Fall Update: Hurricane, Harvest and Hen Hierarchy

Now that Hurricane Sandy has passed, life is finally getting back to normal.  Our area was hit hard, but we were lucky – just a few tree limbs down and power disrupted for 5 days.  School was cancelled all last week and again Monday  – this made my kids very happy until they were reminded that they may still be attending in July to make up the extra days.  We’re still waiting in line for gas, but it seems like a small thing to endure when others in the NYC area are contending with such major losses.  There are at least 30,000 newly homeless in NYC right now and people are still having trouble getting around. We count our blessings with every news bulletin.

This was the last weekend for the community garden – everything needed to be out of the plots Nov. 4. I harvested lots of fennel, savoy cabbage, beets, Brussels sprouts, radishes, kale, lettuce, parsley and dill.  Plus a nice bunch of very fragrant sage given to me by a neighbor.     

I’m hoping some it holds out til Thanksgiving. 

An experiment – I took the fennel roots, cut the stalks, and replanted them in my perennial bed.  Since it’s one of the hardier vegetables, I’m hoping to get a head start on some for next spring.  German hardneck garlic and tulip bulbs were also planted this weekend. 

I don’t believe I’ve introduced you to my three new white chickens.   I adopted them from a man who decided he didn’t want to keep them through the winter.  Since they were originally purchased to amuse his grandchildren, I thought it only appropriate to name them after the kids: Hayden, Allison and Kaitlynn.   

Don't ask me which is which!

I was a little anxious about how they’d get along with the four current residents, especially Harley, a bantam Silver Spangled Hamburg, whose head is often plucked bare of feathers by the bigger girls.  She tried so hard to assert herself.  She was the first to confront the new hens – she fluffed up her feathers and boldly attacked.  They weren’t afraid of her though, and she’s still the little picked-on, bullied runt around here. 

It’s especially sad that she seems to be exiled from the coop.  It's like she has cooties.  The six others will typically squeeze into one coop, leaving Harley alone in the other one – even though 4 is supposed to be the maximum in one coop.  Poor Harley.  (She’s named after Harley Quinn, of “Batman” fame.  Guess who named her!?)  I’m trying to think of ways to give her more status and some roommates.    

I was so happy about the election results!  But would love to know why Prop 37 was defeated in California!  I find it very surprising because I thought they would be more progressive.  I heard there were ads.  If anyone knows where I can see one of these opinion-swaying ads, please leave me a link.  To learn more about the campaign for GMO labeling, visit www.justlabelit.org.

Pea Season: Edibles in Progress

"Super Sugar Snap" Pea flower

Several 3-4 day bouts of rain this past month have made the ground soggy. The plants, for the most part, are loving it, though.  Especially the weeds!  This is always a tough time of year because signs of bounty are visible but not yet harvestable.  What can you do? Wait, pace, ponder and pinch the bugs off.



Asian Pear (3-in-one)

In March I planted 4 fruit trees in the backyard plot:  Lapin Cherry, Sunhaven Peach, Stanley Plum and a 3-in-1 grafted Asian Pear, an “orchard starter” pack from Miller Nurseries.   All seem to be leafing out just fine, but a couple of them aren’t getting as much sun as I’d like.  Time to think about clearing some trees, I'm afraid.

I’m so excited to finally be getting some grapes on my 4 year old concord grape vine!  It was not happy in a container on the deck but seems to be thriving planted up against my chainlink fence on the side of the house. 

They're flowering now and I see a lot of grape leaf moth larvae(?) on them.  I tried to spray them off with the hose, but they're destroying the leaves.   And I may have to deal with birds at some point.  

These are wild “wineberry” raspberries that grow like crazy in every untamed area near here. 

Whenever I find one in my yard, I plant it along the side fence.  They’re doing much better than the “Carolina” raspberries that I got at the plant sale last year. 

In my backyard raised beds I have “Super Sugar Snap” and “Blauschokker Blue” purple-podded peas, spinach, garlic and arugula. 


Sweet peas for the sweet

In the wine bottle bed, chives, lemon balm, mint, and oregano.   

I've started harvesting strawberries, too. 

"Blauschokker Blue" pea flower

On the deck I planted an old BBQ grill with lettuce and kale.  I pick a few leaves from here daily for sandwiches.  I have mostly flowers up here, but horseradish and Anise Hyssop and two kinds of thyme are growing in containers here, too. 

I planted "Bluecrop" and "Misty" blueberries in the barrell planter on the deck.  It's a small but nice-looking crop this year.

Almost forgot the figs.  Both “Brown Turkeys” are leafing out and I see a few baby figs on the way – not as many as I’d hoped for, though.

In the community plot I also have some very peppery “rocket” arugula, “Bright Lights” swiss chard, “North Pole” lettuce, mesclun mix, “Purple Dragon” and “Scarlet Nantes” carrots, “French Breakfast” and “Rattail” radishes, Lilac, Orange, Red and Green peppers.  My pepper plants looked like they were going to succumb to a fungus last week, but I pruned them pretty ruthlessly and sprayed them with an organic fungicide and they seem to have recovered.

Some of my tomato varieties this year are “Ramapo” “Rutgers” "Big Beef" “Beefsteak” “Early Girl” and “Best Boy” .  

I have zucchini, “Bush Delicata” , “Buttercup” squash, “Minnesota Midget” cantaloupe, “Banana Melon” and “Miniature Watermelon” started.   The “Banana Melon” seeds are not germinating well at all, and both the melon and cantaloupe seeds have been eaten by slugs(?) I'm guessing.  If anyone has any tips for getting these up and running, please pass them on!

“Japanese Long” and “American Slicing” and “Lemon” cucumbers are ready to climb up an old baby gate. 

Herbs in the community plot so far this year are cilantro, “Pineapple” mint and lemon thyme.  More blue peas and some “Scarlet Runner” beans climbing up the little teepee.  

Leah, sunbathing

The weeds were completely out of control so I put a weed block down on the paths and am slowly adding more mulch from the chicken coops.  Unfortunately, the girls can only produce it so fast...and then it has to compost.  So I'm supplementing with bag mulch too.

It's always exciting to see all the plots come together in the community garden.  Fun to see (and envy!) all the different designs and techniques.  Visit my neighbor Dr. Duncan Bell's blog, and check out his cool auto-gardens, too!  

Early July Harvest Video

For most of the month of June, I got a handful of strawberries every other day or so, too.  They seem to be all gone now, even though I planted both June bearing and everbearing varieties. 

What are you harvesting these days?  Head over to Daphne's Dandelions on "Harvest Monday" to see what people are pulling out of the ground elsewhere!

Homemade Root Beer

When a spot opened up on the annual "Botanical Walk" at Ramapo College, offered to our garden club by the fascinating Dr. Susan Petro, I decided to go again, and once again, became intrigued by the Sassafras albidum plant that she showed us.  Sassafras, which grows wild in my backyard, used to be used to flavor root beer.  However, large amounts given to rats were found to cause cancer, so its use as a flavoring was forbidden by the FDA in 1976.  File powder, used to make gumbo and other cajun dishes, is made by drying and grinding up the leaves, which are not as toxic.

The roots smell amazing!

Of course, nothing more needed to be said to make me slightly obsessed with breaking the rules and trying a brew from this "forbidden" root that was so conveniently growing 20 feet from my back door.  Why? Why even bother with it when it could be so dangerous?   Well, I did some research and nothing I read convinced me that I'd be taking my life into my hands by introducing a small amount of sassafras, just this one time, to my already embattled liver.   However, please consider this a warning and imbibe at your own risk. 

You can recognize sassafras by the leaves, which have 3 shapes - triple lobed, double lobed or "mitten" shaped, and unlobed.

Anise Hyssop

Since I was going to use only a small amount of sassafras, I thought I should probably flavor the root beer with a few other things:  anise hyssop leaves - also very easy to find in my yard, since it re-seeds so prolifically, star anise, chai tea (mostly for color), brown sugar, vanilla and molasses.  Other possible additions to a custom root beer brew could include ginger, clove, orange or citrus oil, wintergreen and cinnamon.

Star anise

Root Beer Recipe
20 inches of cleaned sassafrass root
20 anise hyssop leaves, washed
1 chai teabag
1/4 cup star anise
2 tsp. vanilla
1.5 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp molasses
carbonated water

Start by making the brew:  cover the sassafras root, anise hyssop leaves and star anise with 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil.  Add the teabag and steep until the brew is a nice brown color (about 10 minutes), then remove the teabag.  Cover the brew and allow to steep and cool overnight. 

The next day strain out the solids.  Add 2 t. of vanilla, 1.5 cups of brown sugar, and 2 Tbsp. of molasses.  Stir well to dissolve and heat the mixture to boiling.   Continue to boil, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes or until the mixture is reduced by half- you will have a sweet, root beer flavored syrup. 

The syrup can be added to carbonated water in any proportion you like. (If you have a Penguin or SodaStream, add the syrup as you would any of the other flavorings - you can play with the carbonation and proportions to suit your taste.)  I used about a cup of syrup to 3 cups of carbonated water.  

I always like to see the results of the taste tests done over at Serious Eats.  Here's the one they did for root beers.  What's your favorite kind of root beer?

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: Opening Presents

Raking the leaves off my garden beds feels a little like unwrapping gifts.  Dead leaves are the easiest, cheapest mulch available.  The leaves-as-mulch plan also provides a convenient excuse to be lazy about removing them -- with 40+ trees in the wooded area of our backyard, it’s a huge job.   Many will break down over the winter, but many will not, and their removal has only been postponed.  The leaves are now heavier, soaked with melted snow and rain, matted and muddy.  Underneath there are allium, crocus, hyssop and lavendar waiting to see the light of Spring.   Here are a few things happily released:

Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)

This plant re-seeds continously all summer, almost to the point of being invasive.  I love the look of the purple sprouts.  My kids call this the "root beer plant."  A good cocktail herb.

Strawberry (Fragaria Ananassa)
I planted some strawberries last year that seem to be coming back.  I don't remember what varieties (isn't that awful that I don't make a note of these things?) but I remember that I planted one June and one everbearing variety.  I will probably add a few more plants to this bed this year.

These are probably Allium hollandicum and will green up soon.

Tulips (tulipa)- I planted a black variety last fall - excited to see if they turn up.

Abbotsford Ivy (Hedera helix)-  above, an heirloom plant clipped from the Memorial Garden at Grace Church.  The winter seems to have heightened the contrasts. 

I was happy and surprised to see how well-preserved this liriope was, especially since I totally neglected it last summer.

Crocus - usually the first to bloom in my garden.  I try to add a few every year.

Lavendar (lavendula)- This plant hasn't quite taken off, but it hasn't died either.

I believe this is Sorrel  (Rumex acetosa), purchased from Hook Mountain Growers last year.  I remember Pam telling me that it would be among the first shoots out of the ground, and she was right!

This was Stella's last egg.  (Stella was my Speckled Sussex that got nabbed by a predator in January.)

Since I never found her body, I buried it in Yolanda's memorial garden, under this character. 

Hey!  It looks like I made the deadline for Garden Blogger's Bloom Day!  Think I'll head over to May Dreams Gardens and add my link.  Today, you'll find links there to gardens all over the world - check it out! and thanks, Carol, as always, for hosting!

Seed Inventory, Review & Offer

Last year I spent almost $100 on seeds. Too much, I think, although we did start lots in the school greenhouse that ended up in the courtyard -- and I have lots leftover to use this year.  Here's what's in my seed box ready to go:

Onion - Yellow ( Hybrid Granax) and Red Burgundy(Cebolla) - I will sow a few of these, but none of the onions got bigger than the width of a quarter, maybe because I planted them near the tall tomatoes where they got too much shade.   I may order some onion starts instead. 

Lettuce - Bibb (Lechuga) 

Arugula, wild - Very easy, hardy crop here.

Beet - Chicago Red (Remolacha) - took the greens at the end of the season, but the roots never got big enough.  Will try again.

Broccoli - DiCicco - this did fine in the school courtyard, poorly in my yard. 

Peas - Super Sugar Snap  - These always do very well on my deck.

Herbs - Italian Flat Leaf Parsley (Perejil), Purple Basil, Fennel, Italian Basil (tiny leaves) - all did well. 

Cucumber - Japanese Long, Straight Eight (from MeemsNYC), American Slicing - one of my best crops last year, despite the drought.  The Japanese Long did especially well.

Beans - Purple Hyacinth, Scarlet Runner - I grow these mostly for the flowers.  We're not big bean eaters. 

Peppers - Red Ruffles (sweet)  -  took a long time to ripen, but really tasty.   I also grew a hot cherry pepper that did well. 

Melon - Minnesota Midget (these are two years old, but I'm gonna try 'em) Only got a couple of melons per plant in summer of '09

Okra- Red - not abundant harvest, but very pretty and fun to grow. 

Gourds - Gooseneck Birdhouse - never got around to sowing

Squash - Waltham Butternut, Goldy Hybrid, Delicata, Sweet Dumpling, Pumpkin mix - I only harvested zucchini and Goldy this past summer.  I tried the winter squashes but they got eaten by vine borers.

Radish - Gourmet Rainbow, French Breakfast, Watermelon, Daikon 
All of these did well except for the Daikon.  The watermelons did especially well in the school courtyard where there's more sun. 

Tomato - Big Rainbow, Sungold, Brandywine, Cherokee Purple - all are saved and all will be grown again.  I'd also like another Yellow Pear plant this year.

Pineapple Ground Cherry - saved.  Loved growing this plant.

Cabbage - Drumhead Savoy. - These were started late and never quite got going. 

Flowers - Zinnia (saved), Sweet Pea (from Joan G.) Morning Glory, Lunaria, Tiger Lily, Sweet William, Love in a Mist (saved, Jannean), Black Eyed Susan vine, Tropical Milkweed (saved), Cleome (saved) Cardinal Climber Vine (saved), French Marigold (saved)

Since my backyard is so shady, I'm looking for another plot to farm.  If I get a community plot, I may plant some carrots this year.  I probably won't plant squash in the backyard this year, but would also put this in the community plot, if I get one.

Here's my wish list (which is pretty small this year so far, but I'm sure that'll change): Onion starts, cilantro, mint, hot peppers, zucchini, bolt resistant lettuce, kale, yellow pear tomato

I packaged up my 3rd generation French Marigold seeds to share - I have quite a few packets left.   People plant them around their vegetables because they're supposed to be especially effective against nematodes, and attract beneficial insects like lacewings, ladybugs and parasitic wasps.  They are also very easy to grow and bloom until November.   Just email me your address at nyackbackyard@gmail.com if you'd like a packet sent to you (while supplies last)!

Catalogs to Curl Up With: Richter's Herbs

This is the glorious time of year when the plant porn arrives, and gardeners start thinking about what will be planted in the coming months when the ground begins to thaw.    Every catalog offers something special, but I do have some favorites.  My budget only allows me to place a couple of orders, but I can dream. 

When it comes to growing edibles, I admit that I’m attracted to the exotic.  Did you know that there are 7,000 species of food plants, but only 140 are cultivated commercially and most of the world’s food supply depend on just 12?    Anybody can find a spearmint or peppermint plant at their local Home Depot, but Richter’s has 38 varieties of mint.  They're also starting a Seed Zoo, hiring explorers to act as seed “curators,” travelling around the world to obtain landraces – plants with unique features found in only one region or sometimes in just one village.   They'll make these seeds available in limited quantities online.

My heart gives a little jump when the Richter's catalog arrives, because I know that I'll see something new.  Maybe I can’t grow them all here in zone 6A, but they’re fun to read about anyway.   Here are some highlights from this year’s catalog.  If you’ve had experience with any of them, I’d love to hear about it.

Andrographis – the main herb used to fight the common cold in Scandanavia “better than echinacea.”   Annual.

Bacopa – I grew the ornamental bacopa last year.  This variety, monniera, is medicinal, treating hysteria and insanity.  May be good to have on hand.

Sweet Salad Basil – leading variety for commercial dried spices, with a cinnamon-clove note.



Yellow bedstraw



Bedstraw Yellow – curdles milk!  Also known as cheese rennet.  Tops and roots are source of yellow and red dyes.

Rose Scented Bergamot (monarda)– a perrenial in my zone.  Source for tea and potpourri.  Pretty pink flowers.

Jewelweed

Jewelweed – the antidote to poison ivy.  Must have.

Arp Rosemary – the hardiest variety of rosemary.  Reliable to zone 7 and can live in 6 with protection.

Chia – seeds are considered a “superfood” full of nutrients.

Bayberry – Aromatic shrub.  May go for the plant since it sounds like seeds are hard to germinate.



Edelweiss



Edelweiss – Sentimental.  I sang this song to the E. girl when she was tiny, tiny. Sounds like it’s easy to grow, and medicinal.

Yellow Foxglove – One of my favorite flowers and does well in shade.  Yellow would be so pretty.

Wild Ginger – a.k.a Indian Ginger.  Perennial in my zone.

Golden Hops – I’ve been told these annual vines will grow fast and would like to try them on my deck arbor.



Hops



Piss- Off  Plant – they recommend planting this where you don’t want dogs or cats to pee or dig.   Only perennial in zone 11+

Orange Spice Thyme – with 24 varieties of thyme it’s hard to choose, but this is a Richter’s “exclusive.”

Right now I’m just browsing – I probably won’t place any orders until next month.  But until then, I’m curious…What are you excited about planting this year?

 Order a Richter's Catalog on this webpage.

June Vegetable Garden Update

How sad to have to call something a failure so early in the growing season. So let's just get it over with, okay? Spinach.  It is so ugly that I'm not even gonna show you a photo.  It's 5 inches tall with flowers and leaves that are only about 2 inches big.  I think I have to face the fact that the bed I'm now using for my lettuces and other greens is having a serious sun crisis. Or maybe the soil is not so great - I need to have it tested again. Truthfully, nothing growing here looks the way it should and the lettuces that were sown in March look okay but are tasting pretty bitter.  So it's time to rip out and re-sow. What should I use this bed for now?

The cabbage...

....These are radishes....

(I decided to let them bolt and flower so that I could harvest the pods.)

Just about the only thing doing okay in this bed is the Swiss chard.  I grew the "Bright Lights" variety and it's coming up in yellow, red, white and pink.

. 

In other news, the tomatoes are all staked or caged. 

The most promising clump seems to be some San Marzanos I purchased from Hook Mountain Growers.  Everything is flowering and setting fruit.

I've already harvested some garlic and the cucumbers and squash are beginning to flower. I'm growing Goldy, Sweet Dumpling, Delicata, Black Zucchini and a pumpkin mix.

A couple of peppers are almost ready. 

I've got two kinds of arugula growing and have harvested it twice in recent weeks. 

Up on the deck, it looks like I may get more figs than last year on my little fig tree ("Brown Turkey"). It had to be taken into the garage over the winter, and watered periodically, but it came back in full force.

I decided I wanted some of my most favorite and frequently-used herbs handy on the deck and planted a few containers.  This whiskey barrel has cauliflower, okra, sunflowers and violas, and the blue one has zinnia, basil, spearmint and chamomile. 

The sugar snap peas yield a nice handful or two every day.  They're not as pretty as they were a month ago, but lots of flowers are still coming.  These are Miss B's favorite. 

The kale continues...

I don't know about you, but I'm anxious for that first tomato.  Have you had one yet?  And if so, what kind and where did it come from?