Marilyn Donelle Simmons

Posted: Friday, August 24, 2012 7:27 pm

Farm Girls: Helpful tips for those planning fall gardens

Marilyn Donelle Simmons
FarmGirls

Waxahachie Newspapers Inc.

Hello from The FarmGirls, we are excited about the cooler temperatures that have come our way.  

In our column last week we talked to you about knowing what it is in your food and also we touched a bit about fall gardening.   

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Friday, August 24, 2012 7:27 pm.

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Marilyn Simmons,

Donelle Simmons,

Waxahachie Daily Light

It’s almost time to get the fall gardens going.

“We’re right at the beginning of fall planting time,” said Sara Gruen, manager of The Barn Nursery.

That means planting shrubs and trees, and reinvigorating those annuals and perennials.

Gruen said the temperatures, which have been a few degrees cooler than average, are just right for adding autumnal colors with mums, crape myrtles and butterfly bushes. Even late summer blooming hydrangeas can be planted in the last days of August or early September, she said.

According to Better Homes and Gardens, mums are an ideal fall flower. They last a long time, are hardy and produce multiple blooms per plant. The magazine suggests mass plantings in one or two colors to complement the surrounding garden.

Butterfly bushes, those fragrant shrubs that attract hummingbirds, bees and, yes, butterflies, are deciduous shrubs with long arching

shoots that produce sweet smelling, colorful blooms.

Of course, there are vegetables, including greens and cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and kohlrabi, to be planted in fall as well.

5 TIPS

1. Plant trees with root balls covered in burlap. Avoid planting bare rooted trees in fall.

2. When planting butterfly bush, dig a hole twice the diameter of the size pot the plant is in and place so the rootball is level with the soil surface.

3. Crepe myrtle needs to be planted in a sunny spot with well-drained soil.

4. Mums also require at least six hours of sun a day.

5. Speak to your local nursery or horticulturalist to discuss which plants and trees best suit your needs.

As you know they breed in as little as a thimble full of water. A cupped leaf can hold that much water or more. So do crevices in garden ornaments, creases in plastic bags, drain outlets from air conditioners and other un-thought-of locations in our yards. During daylight mosquitoes rest in shady dense vegetation, full of trees, shrubs and other plant material. Unfortunately, we cannot find every nook and cranny where mosquitoes hide and breed. In addition, new mosquitoes fly into our yards from as far as two to three miles away.

What to do, especially with West Nile virus winging its way closer to our back yards? A number of mosquito killing insecticides that are delivered through a hose end sprayer effectively control the pests hiding in lower branches of trees, shrubs and other vegetation. The range of insecticides runs from organic to chemical. Choose your poison and follow label instructions. Mosquitoes are more than a pest. They are a health hazard that needs to be kept in check.

Use mosquito dunks or mosquito quick kill granules in standing water to kill mosquito larvae in garden ponds, bird baths or any other vessel that contains still water. Dunks and granules contain the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), which is not harmful to humans, waterfowl, pets or fish. As always, follow label instructions.

Lawns

August is the last time to apply fertilizer to your warm season grass until April 2013. If broadleaf weeds are a problem apply an herbicide. Apply preemergent in September. Read and follow all label instructions.

Sanitation

Dump standing water after irrigation and rain. Pull weeds – mosquitoes other insects hide in them. Clean out spent annuals and vegetable plants, fallen fruit and vegetables, ongoing leaf litter.

Crape myrtles

You can force another round of blooms from your crape myrtle by pruning off the seed heads. It is hard work on trees, but shrubs and dwarfs are worth the effort.

Hydrangeas

Unless you already know how to prune your hydrangeas without losing next year’s blooms, simply clip off dead flower heads. If hydrangeas need shaping, prune back only one third of each plant and note whether that part flowers next year. Some varieties do not flower for a couple of years after hard pruning.

Irises

There are two reasons irises flower poorly: too little sun and overcrowding. Check to see if taller foliage has grown to shade out their sun. Generally irises need to be divided every three to five years. As necessary divide and transplant bearded iris and throw out damaged rhizomes in late August through September.

Lantana

Plant lantana in the spring, not the fall. Fall planting does not allow enough time for roots to establish before the winter. Lantana is winter hardy once established.

Fall flowers

If you have not already cut back petunias, verbena, geraniums and other bloomers that thrive in cooler weather, do it now. Follow up with a blossom boosting fertilizer (high phosphorous – the middle number).

Fill in bare spots in the garden with asters, begonias, cosmos, impatiens, Knock-Out roses, marigolds, salvia and other good fall bloomers. For more flowers longer into fall keep deadheading.

Containers

Crotons and coleus add beautiful fall color to containers. Take crotons inside before the first frost and grow them as house plants during the winter. Take cuttings to propagate coleus.

Culinary herbs

Plant cilantro for harvesting in the cool weather when it thrives. Chives, lemongrass, oregano and rosemary are all hardy perennials. Parsley is a biennial.

Vegetables

It is not too late to plant some cool weather vegetables. You can still plant broccoli, collards, kale, lettuce, mustard, onion sets, radishes, snap beans, spinach, Swiss chard and turnips.

There is still ample time this year to enjoy your yard and gardens.

More like this

Clark County garden calendar

Garden Calendar

Garden Calendar

Garden calendar

Garden calendar

Clark County

Tsugawa Nursery: 410 E. Scott Ave., Woodland. Events are free unless noted. Register: http://tsugawanursery.com or 360-225-8750.

• Japanese Maples: 11 a.m. Aug. 25. Learn some of the different types and some tips and techniques to get the most from your maple.

• Fall Garden Cleanup: 11. a.m. Sept. 8. Learn what should be done with fruit trees, roses and garden in the months to come; what should and shouldn’t be pruned; and the details that get overlooked when cool weather descends.

Shorty’s Garden and Home: 10006 Mill Plain Blvd. Events are free unless noted. Register: 360-892-7880 or http://shortysgardenandhome.com/?cid=998

• Plants for Shade: 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 1. Join Marianne Filbert for an exploration of plant varieties for shady areas plus care, watering and fertilizing.

• Mini Gardening: 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 8. Andrea Rudolph leads this hands-on class on building, designing and planting miniature gardens. $15 fee is credited toward purchase of a container or the provided cedar box for planting.

Master Gardener Foundation: 7 p.m. Sept. 4 at CASEE, 11104 N.E. 149th St., Building B, Room 202, Brush Prairie. Pat Jollata, historian, author and community advocate, will speak. Free to the public. 360-397-6060 ext. 5706.

Camas Roots Garden Work Parties: 9 a.m. to noon Wednesdays through August. Volunteers welcome to help maintain educational garden at 841 N.E. 22nd Ave. Food grown will be donated to food bank. Elisa Wells, 360-833-0925.

VanRidge Garden Club: 10 a.m. Sept. 17 at Pleasant View Church of the Nazarene, 801 N.E. 194th St., Ridgefield. Members will share their summer bounty. Bring vegetables raw or cooked for tasting and horticulture display or flower design. Followed by a potluck.

Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens business meeting: 1 p.m. Aug. 28, 115 S. Pekin Road, Woodland. Billie Bevers will present a program on Mason Bees: pollinators for fruit trees and gardens. 360-606-7359 or woodlandlilacgardens@gmail.com.

Watershed Stewards Volunteer Training: 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, Sept. 6 through Nov. 8, at Clark County Operations Conference Center, 4700 N.E. 78th St. Learn what you can do to maintain healthy watersheds for the community, fish and wildlife and future generations. After training, volunteers will work on a variety of projects with the Watershed Stewards Program and local environmental partners in public outreach and education, stream restoration, water-quality monitoring, classroom presentations and community workshops. Free. Apply: www.surveymonkey.com/s/WatershedStewards2012.

Fort Vancouver Rose Society meeting: 7 to 9 p.m. first Thursday of the month, Clark County Genealogy Annex, 7165 Grand Blvd. Free. 360-696-1331.

Vancouveria Garden Club: 12:30 to 3 p.m. third Tuesday of each month, Covington House, 4201 Main St. 360-936-6515.

Vancouver Chrysanthemum Society: 2:30 p.m. third Mondays, Heritage Farm, 1919 N.E. 78th St. 360-896-7278.

Send information to homeandgarden@columbian.com.

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Summer is coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean that it’s time to give up on gardening just yet.

Now is the time to start growing cool weather crops – flowers and food – and preparing your yard and garden for winter.

Preparation for winter is key to cutting back on unnecessary work and for having a successful garden and beautiful yard in the spring.

Here are some tips for getting your end of the summer growth under control, and what to plant, when and where.

1. Clean and weed
Even before all the leaves have fallen, begin raking them up and readying them for either your compost or for mulch. Pile up dead plants from the garden, ones that may be exhausted from bearing fruits or veggies and any flowers or bushes that need cut back. Make sure to separate and get rid of anything that might seem diseased and any weeds you don’t want popping up from the compost you use next year on your garden.

2. Plant for the present
Once the heat has given up, it’s perfect weather to begin planting your fall flowers. Pansies work great in cooler weather and will bloom even until colder months, like December. You can also begin planting cool weather vegetables, like greens. 

3. Plant for the future
It’s also the right time to begin planting your bulbs and seeds for spring. Bulbs are best when they’ve “hibernated” throughout the weather, with at least one good freeze to get them into dormant stage.

Fall also boasts perfect conditions for sowing hardier annuals, like cosmos, poppies and larkspur. More often than not, seeds sown in fall and conditioned by a winter freeze will be ready to burst through in the springtime.

4. Plant trees and shrubs
Fall is the time to plant ornamental shrubs and trees, without the worry of summer’s heat. If planted in the early fall, they’ll have time to establish a good root system before winter’s freezing temps arrive.

5. Mulch!
Mulching is the best way to protect your soil and your perennials during the cold weather. Straw or mulched leaves are both good options – you’ll most likely already have the leaves. Cover newly planted bulbs or seeds and build up mulch around tree trunks and shrubs to help protect from freezing weather.

—————————————————————————

For more on gardening, tech geekery, food and music, check out
twinklevanwinkle.com. Find Twinkle on
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Twinkle VanWinkle ponders, creates and discovers cool stuff about music, movies, food, fashion and so forth. Her thoughtful writings and interactives give great advice about healthy food, cooking tips, DIY projects, fashion and more. She’ll teach you a thing or two about music as well. Along with producing dynamic entertainment content for LIN Media, she is a mother, musician and social media fanatic.

It’s hard to think of winter when the daily temperatures are in the 90s. But the St. Tammany Parish Master Gardeners Association, in conjunction with the LSU AgCenter, will present a “Cool Tips for Winter Gardens” seminar on Sept. 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with check-in starting at 8 a.m. It will be held at the Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters Bayou Lacombe Centre, located at 61389 La. 434 in Lacombe.

“The St. Tammany Master Gardeners enjoy learning and sharing topics that are of interest to them and their neighbors,” said Rusty Batty, county agent. “They consistently plan the seminars for gardeners that are just beginning and for those that are more experienced.”

“This year’s 2012 fall seminar will include topics on preparing your plants for ‘potential’ winter weather conditions,” he said. “Although our weather was milder than most years, it’s always good to be prepared.

“For those who want to continue growing fall vegetables, we’ll be discussing an inexpensive way to stretch the growing season.”

There are 140 Master Gardener members in St. Tammany Parish. Those serving on the committee for the fall seminar include Julie Deus, Judy Woods, Eileen Gremillion, Linda Pippins, Jan Butler, Glenda Spano, Bart Loomis, Gail Hinckley, Pam Peltier, Donna Howland, Dennis Keopp, Susie Koepp, Deborah Nolan, Mary Jenks, Nancy McDonald, Paulette Lee, Joanne Bassett, Susie Andres, June Taffaro, David Lynd and Linda Wendle.

Speakers and topics for the seminar include Nellie Neal, also known as “The Garden Mama,” speaking on both “Fall Frenzy” and “Propagation Passion.” Neal, who is from Jackson, Miss., will give tips and strategies to use in landscaping now, such as how to save seeds, divide perennials, patch lawns, prune and don’t prune, and information about practicing good garden sanitation. Her talk on “Propagation Passion” will teach techniques, timing and how to set up a simple rooting chamber.

Carl E. Motsenbocker, LSU Ag Center Organic Vegetable Specialist, will

give a presentation on “Hoop Houses — Extending your Growing Season.” Hoop houses are structures similar to an open-ended greenhouse, which use solar energy to manage temperature and humidity.

Those giving tabletop clinics include: Linda Franzo, a master gardener since 2002, with “Fabulous Fall Herbs”; Karla Partridge, a master gardener since 2010, along with Bruce Probst presenting “Using Your Garden in Decorating”; Judy Wood, a master gardener since 2007, and Kathleen Guidry, a master gardener since 2010, presenting “Growing in Bales”; Yvette Waguespack, a master gardener since 2011, giving information about “Dividing Plants”; Kappy Goodwin, a master gardener since 2010, presenting “Staying Sharp through the Winter ‘Dull’ Drums”; and “Soil Samples,” with Johnny Anders Jr., a county agent from Jefferson Parish, LSU AgCenter. There also will be a resource table with books.

The seminar will have snacks, such as fruit, health bars and cookies available before and during breaks, as well as coffee, tea and water.

The cost to attend the “Cool Tips for Winter Gardens” seminar is $15 per person. Space is limited to 125 attendees and the event sells out quickly. Reservations must be made prior to Sept. 5. Checks should be made payable to STMG and mailed to STMG, Cool Tips for Winter Gardens Seminar, c/o LSU AgCenter, P.O. Box 5438, Covington, LA 70434.

For information, call the LSU AgCenter at 875.2635. For information about the LSU AgCenter or Master Gardeners, visit the website at www.lsuagcenter.com.

Bulbs such as lilies, dahlias and many rare beauties make the summer garden spectacular. They go dormant every winter, but before they emerge in late spring, thousands of us suffer from “Hidden Bulb Anxiety.”

This is the gardener’s fear of digging in the early spring soil because he or she can’t remember where the gazillions of dormant bulbs are planted. There’s nothing worse than pulling your digging spade out of the ground to discover half your prized Podophyllum ‘Red Panda’ bulb skewered on the end of the shovel.

Drawing a map to keep track of them is a major undertaking, especially in a complicated garden. Marking them with plant tags can look unsightly; plus the tags disappear. I couldn’t figure why my fancy metal tags were vanishing until I spotted a crow flying away with one to add some classy wall art in his nest!

Save yourself anxiety next spring by taking a series of pictures of your garden now while it is in full splendor. Next spring, refer to your pictures to pinpoint the location of your dormant beauties. Do it every year at this time, and it won’t only keep you from destroying your hidden gems, you’ll end up with an evolutionary history of your garden as well.

Don’t forget to water your trees

Lawns can generally be allowed to go dormant during the dry summer months without suffering lasting harm, but most trees can’t. Little rain falls in the summer months here, and even big, well-established trees need water if they’re growing in dry conditions.

If your tree is already starting to turn fall color, or worse yet, starting to show signs of dieback, it’s telling you that it needs water right away.

Wrap a soaker hose in concentric circles starting around the trunk, working out to the drip line. Run the water for 3 or 4 hours. The following day, dig a hole under the tree to see how deeply the water has soaked in. It should soak down at least 8 inches, so if it’s only moist 4 inches deep, double the amount of time you run the hose. Do this once every couple of weeks until the rains begin in September.

By the way, a 25 foot soaker hose is usually adequate for this project. Anyone who can lay out a 50-foot soaker hose without getting kinks in it should be making his or her living wrestling snakes.

Shop for art in a spectacular setting

Art is a critical element in the garden. A work of art can add beauty, elegance, mystery, even whimsy and fun. The place to shop for original garden art is at the Bellevue Botanical Garden’s Annual “Art in the Garden” 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

You’ll discover sculptures and garden art by 30 of the best Artists in the Pacific Northwest nestled in all sorts of nooks and crannies throughout the garden. All of the art is for sale and includes works in metal, wood, blown and fused glass and bronze.

At last year’s event I came home with an exotic cat-head planter that looks like it came right out of King Tut’s tomb! Many of the artists will be on hand to discuss their work. A percentage of the proceeds will go to help support the Bellevue Botanical Garden. For information, including when I’ll be leading a tour of the garden, visit www.bellevuebotanical.org and find it half way down the “events” page.

Ciscoe Morris: ciscoe@ciscoe.com; “Gardening with Ciscoe” airs at 10 a.m. Saturdays on KING-TV.

August 22, 2012 4:50PM

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Aurora

Aurora’s Hispanic communities: Aurora’s Hispanic communities step into the spotlight at the Aurora Historical Society’s “Flavors of Aurora — Stirred not Shaken” opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 7 at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place. The exhibit on Hispanic contributions to the development of the city will run from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays through Sept. 29. The free reception will feature authentic foods and beverages, live music and dancing by members of the Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl. www.aurorahistory.net.

Dreams and Mirrors: Several well-known and emerging artists representing the Latino community will be featured in the Aurora Public Art Commission’s newest exhibit, “Dreams and Mirrors.” An opening reception with light hors d’oeurves and a cash bar will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 31 in the commission’s third-floor gallery at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place. Admission to the reception and gallery is free. The exhibit will be on display from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesdays to Saturdays through Nov. 30. www.aurora-il.org or at 630-256-4636.

Kane County

Master gardeners Idea Garden: The University of Illinois Extension master gardeners invite the public to visit their Idea Garden from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Aug. 29 and 5:30 to 7 p.m. Aug. 30. Eight different garden beds are designed to show homeowner garden techniques that can be easily replicated in their own yards. The garden is behind the master gardener vegetable stand at the corner of Peck Road and Route 38 in St. Charles. Enter via the Route 38 driveway. Sarah Fellerer, master gardener/master naturalist program coordinator, fellerer@illinois.edu. U of I Extension office, 630-584-6166.

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“There’s been an increase in the

number of organizations promoting school gardening,” said Domenghini. She said her group doesn’t keep a count of gardens in schools, but that about 1,300 youth programs in schools, churches, libraries and other places have registered with it.

“Fruit and vegetable gardens are probably most popular, but some grow flowers,” she said. “We see all different types of garden programs.”

Todd LoFrese, assistant superintendent for support services for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools in North Carolina, said there’s a gardening component at nearly all of their 18 schools, ranging from a small herb garden to support a culinary program to a high school with a student-run program that donates produce to needy families. A new elementary school set to open next year has been designed to include garden plots, he said, and will have a rainwater collection system and a green roof with vegetation.

“It’s a good way to get families involved and also the community involved,” LoFrese said.

The gardens in his district are funded in a variety of ways, including donations, grants and fundraising from parent groups.

In addition to the garden at Moss Haven, the Richardson school district in suburban Dallas has two other gardens at schools and plans for three more, said Phil Lozano, the district’s associate director of facilities services. One of the other gardens in the Richardson district was funded by the district, and the other by a parent-teacher association. Moss Haven, which gets support, including curriculum materials, from the Heart Association, was made possible by donations, grants and funds from its PTA.

Lozano said the goal is for the gardens to reach 100 percent sustainability, which includes composting, and collecting water from sources including rainwater or air-conditioning condensation.

In the Houston area, the nonprofit Urban Harvest has helped start more than 100 school gardens, training and advising those who want to start them and in some cases providing a garden educator to give lessons. The organization aims to promote nutrition and respect for the environment, said Carol Burton, its director of youth gardening education.

Heading into fifth grade this year at Moss Haven, 10-year-old Natalie Duval is anxious to see what the garden looks like after the summer. Last year, she was pleasantly surprised when her fourth-grade class taste-tested dips made from garden ingredients including spinach, parsley and cucumbers.

“I didn’t think I was going to like it,” she said. “I was like, ‘Wow, that was pretty good.'”

“Everybody’s trying to eat better, and if we ate those foods in the cafeteria we’d be healthy,” she said.

I have been wondering how our readers eat local – Do you buy from a special market? Use a CSA? Maintain a garden? I like learning tips and tricks from others, so I thought I would reach out to some readers to see how they do it.

Since August is when home gardens really take shape (tomatooooooes!!), let’s take a look at “How Your Garden Grows.” I recently spoke with Jeni B. (here is her blog, and here she is on Twitter) about her urban garden. I love how she called her garden, “a hobby with a purpose.” That is so true, and I think many people can relate. Also, she has a cherry-tomato-eating dog (What? That’s crazy!) and turned a papasan chair into a garden container. Read Jeni’s gardening/eating local story below.

What is the setting of your garden? Well, I live in the city of Albany so I’m definitely an “urban gardener”. My yard gets very wet in the spring because of the clay soil so even though I’m blessed with a HUGE yard by city standards, most of it is not really great for gardening. We also have a 6ft stockade fence for the dogs so there are always shadows somewhere. I have limited my gardens to a few 4×4 plots, a corner plot, some containers up against the house.  My crowning achievement is my up-cycled Papasan chair planter. I cannot tell you how much fun it was to haul it out of the attic, line it with screening and fill it with dirt. Outside of it being super easy to weed and having excellent drainage, it was my excuse to buy a staple gun. It has most of my kitchen herbs in it.  People in cities are getting more and more creative in finding space for tiny gardens. I might try a fence garden next year.

Jeni, after a day of gardening

Why did you decide to start gardening? How long have you maintained your garden? It started innocently enough with one lemon balm plant. My mom grew lemon balm and I always used to pick a leaf to carry around and sniff. I stumbled upon a plant somewhere and decided I wanted it.  In all honesty, I used to have a horrible time getting anything to grow. But lemon balm is from the mint family and all but impossible to kill.

I’m always looking for new and unusual things for gifts and came across a recipe for lemon balm jelly. So taught myself to preserve and made that recipe. Once I got the canning bug it was all downhill from there.

In 2009, I decided to plant a tomato plant.  I never got enough tomatoes to can but I got enough to eat. So I started experimenting with other things we like to eat.  My first attempt at peppers was disastrous as I put them in too small a pot and gave them too much water. 2010 was a better year.  I had more jalapenos than I could shake a stick at, so I pickled them. And then I wanted to pickle more things, but mostly I wanted to pickle my Great Grandmothers Bread and Butter pickles. Which is why this year, I planted cucumbers. Long story short, I grow things we like to eat year round, either fresh or jarred for future consumption. It’s a hobby with a purpose.

What do you grow in your garden? What I plant continues to evolve.  I’m really a novice gardener as ignored my parents’ attempts to teach me (kind of regretting that now). I know I’ll always grow herbs as they are easy, low maintenance and the yield is unbelievable. Right now, it’s herbs all over the place, two tomato plants, two jalapeno plants, two lipstick pepper plants, an eggplant plant and I’m still bummed about the squirrels destroying my cucumber plant and losing my zucchini to a squash vine borer.  Every year my garden grows a bit more and I learn new things. I had no idea what a squash vine borer was so I didn’t catch it in time. We won’t even mention the cauliflower that I planted and it was noshed on and gone the next morning. Darn squirrels. The tomato plants were gnawed down pretty good too, but they have bounced back with a vengeance! I suspect the number of tomato plants will expand and I hope to plant garlic this fall.

What is your favorite thing to grow? Without question, nothing gives me more joy than a cherry tomato. From when they are itty bitty tiny flowers, to smidgy round green balls, to when they turn red and I can pop them off for a snack, still warm from the sun. Of course, I have to share them with one my bullmastiffs. She thinks they are the best thing ever and comes out with me every morning to check “her” tomato plant. Her excitement adds to my joy. I’m not even kidding when I say she has a “happy tomato dance”.

How do you organize your garden (any special planting plans or methods)? I’m a bit haphazard. I try not to stress too much about where things go. I put my basil and rosemary containers next to my tomato pots because that makes sense in my brain. Heck, you eat them together, so why not plant them together? I’m not a planner, really.Tall stuff in the back, short stuff in the front. Vine things given things to climb on. The only thing I have learned is a must is to get the right container for the plant. Now that I’ve pretty much committed myself to gardening every year, I invested in larger pots and had a giant bag of garden soil delivered to the house this year.

What do you do with the produce from your garden? We do a lot of cooking from scratch. A lot. I don’t think I even have any prepackaged food in the house. It’s nice to run out and go shopping from your back yard – to just grab a pepper off the plant when you need one. I’ve sort of become obsessed with making things at home that most people just buy. I love popping outside to snip a little oregano for tomato sauce. I only planted sage as an excuse to make tons of breakfast sausage to stock my freezer. I’m currently letting my dill go to seed so I can save it. I’m also going to give making rosemary salt a try. Outside of herbs, I don’t generally have a lot of produce to share or if I do I can’t seem to give it away. My neighbors all have their own little gardens. Yesterday, I noticed my neighbor had corn stalks peeking over the fence line. Corn! In Albany! Fantastic. So, yeah, we eat it or I can it up. Although honestly, the jars of food often end up as gifts in the winter.

Do you have a favorite preparation or recipe for your garden goodies? Without question, my Great Grandmother’s pickles. They are super tasty but I make them for the nostalgia. The first year I made them I gave them to all of my family members. My brother, looking at the unopened jar,  said “I don’t remember these pickles at all”. About three weeks later, when he opened them up, I got a text from him “I remember”. There is something about this recipe that just brings back memories of her. She was my inspiration for a lot of things and although she’s been gone for many years now, I think of her whenever I make these pickles.

This is a canning recipe but you could also make a smaller batch and stick them in your refrigerator.

Jeni’s Papasan Chair Planter

Do you supplement with produce purchased from grocery stores or farmers markets? Definitely. My garden is too itty bitty to sustain us through the summer, especially with the squirrels helping themselves. This year I had to wage a war against slugs who ate pretty much all of my strawberries. Every year is a learning experience. We have been big supporters of farmers for many years now and we purchase from farmers markets whenever we can. The food tastes so much more alive! We’ve tried a CSA a few times, but often there is way too much food for just the two of us but not enough of one thing to “put by”. That may change now that I’m getting more efficient with canning and more willing to do a small batch.

Do you continue to grow in the winter months? Herbs, mostly. (Have you figured out yet that I’m kind of obsessed with herbs?) Over-wintering can be difficult since most of the sun comes in the back of the house and there is only one window there. So for the winter, my sewing machine table becomes a temporary home for a few plants.

Finish this sentence: I eat local from my garden because… a tomato right off the vine is tastier and a heck of a lot better for you than the ones that are picked green and trucked across the country, sprayed with all manner of chemicals to keep them “fresh” for you. No thanks.  I want REAL fresh food.

Thanks for the great overview of your garden, Jeni! Again, you can read more from Jeni on her blog or on Twitter. If you would like your garden featured on Eat Local, please email me at sillygoosefarm@gmail.com.

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*Photos Courtesy of Jeni B.