still feel guilty when I kill a cabbage worm here and there. Mostly I just move them to other habitat. I'm nowhere near hardcore.)

Here are a couple of pictures of our recent harvests:

In terms of actual planted produce, here's the complete list, and just FYI, unless marked by an asterisk, everything is grown from seed:

Early Market Copenhagen cabbage (still growing, probs with loopers)

De Cicco broccoli (still growing, see above)

Early Purple Sprouting broccoli (still growing, very slowly, but very beautifully, probs w/ loopers)

Bull’s Blood beets (still only 6" tall, not sure why)

Golden beets (same)

Swiss Chard (delish!)*

Blood-veined sorrel (beautiful, slow to fill out, but perennial!)*

1015 yellow sweet onions (great, although flowering)* (sets)

Red short-day onions (great)* (sets)

White short-day onions (great)* (sets)

Purple top white globe turnips (turned out hot and not sure why; still good)

Early Purple Vienna kohlrabi (delish!)

Dragon carrots (delish!)

French Breakfast radishes (delish!)

Little Marvel peas (needed innoculant to get a good harvest, but those that are there are awesome!)

Buttercrunch lettuce (fantabulous)

Viroflay spinach (fantabulous)

Sylvetta arugula (which was remarkably slow-growing but very tasty!)

Opalka tomato (fine and feathery, looking forward to a harvest)

Golden Queen tomato (growing great)

Green Zebra tomato (growing great)*

Amish paste tomato (growing great)*

Mexican Midget cherry tomato (growing great)*

Sweet Million cherry tomato (growing great)*

Paul Robeson tomato (growing great)

Roberto's Cuban (low-heat) habanero (growing great)

Regular high-heat habanero! (growing great)*

Jalapeno (growing great)

Tabasco (growing great)*

Red Bell (growing great)*

Ancho (growing great)

Hungarian Wax (growing great)

Cayenne (growing great)

one little lemon-drop pepper (the rest either didn't sprout or died, so I hope he hangs in there!)

Slicing cucumbers (transplant fiasco, I'll keep you posted)*

Pickling cucumbers (transplant fiasco, I'll keep you posted)*

Suyo Long Chinese cucumber (transplant fiasco, I'll keep you posted)*

Romano pole beans (Bee-U-tee-full on the bean teepee out front; pics to follow)

Provider bush beans (under the tree fiasco, I'll keep you posted)

Soybeans (under the tree fiasco, I'll keep you posted)

Okra (growing great!)*

Burgundy okra (just planted seed)

New Zealand spinach (just planted seed)

Chicago Warted Hubbard winter squash (just planted seed)

Jumbo Pink Banana winter squash (just planted seed)

Black Futsu winter squash (just planted seed)

Eight Ball zucchini (transplant fiasco, I'll keep you posted)*

Ichiban eggplant (growing great!)*

Turkish orange eggplant (growing great!)

Chartenais melon (probably not getting enough light)

Herbs: Dill, tarragon, basil, cilantro, oregano, thyme, sage, chives

Flowers: Nasturtiums, Dwarf French (tagetes) marigolds, echinacea, sunflowers (2 types), black-eyed susans, morning glories.

I got all of my seeds from Seeds of Change, Pinetree, Territorial Seed Company, and - my favorite - Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I got a few plants from the Sands Springs Herb Festival and Lowe's (but I probably won't do that again).

Well, that's the (super-long, loquacious) scoop, chickens. I'll keep you posted on the happenings and many more pictures to come! Thanks for reading!

spring abundance and the onion flower mystery

2008-05-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

We've been getting a lot out of the garden recently! Last night we tasted our first kohlrabi of the season and made a salad with peeled purple kohlrabi slices, buttercrunch lettuce, spinach, arugula, green onions, and beautiful orange nasturtium flowers. Since it was all picked fresh I could almost feel the nutrients joining with my body as I ate. Yum!

We've also been harvesting plenty of greens - cabbage thinnings, turnips, kohlrabi greens, radish tops, and the above-mentioned spinach, lettuce, and arugula. We've had turnips, baby carrots, onions, radishes, and snow peas, too. I'm letting the radishes and some of the spinach bolt their beautiful seed heads for me, too. Those and some of the peas will get saved for the fall (and beyond!).

This year I grew red, yellow (1015), and white short day onions from sets. Some of my onions have fallen over, which means they're done growing even though they're only a few inches wide. I'll let the tops of those brown up and then pull them for drying and storage. Others are sending up flowers and some are just growing along normally. I've grown onions a few times, but it seems early for them to quit. So I did some research. Those agricultural extension folks are quite the powerhouse source of good information. Here's what I found:

Failure in onion production comes in two forms - - complete annihilation of the young seedlings during a cold winter or an abundance of spring onion flowers which decrease bulb size, weight and storage ability. Onion plants which are small and rapidly growing when the cold temperatures of winter arrive will probably not survive. Yet, if you plant earlier and the stem of onion plants are larger than a pencil when exposed to cold temperatures, the onion will initiate and produce a flower during the following spring. This flowering is termed bolting...Fall seeded crops are susceptible to bolting the following spring if warm fall temperatures, allowing excessive growth, are followed by low winter temperatures and slowed growth. Many gardeners believe that early removal of the onion flower stalk will cause onion bulb enlargement but this has not proven to be the case.
http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/publications/onions/oniongro.html

So perhaps it's due to a faulty planting date on the part of my onion set source (I have yet to have the patience to try onions from seed, although I just bought some leek seeds from Baker Creek a few days ago! Woohoo!). I read on and found out a little more related to bolting onions:

What causes bulb onions to send up flower stalks? Flowering of onions can be caused by several things but usually the most prevalent is temperature fluctuation. An onion is classed as a biennial which means it normally takes 2 years to go from seed to seed. Temperature is the controlling or triggering factor in this process. If an onion plant is exposed to alternating cold and warm temperatures resulting in the onion plant going dormant, resuming growth, going dormant and then resuming growth again, the onion bulbs prematurely flower or bolt. The onion is deceived into believing it has completed two growth cycles or years of growth in its biennial life cycle so it finalizes the cycle by blooming. Flowering can be controlled by planting the right variety at the right time.
http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/publications/onions/oniongro.html

Well, I thought I did plant the right variety at the right time, but then again, how much do you really know when you're getting your onion sets from Lowe's??? I knew I needed short-day varieties and that's what I got...I thought. The temperatures have been surprisingly temperate here in OK and we haven't had the wild hot/cold/hot swing we usually have in spring, although it has been quite windy this year. In any case, I'll order my future sets from a reputable source or try seeds!

Over the weekend I covered the path between my two garden strips (summer and spring) with first brown paper sacks, then cardboard, and finally hay. Bermuda grass, crab grass, I will vanquish you! If only between my two gardens. I still plan to make a cardboard collar around the whole thing, but one step at a time. I also put diatomaceous earth on everything (damn snails!) and sprayed on some nice and stinky fish emulsion. Interestingly, the diatomaceous earth seems to work on the snails, but I've found those crafty little cabbage loopers still thriving. What gives? I need to know more. More research on this and info in the future. Along with pics, I hope. I have so many!

Green Wedding??

2008-05-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

Hmm - a green wedding sounds like an oxymoron, given that all the flights of fancy and sentimentalism might lead conscious consumption to take a back-of-the-bus-seat. I've tried to think of how to make my wedding more green, but I'm drawing a blank or a void, rather.

For instance, I'm getting married in a small town in Oklahoma. There are two florists there - which for a smallish town is pretty good. Neither offer green options on flowers. I thought about going out in the fresh early morning spring dew and harvesting a wildflower bouquet but that would probably net me a handful of Indian paintbrush, some clover, maybe some violets and a bunch of mosquito bites the day of. The other problem with this, besides the iffy nature of a resulting bouquet, is that my mother would have an attaques de nervios (i.e. a good old-fashioned cow), and I understand - I love a pretty bouquet, too. Yet I'm kind of surprised at how tradition and sentimentalism prevent solid, environmentally healthy decision-making, on my part, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the planning of something as culture-bound as a wedding.

Another problem is that the wedding is out of town for most people. We're having it in my parents' backyard, which is 1/2 acre of beautiful flowers and shrubs. Beautiful and low-key - perfect for this impromptu wedding. However, it's also 200-ish miles away from most of my friends and 90-ish miles away from most of our family. On the other hand, I think only one person is actually flying in, so that's good, given that almost everyone else has a hefty drive in front of them.

But we are trying some things to keep it even remotely green, and I guess that's primarily by keeping it small. We're mainly inviting family and a very few close, close friends. I'm wearing a sundress that was cheap, cheap and he's wearing his stand-by suit. We used one sheet of paper and a partially recycled envelope for invitations, rather than the card stock, inserts, and double envelope typically used. We didn't register, although we did note where people could purchase gift cards/certificates, if they chose to (such as Seeds of Change, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Lowe's, and Target). We also included an option to make a donation to the World Wildlife Fund, The National Resource Defense Council, or the The Sierra Club. Any gift cards will go toward things that we need, not want, such as garden tools, a pressure canner, blankets, etc. We might get more dishes, but we haven't bought dishes in 9 years, so that's saying something, isn't it? We might be pulling off a green party favor if I can find what I'm looking for in the next two weeks. We'll see!

Some things I would change if I'd had more time (and money, unfortunately):

Considered a different floral option (expensive to get real, green flowers unless I grew some of my own, which would've taken a lot more planning but would've been WAY cooler).
Found a way to have enough silverware, dishware, and cloth napkins (mix and match a couple of sets belonging to my mother and other people in the area).
Purchased completely recycled paper/envelopes for invitations and thank you cards (this would've been easy! Damn).
Bought available food from local sources (easy but expensive).

Originally we'd planned to elope. There was going to be carbon-emissions galore as we flew to Greece, but it would've been just the two of us. Unforeseen circumstances prevented our anti-planning strategy and led us to the impromptu wedding planning I've been describing. I wonder if the energy used is balancing out this way, given the nastiness of long distance air travel? I don't know.

I'm kind of surprised at myself that I haven't done more. I guess I fell into the "let's do it small, no-fuss, and easy" mindset that led me to make some dumb decisions (ex: I didn't want cloth napkins b/c that would be too formal. What was I thinking??)

I guess in some ways I've fallen prey to the consumerist mindset that dominates our culture. I've tried to balance what I believe (and want) with what tradition (i.e. family) would like. But I've also been less aware than maybe I think I am sometimes. Hmm. Food for thought. I'll say one thing, though: ethically I feel much more comfortable with what we're doing than with some of the ridiculous throw-downs people feel compelled to host. I read that the average wedding costs $28K. HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?!?! There must be some insane outliers that pull up the average, but still! I can take heart in knowing that my wedding will cost considerably (much, much, much!) less than the "average."

350 ppm

2008-05-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I hope this fits with fair use copyright law. This opinion piece masterfully captures a complex topic in a succinct way. Very well written and very scary.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-op-mckibben11-2008may11,0,2392815.story

From the Los Angeles Times

Civilization's last chance

The planet is nearing a tipping point on climate change, and it gets much worse, fast.

By Bill McKibben

May 11, 2008

Even for Americans -- who are constitutionally convinced that there will always be a second act, and a third, and a do-over after that, and, if necessary, a little public repentance and forgiveness and a Brand New Start -- even for us, the world looks a little terminal right now.

It's not just the economy: We've gone through swoons before. It's that gas at $4 a gallon means we're running out, at least of the cheap stuff that built our sprawling society. It's that when we try to turn corn into gas, it helps send the price of a loaf of bread shooting upward and helps ignite food riots on three continents. It's that everything is so tied together. It's that, all of a sudden, those grim Club of Rome types who, way back in the 1970s, went on and on about the "limits to growth" suddenly seem ... how best to put it, right.

All of a sudden it isn't morning in America, it's dusk on planet Earth.

There's a number -- a new number -- that makes this point most powerfully. It may now be the most important number on Earth: 350. As in parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

A few weeks ago, NASA's chief climatologist, James Hansen, submitted a paper to Science magazine with several coauthors. The abstract attached to it argued -- and I have never read stronger language in a scientific paper -- that "if humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, paleoclimate evidence and ongoing climate change suggest that CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm."

Hansen cites six irreversible tipping points -- massive sea level rise and huge changes in rainfall patterns, among them -- that we'll pass if we don't get back down to 350 soon; and the first of them, judging by last summer's insane melt of Arctic ice, may already be behind us.

So it's a tough diagnosis. It's like the doctor telling you that your cholesterol is way too high and, if you don't bring it down right away, you're going to have a stroke. So you take the pill, you swear off the cheese, and, if you're lucky, you get back into the safety zone before the coronary. It's like watching the tachometer edge into the red zone and knowing that you need to take your foot off the gas before you hear that clunk up front.

In this case, though, it's worse than that because we're not taking the pill and we are stomping on the gas -- hard. Instead of slowing down, we're pouring on the coal, quite literally. Two weeks ago came the news that atmospheric carbon dioxide had jumped 2.4 parts per million last year -- two decades ago, it was going up barely half that fast.

And suddenly the news arrives that the amount of methane, another potent greenhouse gas accumulating in the atmosphere, has unexpectedly begun to soar as well. It appears that we've managed to warm the far north enough to start melting huge patches of permafrost, and massive quantities of methane trapped beneath it have begun to bubble forth.

And don't forget: China is building more power plants; India is pioneering the $2,500 car; and Americans are buying TVs the size of windshields, which suck juice ever faster.

Here's the thing. Hansen didn't just say that if we didn't act, there was trouble coming. He didn't just say that if we didn't yet know what was best for us, we'd certainly be better off below 350 ppm of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

His phrase was: "if we wish to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed." A planet with billions of people living near those oh-so-floodable coastlines. A planet with ever-more vulnerable forests. (A beetle, encouraged by warmer temperatures, has already managed to kill 10 times more trees than in any previous infestation across the northern reaches of Canada this year. This means far more carbon heading for the atmosphere and apparently dooms Canada's efforts to comply with the Kyoto protocol, which was already in doubt because of its decision to start producing oil for the U.S. from Alberta's tar sands.)

We're the ones who kicked the warming off; now the planet is starting to take over the job. Melt all that Arctic ice, for instance, and suddenly the nice white shield that reflected 80% of incoming solar radiation back into space has turned to blue water that absorbs 80% of the sun's heat. Such feedbacks are beyond history, though not in the sense that Francis Fukuyama had in mind.

And we have, at best, a few years to short-circuit them -- to reverse course. Here's the Indian scientist and economist Rajendra Pachauri, who accepted the Nobel Prize on behalf of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last year (and, by the way, got his job when the Bush administration, at the behest of Exxon Mobil, forced out his predecessor): "If there's no action before 2012, that's too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment."

In the next two or three years, the nations of the world are supposed to be negotiating a successor treaty to the Kyoto accord (which, for the record, has never been approved by the United States -- the only industrial nation that has failed to do so). When December 2009 rolls around, heads of state are supposed to converge on Copenhagen to sign a treaty -- a treaty that would go into effect at the last plausible moment to heed the most basic and crucial of limits on atmospheric CO2.

If we did everything right, Hansen says, we could see carbon emissions start to fall fairly rapidly and the oceans begin to pull some of that CO2 out of the atmosphere. Before the century was out, we might even be on track back to 350. We might stop just short of some of those tipping points, like the Road Runner screeching to a halt at the very edge of the cliff.

More likely, though, we're the coyote -- because "doing everything right" means that political systems around the world would have to take enormous and painful steps right away. It means no more new coal-fired power plants anywhere, and plans to quickly close the ones already in operation. (Coal-fired power plants operating the way they're supposed to are, in global warming terms, as dangerous as nuclear plants melting down.) It means making car factories turn out efficient hybrids next year, just the way U.S. automakers made them turn out tanks in six months at the start of World War II. It means making trains an absolute priority and planes a taboo.

It means making every decision wisely because we have so little time and so little money, at least relative to the task at hand. And hardest of all, it means the rich countries of the world sharing resources and technology freely with the poorest ones so that they can develop dignified lives without burning their cheap coal.

It's possible. The United States launched a Marshall Plan once, and could do it again, this time in relation to carbon. But at a time when the president has, once more, urged drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, it seems unlikely. At a time when the alluring phrase "gas tax holiday" -- which would actually encourage more driving and more energy consumption -- has danced into our vocabulary, it's hard to see. And if it's hard to imagine sacrifice here, imagine China, where people produce a quarter as much carbon apiece as Americans do.

Still, as long as it's not impossible, we've got a duty to try to push those post-Kyoto negotiations in the direction of reality. In fact, it's about the most obvious duty humans have ever faced.

After all, those talks are our last chance; you just can't do this one lightbulb at a time.

We do have one thing going for us -- the Web -- which at least allows you to imagine something like a grass-roots global effort. If the Internet was built for anything, it was built for sharing this number, for making people understand that "350" stands for a kind of safety, a kind of possibility, a kind of future.

Hansen's words were well-chosen: "a planet similar to that on which civilization developed." People will doubtless survive on a non-350 planet, but those who do will be so preoccupied, coping with the endless unintended consequences of an overheated planet, that civilization may not.

Civilization is what grows up in the margins of leisure and security provided by a workable relationship with the natural world. That margin won't exist, at least not for long, as long as we remain on the wrong side of 350. That's the limit we face.

Bill McKibben, a scholar in residence at Middlebury College and the author, most recently, of "The Bill McKibben Reader," is the co-founder of Project 350 ( www.350.org), devoted to reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million. A longer version of this article appears at Tomdispatch.com.

There's a miracle in my backyard...

2008-05-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

And it's not my garden, although I always think it's a miracle that a full plant can grow from a tiny speck of a seed.

No, this miracle is the matriarchal clan that live behind, catty corner, and next door to me. Apparently, the eldest surviving member, a woman of 101 whom I've not met, bought the property with her husband a long time ago. They owned quite a bit of land, which I'm assuming they farmed to a certain extent, before selling it off in parcels. Now they still have (at least) three properties which border me on three sides. Behind me is one of the daughters, probably in her 60s or 70s, who lives there with her husband (he calls himself the oldest "besides Mama," is rarely seen without his Veterans ball-cap, and is the lone male of the pack). The 101-year-old lives with them in an old yellow house. It definitely has the city-crept-up-around-the-country-house look to it. Another daughter lives catty corner (I haven't met her) and another to my side. She's probably in her 60s and I so envy her greenhouse. Her daughter comes to visit almost every day. All of their yards connect via opening fences. It's such an interesting living arrangement. They have a village!

And man, do these women work hard. They are out in their yards everyday for hours. And they all help each other, with each spending hours digging, weeding, transplanting, etc. in each other's yards. Despite their age they are enormously productive and have put together a huge veggie and rose garden and what looks to be shaping up as a new veggie patch. I'm not kidding, they will be out there in straw garden hats for 6 hours a day. I only get to do this on the occasional weekend, but they're out there almost every day!

Then they have tea or drinks or dinner on the patio of my side neighbor's house. She has an elaborate backyard entertainment area set up with a pond, a paved eating area with requisite umbrella, and a stereo system with the speakers coming out of decorative frog mouths. They play Patsy Cline and instrumental music. It's really quite idyllic.

I like this idea of close family living. You just don't see it very often anymore, at least in this country. And I absolutely LOVE that it's women dominated. They are so interdependent and efficient - it's truly impressive.

We'll all need our tribes if peak oil shakes out poorly. I haven't written about that, yet, but it's on my mind quite a bit. With $126 for a barrel who knows? And Goldman Sachs predicts $150-$200 by the end of the year (what is that, maybe $5.75 for a gallon of gas?). Better get those gardens a-growing. Better get those bikes in shape. Better buy smaller cars. Pronto.

Scratch that...

2008-05-13T07:52:00.001-07:00

The Sioux tomato is now really dead. I don't know if the wind killed it off or if that speck of leaf just wasn't enough to pull it through. But she is now truly gone.
Maybe next year.

Out of it...

2008-05-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

Short gap in blogging...I passed my test and have been planning an impromptu wedding. We'd been planning to elope but various of life's curveballs sent us in this direction. So we're having an informal garden ceremony in my mother's beautiful backyard. Should be lovely - she has quite the green thumb.

The news about oil has not been encouraging. So many weather disasters, food shortages, whispers of methane "burps." It all makes for quite a bit of anxiety. For someone like me who rents and owes Sallie Mae my first born, it's not encouraging. Luckily, I do qualify for loan repayment programs if I go work in an under-served area. This has been on my agenda since I went to graduate school those many years ago. I just hope I have another two years before the SHTF (for a whole lot more on this, see the Hausfrau's blog). If not, we may be in for quite the money crunch at our little household. Might be moving in with Mom and Dad if the SHTF.

In terms of the garden, I haven't been as busy as I'd like. Everything is growing along nicely and I have some pictures to post, just not enough time to make that happen. The beans are about 6 inches tall now. Some of the tomatoes are getting to an adolescent stage. The cabbages are heading. No dice on the broccoli yet. The kohlrabies are starting to bunch up - they're such a pretty purple.

We've been harvesting the spinach, lettuce, onions, radishes, Swiss chard, and turnip greens for a while now. I tried some of the turnips a few days ago and they were nice but hot - not sure why. Ideas? Maybe the warmer weather? It hasn't been exactly hot out yet, though... We've also got basil, chives, rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, and tarragon we've been using. I dried some dandelion leaves for tea last night, too.

The cukes are doing fine. At first I kind of scared myself because they started to turn a yellow color around the edges and a few leaves died back. Remember this is my experiment bed which I threw together under a tree. I basically piled together some nice homemade compost, mushroom compost, and aged manure. Well, I thought the reaction was from salt scald, like perhaps I'd over-fertilized. After a lot of research, though, and the full recovery of my cukes and zucchini, I think it might have just been transplant shock. Or maybe it was mild over-fertilization but they've stabilized, because either way they're okay now. In my research I did find out that there is quite a controversy about using mushroom compost. Does it burn or not? Is it too dirty (chemically)? etc. I need more input before I make a decision.

My Chartenais melons are peeking up and my bush beans and soybeans are now all up from the ground. Had some of the okra die back and not sure why.

Oh and in terrific news, the Sioux is back! It had been clipped to the ground by some animal (I presume) but there is a tiny bit of leaf growing out of the node between the one denuded branch and the original 2" stalk left. Way to go Sioux!

Tonight I plan to dose everything with fish emulsion (been trying to do this every 2-3 weeks). I still need to add more soil to my potato bucket and trench around my garden (damn crabgrass!). I need to try some of the methods I've been reading about on my sustainability list - namely newspaper, cardboard, and hay covers combined. I need to take a weed whacker to the area behind the garden and the compost bin. It's a nightmare. I also need to chop down those tree limbs. Oh, and plan a wedding that will happen in 20 days. Lest I forget.

So yes, still a busy, busy time. Right now - I grade papers! Grades are due tomorrow!

Cukes and Beans & Greens and Rice

2008-04-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

The big test was yesterday. It was really hard, so I hope to god I passed. I'm SO TIRED OF STUDYING! When I walked in the door I told my partner that I felt like my brain needed to fart... Oh well, it's over and I don't want to think about it anymore.

As a celebration to myself I bought some cukes (pickling and slicing) and okra (unmarked) and zucchini (Eight Ball) and eggplant (Ichiban). During the last ice storm of doom (we went 9 days without power in December!) a tree in the neighbor's yard lost two enormous branches which opened up some sun in my yard. I decided to risk planting directly under the tree, which isn't typically good due to how much of the water and nutrients the tree sucks up, not to mention the root situation, but I thought it'd be an experiment. Besides, I have no where else to put this stuff as I have an excess of shade... I'm hoping that since I added enough amendments above ground I might have a chance.

So I cleared the grass and weeds, rifled up the dirt a bit with a spade, and then built a long mound or skinny hill. I decided to further this experiment by trying to maximize space. I planted the cukes on one side of the mound going toward the yard. Then I pushed in a bunch of beans and soy beans into the back of the mound which is flanked by a wire fence. If all goes as planned the cukes should grow out and the beans should grow up. I hope!

I also transplanted the okra into the back garden and trimmed the monster photina hedge and some low branches from one of the trees. That will be a priority for me in the next few weeks: two trees are casting inopportune shade onto my backyard veggie patch. I want to trim them back a bit but I'll need more than just my limb cutter. One of the branches is probably 3 inches across.

In other news, something ate the Sioux tomato. I have no idea what or why. It was in the middle of the front bed which is loaded with other tomatoes whom are all still there and untouched. I went out a few days ago and it was broken off at the stalk but there was still one leaf branch attached so I thought maybe it would make it. The next day I came out and that was gone, too! I guess something liked that particular tomato! In any case I replaced it with another Golden Queen which is doing well and as of yet uneaten. It's unfortunate, though, because Siouxs are bred to withstand hot weather which is coming. And coming soon! Maybe I can try it out next year or find one at the farm market...

I thinned the turnips over the weekend and made a yummy and cheap dish last night. I love greens and rice! It's something I've been making for the past few years after a happy kitchen accident resulted from being grad school poor. I make it differently every time, adding different cheeses or more garlic or no jalapeños, you get the idea. Here is an approximation of what I made last night - I don't typically use recipes and just sort of throw things in the pot, so use your best judgment:

Wash about 1 pound of turnip greens very thoroughly and chop into bite sized pieces. Heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat. Chop about a 1/4 cup of onion and one jalapeno roughly. Saute for two minutes. Add 2 pieces turkey bacon and one large minced clove of garlic. Saute another minute. Add 2 cups cooked rice or make it in the pan (more flavorful) by adding the proportionate amount of water and stirring occasionally until the rice is done. Add the greens and stir, let wilt down until a bright green, about 2 minutes. Stir in 2 tsps soy or tamari or Braggs and 2 tbsp mustard (I used 1 dijon and 1 yellow, just squirted it out without measuring). Season with salt and pepper and maybe a teaspoon of lemon juice (I was out).

Dish up and to each bowl add red pepper (optional, but MADE mine!) and 1 tbsp shredded cheese. Delish!

Invasion!

2008-04-24T16:59:00.000-07:00

Ack! I have cabbage loopers! It's not a full-scale invasion yet, but I've had to pull them off several cabbage and broccoli plants. Some of them have been pretty well chewed, but I think I've caught them early enough. I don't know if I'll have to go ahead and use a pepper spray this weekend - the big test is on Monday, after all, and I have bigger fish to fry - or if hand-picking will do it. I wiped out several small colonies of the tiny yellow eggs, too. They look like small yellow mites or oblong dots on the undersides of the leaves. Rolling your fingers under the leaves usually smooshes them up pretty well. I'm really not a fan of killing anything. I'll save up a bunch of cabbage worms or snails (my premier nemesis right now) and walk them over to a portion of the yard where not much is happening. The yard is big enough that this is probably like me dropping them off in Montana in snail terms. Or at least I hope so. Otherwise I might have to start killing them for real.

I know both diatomaceous earth and hot pepper spray should accomplish this. Diatomaceous earth is a fine white powder made of ground up diatoms, which according to this site are skeletal plant particles. It's technically qualified as an organic or natural material. The plant diatoms are mined and ground up super fine and the microscopic particles act like sharp razor blades on soft-bodied insects, although it's harmless to mammals and humans (some references even cite its use as a flea repellent for dogs and cats!). You have to be careful when distributing it, though, as breathing too much can be irritating. Wear a mask or tie a bandana around your mouth and nose if you're going to be putting down quite a bit (the bandana is good for giving the neighbors a jump, too). While diatomaceous earth isn't harmful to earthworms due to the earthworms digestive processes, it is harmful to fleas, aphids, snails, etc. This means the good bugs and the bad bugs, so I'm trying to use it in moderation. Organic gardens rely on a vibrant culture of good bugs (biodiversity, ahem!).

The pepper spray is allegedly effective, as well, although I've had mixed results with it. I'm not sure if that's because I didn't spray it frequently enough (really bad aphid infestation on my tomatoes a few years ago) or if it wasn't strong enough or if I had pepper-resistant aphids! It's all about practice, I guess. Each year you learn something and each year it's just a little bit different. This year...I conquer the cabbage worm!

It's Earth Day: Do you know what your impact is?

2008-04-22T06:22:00.000-07:00

Hello on this lovely earth day!

Last year I started observing Earth Day Lent. A few others joined me and it was a lot of fun. I gave up two vices - Diet Coke and meat - for 40 days. In the year following, moving back to OK and back in with my fiance-of-love has upped my meat consumption (I could eat it once or twice a month and be fine, but right now we're at 3 times a week or so plus our leftovers). Diet Coke is back in full force (1 can/day), although I could probably see myself ditching it after my upcoming licensure test and it's twin sister in brutality, an oral exam, in June.

This year I'm going to try walking or biking to work everyday, barring a downpour or tornadic weather. Other things could include:

Sign up for wind power
Buy or make eco-friendly cleaners
Convert all (or some) of your light bulbs to compact fluorescents
Start recycling if you don't already. See if you can recycle more.
Commit to carpool, walk, bike, etc.
Give up a nasty corporate habit (like Diet Coke! or fast food!)
Avoid packaging that can't be recycled
Take the 100 mile food challenge
Etc!

I'm linking to this post because it captures how I feel about the past few years in my life. And I freakin' love the picture of the green globe!

Have a great Earth Day!
Resurrection

And here's a link to calculate your ecological footprint!

herbal fairs and transplants

2008-04-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

Today I attended the Sand Springs' Herbal Affair and it was huge! Much, much larger than I imagined. I heard 25,000 people attended last year! I went around 10 a.m. and people were packed in there like it was opening day of some pro sport. Only most of the people milling around were women hauling wagons and caddies. The really old women were all leaving - loaded down with their green treasures - and I overheard a girl telling her friend that they'd been staking it out since 7:30 a.m. even though it didn't open until 9 a.m.! Typical old-folk subversive treachery. How I envy their decreased need for sleep!

And of course there were plenty of men, too. In fact it was fairly diverse, despite what I wrote above. There were couples, young and old people, families... There were the state fair type vendors selling funnel cakes and corndogs (a prerequisite for any Oklahoma outdoor event involving more than 12 people). There were also upscale vendors, natural soaps and herbal products, craft booths, and tons and tons of gorgeous plants! I highly recommend this event to anyone in the area wanting to find unusual plants. It was incredible!

And of course, I couldn't resist! I added to my collection by picking up a Green Zebra, Amish paste, Mexican Midget, and Sioux tomatoes, common sage, two blood-veined sorrels (rumex sanguineus, so pretty! Beautiful for edible landscaping!), and a Suyo Long (Chinese) cucumber. Woohoo! If I had more space I probably would have picked up some medicinal herbs, but I'm feeling pretty full right now, in terms of maintaining the projects I already have going. That can wait until next year (or this fall. Or next month.).

When I got home I transplanted twelve tomato plants and a bunch of sweet basil (they heart each other) into the front bed (the study avoidance bed, incidentally!). I used Rodale's method combining 1 tsp Epsom salt and 1 tsp bonemeal and two handfuls of sifted compost. We'll see how that goes. It was really sunny out so I covered up most of the transplants with some dried leaves laying around. I'll make sure to take them off by tomorrow - if they haven't blown off. I just didn't want to add to their enviro distress by letting them get sunburned. I also planted a bean teepee with Romano beans. I've wanted a bean teepee for years! Once things recover from transplant shock and the beans poke up I plan to cover the whole thing in hay.

I got two bales of hay - $7 a bale, which seemed high? - at a feed store in Turley. They were so friendly and for a moment it felt like I lived rurally again, even though I was on the far north side of Tulsa! Two big burly farm boys loaded it up for me. They seemed dumbfounded that I actually wanted them to put the bales into my little Sentra. But they complied - one in the back and one in the trunk. I've heard hay makes a good amendment for clay, so I'm giving that a try this year, too. I'll keep you posted. This is my first foray into clay gardening. Too bad I don't have a wheel and a kiln...

Then I studied for several hours and whined about studying. I've got to get back to it, now, too. Ergh. I'll be so relieved when I can just putter around to my heart's content and not have to study for anything!

Ciao.

Where the wind comes sweeping down the plains!

2008-04-16T06:18:00.000-07:00

We've had solid wind for day one now, and we're working on day two. You'd think there'd be more than two paltry wind farms in this state. However, given that Oklahoma's senior senator, Jim Inhofe, Environment and Public Works ranking committee member - and most conservative member of either house of congress - publicly espouses the Bible as proof that climate change does not exist...well, I'd say we're lucky to have two.

A propos:

Q: Why is Oklahoma so windy?
A: Because Texas sucks and Kansas blows!

Seriously, all college football rivalry aside, my little plants are outside testing their mettle today. Yesterday they did pretty well and I gave them a little cover so they don't snap. But they need to get used to the wind. It's a near constant until it gets raging hot.

Frost blankets and procrastination

2008-04-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

It froze here last night! Hopefully the last of the season. This one was two weeks later than our usual latest frost, but the record is May 6 back in 1909.

I bought a DuPont frost blanket a few weeks back and it seemed to work pretty well. I had half of the veggies covered with the frost blanket, another third covered by a sheet, and the last fifth or so covered by an old salvaged window. All of the veggies are winter/spring crops and so were fine, even under the sheet. The difference showed up in some dwarf french marigolds that I'd already broadcast about. They're mostly in the two-true leaves stage and the ones under the frost blanket and window were fine, while the ones under the sheet showed slight frost damage. They were just slightly gray and curled up at the edges, but hopefully still alive.

Early Morning Score:
Window: 1 pt
Frost Blanket: 1 pt
Sheet: Goose egg

In other news...the licensure exam is two short weeks away from today and in a breath-taking show of study avoidance I dug a whole new tomato bed out front. Fifteen by Four. In three days. I added chopped up leaves, three grocery bags full of pine needles (our soil is very akaline), 160 pounds of mushroom compost, and 200 pounds of manure. I'd been thinking about growing a bean tee-pee up front because it gets more sun. When I started checking the row out back that I've prepped for summer veggies, I got a little worried about the amount of regular sun - we've got a photina hedge that is getting a little big for its britches (so pretty, though). In any case, now I'll be able to try out both and save the third spring bed for crop rotation next year (never plant tomatoes in the same place twice in four years! FortheBibletoldmeso!)

In terms of summer goods (yippee!) we've got Paul Robeson, Ananas, Sweet Million cherry, Opalka, and Golden Queen tomatoes at the ready. We've got a habanero (hot and mild), red bell, jalapeño, ancho, cayenne, lemon drop, and Hungarian wax peppers at the ready. We've got some orange eggplant and plenty of herbs, plus seeds for melons, bush, pole, and soybeans to go straight in the ground.

In other words: we're ready (note the usage of the royal we).

Licensure exam? Well, I suppose we're ready for that, too. (Look at me! I'm not studying right now! And, in my own defense, barrister, I've studied in excess of 100 hours at this point, anyway.) It's a lot of material but my excuse is that digging helps me integrate my left and right brain material, making more solid memories of what I'm learning. Or at least it's a good way to burn off excess cortisol!

Hypothetical score:
Licensure exam: 0 pts
Me: 100! (Okay, that's an exaggeration, but I will kick the damn thing's ass...)

Finally!

2008-04-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

Intros all around!

I’m a northeastern Oklahoma gardener, zone 6B, who desired a space to collect her thoughts - primarily when it’s raining - and record information about her garden. Full disclosure: I’m taking a brutal licensure exam on April 28. Until that date, this will probably be a fairly low-key, bare-bones operation. That is unless blogging becomes the new preferred method of distraction from studying (currently the main contender is digging the and amending the beds out back…)

Story and Credentials

I am not a pro and am not trying to sell this blog in that way. I’m more of a semi-seasoned amateur. I’ve gardened off and on (grad school is a harsh mistress) for the last ten years. I started my green thumb life-space by working in a retail plant nursery in Oklahoma - one of four summer jobs to pay the apartment rent I so foolishly thought I could afford (Undergrad ignorance is delightful in some respects, no?)

This was followed by work in a landscape nursery after I moved to Florida for a brief stint. I worked for a German war bride who was 72 and still made me look like a chump in the three o’clock sun.. I supplemented my income by running the cashier for an awesome, crazy old Viking who ran a farm market stall. He had a red braid down to his butt and a red beard down to his belly. Great guy, the sort from whom you could rarely distinguish fact from fiction (he’d led one hell of a life) for the betterment of everything that came out of his mouth. I occasionally picked peas and lettuces and beans, etc., for a friend of his who swore he could grow anything, anytime, in sand. (And he probably could. THAT guy was a pro, but people like that don’t blog.)

Truth in Advertising

I definitely privilege vegetables over flowers. Preferably grown organically. If I’m going to work that hard, I want to be able to put it in my mouth. Maybe this is a Freudian thing.

I do plant flowers. They just come after everything else has been planned for and attended to. I’m especially partial to flowers that are low-fuss, seed themselves, or perennial. Local is even better. Given the difficult climate in Oklahoma, that’s actually sort of a life insurance policy for the “pretties” (flowers; food-plants fall into the “practicals” category). To be fair, plenty of flowers are needed for appropriate biodiversity and to support a healthy, organic crop. I know this. I’m integrating it. One old cottage garden flower at a time.

My first bona fide vegetable garden was sown in the spring of 2000 while living on a 10,000 acre research ranch. I had beginner’s luck, first-garden-placement luck, and Florida weather luck. I could grow tomatoes in December! I harvested big, beautiful cabbages, Swiss Chard by the ton (slight exaggeration), beautiful tomatoes, spicy peppers, sweet carrots, herbs galore, and all sorts of other beauties. I was hooked.

Time, destiny, and fate intervened moving me back to my home state of Oklahoma. Here the weather is blazin‘ hot (no g required) or freakin‘ cold (ditto). Our springs and falls are nominal, more of a passing joke, and regular high winds and occasional tornadoes keep us on our toes. Here it is a regular occurrence for everything to burn up in August. I am still impressed when fellow gardeners manage to nurture some things through the summer and into the fall. It can happen - you have to be choosy with the what (cherry tomatoes, okra, peppers) and careful with the how.

Le Jardin Today

Academic year 2006-2007 I spent on an internship in Salt Lake City, UT. I was apartment bound and couldn’t grow much beyond window sill herbs (not even a balcony!). Boy, did I get the dirt-joneses! But lo and behold! I finally graduated and moved “home,” with Oklahoma, in general, serving as the receptacle of that broad designation. In the fall of 2007 my honey and I, along with our two cats and a Siberian Husky, moved to our current abode, which boasts a large back yard.

Since December I’ve been slowly working on two long strips of ground. One is 20′ by 5′ and the other is 25′ by 5′. One is currently filled with spring practicals, like cabbage (Early Market Copenhagen), two types of broccoli (De Cicco and Early Purple Sprouting), two types of beets (Bull’s Blood and Golden), three types of onion (red, white, yellow!), turnips (purple top white globe), kohlrabi (Early Purple Vienna; my 87-year-old grandma farmed most of her adult life and planted kohlrabi in OK in the 50s. She pronounces it “coal-RHAHBBAY” and says it very fast, like she’s trying to speak Japanese. I find this hilarious), carrots (Dragon), radishes (French Breakfast), peas (Little Marvel), lettuce (Buttercrunch), spinach (Virofaly), and arugula (Sylvetta).

Lest you get jealous or get the wrong idea, almost everything is in the 2-true leaves stage. I transplanted a few cabbages and broccolis, and set the onions in from sets, so they’re a bit taller, but the garden still looks mostly like dirt with tiny seedlings. I could’ve gotten things off to a much earlier start with a cold-frame or greenhouse, but there’s that old thing about beggars and choosers, so there you go.

Inside under lights I’ve got tomatoes (Opalka, Golden Queen), peppers (Roberto’s Cuban, hot pepper mix, Lemon Drop), Sweet basil, Giant Mammoth dill, cilantro, and Turkish Orange Eggplant.

After the weather “stabilizes” (quotation marks indicate irony) I’ll plant Provider bush beans, Romano pole beans, edamame, a smallish cucumber, and Chartenais melons.

Plague

Biblical times: grasshoppers, blood.
Currently: snails, birds.

My precious little seedlings are being snipped at by soft-bodied, spiral-domed creatures and feathered flying machines! This aggression will not stand! Thus far interventions include home-made bird scarers (more on this in a future post), hair (human and dog), and diatomaceous earth for the snails.

Question: Why does diatomaceous earth kill snails and not earthworms? This is the subject of much current puzzlement and research.

Epilogue

Well, this is the inaugural blog. Hip! Hip!

I’m excited.