Grading the Garden 09

Gawrsh its been a long time since I’ve done a gardening post. I kinda put the growing things aside during the holidays, but now that the seed catalogs are arriving, it’s time to start thinking about putting in an order. But before I do that, I’m looking at what I planted this past year in my zone 6 vegetable garden and trying to decide what’s worth repeating. Here’s a partial list, with grades, of what I grew this year. (BTW, if you are new to my blog, you may not know that this past year’s “Purple Paisley” garden was inspired by Prince, who “introduced” my husband and I.)

Vegetables

Lettuce: Red Rosie(romaine) A+

Lettuce: Mascara- A+

Lettuce: Johnny’s Encore Mix - A

Beets: Chiogga - D – have not pulled up anything yet worth eating, but haven’t given up on them.

Snap peas: Sugar Ann - C – did not yield nearly as well as the climbers. Plus, Miss B. got to them.

Carrots: Purple Rain – B- beautiful and fun to grow, although stubby.

Carrots: Danvers - C – stubby, probably due to shallow bed

Arugula: Roquette - D – wrong variety, planted to late

Spinach and Kale: F- Both mysteriously disappeared (sob!) from this bed, which is known to have slugs. I may try these on the deck as well.

With the exception of the bush peas, I will be growing all of these crops again, plus swiss chard and kale. I need a new variety of arugula to try. I’ll be growing the climbing peas on a trellis on my deck like in previous years.

Tomato: Celebrity - A

Tomato: Purple cherokee - A

Tomato: Vintage Wine – A-

Tomato : large husky red - B

Tomato: Sweet 100- A

Tomato-: Italian Tree – B

Tomato : Ponderosa – B

Tomato-: Jet Star - B

Red Pepper: Carmen - C

Green Pepper: Giant Jalapeno – B

Purple peppers: Lilac – B

Broccoli: F- eaten by slugs, didn’t produce flowers.

Edamame: Green Envy (this was fun to try, but you really need a large space to get a good yield. I'll probably plant the leftover seeds I have in the school courtyard.)

I’m going to limit myself to heirloom varieties of tomatos this year, and maybe a few hybrids that I already have seeds for. I’m moving the broccoli onto my deck to keep the slugs out of it and also because I’ve decided I really like the way it looks (I tried some on my deck in an earthbox during the late part of the season and it did very well and only just wilted due to frost). 

Cucumber: Organic – A

Cucumber: Seedless - B

Zucchini Squash: Cashflow – A

Canteloupe – Minnesota Midget - C- planted too late but managed to produce a few

Garlic TBD – planted in October

Potatoes – TBD –Remember my potato experiment? Nothing yet.

Snake Gourds A – fun. Definitiely want to experiment with more gourds.

I’ll be growing all of these again except for canteloupe, which isn’t space efficient enough for me. The snake gourds were planted on the deck – I may try the gourds on my arbor this year instead.   I'm also going to try some yellow and winter squashes.



Herbs:

Basil: Purple – B – not as pest resistant as the other varieties.

Basil: Italian - A

Lemon Verbena: A

Catmint: B

Lavendar – C

Dill – D for died

Vietnamese Cilantro – A

Flat Giant Parseley – A

Sage (reg and purple) –A

Lemon Thyme - A

Chives – TBD

Marjoram – TBD

I’ve decided to take out both the lemon verbena and the anise hyssop and put them somewhere else because I haven’t used them at all for cooking. In this bed I really want to focus on things I use and cook with frequently. I guess I just don’t like sage all that much. I thought I’d be using it more for the holidays, but it’s still uncut. I guess I don’t even like basil that much –it’s always so strong and overpowering. I used mostly mint, parseley, oregano, cilantro and the lemon thyme this year. Would like to grow more mint.


Flowers:

Milkweed: Tropical – A – slow to get started but spectacular and long-blooming when they came around.

Allium: Purple Sensation –A - wonderful deer-resistant bulbs to plant here.

Morning Glories: Tall Mix – A, but I’m sick of them.

Scarlet Runner and Purple Hyacinth Beans – B – grown for the last two years. Fun to grow, but may give them a rest.

Sunflowers: B – I always plant a mix packet and usually end up with about 10 flowers (I suspect hungry birds). I’m happy with them but would like to increase the yield, so will try starting more in the greenhouse.

Zinnia: Candy Stripe – C – planted late, but loved ‘em when they finally got here,though small.

Sorry I wasn't real specific with some of the seed varieties and sources.   If you're interested in a particular variety, or source, let me know and I'll give you any info I can.  Or, if you have any suggestions for me for next year, I would love to hear them.  This is only my second year growing most things, so I'm eager to hear from others - in and out of zone 6 - who have had more and different experiences. What did well for you this year? Any "can't miss" cultivars I've neglected or warnings about what to stay away from?

Previous Posts
Grading Tomatoes 2008

Collecting The Night Before Christmas

from Richard Jesse Watson

Did you know that the famous poem by Dr. Clement C. Moore had a huge part in defining the “Santa” tradition in the U.S.? He was a native New Yorker who wrote it for his children in 1822 and titled it “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”  Before the poem was published, St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, had never been associated with reindeers, chimneys and a sleigh full of toys.

Even now, as my kids outgrow their belief in Santa, they still love reading the poem leading up to and on Christmas Eve, and each year we come close to memorizing it, only to forget it by the following December. My first copy might have been this one, done in cloth, that E got when she was a baby.

Here I am, thinking I had a very antique copy of the poem here. Actually, it's a reproduction from the New York Public Library. Look how Santa is dressed in this edition!

This version by the renowned pop-up artist Robert Sabuda quickly followed.

That got us hooked on collecting new versions, by different illustrators. It’s fun to see the different interpretations. Below, Jane Chambless.

Did you have any books when you were a kid that were illustrated by Leonard Weisgard? The Caldecott award winner was preeminent in his day – maybe best known for the many classic Golden Books he illustrated, and his collaborations with Margaret Wise Brown.

Speaking of Margaret Wise Brown, does this illustration from Grandma Moses remind you of another famous room in a children's storybook?

Bruce Whatley gets the reindeer award.

Some other favorites...

Check out the outstanding cutouts in this one by Niroot Puttapipat.

And here is another one by Grandma Moses.

By Matt Tavares

This edition from Chronicle Books, features lots of classics from bygone eras.

I have a few editions on my wish list: those by Tasha Tudor and Jesse Wilcox Smith. Maybe there are others I’m missing? Wouldn't it be great to have one by Edward Gorey, Dr. Seuss or Elizabeth Sayles?  And I wonder, if you could have one illustrated by an artist of your choice, who would it be?

Would you believe my youngest wore this getup to school today?

Wishing you all the happiness
the season will allow.

How to Make a Pinecone Wreath

Warning: this is the non-Martha way to do it. You are welcome to go to her site and find the “right” way to do it, using lots more wire and sheets of moss. This is the shortcut method for people whose cookies will burn or children will bleed if they get too caught up in craft projects.


Supplies needed:
About 3 quarts of pinecones per wreath
12” grapevine wreath frame (from craft store)
Small decorative ornaments, picks or bulbs
Glue gun and glue sticks
Floral wire – about 12 inches

1) Get the kids out from in front of the TV and send them out into the backyard or neighborhood with some bags to collect pinecones (and don't let them back into the house until they're found!).   If there are no trees near you producing pinecones, you can probably get them at your local craft store or Oriental Trading. Get a variety if you can. If the squirrels haven't taken all the larger acorns, they’re nice too.

2) Inspect for bugs. Not a bad idea to rinse them off. Lots of ours had a nice frosting of sap on them. I like this because it smells wonderful, but it can make them a little sticky. (or if you're like me you can break out in little red bumps wherever the sap touches you.  Small price to pay for beauty.)

3) Lay out the cones on the wreath and decide on your layout. They look nice 2 or 3-deep in a braid-like pattern.

4) Using the hot glue gun, make two dime-sized globs of glue on the top and bottom of the pinecone. Apply them to the wreath one at a time. (Note: Older kids can do this, but make sure they’re instructed on how to use the glue gun. It’s very easy to get a burn from hot glue, or by touching the wrong spot on the gun. Emergency room visits can ruin your night.)

5) Apply glue to the base of the ornament or pick. Find the ugly or empty spots in between the pine cones and fill them in. Acorns can be added now, too.

6) Take the wire and twist it so that it loops at one end. Tie the other two ends around the wreath so that the loop is in the back. The loop can be used to hang the wreath from a nail. Or you can skip this step and just hang it from the grapevine.

Now it’s just a matter of waiting until some kid slams the door a little too hard, dislodging the wreath, so it comes crashing down, making it necessary for you to re-glue a large percentage of loose pinecones. Have fun!

If you’ve ever had a regretable craft project, you have to see the snarky and hilarious blog, Regretsy. Where do they find this stuff? (They’re probably outside taking a photo of my wreath right now!)

Sandwiches and Santascones for Grandmama

Remember – with a little love, everyday things are fit for kings.

Show Grandmama you’ve been thinking of her. Surprise her. Make something special. Scones can be made ahead of time. Suppose Grandmama comes early and surprises you. Serve bread and butter sandwiches, tea or coffee.

Lovely Bread and Butter Sandwiches
Cut thin slices of bread. Use only the very best butter. Like the White Rabbit. But don’t put it in your watch like he did. Put it on the bread. Whip it first. So it will spread nicely.

Put two buttered slices together. Trim off the crusts. Cut from corner to corner. Place on square of foil. Wrap carefully. Make one for each person. Place on baking sheet in moderate over. About 10 minutes. Serve “gift wrapped” in foil.



Santascones
Sift together 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 5 teaspoons sugar, 3 teaspoons baking powder. With your fingertips (wash your hands!) rub 4 tablespoons butter into this. Beat 2 eggs, add ½ cup cream and pour into the flour mixture. Stir. On a lightly floured board, (did you wash your hands?) pat it out about ½ inch thick. Cut in fancy shapes. Brush tops with egg white.

Bake on cookie sheet in moderate oven 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with jam and marmalade.

Very good with spiced tea and gossip. Grandmama and Mother. Not you.

This recipe is an excerpt from my favorite holiday cookbook, A Child’s Christmas Cookbook, by Betty Chancellor, designed by Kay Obering and illustrated by Thomas Nast. It was published by the Denver Art Museum in 1964 in conjunction with an exhibit there. The recipes are all written in that spare, dry humorous way – and the pictures are totally charming. I can’t say the recipes are very contemporary, but it does give you a sense of how the Victorians might have celebrated.

I miss my grandmothers this time of year - it's something about the baking.

Lucy used to make these:

and Rose made pizzelles.

If you're baking anything fun right now - or if your grandma did -- I'd love to know about it!

Christmas Tree Rejects

Many family arguments have taken place over what constitutes the best-looking Christmas tree, but there are a few things we all agree on.


Too fat

Too skinny

Too Charlie Browny

Too pants-are-falling-down

Too sparse on top

Too “outsider art”

Too rotund

Too many gaps

Too “hurty”

Too blue

Too yellow

Too purple

Ahh, the perfect tree!

Tag ‘er up.

Speaking of things rejected, every year we TRY to get a nice Christmas card-worthy family portrait taken at the tree farm, and every year, for one reason or another, something goes a little goofy.

Why should this year be any different?

If you want to read a really lovely post about a christmas tree outing, check out this one by June at Four Green Acres.


See also:
Fox Ridge Christmas Tree Farm

Lugging Home the Tree

The Environmental Debate: Real v. Fake