When people lived green and didn't know it...

I grew up in a big family (seven girls, Mom and Dad) in a small house.  We had one bath (tub, no shower), one large dormitory style bedroom and no locks on the doors.  Each one of us had on average two children which added to the numbers so Christmas in our house was always a big event.  My parents invited our grandfather as well as a bachelor or two to our gathering.  
There was no dishwasher in our house because Dad said he already had several.  We lived in a small town with no "city" water or sewer so everything went into or came out of the ground our house sat on.  Dad was frugal when it came to lots of things and that included pumping the septic out. We did dishes in dishpans so we could carry the dirty water outside to throw in the garden.  The same went for wash water.  Mom started with whites and worked her way through progressively darker and dirtier clothes because the same wash water was used on all the loads.  She used a wringer washer which was very efficient at squeezing out the water.  She only added additional water and soap as she needed.  At the end of the day, we carried buckets of water out of the basement and dumped it on the lawn.  Everything was hung to dry.  She only used the dryer for socks and undergarments.  I still love a towel from the dryer to this day knowing how stiff one comes off the line.  I do prefer my sheets on the line, though.
We walked to the store, school, swimming creek, and friends' houses.  Mom did not drive and wouldn't until much later in life.  We shared bicycles and rode two and three on them at times. Our parents never bought any of us a helmet.  We went barefoot in summer to save on shoes and would always be excited when the new pair came home for school (Mom traced our foot on paper and bought the new size from that measurement).
We didn't travel much but my dad did like to take Sunday drives.  He liked to get out of town which meant getting on even less traveled county and town roads.  We almost always veered off on to a gravel road which turned into dirt roads and then grassy trails through the trees.  There were always a chorus of voices singing "I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, I have to go to the bathroom, and we're lost".  Bodies were stacked two people deep in both seats as there was cousins and friends along.  We would stop and the picnic basket would produce all we needed to make it through.  The biggest tree would be the privacy point for relief.  Rainy days meant a mobile lunch and some remote church or school would be a welcome sight with the outhouses stationed behind them.  We didn't have wet wipes.  Mom kept wet wash cloths in a plastic bread bag for clean up.
We weren't poor, we weren't rich, we had enough.  
Clothes were handed down, remade, sewn, and then used as rags.  Quilts were cut from scraps and when they wore out the batting was taken out and combined to make a new quilt.  Old pillows that had lost their loft were sent to the dry cleaners and remade into fewer, but larger, pillows once again.  
Bags were reused for garbage, they only made paper ones then.  Grandma had her own canvas bag which she sent with us to the store for her groceries.  I think my love of canvas bags is genetic.  
We ate what was in season and bananas were the most exotic fruit we knew.  Pineapple came in a can and was in jello when we ate it.  Watermelon was eaten in summer as well as any berry we could find in the surrounding woods and fields.  Apples were our fall fruit.  Oranges were our winter treat.  Potatoes were eaten in winter along with all the other root crops that saved well.  Everything that could be canned, was.  Mom did it herself.  We had a storehouse of jars in our basement.
Baking and cooking were not a hobby, they were a skill.  Everyone took home economics.  Later on, we girls even took shop class.  Kids knew how to build a fire and cut the wood for it.  We did not have scouting to learn this, we had parents who taught us.  
I have not even reached the half century mark of age myself, but I still grew up in an age that taught self-sufficiency and self-control.  We are not that removed from a time that meant living with less was just plain living.  
It is time that we take a serious look at how far we have come as a nation and realize that the answer to our problems is not more politicians, more regulation, more subsidies.  It is time to take responsibility for ourselves, our children, our neighbors, our world.  The only ones who can save us, is us.  Learn how to say no to yourself more and live with less.  You don't have to turn off the electricity, just turn off a few lights, a few appliances.  Drive a little less, walk a little more.  Eat out a little less, cook a little more.  Shop in the neighborhood and keep the stores close to home.  I love that I can walk within a mile of my home for so much of what we use on a regular basis.
Make your own resolution to be a change agent in your world.  You might be surprised to find out that less really is more.

Christmas Gifts for a Gardener

Life has been kind of crazy in our house.  Who's isn't at this time of year?  With my husband working on his physical therapy and the extra work of getting ready for Christmas, I haven't had the time to sit and read email let alone write.  I have been thinking about gardening.  I do every day in some way.  After a recent trip into a north side garden center I knew what I wanted to share with those who might care.


What does the gardener in my life really want?


This is what is on my wish list:

• A good watering can, a metal one like you would find in an English gardening catalog.
• New garden clogs, a sturdy pair that can take the wear.
• A sharp folding garden saw.  Not a cheap one but a durable saw that will stand the test of time.
• A new pair of by-pass pruners, preferably Felco.
• A Dramm watering wand 2-3' long, with 2" wide watering head.  The darn things don't last forever and we are always bending the screens on our watering heads which changes the water flow pattern to "crappy".
• Clay pots, 10" or larger, glazed or natural, with patterns or standard design.  They eventually crack so even veteran gardeners are looking to get more.
• Gift cards/certificates to some of the local garden centers for my spring buying spree.  A little here and there to spend is my preference rather than one big purchase at the box store.
• Plant stakes and cages, the really beautiful ones that I would never buy for myself.
• A 6'x9' green house that can be set up and taken down.  This size would fit over one of my raised beds but would also be the right size for spring propagation.  Being able to move it is important for my year round plans.
• If I can't get the greenhouse, a cold frame with thermostatic arms that open and close on warm, sunny days.  I would like this for the side of the house where I could put in some early and late season crops.
• A garden swing built in my backyard.  The kind that I can hang plants off the ends and sit with my sweetie at the end of the day.  I want to be able to sit by the pond and listen to the water and smell the herb garden.
• More time in the garden with my family.

OK. So you can't buy all that in the store and I certainly don't expect to get even a small amount of these things.  I guess the point of this is that a gardener is easy to buy for especially if you buy them quality tools!  Skip the cheap stuff and get one really nice tool that will stand up to the tasks that they put it through.  With tools, you get what you pay for.


Most gardeners don't need another garden knick-knack.  Instead of getting the plastic turtle or ceramic deer, get some nice quality plant supports.  I have even seen some really great items at craft fairs that are made by welders that are more practical than cute.  Of course you have to consider the taste of the person you are buying for, but keep it simple, keep it strong.  A former co-worker of mine made trellis from bent willow which were beautiful as well as practical.  It is worth supporting your local craft people.  If it seems like it costs a lot for such simple materials, remember, you are paying for the time it took them to make it.  Ask them about their craft while you are at it and you may be enriched by learning something new, and you will have a story to tell the gift recipient as well.


This list may to be late for this holiday season, but keep these general thoughts in mind when shopping for your gardening friend on other occasions.  Mother's Day will be here before you know it (hint,hint!).

Real Christmas Trees

Real Christmas trees have been a part of my whole life.  I have never had and artificial tree.  Maybe things would have been different if it wasn't for the man in the green coat, my Uncle Bob.  


Uncle Bob bought a farm after WWII and some time on the road before settling down.  He kept cows for awhile, but soon started planting evergreens for the Christmas tree market.  As long as I can remember, our tree came from a short drive to his farm to cut our own tree and tie it to the car.


Every Thanksgiving I made the trip up north to see my mom and have dinner with the family.  Our hunters stayed in this area, so we were able to have everyone together.  Thanksgiving was my daughter, Elizabeth's, favorite holiday for a long time.  We had a big noisy dinner with people eating in all corners of my sister's house.  The kids would be able to see their cousins and have a good time running around together.  If the weather cooperated, they would be out playing in the snow.


The day after Thanksgiving meant leftovers and a trip to Uncle Bob's farm.  The kids would bundle up and pile in the car.  We would set off through the fields with a hand saw and the dogs would run along with us.  The area was hunted around the farm, so the sounds of rifles would occasionally interrupt the shouts of the kids through the trees.  The tree farm was such an established landmark that we never worried about stray bullets accidentally being fired in our direction.  Many of the hunters would go home with a tree each year even if the deer was not on the car next to it.  


After the trees had been brought up to the barn on the wagon or by manpower, we all would head up to the house where Aunt Marvel would bring out her chocolate chip cookies for all and coffee for the adults.  The visit was a part of Thanksgiving that was irreplaceable as the turkey the day before.

This year was different.  Uncle Bob gave up his license to sell Christmas trees so the tradition has ended.  The trees will grow where they stand and fill in the fields that they occupy.  I could not bear Thanksgiving without the visit, so my sister and I made the trip down the night before Thanksgiving.  We sat with our uncle and aunt and had the same enjoyable conversation and the same coffee and cookies.  My mom was not there with us as we lost her this spring.  My dog was not there as we lost him this fall.  I was not about to lose one more thing this year.

The tree was still coming home with us from up north, regardless.  The day after Thanksgiving my brother-in-law, Howie, and I made a trip to the National Forest office he worked at before becoming a Lutheran pastor.  I purchased two permits to cut a tree off of National Forest lands for $5 each.  We drove around the area he knew very well and ended up finding a little balsam fir for my daughter along the way.

I settled for the top of a 30 foot tree that we thinned out of the stand by their lake cottage.  My husband set up the tree the next week while I was out.  I got a picture text of our skinny tree with the message "Are you kidding?".   I wasn't.  It fit our little living room quite well and I liked the open branch habit for the collection of ornaments we have.  I put on the lights and ornaments the next week while he lay recuperating from surgery in the hospital next week (this was not a side affect from the tree).  By the time I was done I was more attached to this tree than any other I had decorated before.  It may have been all the nostalgia I was feeling about all this year's changes, but this tree made things right for me in the midst of all the chaos.

I grow things for a living and for my life but I have never felt guilty about cutting down a tree for Christmas.  Trees are a renewable resource.  When we would cut down a tree at Uncle Bob's, he taught us to leave the lowest whorl of branches.  As the branches would grow up to reach the light, he could come along and select the best of the bunch to grow into the next tree.  He didn't have to replant where these partial stumps were left.


I had already decided to write this tribute to Uncle Bob and his Christmas tree farm before I got my latest issue of Organic Gardening.  They featured the first article I had ever seen in their magazine on the benefits of the Christmas tree industry.  I highly recommend searching this one out for yourself.  Artificial trees are not as "eco-friendly" as one might think when you take into consideration the petroleum products used to make them as well as the off-gassing they do over time in your home.


When the tree comes down the branches will come off and mulch over the evergreen ground covers in my yard.  The trunk will be cut into lengths to be burned in the outdoor fire pit.  The needles will fall off in spring and add acid to the plants that crave the lower pH in our alkaline soils.  The tree will continue to live in the plants that it nourishes.  Don't just set your whole tree at the curb and let all this good mulch go to waste.  


This is for you, Uncle Bob, and all the other tree farmers out there who make this time of year special for the rest of us.  It is your trees that will be the back-drop for all our Christmas memories.

The Garden is Officially Closed for the Season

My kitchen sinks have washed the last of my garden produce tonight.  I went out in the fading light and cut the last of the Swiss chard and kale.  Both of these are cold loving crops, but the plummeting temperatures and snow in the forecast will not be kind to these crops.  I pulled out the salad spinner one more time to clean up these two leafy crops before tucking them in the refrigerator.

The Red Russian Kale became a part of supper with just a quick toss of olive oil and salt.  I put this in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes until it was crispy like potato chips.  A little bit of flake salt and you have good eats.

I forgot to clip off the stems but they made a nice little handle for picking up the kale to eat.  If you make this yourself you will easily tell what is too tough to eat.

I like to make Swiss chard by lightly sauteing coarsely chopped leaves with bacon fat.  I reserve bacon fat from frying in a small 2 cup crock that I keep in the refrigerator for this use.  Just a tablespoon of bacon fat with a healthier oil is enough to add flavor to the whole dish.  I find it ironic that I grow Swiss chard after the first summer's garden of endless Swiss chard when I was 13.  I swore then I would never eat it again.  Mom never cooked it with bacon, though.  Her method was cooking it to mushy consistency.  Thank you, Food Network, for making me see it in a different light.  

Folks, This Ain't Normal by Joel Salatin

I have finished reading the new Joel Salatin book over Thanksgiving vacation and recommend it to those who are interested in knowing where there food comes from and want to make better decision about where they are getting their food.


Joel Salatin sheds some light on how over-regulation by the government has actually made our food choices worse over time rather than better.  They subsidize crops which have encouraged over-production of a small selection of foods which have created surpluses.  These surpluses have to find their place which lead to the creation of things such as high fructose corn syrup and grain fed rather than grass fed cattle. If you want to know what this has led to...read the book.


Joel can sometimes go off on a point that can seem like a rant and it probably is.  Get through the passion and learn about what your choices are to become a healthier person by making healthy food choices.


You will be encouraged to shop your local growers, cook your own food, and spend a little less time doing mindless activities and more time being productive with your time.  


Don't just take my word for it, read it.  If my close friends and neighbors want to borrow my copy, you are more than welcome.  I also encourage you to watch some Youtube clips of Joel Salatin to get a feel for the kind of man he is and the type of farm he runs.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIbXU5iR2P4&noredirect=1

Reading this or watching a few clips may also give you a little insight into the kind of person I am as well.  Have fun!

Being Rooted

While waiting for the computer to boot up this morning, I picked up this little devotional booklet off the shelf next to the computer.  God's Little Lessons on Life by Honor Books was given to me as a Christmas gift.  I will pick this up and am always pretty happy with the words I find there.  This morning was a loneliness focus and featured one of my favorite passages from Romans 8:35-39.  I love the way the cadence of that passage reads and just drives the point home about separation.


My hunters hit the woods at this time of year and I don't see them for a week until we are reunited for a Thanksgiving feast.  My youngest came home this year to go to school this week so it has not been as quiet as it usually would be.  With the dog gone I am glad to have the empty corners filled with her movement in the house.


I would like to share the words from the devotion with you this morning as loneliness can take many forms.  We have to be careful that we do not set ourselves up for those empty spaces in our lives if we have a choice.  I am going to give it to you straight from the book.


Being Rooted


The next time you visit a very dense forest, try to imagine what is taking place under your feet. Scientists now know when the roots of trees come into contact with one another, a substance is released which encourages the growth of a particular kind of fungus.  This fungus helps link roots of different trees-even those of dissimilar species.  If one tree has access to water, another to nutrients, and a third to sunlight, the fungus enables the transfer of these items to trees that may be in need.  Thus, the trees have the means of sharing with one another to preserve them all.


Our culture today applauds individualism.  However, it tends to isolate people from one another and cut them off from the mainstream of life.  With more and more people working at home or in walled offices and with schedules crammed tighter than ever with work and activities, feelings of loneliness are more likely to increase than decrease.  Don't allow isolation to overcome you!


Reach out to other.  Begin to give where you can.  Learn to receive when others give to you.  Build a network of friends, not just colleagues.  And above all, root yourself into a group that nourishes and builds you up spiritually-your church.


I love the lessons that nature gives us and this was one that really hit the spot.  I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving and find true togetherness in your relationships with those around you.

Saving Seed and other gathering notes

I wanted to share a website for those of you who have asked me about saving seed.  I see no reason to repeat information on the web when someone else has done so much better than I could ever hope.  There is still time to squirrel away some seeds from your garden for planting next year.


Check out http://howtosaveseeds.com/index.php

You will not be disappointed by the information you find there and there is also a contact section if you have any other questions.


Happy hunting to all my orange clad friends in Wisconsin this weekend.

On a slightly divergent topic but right in line with hunting and gathering is that the fall mushroom season is not over.  I am a very novice shroomer but do know a few of the basics that I can't mess up like puff balls, shaggy manes, and morels (spring).  I found some shaggy manes during work while checking over the city vacant lots for trash and tree work.  They were prime for the picking and I did.  At another vacant lot, I had several shrubs growing over the alley line and had to cut them back for clearance.  When I cut off some of the juniper branches, they were loaded with juniper berries.  I have started collecting some each year as they are used when making homemade corned beef.  (Check out Alton Brown's recipe on the Food Network website.)  They are also great when used in a rub with fresh rosemary, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper.  Jamie Oliver from the Cooking Channel crushed everything together and rolled a venison tenderloin in the rub before cooking it.  I did the same for my family and it was really good.  

As you can tell, you don't have to go to the woods to find good things to eat.  I have found puff balls right in our park during early morning dog walks.  Ferns immerging in the spring produce delicate fiddle heads for sauteing.  I have also pulled the young perslane which grows like a weed in my beds and steamed it (taste like spinach).  Dandelion greens provided the first fresh greens of spring for the early pioneers.  My mother had us collect the yellow part of the flowers for homemade dandelion wine (we had to pull them off the green parts as we picked as the green makes a bitter wine).  Kids are notorious for eating their way through the berry patch and we were no different.  Raise your kids like this is normal and they will be more open to new tastes.

Enjoy the final days of autumn and forage for those late season finds.  Who doesn't like free food?

More end of the season!

Just when I think I have everything under control, the leaves begin to fall and the plants start to die back.  It is then that I realize I have to make a decision...do I clean out the garden this fall or wait until spring.  Since the city will pick up leaves and other garden debris in fall free of charge the decision has become easier now that they charge for the special pick ups at any other time of the year.  I do compost quite a bit of the garden debris, but the tomato plants which can perpetuate diseases in the compost and other items that are closer to the curb than the compost are soon headed in that direction.


We had incredibly warm temperatures this weekend and no rain in the forecast, so this was the ideal moment.  Two days of pulling, cutting, moving, and toting became a united effort with my husband providing occasional support.  He had his list to get through with leaves in the gutters and a trailer to tuck away for winter.  I was grateful for every minute he was able to give.  I floated over into his duties as well, and we even got some help from our adult daughter and her boyfriend with the trailer.  Before long everything was done.  Hot baths and carry out pizza filled out the day.  It is good to have family involved with the tasks that we tackled alone when the kids were small.  Oh, they came out and raked leaves, but only to jump in the pile and scatter it again.  I enjoyed those days just as much as having their help this weekend.


The weather man is calling for low 30's and showers this evening and there were a few tasks still on my list.  I made the final run with the trowel and shovel and planted my garlic in the vegetable garden, muscari in the annual garden, and snow drops are under the sod where the dog used to lay and rest.  I moved the last of the herbs and perennials to other spaces that I had decided on earlier in the season to reduce crowding.  It feels good to have erased so many things off my list in that short period of daylight that was left after work. 


My first seed catalog arrived this weekend so it is time to start thinking ahead to next year while all my thoughts are still close to the surface.  It is a months long process in the planning, so it is never too early.  Grab a cup of hot tea and dream of what your summer garden is going to be with me.

When I'm not gardening...

When I'm not gardening, I am probably still spending some time outdoors.  My job has taken me outdoors most of my life, my childhood was spent running through the woods behind our town or swimming in the lakes and streams, and my hobbies are mostly outdoor related (I even love to cook outdoors).  If I can find a nice spot to take lunch outside, I do.

Milwaukee is not lacking for places to be outdoors.  Situated on Lake Michigan, one of the five Great Lakes, it has wonderful panoramic views of water.  Even on the days when the lake is wild with wind and rain, it is an awesome sight to see.  The boats are all coming out of their docks for the winter, but you still see a few brave souls out for a day trip fishing or just taking in the last days before ice stops it all.  If I can spend just 15 minutes looking out at the water, my mind and body get a recharge to get through the rest of the afternoon.

I live in a neighborhood with other people who also enjoy the outdoors.  I am fortunate to live in an urban area with many parks and recreation areas.  A park is right outside my kitchen window.  It attracts all kinds of people that enjoy its woods and stream packed into its 13 acres as an urban oasis.  There are the playground amenities which attract the younger crowd.  The trails that loop through the rest of the park bring in the dog walkers and exercise seekers. I can put on a pair of cross country skis at the end of my driveway and head out on to our own trails that we break.  In the warmer months we like to head down to the lake and put on in-line skates and enjoy the view.

It seemed only natural that gardening would become a big part of my life.  The natural world is forever changing around us and has so much to teach us.  If you lay down in the grass and just look closely at what is under your nose, you will be amazed!  Life is busy happening at the lowest levels, especially if you choose a spot that has been treated with chemicals to eliminate it.  

My favorite spot to be is anywhere outdoors with my family.  I love to travel and camp.  We have stayed in several states and met lots of different people along the way.  Our favorite vacations by far are those that we have very little planned and can spend time relaxing wherever our wheels take us.  It seems the simpler the surroundings, the better we connect.  The week we spent without any power other than the bathroom building was certainly one of our more memorable vacations with two teenage girls and their low battery cell phones.

Get out and get some fresh air today!  Spend some time away from the tube and connect with the people in your life.  Make some memories for your kids to share with their kids after you're gone.  Just like the gardens we leave behind, they can continue to grow over time.

Cuttings and transplanting

Many people will tell you that the key to propagating your own plants is sanitation.  This starts with the place where you keep your plants as well as the plants themselves.  If you have plants that are diseased, bug-infested, or in generally bad condition, these are not the plants you want to propagate.  I would rather go without than deal with nursing along a lost cause.  A 10% bleach solution is good for your plant tables, pots and trays.  With my plant table right next to my laundry tubs, I have a large basin to soak the pots for 10 minutes before rinsing and drying.

 I choose to purchase a premixed, sterilized potting mix.  If you have ever put soil into the oven to sterilize it, you know that it better be warm and breezy so the windows can be wide open.  There is a lot of organic matter in garden soil that you are cooking to sterilize.  It also tend to be a bit heavy.  A lighter medium is desired during winter months so you do not have waterlogged plants.  This can lead to rot and low viability.

If you have made and rooted you cuttings the next is transplanting.  Choose the best of you cutting for the best stock plants.  The cutting on the right may live, but do you really want to put soil, time, and effort into something barely making it now?  The compost pile is the best place for these.

Choose the right size container.  It is always best to start small and work you way up.  Plants develop a stronger root system much faster when they are in a container that allows for some root expansion, but not too much.  Transplanting up into larger pots later is a better route.  This will also help you cull out the less desirable cuttings as you go along so your stock is the best that it possibly can be.

Two methods to root cuttings that I have used this fall are pots with half soiless mix topped with the other half as sand and the old water in a jar.  You can also go directly into flats with mix only, but then be prepared to water more frequently as it will dry out faster.  You can use rooting hormone to speed the process up.  This is available in most garden supply centers, usually as a powder which you dip the plant stems in before placing in your pots.  A liquid which would be mixed with water and used to water the cuttings also works.  I use the hormone on my tougher cuttings, but use nothing on the tender stemmed plants.  Once your cuttings have formed roots like the prior photo they are ready for transplant.
Stay tuned for a future posting on saving your seed from plants for next year's crop.

Tortilla Soup

The end of the season tomatoes are ripening in numbers to great for just fresh eating, so it was time to get out the soup kettle and make some tortilla soup.  I first had this dish at a neighborhood pot luck and loved the simple deliciousness of this soup.  On a grocery shopping trip, I ran into the neighbor who made it and she was there to buy the ingredients to make a large kettle for her daughter who was flying in from California.  Priscilla and I walked through the store as she put all the ingredients in her cart, while I wrote each one down on the back of my list.  By the time we were done, I had a memorable shopping trip and a new recipe.

We have made the soup many times since and have varied it only slightly depending on what is actually in the house when I make it.  When someone is under the weather, we call it the healing soup since it has so many tomatoes in it.  The recipe calls for canned tomatoes, but I will use fresh tomatoes that I blanch and peel before dicing and use slightly less water than I would add with canned.

Tortilla Soup

2   28 oz each canned tomatoes

water each can filled once

4-5 sprigs of cilantro, chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2-3 cloves of garlic, diced fine

1 jalepeno pepper seeded and diced

3 chicken bouillon cubes or equivalent of powdered

2-3 raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 pound frozen corn

Shredded cheddar cheese

corn tortilla chips

lime wedges

Cut up tomatoes to a medium diced size (1/2" or so).  Add to kettle with water, cilantro, cumin, garlic, jalepeno, bouillion, and chicken.  Cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for at least one hour.  I make this in the slow cooker and will let it go all day on low or 3-4 hours on high.  Add frozen corn and heat thoroughly.  Add additional spices to taste.  Serve with cheese and tortilla chip sprinkle on top with a lime wedge squeezed in as well.  Make about 5 quarts of soup.

If you have leftovers and can't eat them all, this soup freezes well.  Do it in serving size portions to put in a lunchbox or a quick dinner instead of fast food.  Enjoy the recipe as much as we have.

Season's End

With the days now shorter than our nights, we are still trying to stretch out the time with our yard lights to get our gardens to bed for the winter.  I was out in my own yard working and could hear the swish of the rake next door.  Gardeners do not give up easily.  

I picked my tomato plants clean before the cold rains of autumn came this past week.  I lay them in garden flats lined on the bottom with newspaper and the green ones will get a layer on top as well to help them ripen indoors.  These were brought in about a week before the picture was taken and there were only some blush colored tomatoes at that time.  You can see that they will continue to ripen indoors.  That is how you get your tomatoes at the market.  They are not red, ripe beauties before they are shipped.  The newspaper helps protect the fruit from bruising and adding a sheet on top helps keep the ethylene gas around the fruit to help them ripen.  I can now can, freeze, eat, or share from my basement stores.

 I finished moving in the plants I plan on overwintering indoors and made the last of the cuttings off the plants that I will let freeze in the ground.  The time has come to bring in the canna tubers, begonia bulbs, and all other corms that you have to keep indoors until next spring.  My neighbor who was out raking, will pull out her geraniums and put them right into brown paper bags until repotting them next spring.  If you do bring plants indoors, remember to keep them isolated for at least a week to keep the rest of the indoor plants pest free.  

I also enjoy the last of the cut flowers from my garden by bringing in the best blooms in vases.  I love the combination of unusual flowers that brighten a corner of the room during our dark nights.

There are those hardier plants, such as flowering kale and mums which we can enjoy a little longer.  I grew this kale from seed from Pine Tree Gardens this year.  I kept it in pots so I could move it into the garden this fall, but couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong because it looked nothing like the flowering kale I am used to seeing.  It wasn't until I was looking at a friend's Facebook pictures of her vacation and saw kale in a farm market that looked similar that I remembered my kale is a cut-flower variety that looks similar to a rose.  I immediately went out and dumped my drooping caladium out of its urn (and took inside for winter storage).  I layered all the potted kale into the urn until all 18 plants made a living bouquet for my front entry.  I expect it to last for a good long while into the cold.
After trudging around in the cold and rain to do your last minute gardening, take a hot bath, and curl up with a hot drink and a good book...about gardening, of course!

My favorite plants 2011

As a gardener who also spent 20 years working in a greenhouse, I have some favorites that I have grown for many years.  I also have some new favorites each and every year because I can't stay away from the garden centers. I love to check out the new developments as well as discover some  plants that have been around for awhile but are just getting recognized for their simple beauty all over again.  This is a collection of the plants that I really enjoyed in my garden this year.

Lisianthus and heliotrope were paired in a pot with the new petunia on the scene, Pinstripe.  The Pinstripe was beautiful for the first half of summer and then fizzled in the heat.  The lisianthus and heliotrope I found in 4 packs at my favorite local garden shop, Luxembourg Greenhouses, and they started off slow because of their size, but soon grew into a beautiful plant and with the heliotrope, wonderfully scented.  The lesson here is instant gratification is not always what is is cracked up to be.  I spent more on the one petunia, which I did enjoy while it lasted then I did on the eight other plants which were no where near bloom when I purchased them.

I was also fortunate to find Merlin Blue petunias in the 4 packs of which I bought two for the front entry.  They took off and provided the best scent I have ever had at my front entry.  It was like the lilacs did not stop blooming this year.  They also performed great most of the summer but were over-run with the alysum that I directed seeded with them as well as the heat and drought.  Since the alysum still looks good and also has a nice scent I am alright with the loss.  The direct seed was definitely the right move rather than plant purchase for them.  Try that one for yourself.

Nasturtiums have been in my garden for years.  I have tried many varieties and hands-down my true favorite is Whirlybird.  The plants mound nicely, are prolific bloomers, and can be started easily from seed.  The flowers are edible as well as the newly formed seed pods which are a substitute for capers.  See the blog on edible flowers for more information.

Coleus are a staple plant in my yard.  The foliage comes in so many colors and textures to please just about anyone.  Pictured here is one of the newer varieties, Henna.  Henna is nice with its bi-colored foliage, yellow-green on top and purplish on the lower.  The fringed foliage is also nice for texture in the landscape.  The leaves really show off their color when they are blowing in the breeze.  My other all-time favorite is Alabama Sunset.  The leaves vary in color from the center and leaf base out just like a sunset in colors of yellow, orange and pink.  Coleus are not affected adversely by high nitrogen like most flowers because the foliage is its main feature.

Alpine strawberries came into my garden last year when a co-worker started some seeds and had great success with germination.  He shared his bounty with the rest of us.  The plants were so tiny to start, I found it hard to believe they would actually become anything.  I moved the starts from cell packs into plastic window boxes.  I enjoy the few berries as they come right in the garden (there is a total of 16 plants in two boxes each 3' long).  I put the boxes directly into the soil for winter and pulled them out in the spring.  They were kept close to the garden hose for watering.  The berries are small and you must wait for them to be totally red for the best sweetness.  The fall berries have been the best tasting bites I have ever had.  The concentrated flavor and sweetness is worth the small harvest.  My daughter, Elizabeth, has enjoyed them most of the summer as they produce all season long.  I think they are worth looking into for their unique qualities.

If you have been reading my blog at all you KNOW tomatoes are on my list this year.  The small yellow Sungolds are the sweetest cherry tomato you will ever enjoy.  Wait for it to get to its orange-yellow stage for the best flavor.  Picking a few off the vine on my way in the door after work was a treat.  A bowl on the corner of my desk never saw the end of the work day with everyone stopping for a few.  The round Celebrity tomato is great for a full-size tomato.  An All-American Selection winner has great flavor with disease resistance.  The Roma rounds out my garden in the paste tomato category for reliability.

Beer-lover's edamame was a great producer this year.  I had enough to share and freeze.  If you can't find the seed (I got mine through Pinetree Gardens in Maine) edamame is also available in the freezer at the grocery store.  I will say no more as I dedicated a whole blog to the wonders of they humble soy bean already.
Who needs any more reason to enjoy a beer at the end of the day?

Purple trifiono pole beans have been in my garden for years.  I like pole beans as they take up very little space and produce for a long time.  They are still setting a few beans even with the cool, short days.  They were the last thing I gave my dog, Jake, before our last trip to the vet as they were also his favorite.  The purple beans make picking them easier as they do not blend in with the leaves like green beans do.  Pole beans, in general, sell out earlier so I make sure my order gets in with these on the list.

This pot had three lovelies in it this year that are all worth mention.  The coral calibracoa is still in bloom (left side of pot).  On the right side of the pot is lantana with a bi-color bloom.  I plucked the plant out of the pot and brought it in the house for winter as the color was so unique and it performed wonderfully without much dead-heading.  The pink star-shaped flower in front is an ivy geranium which I have been propagating for a long time just to keep it in my garden pots.  The heat and drought have no effect on this reliable plant.  It also attracts hummingbirds to the backyard more than the hummingbird feeder does.

I will end my list of favorite plants with the Baby Tut papyrus that I enjoyed so much.  I had a King Tut last year that no matter what I did, kept blowing over and the stems would bend in the wind.  Baby Tut fit my smaller water feature better and was much sturdier.  It took a wild wind to blow it over and the stems stayed strong.  It was worth the money spent. I have decided to not try and over-winter this one and find it at the garden shop again next year.  I have to have some reason to shop for plants, don't I?




***I apologize if there are misspellings on plant names in this post.  Going out in the dark to verify all the spellings was not all that appealing.

The Farm Market

There are some people who love to shop.  It might be the mall or a big box store for them.  For me it is the farm market.  I love the sights, the smells, and the sounds of the market on a Saturday afternoon.

The West Allis Farmer's Market  has been around since 1919.  I have attended this market since moving to the south end of Milwaukee for 20 years.  It has evolved and change very little.  It got a face lift a few years ago, but much of it has remained unchanged.  It is open three days a week, Saturday being the most popular.  Everything is fresh, seasonal, and grown locally.  The venders are a cooperative which set their prices to ensure that the market remains competitive in quality, but allows the venders to make a profit at a fair market price.  The farmers are friends to each other and know what each offers.  What they don't have at their booth, they are willing to tell you where you might find it.

It is an open air market, so if it rains, you may get wet.  The farmers raise what they sell.  With little exception, most of the farmers grow within a short distance of Milwaukee County.  There are some that come in such as the woman with a cart outside the market with Michigan blueberries and peaches.  


It is not the kind of market that appeals to those who like to be seen, but those who are interested in getting good produce. The trucks line the inner aisles and load up the benches from the front.  The "remodel" of the market made breaks down the center so you could hop the rows easier.  There has been an influx of ready-made food venders and some meat and dairy options which vary from year to year.  There is also honey and maple syrup to be found on a regular basis.

The best part about the market is that the market opens at mid-day rather than morning.  Farmers bring their freshest picked produce that changes with the season.  It is a great time to teach kids about the seasonality of produce.  Watermelons in winter are not normal, or even in June.  You have to wait for late summer to get the best melons.  Greens and asparagus are the first offerings of spring, followed by peas, rhubarb, and radishes.  You can see where this is going, I hope.  In order for us to have these things other than when they are ready locally, they have to be shipped long distances over time.  Fresh produce out of season is not fresh produce.

Another great thing about the farm market is the ability to really interact with the people who grow the food you are about to buy.  So many of the farmers are willing to share tips with novice gardeners.  They also are willing to answer you questions about how to prepare things, what else is coming in to season soon, and how much longer some items will be available.  If you aren't sure what an apple is like, many farmers will offer you some suggestions and hand you an apple to try, FREE!  Try that at your local grocery and see how it goes over with the produce manager.

There is a so many things to see and smell.  It is a wonderful combination that make me smile just to be there.  Find your local farm market and go.  It isn't just about buying food, it is about being a part of a community.

Herman Comfort the singing corn salesman

The man who sings to you when you buy your corn, and the man who gives the rest of his away at the end of the day.  That is the kind of community I want to be a part of!