Still Harvesting

Broccoli is a plant that will keep producing for you well into the fall. After you harvest the initial head if you leave the plant in the ground side shoots will appear and they are just as tasty.

Here it is, almost November and I picked enough broccoli in the past couple of days to make a big pot of cream of brocolli soup that mom and I can feast on all week. I also have plenty that I blanched and froze for eating all winter long.

Broccoli is cool weather plant that prefers cooler temperatures. That is why despite the frost we had last night (enough to put a thin sheet of ice on the small bird bath I keep on my deck) I was still able to pick some spears this morning. No protection needed-the plants were just fine.

 SLife sure is good with bounty galore!

 

Repeating Lavender

My lavender first bloomed this year back in June. It put on quite a display back then, not being hurt by the drought at all. It is in bloom once again now in October, not quite as showy, but still beautiful. If you want a plant that tolerates dry spells, needs little care, has a lovely scent and does not attract pests, lavender is the plant for you. Yes, winter is coming, but one needs to enjoy the flowers as long as possible, which is exactly what I am doing.

October Color

 

October in Michigan is a beautiful time of year with the leaves of the various trees turning into every variation of red, orange and yellow before falling and being added to the compost pile or turned into mulch. At least that is where my leaves go. Those leaves are too precious a resource for me to give them away.

 

The leaves of October are not the only color in my garden though. Some of my plants have been in bloom all season long like the above Calendula. The previous picture is of one of my mums just starting to give a display of color.

 

The butterfly bush started blooming in August and has been in bloom ever since. I just keep clipping back the dead blossoms and it keeps producing flowers.

 

 

I dig up the gladiola bulbs in fall and plant them in late spring. I am rewarded with gorgeous color  in late August and of course now.

This datura self seeds and comes back every year from seed. I never have to worry about planting it again.

 

Same goes for the borage, a true blue color for the garden, something that is not common and therefore desirable.

 

The marigolds did extremely well for me this year, starting to bloom back in June and continuing to bloom even now.

 

 

Yarrow blooms early in the season in my garden. This one lone flower is a new blossom after the plant was cut back quite awhile ago. A nice surprise of color for me. A hard frost may be coming soon, but I will continue to enjoy every bit of color for as long as I can.

 

Small White Gourds

Last summer I was fortunate enough to take a trip to the Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa for their annual summer workshop. One of the activities was the exchange of seeds from members who brought seeds of all varieties. One type of seed I picked up while there were seeds for some small white gourds.

I planted them this past summer alongside my neighbor's fence. Only one plant was necessary to pretty much cover the fence and produce the gourds in this picture.

So, no, I probably won't have a pumpkin this Halloween, but I figure these gourds will provide all the decoration I need.

Blooms in Fall

 

 

It may be fall (or almost) but that does not mean the blooms have to stop in your garden. I planted these colchicums a few years ago and they have done nothing except spread their loveliness. These giant crocus-like blooms do not last for long, but while they last they are quite impressive. The leaves come up in the spring, then die back for the summer. Then, come September the blossoms appear like magic.

It is difficult to see the flamingo hiding in the asters at this time of year. The asters are just prolific and eye-catching. Set against the ornamental grass which is also in bloom they are a bright spot in my garden.

 

It is not all about the produce at this time of year, although setting the produce by is my main garden activity in September. Just so long as I have a few blossoms as well, I can stay on a cheery note. Need to stay cheery when the days are shorter and winter is just around the bend...

Chinese Red Noodle Beans

This year I planted an unusual bean seed (at least to me) called Chinese Red Noodle Beans. They are offered for sale from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and fortunately they finally germinated and are doing quite well in my September garden. Not only do they look cool on the plant, they taste very good. So I decided to blanch some so that I could freeze them to eat later in the winter.

They don't need much blanching and I expect they will taste just fine come January. Of course as long as the weather holds and no freezing comes for awhile I will be able to keep eating them fresh from the garden. Once the frost comes they will be through. As usual, September is a busy month for this gardener who has plenty of vegetables yet to be harvested. Happy eating!

Putting Food By

 

 

This year I decided to buy a small freezer to store in the garage so that I could save even more of the produce in my garden. Peppers, zucchini, broccoli, green beans and tomatoes are all being shredded, blanched or turned into sauce so that my garden will last all winter long.

 

Basil and garlic are the basic ingredients for the pesto that I will freeze and use in January when my palate gets lonesome for the taste of summer. The garden brings a taste of freshness all year long. Life is definitely good!

Canada in Bloom

 

 

Recently I was fortunate enough to take a trip with my sister and some friends to Montreal and Quebec City. What I love about Canada is that everywhere I went the flowers were just beautiful and the people there cared enough to keep them looking lovely, despite the hot summer we have had.

 

Here it is August and what I saw was beautifully maintained. Usually by this time of year my own garden is starting to look a bit rough around the edges. Not in Canada though. Everything looked lush and beautiful.

Whether the plants were on public property or privately owned, they looked wonderful. What a pleasure this trip was! Good company, wonderful friendly Canadians, and of course excellent food.

 

If you have never been there, I highly recommend both cities as a trip you will enjoy. So get packing!

Forellenschluss lettuce : Plant Profile

 

I bought these seeds from the Seed Savers Exchange this year and was quite pleased with this particular lettuce. There was no trouble with them sprouting (despite the lack of rain), they produced well, continued growing despite the heat and only just recently have the plants I didn't harvest gone to seed in the garden. This pot of Forellenschluss lettuce continues to go strong on the deck.

Forellenschluss lasts pretty well in the refrigerator and I expect to be eating it for awhile, even though this is August. What does this mean for the future? It means that I am going to try and save the seed and plant them next year. Any plant that has survived this summer in my garden is a keeper. A lettuce still alive in August, well that plant is not just a keeper, it's a winner.

Plants on the Loose

 

Okay, this is a case of do as I say, not as I do. There is a reason those seed packets tell you to space your plants apart at a particular distance. Just because they don't seem to take up much room in May doesn't mean your garden will look the same way in July.

 

My problem is I look through the seed catalogs during the winter and I want one of everything. I may not buy one of everything, but I make a pretty good effort at this. Unfortunately I live in the city on a small city plot and there isn't room for one of everything. But I start seeds from all the varieties I have and then make every effort to find room for them. This is not a good idea as zucchini tends to hide anyways, and if it hides too long, well, it might just grow to be bigger than you.

One way to grow more in a smaller space is to grow vertically. I grow my cucumbers on a trellis so there is room for more and also to keep the fruit off the ground. It works pretty well, but of course the zucchini which is planted in the same bed likes to mingle with the cucumbers.

 

Oh well, it's a jungle out there and I guess I am the queen. But queen of my garden jungle is the only kind of queen I want to be as it means I will be eating good once the fruit of the vine comes along.

Coreopsis : Plant Profile

A few years ago I started some Coreopsis by seed. Coreopsis is a perennial that loves the sun. I started a few plants and now I have plenty more. It is long blooming, providing continual flowers since the first yellow blossoms of June. 

And best of all, this variety called Sunburst is drought and heat tolerant. I have lost several plants this summer due to the drought and 100 degree temperatures, but not this coreopsis which just kept going, seemingly unaffected by the miserable weather. Coreopsis is definitely a keeper, and since I started it from some free seed, it's pretty darn cheap as well. The bargain hunter in me just loves this plant.

Here Come the Veggies. You be the Judge.

This past week I spent a few days in Hillsdale County, Michigan where my mother grew up. I was checking into some family history and met up with a third cousin, once removed. She had plenty of photos of the Riley family to share with me.

Mary is the daughter of a farmer, the granddaughter of a farmer and wife of a farmer. Her farmers have all passed on, but she is still going strong. We managed to talk about soy beans, plants drying up due to the heat and no rain and of course the harvest.

Today I managed to pick some peas past their prime, kohlrabi, broccoli, cucumbers and zucchini. Time to make some more humus so I have something to dip the kohlrabi in. And perhaps a broccoli rice casserole.

Or perhaps not. I sure don't want to turn on the oven today. Yes it is supposed to get into the 90s and although we did actually get a tiny amount of rain last night the garden is still dry.

Dry, but still producing, and that is what it is all about.

Gardener on the Roof

Last week I had the good fortune to meet some old friends for dinner at the Traffic Jam, one of my favorite restaurants in Detroit. This restaurant has been around since 1965 and includes a microbrewery, bakery, dairy and their own rooftop garden. The menu advertises ingredients grown on the roof, and if you ask them,they will lead you up a rather old staircase to the roof where you can see what they have growing up there.

 

Corn, tomatoes, peppers and herbs are all started in the recently built greenhouse that is also on the roof. And anything not growing up there, but still used in the restaurant is probably grown in the community garden that is visible from the roof down the street from the restaurant.

 

The dairy produces cheeses from local milk. And there is something on the menu for everyone, whether you prefer something vegetarian or a burger, you will go away satisfied. So the next time you are in Detroit and it is too hot to sit outside listening to a concert (what we originally planned to do), go out to dinner and put the Traffic Jam on your list of restaurants to visit.

Double Duty

If I can use something over again in my garden, I do. This saves me a bit of money and makes me think that I am smart (ha ha). After doing some bathroom remodeling I put the old mirror into the garden so the birds could enjoy looking at themselves.

Old cottage cheese containers have a hole cut out in the bottom and get used as collars to protect my pepper plants from cutworms.

And even the alliums get extra life after the flowers are spent. I take a can of spray paint and have instant garden adornment. This is a cheap way to keep your garden interesting, and as I am always looking for ways to be frugal, a can of spray paint fits the bill.

Monet's Gardens at Giverny

Several years ago (when I was somewhat young) I had the opportunity to visit Monet's Gardens at Giverny with my mother. For an avid gardener this was a trip of a lifetime and as we were there in May an iris lover's delight. The irises were in full bloom and couldn't have been lovelier.

I took many photographs while we were there, none of them digital nor did they do justice to what the garden feels like when you are standing in the middle of it. Only Monet could do it justice in my opinion, but here are a few of the photos I took.

The place to go for Monet of course is the d'Orsay Museum assuming you can make a trip to France. There are several museums a bit closer to home that have some of his work though if France is a bit too far. Every time I have been in Washington DC I have made a point to visit the National Gallery just to see the impressionists.

Best of all though is to go to France and visit both the museum and the garden. That is what my mother and I did.

I returned home with every intention of trying to recreate what I saw with the irises.Needless to say, I failed. Last year I dug up the purple irises and planted some yellow irises instead in hopes of defeating the iris borer that has been plaguing me for years. The yellow irises I have seem to be more resistant to the borer so I think I may be on to something, even if it doesn't recreate what I saw at Giverny.

Giverny is divided into two parts, a flower garden called Clos Normand in front of the house and a Japanese inspired water garden. These two parts of Monet's garden contrast and complement one another, sort of like my mother and me. My mother takes her time at things and does them right. Me, well I am always anxious to get stuff done.

We do get along and had a wonderful time on this trip. And I currently always keep myrtle in my garden as it is my mother's favorite plant. Mom's memory is not what it used to be so it is nice to reminisce about this happy time I had with her. I didn't have a bucket list back in 1998 when we made this trip, but I am pretty sure I can still add this garden to it. If you ever get the chance, I suggest you add it to yours.

Move it or Lose it

When I visit my parents one of my goals is to get them walking so they exercise their muscles. If we don't use the muscles in our body they tend to get weaker, making it harder to do the things we need to do in this life.

The move it or lose it axiom also stands true for the plants in my garden. I planted this tiny campanula in a spot that was plenty big enough for it -- between the lamium and the lady's mantle. Well, most gardeners might tell you that probably wasn't the best spot for it as the lamium spread out from the south and the lady's mantle spread out from the north and I was constantly cutting both plants back to give my poor little campanula room to breath. This year I decided enough was enough. so I dug up the campanula and placed it in a spot all it's own between these two columnar apple trees I have. What a pleasant surprise! It is blooming and doing just fine in its new home.

The lamium and lady's mantle now get to duke it out with each other. And the campanula is still living because I decided to move it rather than lose it. Definitely a win for me!

Seeds Seeds Seeds

When the seed catalogs come out in winter they are seductive to the dedicated gardener. I always order too many and never all the ones I want to order. I like to get seeds that I have never planted before. This year I started purple tomatillo and eggplant tomato seeds inside. The seedlings are doing just fine out in the garden.

Today I planted these Chinese red noodle bean seeds directly into the garden, mostly because I wanted to see how long they would actually get. And if they reach 18 inches like they are supposed to get, then I will certainly have a plant in the garden to talk about this summer. I got the seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds a great place to get rare and unusual seeds.

I also planted birdhouse gourd seeds today so I can make some more birdhouses next spring. I am also looking forward to the pattypan squash.

All in all, it was a good day to plant seeds and as we have had plenty of rain they are already well watered.

Pass it Along

This past week the Saginaw Valley Master Gardener Association held their annual plant exchange. This is one of the perks of being a member as you can bring along some of your plant divisions and exchange them for some plants you don't have and are anxious to try. I have many nice plants in my garden courtesy of the plant exchange. And hopefully some of my divisions have found good homes with other members. This year I took Angelica to the exchange. Angelica is a biennial, a plant that grows the first year, then flowers and sets seed the following year before dying. The seeds germinate and you have more new plants. It also has a stunning green flower, not something you see too often.

 

 Irises of many varieties are easy to dig up and divide and pass along. I tend to wait until after they have flowered, then split them and ensure that no plant borers are hiding in the rhizomes before passing them along.

Columbine self seeds easily in my garden, plants that are easily dug up and then passed along. There are so many beautiful colors to be had with this plant and they are always misbehaving with each other, creating a more colorful garden.

Being a gardener means being generous and sharing your lovely plants with others. And in return, they share with you. Everyone wins!