tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23797706383568470832023-11-16T10:47:52.262-05:00Seedy Storiesas told by
The Cottage Gardenermary brittainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177576310355272108noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379770638356847083.post-17631802489468833122014-09-06T14:46:00.002-04:002014-09-06T14:46:55.723-04:00How To Save Tomato Seed<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXew3HlNVEqBSxCcZyaqjKBeGz2A-6Of7wEhaliSAUJW6JvsV9Fp45Sc0r6i0vI2yoMrlxORRwl6YE-yvsHUeVCKk3V0XW9PI2YET2JiXc9rl7eICEyHYRv_Em77fe1W0uHBsOxD5923jH/s1600/bonny-best-tomato-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXew3HlNVEqBSxCcZyaqjKBeGz2A-6Of7wEhaliSAUJW6JvsV9Fp45Sc0r6i0vI2yoMrlxORRwl6YE-yvsHUeVCKk3V0XW9PI2YET2JiXc9rl7eICEyHYRv_Em77fe1W0uHBsOxD5923jH/s1600/bonny-best-tomato-web.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bonny Best tomato</span></i></div>
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Tomato
seeds are often gardeners' first foray into seed saving. If you've
found a variety or two that you really like or that are hard to find,
you may want to save some seeds to ensure they continue to be part of
your garden. It is not difficult to save tomato seeds but there are a
few important steps to the process.
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First of all, you have hopefully planned for seed-saving
when you planted your garden and have ensured that the varieties you
want to save are sufficiently isolated from the rest of your tomato
crops. “Sufficiently isolated” is a tricky and contentious term
amongst tomato seed-savers: some people swear that they can grow
different varieties of tomatoes side-by-side and have no
cross-pollination; others advocate separating seed varieties by 150
ft or more. The key is the shape of the tomato flower. Although
considered self-pollinating, tomato flowers can have their stigmas
protruding past the anthers and, in these cases, they can be fairly
easily cross-pollinated by insects visiting from plant to plant. To
be safe, home gardeners saving seed just for themselves should
distance the tomato varieties from which they intend to gather seed
by at least 10 ft from other varieties.
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Tomatoes are harvested for seed at the same time you
would harvest them to eat – when they are fully ripe. Choose fruits
that are most representative of the specific variety and harvest
fruit from several plants to capture the best genetic profile. Next
comes the fun part – fermentation! This removes the
germination-inhibiting gel from around the seeds. It's a little messy
and a little stinky, but increases germination substantially so it's
well worth it.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQ2YE0vt4taJupzkIQkFcYb42E-Y_qPWqpLZccYJNasTjSTyv3zaCr65-6mrSnEXuvMkYWcHyWE97ZOm7485C_4cnLIguJm9qnpzY62G7ZJQK0C7e3EOjeYVWXBVhHCK0TyMF1Rd6K20F/s1600/bonny-best-1-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHQ2YE0vt4taJupzkIQkFcYb42E-Y_qPWqpLZccYJNasTjSTyv3zaCr65-6mrSnEXuvMkYWcHyWE97ZOm7485C_4cnLIguJm9qnpzY62G7ZJQK0C7e3EOjeYVWXBVhHCK0TyMF1Rd6K20F/s1600/bonny-best-1-web.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;">Cut
up ripe tomatoes into quarters and place them in a container. If
you'd like to save the flesh for cooking, you can just squeeze the
seeds and surrounding gel from the tomatoes into the container. Add
enough cold water to cover the tomato mixture and stir well.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCO88eVhVTLmMrqaY9Z2_7SrCYCS-ghyphenhyphen-qwDCAR-bwj4ewzvsE1G8K5cBqyNYZ5udw1e_S-Geu1SmkV2SDhN6oC-nLvgFX6iuhXdSqigFISVKIiwC8bCSusjaZ52ozOQjbmoedqb62e8SD/s1600/bonny-best-2-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCO88eVhVTLmMrqaY9Z2_7SrCYCS-ghyphenhyphen-qwDCAR-bwj4ewzvsE1G8K5cBqyNYZ5udw1e_S-Geu1SmkV2SDhN6oC-nLvgFX6iuhXdSqigFISVKIiwC8bCSusjaZ52ozOQjbmoedqb62e8SD/s1600/bonny-best-2-web.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>Place
the container in a cool, out of the way spot – you may want to put
it in a <i>really</i>
out of the way spot, as it does get quite smelly during the
fermentation process. If desired, you can put a cloth over the
container. Whatever you do, make sure you label the container with
the name of the tomato, especially if you are saving seeds from more
than one variety (they all look pretty similar when they're mashed
up!). Over about three days, the tomato mixture will form a white,
foamy “crust”; when the crust covers the entire container, your
tomato mixture is ready for the next step.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiF7ck4yAQFSpcpfJaK3yJWlmvsqS9Xhk_7RyDIv9O1LSEE4BS0YNPVeVP6ZTb5B8Hu9pLkBSLc2J-VSOp1l2Klm0mrZiBPPqj_upTw_xlxNoAsRaN9tguTdwng9xYGsx0Nv-QDQnxkogA/s1600/bonny-best-3-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiF7ck4yAQFSpcpfJaK3yJWlmvsqS9Xhk_7RyDIv9O1LSEE4BS0YNPVeVP6ZTb5B8Hu9pLkBSLc2J-VSOp1l2Klm0mrZiBPPqj_upTw_xlxNoAsRaN9tguTdwng9xYGsx0Nv-QDQnxkogA/s1600/bonny-best-3-web.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Large jugs of tomato seed waiting to be cleaned</span></i></div>
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Skim off the crust and scoop out a lot of the tomato
flesh that's at the top. Then pour most of the water out – the good
seeds will have settled to the bottom. Add clean water and then pour
that out. Continue to do this until all you have left is clear water
with a layer of clean seeds at the bottom</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsV6BjlRZgKifB2nLj03KAuhI7gPzRd-M7ryE1OS8qcD2FmoYmXum8OIrNs_FEs7hbXuVN-7exSdKD9iejjSQ4sESUmaeEwARKPuVz_UGQEJtFyPHNp1BSwfxLowr1sdyZ3l5rQQcwFnAM/s1600/bonny-best-5-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsV6BjlRZgKifB2nLj03KAuhI7gPzRd-M7ryE1OS8qcD2FmoYmXum8OIrNs_FEs7hbXuVN-7exSdKD9iejjSQ4sESUmaeEwARKPuVz_UGQEJtFyPHNp1BSwfxLowr1sdyZ3l5rQQcwFnAM/s1600/bonny-best-5-web.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span> Pour off as much of the
water as possible and put the seeds in a suitable place to dry. We
have found that it's best to dry tomato seeds as quickly as possible
or they'll start germinating – and as much as we appreciate their
eagerness, they need to wait until the following spring! Dan's
favourite method is to place the seeds in a plastic sieve and place
the sieve in front of a fan. The fan, blowing at medium strength,
should dry the seeds in a matter of hours. Do not use a metal sieve;
it will blacken the seeds. This doesn't affect their viability but it
makes them look ugly. You can also spread the seeds out in a single
layer on a cookie sheet or plate – please don't use paper towel;
the seeds will stick to it after they've dried and you'll have a
devil of a time getting all those little bits of paper off.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02Y4pVoD1QobFuVuQHL96OhKgWbkfZzblRUQjU5xbdSdgq2O91Ob9yfu3fzEiwMtlMoQDYuNTEeKy31eauclvJsdLGwv63jNUnE-hiuWestdnJYT44hgTgo1ZAr6WYngY_5GapzkFsf5A/s1600/bonny-best-4-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02Y4pVoD1QobFuVuQHL96OhKgWbkfZzblRUQjU5xbdSdgq2O91Ob9yfu3fzEiwMtlMoQDYuNTEeKy31eauclvJsdLGwv63jNUnE-hiuWestdnJYT44hgTgo1ZAr6WYngY_5GapzkFsf5A/s1600/bonny-best-4-web.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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When the seeds are completely dry, store them in a glass
jar or paper seed envelope, label clearly, date and keep them in a
cool, dark, dry environment until you're ready to plant next spring.</div>
mary brittainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177576310355272108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379770638356847083.post-36810149547020825932014-06-24T12:22:00.000-04:002014-06-24T12:22:11.717-04:00<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>How Does Our Garden
Grow?</b></div>
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Our
property is ideally suited for seed production. Ten acres in total,
it is heavily treed - conifers rim the entire property, there's a
two-acre wood at the back and trees & shrubs dot the remaining
acreage. This has enabled us to create a dozen seed-beds scattered
about the place. Tucked in amongst the trees, shrubs and wildflowers,
they enable the isolation of seed varieties from each other so as to
keep them from cross-pollinating. This has worked well for us for a
number of years, but as our need for larger quantities of seed has
increased, we've run out of pockets to plant. We love and honour the
trees but they do make it a challenge to find enough large, full sun
space.
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<i>Some of our raised seed beds with the perennial herb garden in the background. </i></div>
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<i>Our
Elfin Glade – a carpet of ferns flourishes beneath the protective
canopy of the trees. (I'm quite sure this is where the faeries live.)</i></div>
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What to
do? Use someone else's land! The opportunity came up this year to
lease two acres of the neighbouring farm. Unused except for grazing
for the last 40 years, it was able to be certified organic and
positions us to be able to produce much more of our own seed. And,
boy, does it have sun! With hardly a tree in sight, it is a stark
contrast to our little bio-diverse nature sanctuary, but the space is
much appreciated. </div>
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<i>Into
the Woods - The gate we made to join the two properties runs through
our two-acre woods. This is looking into it from the neighbouring
farm.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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We're using it this year to grow tomato and bean crops, interspersed with lots of other veggies for our own home use. Squash and sunflowers are being planted to distract pollinators with their large, beautiful flowers. </div>
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<i>The
east end of the main garden next door – it's 500 ft. long. We've
installed trellises for our tomato plants around the perimeter; beans are planted down the
middle. This is the first time we've tried trellising our tomatoes -
usually we just let them grow. We're interested in observing any
differences in productivity and plant health. Note the mud – like
our land, this field has a high water table and the recent heavy
rains have had a significant impact. Dan keeps trenching it but it
makes for tough slogging to work in it right now.</i></div>
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We hope that the combination of the two properties will meet our
seed-production needs for the foreseeable future!</div>
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<i> </i>
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mary brittainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177576310355272108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379770638356847083.post-69359200916424023982014-03-21T16:47:00.001-04:002014-03-21T16:47:12.653-04:00In the Midst of Winter, How Does Your Garden Grow?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxQjb-qrkMqHHnNwYBFFobrpmYYUzTLb9hQsivI6mnZCjwJiu4kkyLw65AmNSOz7iHo5y69kiLYIk21gvNG9ZCt-ETOIMd9O0C0Un-5HWLQF77yUkIVNfWFdbVk8A__c9HHlvii5iLT95/s1600/IMG_20140321_075052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxQjb-qrkMqHHnNwYBFFobrpmYYUzTLb9hQsivI6mnZCjwJiu4kkyLw65AmNSOz7iHo5y69kiLYIk21gvNG9ZCt-ETOIMd9O0C0Un-5HWLQF77yUkIVNfWFdbVk8A__c9HHlvii5iLT95/s1600/IMG_20140321_075052.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.”</div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">
- Albert Camus</div>
</span><br /><br />I’m staring at a stick, poking up from a foot of snow. I think it used to hold ground cherries. Now it’s bare and stripped. This is the first time I’ve pulled my boots on, bundled up and headed out into the backyard to see what toll the raging winter has taken on my first garden. <br /><br />I can make out the brief outline of the garden beds I painfully built last summer. Now they hold a delightful box of snow and dirt. “At least those walls held up,” I think. <br /><br />It is bittersweet to look upon the garden. Part of me is filled with hope and potential. New season, new varieties to choose and new bounty to collect. “I’d love to grow Achocha this summer. I’ll stuff them with cheese.” Another part of me is melancholic. A muscle memory stirs - both figuratively and literally, cause I moved an awful lot of bricks to build these beds. But I created this garden with my husband, from whom I am now separated. Our house - our garden - is now on the real estate market. The thaw is coming, but I haven’t decided where I’m going. Will I have some green space come summer? <br /><br />I laugh a little, thinking about my new garden and what I might grow. What would be appropriate for this transitory time in my life? “Lazy Housewife Bean,” I snort to myself. “Love Lies Bleeding, Moneymaker Tomato, Double Standard Corn, Red Self-Heal and Heartsease.” <br /><br />I walk back to my sliding glass door to return to the warmth. My cat Rogue is ready to make a break for it as I put my hand on the door handle. “It’s spring,” she must be thinking, “let me out! I’ve been cooped up in here with you all winter!”<br /><br />The next day, I’m telling my mother over a farmer’s lunch of pickled eggs and stew about my proposed garden plans. Her eyes narrow slightly - something she does when she’s choosing her words carefully - and she half-smiles. “That’s a bit of a cynical garden, don’t you think?” I teasingly ask if she had a better idea. “Cupid’s Dart. Love-in-a-Mist.” she shoots back. Point taken, Mum. Dad pipes in now. He’s jazzed and thinks we should make a new collection. “What, like the The Single Girl’s Garden Collection?” He’s chasing this idea now and wonders how to make it. “It’ll be great,” I say, egging him on. “I mean, each packet only needs one or two seeds, right? You’re only cooking for one.” He laughs, but then stops to honestly consider it. “Not happening.” Mum says, putting a much needed period at the end of all this tomfoolery. <br /><br />But the conversation gets me thinking. Just like in The Secret Garden, all I want is a little bit of earth to plant a seed and watch it grow (I’m definitely singing this song in my head right now as I type this). A touch saccarine, maybe even cliche, but the thought of planning my next garden - wherever it will be - is an exciting one. I am looking forward to Celeriac Soup, with ingredients from my own green space like Evergreen Bunching Onions and Purple Top White Globe Turnips. And you know what? Forget the Forget-Me-Nots. Because gardening can be my therapy - along with wine, coffee and chocolate. So in the midst of all my Aunt Molly’s Ground Cherries, I’ll sneak in a Sweet Chocolate Pepper. <br /><br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>- Rachel</b></span></i><div>
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mary brittainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177576310355272108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379770638356847083.post-85336542880190274702013-01-28T17:25:00.001-05:002013-01-28T17:25:32.416-05:00I'd Hack That! <br />
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I'm a food hacker. I love to take a dish and find out how I can hack it into healthfulness. With the myriad of diseases and food "sensitivities" (which sounds so delicate, but we all know what ugly terror these little sensitivities bring) that are plaguing us humans, we've all been forced to get a little creative with our dinners. The other night, I successfully (read: didn't burn it, totally ate it) hacked a Shepherd's Pie - I substituted the ground beef for mushrooms and edamame and changed the mashed potatoes to mashed cauliflower and turnip. It was delicious! I honestly believe you don't have to "miss" anything when you change the way you eat. Any favourite recipe can be hacked. I've included some of my favourite recipes that I've collected from <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/MaryHeirlooms">our Pinterest board</a> that offer a different take on a classic dish.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Spinach Burgers </span><br /><span style="color: #666666;">(or<i> Spurgers</i>, maybe...? No? Come on...)</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/565061084466520708/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="554" src="http://media-cache-ec5.pinterest.com/upload/16114511137197686_K4hTZmYE_c.jpg" width="554" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="http://thevillagecook.com/spinach-burgers/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">thevillagecook.com</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/maryheirlooms/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">The Cottage Gardener</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">Let's be honest. I like me a good ol' fashioned burger. I'm pretty sure the folks down at Five Guys Burgers know me by toppings "No onion? Extra mushrooms? Welcome again, my friend." But there is only so much I can take before the chronic meat sweats kick in. That's why I love these Spurgers. Yes, I will keep using that term until you use it too. </span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Spaghetti Squash Boats with Meatballs </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(or "Cheatballs", using Quinoa or Veggie Ground Round)</span></div>
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/565061084466183709/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://media-cache-ec5.pinterest.com/upload/565061084466183709_4YD73lFy_c.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.alaskafromscratch.com/2012/09/17/spaghetti-squash-meatballs/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">alaskafromscratch.com</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/maryheirlooms/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">The Cottage Gardener</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Where I grew up, there was a stream that ran the length of the street where our home was located. Every spring, when it thawed, my family had the Annual Spaghetti Boat Run. My brother and I would take hollowed out spaghetti squash halves and create our own unique boat, complete with masts and flags, and stick-person crew. Then we would put them in the water and race them to the bottom of the hill. Winner got bragging rights. You, too, can get bragging rights by making this dish.<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Oven Baked Zucchini Fries </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(with Heirloom Tomato Ketchup!)</span></div>
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/565061084466179920/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="720" src="http://media-cache-ec6.pinterest.com/upload/565061084466179920_5UaWTbJi_c.jpg" width="487" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.bakenoir.com/2012/homemade-tomato-ketchup/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">bakenoir.com</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/maryheirlooms/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">The Cottage Gardener</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">These are AMAZING. They taste kinda buttery, too, and if you add Parmesan cheese, then they taste buttery AND cheesy. You can't lose. If I wanted to be SUPER healthy, I would serve these with my Spurgers. </span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Cauliflower & Turnip Mashed Fauxtatoes </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(It sure BEETS the original. That's one for all you veggie lovers out there. I'm here all night.)</span><br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/565061084466596994/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://media-cache-ec6.pinterest.com/upload/342625484120707331_4Vm1333K_c.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.kitchenparade.com/2009/01/lighter-mashed-potatoes.php" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">kitchenparade.com</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/maryheirlooms/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">The Cottage Gardener</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">I make this all the time. Sometimes, if I'm feeling fancy, I'll add a beet so that they turn this awesome pinky colour which is really attention-getting, especially for a dinner party where you want your friends to be impressed and jealous of your mad kitchen skills. </span></h4>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Want more? ------></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></b><a href="http://pinterest.com/maryheirlooms/" style="font-size: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Follow Me on Pinterest" height="28" src="http://passets-lt.pinterest.com/images/about/buttons/follow-me-on-pinterest-button.png" width="169" /></span></a></h2>
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Rachel B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08270051533849015879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379770638356847083.post-74584723041997462862013-01-27T11:32:00.000-05:002013-01-27T11:36:46.289-05:00The Cottage Gardener is now certified as a Bee Friendly Farm!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0HP6JQtnmqsRqeOdmzMAKhwmIUJAedttJEvbK1f3FREHNiqbgi5ZiGfBXMJsPL6Rx3k0GKyhBSxNjhB8HlqjRJOFHOUX5E9qpENsepcaE9bSkuWDO-U_4Gt-MT3czxz_2qejDq28qGxTU/s1600/BFF_Logo_WEB%5B1%5D.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0HP6JQtnmqsRqeOdmzMAKhwmIUJAedttJEvbK1f3FREHNiqbgi5ZiGfBXMJsPL6Rx3k0GKyhBSxNjhB8HlqjRJOFHOUX5E9qpENsepcaE9bSkuWDO-U_4Gt-MT3czxz_2qejDq28qGxTU/s1600/BFF_Logo_WEB%5B1%5D.gif" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Cottage Gardener is now certified as a Bee Friendly Farm! </b></span><br />
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Why did we decide to take this step? We've always grown organically and encouraged bees and other pollinators to visit our gardens. But we've noticed over the last few years that we are seeing fewer and fewer bees - both honeybees and bumblebees - visiting our crops and gardens. Upon doing a bit of investigation, we've discovered that all pollinators (and there are over 1000 species of pollinators in Canada!) are under serious threat. They're losing their natural habitats and their food sources due to increasing urbanization, industrial farming, monoculture and the increasing reliance on pesticides and herbicides. Bees are responsible for pollinating a large percentage of our food crops, so a loss for the bees is also a dangerous loss for us.<br />
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The Bee Friendly Farming initiative is designed to draw attention to the plight of our pollinators and encourage people to provide supportive habitats for bees and other pollinators. It's not difficult - there are many simple steps you can take to make your own garden more bee-friendly. I found it interesting that, for example, single-bloom flowers are better than double-bloomed ones and that bees' favourite flower colours are white, yellow and blue. Heirloom and native plants are particularly appropriate for pollinator plantings because of their flowers' simplicity, fragrance and - believe it or not - their pollen. Yes, modern breeders are starting to produce pollen-less flowers! Don't go there. Also be sure to have plants that flower in all three major seasons so that the bees have a constant source of food. Leaving parts of your land undisturbed encourages native bees as the vast majority are ground nesters.<br />
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Want to find out more? Visit Pollination Canada's site at http://www.pollinationcanada.ca/ for some great resource information. <br />
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<br />mary brittainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177576310355272108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379770638356847083.post-32561699125837187422012-10-17T09:50:00.000-04:002012-10-17T09:52:23.419-04:00Plant Profile: Ground Cherry<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisBDEoiB8ds6kar8i6lVlkopSqw2qO2Jw_peNFDLlLng3grKI9A1RIfMBaN8I9a206ikHh9rfjHwfN_SfK5vDXa5gssRqeG8wEm3M6gxDPX8fmwQVlVMPwXINwOMCuJZd4v75wQonKU_CV/s1600/aunt-molly's-closeup-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisBDEoiB8ds6kar8i6lVlkopSqw2qO2Jw_peNFDLlLng3grKI9A1RIfMBaN8I9a206ikHh9rfjHwfN_SfK5vDXa5gssRqeG8wEm3M6gxDPX8fmwQVlVMPwXINwOMCuJZd4v75wQonKU_CV/s400/aunt-molly's-closeup-web.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Aunt Molly's Ground Cherries"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The
first frosts of the season have arrived, the last of the seed crops
have been pulled and are currently drying in the greenhouse and our
ground cherries have finally succumbed to the cold. How I'll miss my
daily forays out to them, peering under each plant for the fallen,
ripe fruit nestled in the straw. <b>Ground cherries </b>have to be one of my
favourite plants in the whole gardening world! What's not to love
about a plant that's easy to grow, is largely disease-and-pest-free,
produces prodigious quantities of incredibly tasty fruit and takes
all the guesswork out of when to harvest?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yet,
more often than not, I'm met with blank stares when I offer it up to
others. “What's that?” they ask suspiciously. Well, I tell them -
it tastes really good; don't eat the husk; it's kind of like a
tomato but not; try it – you'll like it! And they invariably do.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The
ground cherry, also known as a husk tomato or cape gooseberry, is
actually a relative of the tomato. Native to the eastern U.S., it has
been cultivated in North America since the 17th C and was a staple in
the cuisine of the Pennsylvania Dutch, who used them in soups, pies
and preserves. I have never baked with them, as I like them much too
much fresh from the garden. The tiny little 1/2” fruits have a
solid flesh and are incredibly sweet. Each fruit develops inside a
papery husk that turns brown as the fruit ripens. Because it's
protected by the husk, the fruit is largely blemish-free and, once
harvested, will store for several weeks inside the husk so don't
remove it until you're ready to eat. The fruit has another unique
characteristic: when it's ripe, it falls off the plant and onto the
ground (hence the name). Harvesting is so easy – each day, I make
the rounds of my plants and search under them for the fallen fruit. I
find it's best to lay a solid layer of straw under and around the
plants; that way, the fruits don't land on the ground and get dirty.
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ground
cherries are prolific producers: 1 – 2 plants should suffice a
family. The only real maintenance they require, I've found, is to
watch for potato beetles. These insects like all members of the
Solanaceae family and ground cherries are no exception. In early
summer, they'll lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves and the
hatched larvae proceed to feed on the leaves voraciously. However,
I've found that a daily inspection of the plants for a couple of
weeks will break the cycle. I turn over each leaf and remove those I
find with either eggs or larvae. I then drop the leaves on the ground
and grind them into the ground (I wear rubber boots for this, being
the squeamish sort). The effort is worth it - once the cycle is
broken, I find no other problems with the plants; they basically
take care of themselves. Ours did well this summer despite a severe
drought and were still producing loads of fruit until the hard
frosts.
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These
plants are sprawlers, growing to 2' and spreading to 4', so give them
a bit of room. They don't need staking, preferring to spread out over
the ground. They like full sun. Like tomatoes, they need to be
started from seed indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost. They're
not frost-tolerant, so transplant them outdoors after all danger of
frost is over. <a href="http://www.cottagegardener.com/catalog/heirloom-vegetables-n-z/tomatillos-ground-cherries/" target="_blank">'Aunt Molly's</a>', the variety we offer, has
orange-yellow fruits and has a taste reminiscent of tangerines. It's
renowned for its flavour and productivity!</span></div>
<a href="http://pinterest.com/maryheirlooms/"><img alt="Follow Me on Pinterest" height="28" src="http://passets-lt.pinterest.com/images/about/buttons/follow-me-on-pinterest-button.png" width="169" /></a>
mary brittainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177576310355272108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379770638356847083.post-70430377369905277282012-10-01T14:25:00.000-04:002012-10-01T14:52:21.681-04:00Nature vs. Nurture, or "Back off, bunny. Get your own garden."<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I first moved out to the 'burbs, I
was so excited to finally have some green space! I was even more
excited to discover a little baby bunny living underneath our deck –
I fed it carrots and lettuce. And then there were these adorable
squirrels and chipmunks! Such delightful creatures – I fed them
cashews and sunflower seeds. One night, I looked out my dining room
window to see a fat raccoon sauntering down the sidewalk without a care
in the world. “Keep on keeping on, little scrounger,” I thought with a
smile.
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How naive I was.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I see these woodland creatures
differently now. They are mini mongrels, set to eat my <a href="http://www.cottagegardener.com/catalog/heirloom-vegetables-a-m/greens-specialty/#2" target="_blank">Orach</a> and
steal my squashes while I sleep.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At first, I noticed dig marks in my
freshly seeded beds. Then I noticed that my turnip greens looked
nibbled on. But the final straw came when I noticed deep gashes in
the skin of my baby <a href="http://www.cottagegardener.com/catalog/heirloom-vegetables-n-z/winter-squash/" target="_blank">Delicata squash</a>. That's too far. You do not get
in the way of a woman and her winter squashes.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Xls1rrjeRv7Sk22yUYxiX20Ru1roRBuO-Y6jb9grzn4PO3EAQcId_LZ3FKKjUktBnyVtVaiVBJFVyWoy6VDcQnuJ0siPIIIweOmi4VOL59pGbzgurzk" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220px;" id="internal-source-marker_0.9519218839816889" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Xls1rrjeRv7Sk22yUYxiX20Ru1roRBuO-Y6jb9grzn4PO3EAQcId_LZ3FKKjUktBnyVtVaiVBJFVyWoy6VDcQnuJ0siPIIIweOmi4VOL59pGbzgurzk" width="667px;" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first thing I tried was to put up
barriers. I collected sticks and branches and laid them over top of my
containers to try to deter the dirty little culprits. Surprisingly, this was somewhat
successful. It kept the raccoons at bay long enough for the little
seeds to germinate and stand on their own. For the starter plants I
had (pepper and ground cherry), I put tomato cages over the small
plants.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But the dig marks in the raised beds
were more tricky. I had heard that bone meal was a good deterrent,
because it made the ground smell like death to the animal nose and,
naturally, that's not very appetizing. I generously tossed the bone
meal into my gardens. I was happy to discover that it did not smell
like death to the human nose. It seemed effective for about a week.
But once my squashes in particular started to bear fruit, it was too tempting to the raccoons and bunnies and other little
nibblers. They braved the stench of death and carried forth to scratch
up my squashes.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally, I acquired some row cover –
a thin, breathable, opaque covering that basically acts is a blanket for my gardens. Bonus
points: it raises the temperature of my raised beds by a couple of degree, says Dad, so my late season plantings have a bit more time
to cook.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So far, using the row cover has been the most
effective way for dealing with my hungry late-night visitors. It's my
own fault, to a degree. I encouraged these little beasts, with my
sweet voice and delicious vegetable choices (because as we all know,
heirlooms taste a gazillion times better than any of the hybrid, grocery-store
veggie fare).
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hopefully the woodland creatures
and I can share this green space peacefully... as long as they leave
my squashes alone.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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</div>
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<br /></div>
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Rachel B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08270051533849015879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379770638356847083.post-88589015449621411892012-09-17T10:32:00.002-04:002012-09-17T10:32:35.897-04:00The Best Laid Plans... Require My Mother (Reflections from a First Time Gardener)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img height="427" id="internal-source-marker_0.9519218839816889" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/dAcS4dtMBXXKzRWW_jrUqvqfjBn83bRnNV_CgeHcX-ziqQG4hut9rhU18LuX6og4VvBP4GyG4b89deWQTNiHNpiCa10nZ0mwLaeiELjj63HN10nwGFQ" width="640" /><br /> </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Growing
up, I would sometimes join my parents at their seed shows to help out. I
figured I’d do some cash sales, hang out with the folks, maybe they’ll
buy me a hamburger later - you know, easy peasy! After my first
jam-packed Guelph Organic Conference, I knew this wasn’t gonna be easy. I
was being asked </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">questions,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
like “What was this?” and “How do I grow this?” and “Why don’t you know
what zone this is appropriate for?” I would stare back at the
inquisitive soul, smiling, completely at a loss for words. Sure, if
asked, I could sing the entire score of The Phantom of the Opera on the spot
to this gardening aficionado , but tell them which tomato is good for
making sauce? Oh heavens no. You need to ask my mom. So to assist our
customers best, I made myself a name tag that said, “I’m friendly but
useless. Ask my mother.” </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fast
forward to this year, and I’ve officially
joined my parents at <a href="http://www.cottagegardener.com/" target="_blank">The Cottage Gardener</a> handling a lot of
administration and customer relations. Slowly but surely, I am learning
about dirt and all the wonderful things you can do with it. And with the
new house I had just purchased with my new husband, I knew what I had
to do: build my first garden .I surveyed my yard. Typical, suburban greenery. Easy, right?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I
made my garden plan and proudly showed it to my mother. She looked at my plan: squash, herbs, tomatoes, ground cherries,
and peppers. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She paused. "Can I dig now?" I asked her, impatiently. She smiled - uh oh - and began to explain the litany of things I needed to consider. <b>What is my soil quality? </b><i>(Cement-like)</i> <b>How much sun do I get?</b><i> (6 hours - a good thing)</i> <b>How far apart was I going to plant things</b>? <i>(I needed more room)</i> <b>What tools do I already have?</b> <i>(Tools, you say?)</i>. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I redid my garden plan. </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Four raised-bed 4x6 gardens, plus some containers for last
minute things I just couldn’t resist growing. To fix my soil,</span></span> I carted home bins full of
compost dirt from my parent’s house every night after work. I made a
detailed shopping list for these "tools" she spoke of and on a Friday in May, my husband and I trekked
off to Canadian Tire - plan in hand. There we stood in the Gardening
section, amidst all the tools and gnomes and decorative pots. The
pressure was on. I had to make some snap decisions in Aisle 12. After
living in a box in the sky in downtown Toronto for many years, I was
ill-equipped to navigate this enticing but confusing section of the
store. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For example: </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1)<span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Question</span></span>:</span><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Do we get a wheelbarrow? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Considerations: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My husband wanted it. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Final Decision: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I said no. “Our yard is so small, and the wheelbarrow is so expensive!” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Repercussions</span>: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The grueling task of carrying load after load of discarded weeds across our yard in a old laundry hamper. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2)<span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Question</span></span>:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Which of these pole-like tools should we get? </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Considerations:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> I’m very short. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Final Decision:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Purchase the tiniest shovel in the world. “I’m tiny and this shovel is tiny and it’s so cute!” I say. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Repercussions</span>:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">
After several hours of digging up the raised beds, I look to the sky
and cry, “Why why why did I pick the tiniest freakin’ shovel in the
world?! This is so hard!” Painful regret. Even a tiny person needs a big
shovel in this world. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3)<span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Question</span>:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> We need to till the garden. Should we get the The Garden Claw?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Considerations:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> “I’ve seen this on TV!”, I say with excitement. “It looks amazing!” </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Final Decision</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">: Made for TV means made for me!</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Repercussions</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">:
It was too tall for me to use. In fact, I would shove it in the ground
and then could do acrobatic balancing work on it because that thing was
NOT gonna move. Oh yes, it’s all fun and acrobatics until someone breaks
The Garden Claw. Which I did, trying to be funny. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And
outside we went, our loot in tow. After three hours of exhausting work
just harrowing the garden, we took an omelette break. Back to it. Three
more hours. It was getting late and the sun was waning. I stood up to
assess our work and a furrow came across my brow. With a whimper, I
dropped to my knees and dug my hands into the dirt and looked up at my
husband with glassy eyes, “Isn’t this supposed to look like dirt? How
the hell are we supposed to turn this grassy mess into nice brown dirt?
This should look like dirt. This isn’t dirt.” </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After
a moment, I knew what to do. I took a picture of our gardens so far and
sent it to Mom. “Is this right?” I texted her. “Yes! Everything looks
good! You did it!” she texted back. I smiled, relaxed, and looked upon
our gardens with satisfaction. See? I just had to ask my Mom.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
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Rachel B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08270051533849015879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379770638356847083.post-10034205908930404052012-09-11T13:50:00.002-04:002012-09-11T13:50:53.104-04:00Cooking with Heirlooms: Patty Pan Pizza<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZBejDpRKuZCIhm3VPGHlPWn56anPDJ1R6cc74H8CaSJjcJ47lCWhOhafzWQ6O6-MI8LoJPYQRMGLJhH5bQm6UsZCZ5ewdkeHkSjH2jnb1K6SgzWy7RF17eW67nYWS-CJcPir-sLAzw/s1600/20120907_183840b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZBejDpRKuZCIhm3VPGHlPWn56anPDJ1R6cc74H8CaSJjcJ47lCWhOhafzWQ6O6-MI8LoJPYQRMGLJhH5bQm6UsZCZ5ewdkeHkSjH2jnb1K6SgzWy7RF17eW67nYWS-CJcPir-sLAzw/s320/20120907_183840b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I might have the best job in the world.
The other day at the end of the workday, my mother comes to me, in
her hands this gorgeous green thing – <a href="http://www.cottagegardener.com/catalog/heirloom-vegetables-n-z/summer-squash/" target="_blank">Benning's Green Tint Squash</a> –
a perfect patty pan squash. “Would you like to take this home?”
she asked. Do I want to take it home? Has she met me? Of course I do!
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ukYRwwljTUApoz6mT6Ixs-RuycqEG2qVvPsQInnHAlZcJcvRndTw3UnzJ-rS1RMQ-d876up9sAx5Q_ZIUE3dk_u21FLVFvmLv8PRmqD6whaOyJrtSBMm_QI6A14MixpYiwu-kfxAAg/s1600/benning's-green-tint-squash.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ukYRwwljTUApoz6mT6Ixs-RuycqEG2qVvPsQInnHAlZcJcvRndTw3UnzJ-rS1RMQ-d876up9sAx5Q_ZIUE3dk_u21FLVFvmLv8PRmqD6whaOyJrtSBMm_QI6A14MixpYiwu-kfxAAg/s320/benning's-green-tint-squash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i><u>Side note:</u> When I first started working
here, I stood before the wall of 700 varieties of seed, trying to
fill an order for Cocozelle Zucchini. Minutes passed and I was
frustrated (patience was never one of my virtues), “Where is the
zucchini?” I called out. “It's in the summer squash.” my mom
called back. Well, that doesn't make any sense, I thought to myself.
At least another month would pass before it was explained to me that
summer squash and zucchini were the same things. Oh dear.
</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Back to the patty pan squash. If you've
never seen these before, you'll be amazed. They are beautiful,
colourful round squashes with scalloped edges. “What do I do with
it?” I asked her. “Well, I usually chop it up in a stir-fry. What
else do you think we could do with it?”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
With our creative thinking caps on, we
came up with the <b>Patty Pan Pizza.</b>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwPQlkpMEdddYPaI-atkpiq2QZAhMkg8tE1w1iavPfE7YUSul_rxQguUnwq5g_QmR0G0jjL7od9Grjv5T8vkhe0oFwglc-NMaGT6A9lDIK7Hj61K5hcEtHykRDQogEtAG70ijDE4kmQ/s1600/20120907_180558b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwPQlkpMEdddYPaI-atkpiq2QZAhMkg8tE1w1iavPfE7YUSul_rxQguUnwq5g_QmR0G0jjL7od9Grjv5T8vkhe0oFwglc-NMaGT6A9lDIK7Hj61K5hcEtHykRDQogEtAG70ijDE4kmQ/s320/20120907_180558b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.49in;">
1 Patty Pan
Squash, sliced into ¼ inch thick pieces.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.49in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.49in;">
¼ Teaspoon Extra
Virgin Olive Oil
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.49in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.49in;">
2 Small Heirloom
Tomatoes (I used <a href="http://www.cottagegardener.com/catalog/heirloom-vegetables-n-z/tomatoes/#7" target="_blank">Morden Yellow </a>and Pomme D'Amour)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.49in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.49in;">
1 Heirloom Sweet
Pepper (I used <a href="http://www.cottagegardener.com/catalog/heirloom-vegetables-n-z/pepper-sweet/#2" target="_blank">Marconi Red</a>)
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.49in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.49in;">
¼ Cup Extra Old
Cheddar Cheese (Mozzarella could work too – but this cheese is my
personal favourite)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.49in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.49in;">
2 Tablespoons
Parmesan Cheese</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.49in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.49in;">
1 Teaspoon <a href="http://www.cottagegardener.com/catalog/seeds/traditional-herbs/#7" target="_blank">Summer Thyme</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
… and any other pizza toppings that
suit your fancy! I added Montreal Smoked Meat to mine for a bit of a
protein boost.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUSKt8Rk-W3M8HbQamrxkNGzeYt93JdK3JUUJj9tMSZlN1iUTsDJXooI-PgukNNPZ_bA1_x75t2kHUyUCpue4JUJ1hxcLG3RH6ObaMgA7kghuga_Y1qFtoC-x1mW5Umdorw5tvzBXjQ/s1600/20120907_181941.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUSKt8Rk-W3M8HbQamrxkNGzeYt93JdK3JUUJj9tMSZlN1iUTsDJXooI-PgukNNPZ_bA1_x75t2kHUyUCpue4JUJ1hxcLG3RH6ObaMgA7kghuga_Y1qFtoC-x1mW5Umdorw5tvzBXjQ/s320/20120907_181941.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Directions </span></b></div>
<ol>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
Preheat oven to 375 c</div>
</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Lightly grease a baking sheet with
olive oil
</div>
</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Lay squash slices out on baking
sheet</div>
</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Add your toppings</div>
</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Cook for 10 – 15 minutes, or
until cheese is slightly browned.
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Remove from oven – enjoy!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
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</li>
</ol>
Rachel B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08270051533849015879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379770638356847083.post-74449811642481656682012-09-03T11:44:00.000-04:002012-09-11T15:40:17.685-04:00Grower Visit: Feral Fields Farm<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dan and I recently visited
one of our growers – Bethany and Sebastian from<a href="http://feralfields.ca/"> Feral Fields Farm.</a> We met Beth and Seb when they were students in
Fleming College's Sustainable Agriculture Program, in which we are
adjunct faculty teaching seed-saving. They caught the seed-saving bug
and contacted us after they graduated to explore grower opportunities
with us. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_TgYXsYONgI8NRRq_LhRIvZDwUwt6OwC5mLjlACtMDxLBXHqcpU8OWLvPBJJSkIviwFGl0ww9tSWYPEsihvujHwxeVxEKsUHx2n09sVALF0QM1tdvVBwHbOg7Mf7kCMPT7pk4Sm2X0WS/s1600/heading-to-the-barn-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_TgYXsYONgI8NRRq_LhRIvZDwUwt6OwC5mLjlACtMDxLBXHqcpU8OWLvPBJJSkIviwFGl0ww9tSWYPEsihvujHwxeVxEKsUHx2n09sVALF0QM1tdvVBwHbOg7Mf7kCMPT7pk4Sm2X0WS/s320/heading-to-the-barn-web.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Heading to
the barn</i></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Bethany and Seb are
currently growing lettuce seed for us and we recently took a day trip
to take a look</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
at their crops. Since they
don't have land of their own yet, they have a unique arrangement with
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1764207971">Green Being Farm</a><a href="http://www.greenbeingfarm.ca/">,</a> outside
Neustadt, Ontario – they work half the week for the farm in
exchange for a section of land to farm for themselves the other half
of the week. Since access to land is one of the biggest challenges
for young farmers, I think we need to encourage more innovative
arrangements such as this one. They have named their operation “Feral
Fields Farm”. Currently, they are focused on market gardening with
a small CSA, bee-keeping, chicken and duck raising and seed crops.
They are also starting a small orchard of native nut trees (a long,
long range plan!).</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I love visiting our
growers: we get to see first-hand how they are growing our seed
crops, we discuss tips and techniques for getting a good seed harvest
and it gives us an idea of the size of harvest we can expect. We
believe in building our relationships with our growers – it enriches
us all. We also always come away with a few ideas ourselves that we
tuck away for future reference. In Seb and Beth's case, we found them
using a neat type of electrified netting to protect their flocks and
their crops. The whole netting is electrified and it has smaller
holes at the bottom to prevent chickens from sticking their heads
through it. Its chief attraction, though, is its portability. It's
very light and can be moved easily by just pulling up the stakes.
It's also expandable so it's perfect for pastured flocks that need to
be regularly moved. </div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxE1_TLuTMwe2V1XW958cckSe8DKSVsiN_iC-A9g-AN_K0mx8n3Tmnr2mHIiFNXyrjj4U0md7_zfsxwsmgxp8HaBAZ7mEzbZk-UIR119SFtYAno0Pt7ixviUVjdypckKJMVW4e5xTeTjvz/s1600/electrified-netting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxE1_TLuTMwe2V1XW958cckSe8DKSVsiN_iC-A9g-AN_K0mx8n3Tmnr2mHIiFNXyrjj4U0md7_zfsxwsmgxp8HaBAZ7mEzbZk-UIR119SFtYAno0Pt7ixviUVjdypckKJMVW4e5xTeTjvz/s320/electrified-netting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Portable
electric netting in the background</i></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
They also use the netting around their market garden, as it's a fair distance from the farmhouse. We're thinking of trying it around our corn, powered by solar, to protect it from raccoons since nothing else has worked!<br />
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbu2oSXC8tNbrINAwAYKhXIb-p4G91cgrxuB_0bsiyeLrAfXy7KRY9w841sO-3OlI8Vgm7zNB1VBbCu1RJFhYOYacq8Z1RXj2tc6lPE8E67PU7RCke28PayMRxXIIhY4pV0nuBoIjp-yp2/s1600/examing-dill-seed-crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2050utrM_3sfDHOJNhAkRa604_zaafwT-BJHAuDc_jFatXZMsjH3sP5a2o309dfPg4HaxSXTMCgVtMyX5VlogS0OHDWL10ZWycwSv4MITWRR3L0oZ0rOGhnoisEa-L7gRQCyHVj9QeUqN/s1600/mary-seb-and-beth-examining.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2050utrM_3sfDHOJNhAkRa604_zaafwT-BJHAuDc_jFatXZMsjH3sP5a2o309dfPg4HaxSXTMCgVtMyX5VlogS0OHDWL10ZWycwSv4MITWRR3L0oZ0rOGhnoisEa-L7gRQCyHVj9QeUqN/s320/mary-seb-and-beth-examining.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Examining
the lettuce seed crop. This is Brune d'hiver, a rare French heirloom.
We originally obtained the seeds from France & have been growing
it out to get a sufficient seed crop. This year we were able to hand it over to a grower for larger scale production. You can see the
protective garden netting in the background. </i></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbu2oSXC8tNbrINAwAYKhXIb-p4G91cgrxuB_0bsiyeLrAfXy7KRY9w841sO-3OlI8Vgm7zNB1VBbCu1RJFhYOYacq8Z1RXj2tc6lPE8E67PU7RCke28PayMRxXIIhY4pV0nuBoIjp-yp2/s1600/examing-dill-seed-crop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbu2oSXC8tNbrINAwAYKhXIb-p4G91cgrxuB_0bsiyeLrAfXy7KRY9w841sO-3OlI8Vgm7zNB1VBbCu1RJFhYOYacq8Z1RXj2tc6lPE8E67PU7RCke28PayMRxXIIhY4pV0nuBoIjp-yp2/s320/examing-dill-seed-crop.jpg" width="320" /></a>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Bethany &
Seb are also growing some seed crops for themselves. This is dill
gone to seed, which they'll harvest for planting next year. By the
way, Dan really was there, too – but someone has to take the
pictures!</i></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
Green Being Farm, which is “hosting” Feral Fields this year, is an interesting farm unto itself. The owners, Tarrah Young and Nathan Carey, specialize in pastured livestock and a winter CSA. This combination allows them to focus on their animals in the spring and early summer and their market garden in late summer/fall. Running a winter CSA means growing a lot of crops that can be stored during the winter, such as turnips, carrots, beets, onions and squash. This means you need a fairly large cold cellar for crop storage. Tarrah and Nathan came up with a brilliant idea – they used the old in-ground pool on the property! Covering it with a roof gave them an instant HUGE cold cellar that has worked beautifully.<br />
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBMIdDYgjtFIRyeBM19qhBNa3lm81k9A-nEQc685roZOH6IeLxq8zsC5FwNUUfeSz1duHlMB2OzabUk5fTyzTsz1apsYM4bQd60suS3n1UTQFu0yfSnmMKrPWebPEP59BRRpCLG3H8HjM/s1600/pool-cold-cellar-web.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBMIdDYgjtFIRyeBM19qhBNa3lm81k9A-nEQc685roZOH6IeLxq8zsC5FwNUUfeSz1duHlMB2OzabUk5fTyzTsz1apsYM4bQd60suS3n1UTQFu0yfSnmMKrPWebPEP59BRRpCLG3H8HjM/s320/pool-cold-cellar-web.jpg" width="320" /></a>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>The
in-ground pool cold cellar. My favourite part: the stairs!</i></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
Dan and I have an old above-ground pool that years ago we turned into an above-ground pond. The kids had grown up and left home and we had no further use for the pool. So we stopped adding pool chemicals and just let nature take its course. Within a short time, frogs had taken up residence. Dan put objects into the pool that allowed the frogs to get out and sunbathe and, lo and behold, we had a little ecosystem. Now there's a whole frog community in our “pond” and on spring nights, the cacophony of mating calls is enough to make me wonder why the neighbours don't complain of noise violations! I love it – there's nothing better than falling asleep to the myriad sounds of frogs “ribbeting” (and our mosquito population has declined significantly!).<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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mary brittainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177576310355272108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379770638356847083.post-19655126125399996332012-08-04T18:01:00.000-04:002012-09-11T15:39:48.381-04:00It's Tomato Hornworm Time!<br />
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>It's Tomato Hornworm
Time!</b></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I
spotted my first tomato hornworm the other day – oh joy of joys.
Well, actually, I only spotted it after Dan pointed it out to me;
he's got the eagle eyes in the family and you sure need sharp visual
acuity to find those little devils. Not so “little” really – at
up to 4” (10 cm), tomato hornworms are one of the largest insect
pests you'll deal with if you live in southern Ontario and Quebec. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Vm-zZlC3mmZ2VnlD-KtlNUlL9SHHIatb7mA2QVgUeNkGPRyvo4crm1zk2hDVYsUMfP9t3Wd_Gs4AUExf1Omt72Pm17WoxTbFCpsCNvuU3zB7JYcjNU5BXitTKlcsi-idUm4Pa-ecdMqt/s1600/tomato-hornworm-2-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Vm-zZlC3mmZ2VnlD-KtlNUlL9SHHIatb7mA2QVgUeNkGPRyvo4crm1zk2hDVYsUMfP9t3Wd_Gs4AUExf1Omt72Pm17WoxTbFCpsCNvuU3zB7JYcjNU5BXitTKlcsi-idUm4Pa-ecdMqt/s400/tomato-hornworm-2-web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Even
though they're big and scary looking, I always feel somewhat
conflicted about taking them out. You see, the tomato hornworm
caterpillar is the larva of the hummingbird moth (Manduca
quinquemaculata), which I happen to really like. I really like my
tomato plants alive and bearing fruit, too, so I apologize to the
caterpillars as I eliminate them because you can't have both.
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The
moths emerge from the soil in spring after they've overwintered. They
lay their eggs on the leaves of host plants and, after a few days,
the larvae emerge and start eating voraciously for the next four
weeks. They then bury themselves in the soil to start the cycle
again. The larvae that hatch from the second generation of moths eat
into the fall and then burrow into the soil to overwinter in cocoons.
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Although
they're most commonly called tomato hornworms, these caterpillars
actually feed on any of the members of the solanaceae family,
including peppers, potatoes, eggplants and nightshade. Tomatoes are
their favourites – they eat the leaves and stems, as well as both
the green and ripe fruit. Left alone, they can destroy a plant in a
number of days. This is why they're considered so destructive and why
we need to be constantly checking for them starting around now. You
know you have hornworms if you notice whole branches of your tomato
plants have been stripped bare of leaves, or if you see their
telltale clusters of brown/black droppings on lower leaves. The
caterpillars themselves are green (I have also found black ones) with
white v-shaped lines on their sides and a black horn on their tail
end. This horn looks dangerous but it doesn't sting. They blend in
well with the plants, often hanging upside down along a stem, and I
have to train my eyes to find them each season. They really are quite
frightening the first time you encounter them, and these guys have
attitude. Often, when I try to pick them up, they'll rise up and
threaten to attack me, making a clicking sound.
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Because
hornworms dislike the heat of mid-day and will rest in the lower
levels of the plants, the best time to look for them is at dawn or
dusk, when they're feeding on the upper stems. Hand-picking them,
although tedious, is the best way to get rid of them. Disposing of
them can be done by squishing them with your (booted) foot (Dan's
preferred method), cutting them in half (ugh!) or dropping them in a
container of soapy water (my choice). Parasitic wasps can help you
out: they lay their eggs on the larvae and their young feed on the
host hornworm and then pupate in white cocoons on its back. So, if
you find a hornworm with a lot of what look like pieces of rice on
it, leave it alone. Those wasps, when they hatch, will also feed on
other hornworms in the vicinity.
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
A
couple of prevention techniques include tilling the garden well in
the late fall and spring to unearth the pupae and planting <a href="http://www.cottagegardener.com/catalog/seeds/historic-annuals/#11" target="_blank">marigolds</a>,
<a href="http://www.cottagegardener.com/catalog/seeds/traditional-herbs/#2" target="_blank">borage</a>, <a href="http://www.cottagegardener.com/catalog/seeds/traditional-herbs/#1" target="_blank">basil</a> or <a href="http://www.cottagegardener.com/catalog/seeds/traditional-herbs/#3" target="_blank">dill</a> as <a href="http://www.cottagegardener.com/catalog/gift-shop/seed-collections/" target="_blank">companion plants</a>. We now till our gardens
every fall and have noticed a significant decline in the number of
hornworms munching on our tomatoes in the last few years. They can
still cause a fair amount of damage, though, so it's off to the
garden every day to do our check.<br />
<br />
</div>
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mary brittainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177576310355272108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379770638356847083.post-63567187771205886012012-07-31T16:26:00.000-04:002012-09-11T15:39:24.736-04:00Plant Profile: Yellow Horned Poppy<br />
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Plant Profile: Yellow Horned Poppy
(Glaucium flavum)</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I
noticed, during my garden walk the other day, that my <a href="http://www.cottagegardener.com/catalog/seeds/historic-annuals/#4" target="_blank">Yellow HornedPoppy</a> had seedpods that were ready to pop. Now if you're into
seedpods, as I am, those on the Horned Poppy are an absolute delight.
First of all, they are long – really long, as in up to 12” (30
cm) and almost as narrow as the stem. When they first form and are
green, it's hard to tell where the stem ends and the seedpod begins.
However, it's very easy to tell when they're mature- the pods turn a dark brown and if they're ready,
the pods will easily snap off the stem; if not, you can tug and twist
with all your might and they won't budge. Opening the mature pods takes a
simple twist and the seeds literally fall out. And there are so many
of the tiny, little things! They run up and down the whole length of
the pod – easy to figure out why this plant is a self-seeder.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5LyUvI90kLauQbl6UaC0UUearK0xQkhtRVyfNarRmh6KgAd6-gH6nqGw0TWiBCFR_vlGnsW2XATUoCBFoxU-urmHhP_B1DDN4v7qF9hgN4nTbunO-6vxYgN9gRmNeTxIb6nMX7lLsJIv/s1600/horned-poppy-seedpods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5LyUvI90kLauQbl6UaC0UUearK0xQkhtRVyfNarRmh6KgAd6-gH6nqGw0TWiBCFR_vlGnsW2XATUoCBFoxU-urmHhP_B1DDN4v7qF9hgN4nTbunO-6vxYgN9gRmNeTxIb6nMX7lLsJIv/s200/horned-poppy-seedpods.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i> Long, curvaceous seedpods!</i></div>
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I can't
figure out why this plant is not more common in gardens. There is so
much to love about it! The foliage itself makes it garden-worthy:
the highly-dissected leaves are a bright silvery- blue and grow in a
lush mound, providing visual interest all season. The pale yellow
flowers on 24" stems are produced in abundance continually from July to September
and as the flowers fade, those incredible seedpods begin to form. All
in all, it's quite the conversation piece. On top of that, it's a
pretty low-maintenance flower, growing best in poor soils, and it can
handle variable growing conditions, including drought.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX79-wVRGVFsxK_ZT-hk9JwhJbWsiETkB3SVDUvcE-7Hra9AYlBlUojVhgMeJvrl6uxotl9s2wzMmBm_diwCaKEGyOevzeDms7CgSpVyFHSctCXdK4T22tcrS7blhMFII5uuv899cffevL/s1600/horned-poppy-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX79-wVRGVFsxK_ZT-hk9JwhJbWsiETkB3SVDUvcE-7Hra9AYlBlUojVhgMeJvrl6uxotl9s2wzMmBm_diwCaKEGyOevzeDms7CgSpVyFHSctCXdK4T22tcrS7blhMFII5uuv899cffevL/s200/horned-poppy-web.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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The
Horned Poppy has a long history of cultivation. A native of the
coasts of much of Europe and the Mediterranean, it was a
cottage-garden favourite for hundreds of years and was grown extensively
in England and Ireland. Gerard described it in the 16<sup>th</sup> C.
Immigrants brought it with them to settle the New World and it
flourished here, naturalizing along the eastern U.S. coast. Settlers
did discover, 'though, that our harsh winters necessitated growing it
as an annual rather than the short-lived perennial it is in Europe.
An 1827 Ontario seed catalogue lists it as one of their offerings of
annual flowers. Mine, however, have survived milder winters in our
Zone 5b gardens.</div>
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To grow the Horned Poppy from seed, start it indoors in winter. The seed benefits from stratification (which means providing it with a cold spell to break dormancy), so after pressing the seed into moist, soil-less mix and lightly covering with mix, place a plastic baggy over the top and place it in the fridge for 6-8 weeks. Then remove the pot from the fridge and place it under lights. Or if you're lazy like me, simply place the pot of sown seeds outdoors in winter in a sheltered spot (without the baggy!) so it can experience the normal freeze-thaw cycles. </div>
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mary brittainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177576310355272108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379770638356847083.post-57367931198745184692012-07-23T10:29:00.000-04:002012-09-11T15:39:02.804-04:00Plant Profile: Good King Henry<br />
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<b>Good King Henry
(Chenopodium bonus-henricus)</b></div>
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I'm really excited to have harvested our first organic seed crop from our Good King Henry plants! Here are some interesting facts about this rarity of rarities in cooler climes - a perennial vegetable.<br />
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<a href="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc474/cottagegardener/good-king-henry-vertical-we.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc474/cottagegardener/good-king-henry-vertical-we.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Despite
its illustrious name, this venerable plant served the peasant class
in Europe for hundreds of years. Known also as" Poor Man's Asparagus","
Lincolnshire Spinach", "Allgood", "Fat Hen", "Smear-wort" and "English
Mercury", it was valued as a spinach and asparagus substitute and
pot-herb. Its species name means “goosefoot”, which refers to
the shape of its leaves, and it's related to other edibles such as
Lamb’s-quarters (C.album), quinoa (C. quinoa) and <a href="http://www.cottagegardener.com/catalog/heirloom-vegetables-n-z/spinach/" target="_blank">StrawberrySpinach</a> (C. capitatum).
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Although
it was a garden staple in much of Europe from the time of the Romans,
it fell into disuse by the early 1900's. However, with the recent
surge of interest in home vegetable gardens and slow cooking, it's
time to take another look at this plant: it's a perennial vegetable (to Z 5), is relatively easy to grow and largely
resistant to pests and diseases. Its common name is believed to have
originated in Germany as simply “Good Henry”, meant to
distinguish it from “Bad Henry”, a toxic plant found in the wild. “King” seems to
have been added when it came to England (no-one knows quite why) and
many myths developed around the source of its names, including that it
was named after Henri IV of France, who had promised every peasant a
chicken or fat hen in his pot. “Fat Hen”, by the way, referring
to its use as poultry feed, is actually a misnomer – it's meant to
apply to its cousin, Lamb's-quarters, which were the species used to
fatten poultry. The second half of its botanical name translates
simply as“good henry” - although the bestowed royal connections
may have appealed to the commoner's fancy.
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Prized as
one of the first greens to emerge in spring, its young shoots were
harvested, peeled and cooked like asparagus and the leaves were
picked regularly for use as a pot-herb. So important was it considered
that European colonists brought it to North America with them to
establish in their new gardens.
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Growing
to about 12” high and 18” across, it first produces young shoots
in early spring that can be harvested when pencil-thick and cooked
like asparagus. The dark-green, triangular leaves next appear and can
be continually harvested, although older and later leaves tend to be
more bitter. We have discovered why it was so popular as a pot-herb,
as even the young leaves are a bit too bitter for fresh eating for
us. Why fight history? The peasants had it right – so cook it as
you would spinach or stir-fry it as we do. The bitterness can be reduced by soaking the leaves for a half hour in salted water, then
discarding the water. They are especially rich in Vitamin C, calcium
and iron, so they're a great addition to your diet.
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Like most
ancient garden plants, Good King Henry also had medicinal uses.
According to “A Modern Herbal”, written by M. Grieve in 1931, it
had “excellent remedial qualities in indigestion” and the seeds
were considered to have a mild laxative effect.All parts of the plant were used. The name
“Smear-wort” comes from its use in ointments and the leaves were
regularly made into poultices to clean and heal chronic sores.
Gerard, in the 16<sup>th</sup> C., wrote that these poultices “do
scour and mundify” sores resistant to healing ("mundify" - what a great word! It means to cleanse - I'm going to try and work that into my vocabulary). The roots of the
plant were even used to feed to sheep to cure coughs.
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Since it
is a perennial, Good King Henry is best planted in rich, fertile soil
that has been well-worked with good drainage. We have ours in full
sun and it has flourished although it can also handle partial shade.
Growing it from seed can be a challenge as it is a slow, erratic
germinator. Moist-stratifying the seeds for several weeks before
sowing increases germination rates. It doesn't like to be transplanted, so
sow it where you mean to grow it. Like many plants that are trickier
to germinate, they self-seed quite readily once established. This is a good thing, since we have found
that in our Zone 5b garden it can tend to be a short-lived
perennial. Direct sow in the garden and thin to 2' apart and don't
harvest anything the first year – just let the plant work on
getting established. Shoots should not be harvested until the plant
is three years old. The fairly nondescript flowerheads are produced
in abundance and if you leave some to dry on the plant you can gather
your own seeds fairly easily. All members of the Chenopodiaceae
family are outbreeders and wind-pollinated, meaning they have to be
isolated by several miles to ensure varietal purity. However, Good
King Henry is the only known variety in its species so saving pure
seed should not be a problem. Wait until the seedheads are completely
dried before harvesting the tiny black seeds.We just run our hands up the stalks and the seeds, if ready, easily come off into our hands. Cleaning the seed is easy - just blow off any chaff.</div>
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mary brittainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02177576310355272108noreply@blogger.com2