Jewelry in the Garden
This weekend my daughter and I decided to try a new project; wire wrapped stones. We had seen these at many craft fairs and always thought they were quite pretty. It turns out they are very easy to make and are a great project to do while sitting outside on a lovely sunny day. Here’s how to do it.
Here are a few samples of what we came up with:
Garden Art
Adding art into the garden can be easy and fun. There are several different things that I like to do; garden guardians, rustic trellises and stained glass.
Fimo or Sculpey clay is used to make the guardians. This substance is easy to shape and use. You just create your face then bake it in a low heat oven and you’re good to go.
Faces can look any way you like
Making rustic trellises is simple with a few tools and some leftover branches. These can provide a nice back drop for a special plant or provide structure for something like sweet peas to climb on.
This trellis is made with cedar and red dogwood branches
To decorate a fence or trellis with pieces of colored glass I like to use copper tape to attach wire to the glass. This tape can be purchased at most craft stores or on-line at stained glass sites.
Tape lasts for a long time
Once the wire is attached the glass can be put in fences, trellises or any place that needs a bit of color.
Here is glass on a trellis
May Day!
Do you have celebrations for May Day? Growing up in Arizona I remember getting up early to go out into the cool desert morning to gather Bougainvilla, Lantana and Bird of Paradise flowers to put in May baskets. These baskets would then be given to friends and neighbors; the brilliant flowers wilting as the sun rose and the day grew hot.
In college, friends and I danced around an improvised May Pole out in a desert filled with flowering prickly pear, Brittlebush and Desert Globemallow. If it had rained the air was filled with the sharp smell of creosote and the low cooing sound of desert doves. One memorable May Day we put the pole a little too close to some Teddy Bear Cholla cactus and a lot of the time was spent pulling barbed spines from the dancers.
The spring here in Seattle is a lot lusher and you could fill a giant basket with all the flowers you could collect but this time of year I still miss the warm air and the bright light of an Arizona day.
What do you do on May Day? Do you wash your face with the first morning dew?
Pickled Asparagus
To make the best pickles choose fresh crisp spears
I have always love pickled asparagus but never thought to try making my own. On our way home from Puyallup this weekend we passed a farmstand with fresh Yakima spears and I decided to give it a try!
As with most canned products the fresher the better. These crisp spears were barely a day out of the field.
Pack the spears as tightly in the jar as possible as they will shrink during processing
The first step is to sterilize your jars by boiling them for ten minutes. Next pack them with a clove of garlic and washed, trimmed spears. Make sure to leave at least a half-inch of head room in the top of the jar.
Once they are well packed make up a pickling solution with using 4 and a half cups of 5% acidity vinegar, 4 and a half cups of water and a half cup of pickling salt. Bring this solution to a boil then add hot pepper flakes, dill seed or other dried herbs to flavor your pickles. Pour this solution into the jars, making sure to cover the spears and leaving a half inch of space at the top. Seal the jars and process for five minutes in a hot water bath.
Let sit for at least five days for flavors to blend then enjoy!
Seattle Tilth’s Edible Plant Sale!
Juicy tomatoes in your own backyard!
It’s that time of year again! This sale is one of the biggest and best to get your garden growing.
Grow Your Own Greens and Eat Them, Too!
Seattle Tilth’s May Edible Plant Sale is May 5 & 6Come to Seattle Tilth’s May Edible Plant Sale, where you’ll find the largest selection of edible plants in the region!
It’s on Saturday and Sunday, May 5 and 6, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., at Meridian Park (4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., Seattle). You’ll encounter 350 locally and organically or sustainably grown plant varieties and 50,000 plants carefully chosen to thrive in our Pacific Northwest climate.
Discover a dazzling array of rare, heirloom and old-time favorite varieties for every type of gardener. Beginning gardeners might try a bouquet of colorful lettuces, Asian greens, kale, chives, arugula, strawberries and some of the culinary herbs and edible flowers. Cooks will appreciate the exotic flavors and colors found in Thai basil, sweet chocolate pepper, lemongrass, ‘Romanesco’ broccoli, lemon cucumbers, tarragon and striped tomatoes, to name a just a few. See the full list of veggie and fruit plants, herbs and edible flowers and seeds.
While you’re at it, stock-up on warm season crops such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash and melons that should be planted at the end of May or early June for late summer and fall harvest. Also for sale will be garden supplies, books, fruit shrubs and trees, garden-related vendors and hot food. Check out Hot Tips to know before you go to maximize the experience.
Short on time? Order a “Garden to Go” a tray of plants pre-selected around a theme. Options include Summer Hits, Container Gardens, Organic Gardening 101, Your Farm in the City, Edible Plants for Kids and I Love You Mom! (Mother’s Day special). Pay online and swing by Meridian Park for a quick pick-up during the sale.
Have the first pick of the plants during our Early Bird Sale – purchase tickets online. This event relies on over 300 volunteers — sign-up to volunteer and get an invitation to the Early Bird Sale!
Live on the Eastside? Come to Seattle Tilth’s Eastside Edible Plant Sale in Issaquah on Saturday, May 12.
All of the proceeds support Seattle Tilth’s extensive food, farm and garden education programs throughout Seattle and King County, helping people grow and eat more fresh, nutritious food while supporting a healthy environment.
Seattle Tilth is a nonprofit educational organization that inspires and educates people to grow food organically, conserve natural resources and support local food systems in order to cultivate a healthy urban environment and community. See a full list of Seattle Tilth’s upcoming classes on organic food growing, urban livestock, permaculture, sustainable landscaping and food preservation. www.seattletilth.org.
April City Fruit Update
From our friends at City Fruit!
Another cold, wet spring? I agree with Don Ricks: “Geesh!” Some trees won’t have enough blossoms this year because they set their fruit buds last May/June — when it was also cold and wet: no sunlight = fewer new fruit buds. This year’s blossoms will need viable pollen, and pollinators to carry it — both of which are discouraged by cool wet weather. If you want a clear explanation of all there is to worry about, read Marilyn Tilbury’s excellent article “Doing Better Next Year,” attached.
On the other hand, Don notes that these gray clouds can have a silver lining. Read his latest post at http://cityfruit.org/2012/04/april-report-2/
City Fruit is a ‘Local Hero’
Edible Seattle just announced that City Fruit was voted one of six 2011 Local Heroes, winning in the non-profit category. We’re thrilled to be in the same company as the other winners: Kurt Timmermeister (food artisan), Finnriver Cidery (beverage artisan), Chimacum Corner Farm Stand (market), Mark Bodinet/Copperleaf (chef/restaurant), and Nash Huber (farmer.)
Classes
Details for classes and events are on the City Fruit Events page http://cityfruit.org/classes/ . I personally want to check out the April 14 Piper Orchard workshop on codling moth mating disrupters and trichogramma wasps (which eat apple maggot larvae). Are they the easy, effective answer to nylon footie fatigue?
April 7 Permaculture and Fruit Trees with Jackie Cramer. City People’s Garden Store
April 14 Piper’s Orchard Work/Study Party. Learn about mating disruptors of codling moths, trichogramma wasps, and hand pollination
April 14 Grafting. All day workshop with Gary Moulton
April 15 Managing Pests in Fruit Trees with Ingela Wanerstrand. Swanson’s Nursery
Grow your own
While we’re on the subject of self-edification, check out From Tree to Table: Growing Backyard Fruit Trees in the Pacific Maritime Climate. $18.95. This excellent book is geared to the lay (e.g., backyard) grower: you don’t have to be a rocket scientist. And there are recipes. And the publisher donates all proceeds to City Fruit. How can you miss? http://cityfruit.org/join/buy-the-book/
Seattle’s fruit trees get their due
Fruit trees are the overlooked stepchildren of the urban forest (or am I just sensitive?) “Producing Edible Landscapes in Seattle’s Urban Forest,” In Press, makes the argument that urban forests should include productive trees, like fruit trees, and cites City Fruit as their case study. It provides a political and institutional framework for redefining urban forests as providers of goods as well as services. Lead authors, Rebecca McClain and Melissa Poe, are with the Institute of Culture and Ecology in Portland (Melissa is a City Fruit member) and another author, Joyce Lecompte-Mastenbrook, is with the University of Washington and is an orchard steward in Seattle. For a copy of the article, contact us at info@cityfruit.org (because it’s In Press, we can’t attach it to a large list serv.)
Help wanted!
City Fruit is looking for someone with a truck to pick up fruit trees at Raintree Nursery in Morton, WA on June 3. Raintree is donating fruit trees to City Fruit: we, in turn, will donate them to your community garden. But we need a truck to bring them back. City Fruit can cover the cost of the gas. Contact us at info@cityfruit.org .
The Just Garden Project hosts Spring Into Bed on May 12 with a focus on the Rainier Valley. Volunteers will create ten new garden beds — some of them with fruit trees from City Fruit. This is a concrete example of how donating a little time can make a permanent difference.
Members wanted!
Of course we always want members, but right before the harvest season your support is especially important. We have reached the point where our two harvest operations (Phinney-Greenwood and Rainier Valley-Beacon Hill) are almost entirely supported by the City Fruit organization, after several years’ of seed money from grants. We depend on our memberships, sales, classes and fund-raisers to make it happen. So please consider joining us today: http://cityfruit.org/join/ A membership form is also attached. And finally, a disclaimer: We learned today that one of our sponsors, Dish It Up, is no longer in business. That means their discount is no longer a City Fruit member benefit.
Take care, and have a great April.
Gail
City Fruit Website
Making Rustic Trellises
Do you have a little corner of your yard that needs something to give it some character? What about a rustic trellis? Spring is a great time to pick up free branches from people trimming their trees or cutting off limbs damaged by our wild March weather.
Here are some examples of wood I have collected in the last few weeks. On the left are cedar branches, in the center is cedar bark and on the right are red dogwood branches.
Once you have collected some branches the next step is to find ones the length that you want your trellis to be and connect them together with wire at the top. Next you need to brace the bottom and put some cross pieces in to give it some stability.
Here is what the basic structure for one style of trellis looks like:
Here is a close-up of the wire holding the branches to the frame. I like to use baling wire as it is cheap, easy to use and weathers to a nice color. To use it trim it with wire cutters to the size you need. Hold the branch where you want it then wrap it around and twist it with pliers until the connection is tight. The branches will shrink as they dry so make sure it’s good and snug. Tuck the ends under if there’s a chance that people will brush by the trellis; the wire is sharp.
Once you have the basic frame down you can decorate it however you like with twisted wreaths, branches etc.. To use it either attach it to an existing fence or pound two stakes into the ground then attach it to these stakes.
Here is a finished trellis with a simple weave pattern:
Have fun!
Growing on Your Parking Strip
Onions do well in this bed.
Your backyard is maxed out. Last year you pulled up your lawn to plant potatoes but it still just isn’t enough. It’s time to attack the planting strip.
This often ignored patch has a lot going for it; it usually gets full sun, it’s a good way to meet your neighbors, you can sneak in some gardening on the way to and from the car, it can help with stormwater run off and it can actuallycalm traffic by creating a good reason for people to slow down.
There's garlic in the near bed then peas in the next one down.
However, it’s not all sweet peas and happiness. “That man had a bucket and he was just stripping your cherry tomatoes” reported an elderly neighbor a few years back. On another balmy day I looked out my kitchen window and saw a dog owner cheerfully let his pet lift his leg on each and every bed as they made their way down the sidewalk. But hey, it’s land isn’t it?
Oddly enough even though you are responsible for keeping it looking good you don’t actually own your parking strip; the city does. Because of this there are regulations you need to follow when planting such as set-backs from the sidewalk and height restrictions. There are also good neighbor things such as planting things that look nice and don’t block sight lines. To learn more about these regulation and apply for a free permit visit here.
You can plant in neat raised bed or go wild and cultivate the whole strip. If you go this route be sure to test your soil and know things might get dug up if the city needs to put in something like a new light pole. You could also get ticketed for not observing the proper set back if you plant up to the street or sidewalk edge.
Pots are a great way to easily get started and can be moved if the city needs access.
Ways to Jump Start Your Garden
So what is all this rain doing to your garden loving heart? Are you just itching to get out and plant something? Well here are some ways to calm that itch through indoor seed starting, using Reemay and setting up some hoop beds.
Now is a good time for cold season starts and, if you are patient warm season crops like tomatoes.
To start seeds indoors you need pots with good drainage, clean soil to plant in and a good strong light source. This can be a south or west facing window or better yet, a grow light of some sort. I also like to use a seed mat and a mini-greenhouse to get faster germination.
Once your seedlings are a few inches high you can start planting out the cold hardy ones like collards, sweet peas, kale and so on. The tomatoes, squash and other heat lovers need to stay inside until temperatures warm. I like to use Reemay to both protect the plants from frost and from the crows in my neighborhood that just love to eat juicy little seedlings. Reemay can also be used over newly planted cold season seeds, onion sets or potatoes.
Because the Reemay is so light weight I usually weight it down with soil or rocks. You can also use metal pins if you have them.
If you want to create an environment that is drier and warmer than what you can make with Reemay the next step is to do hooped beds. I like to use one inch pvc pipe either bent over and put in to pipe brackets screwed to the outside of the bed or pushed deep into the ground. This creates a warm place for your plants that really can help them to thrive. One problem with these covered beds though is the issue of watering. You either need to set up an irrigation system, remove the cover on a warmer rainy day or hand water.
You can do either low or high hoops.
Here is a bed with an irrigation system set up. It seems crazy to water when it's so rainy out but if it's a small area then it's easier than removing the cover.
Here's a peek under one covered bed. The chives and peas are flourishing. I do hope the dog doesn't figure out how to take the cover off; he loves to eat peas!
Good luck to you and let me know how it goes with getting a jump on the garden season!
Parks and Community Gardens
As urban farming gains popularity more and more people are looking to park lands as possible sites for food gardens and other food related activities. When done right this can work out well for all; increasing bringing new people into parks, reducing maintenance costs, producing delicious super local food, reducing crime and building community.
Here in Seattle the Parks Urban Food System team is working on programs that promote growing, sharing and eating great food. The P-Patch program has several community and communal gardens on parks land as well.
Here is what’s going on in other cities:
- Here’s a great article from Grist on how governments are supporting food production on public land.
- Baltimore City Community Gardens: There are plots to rent and a big communal garden.
- In Austin, Texas a community group is working with their parks foundation to establish a new garden.
- In San Jose, CA the parks and recreation department manages several traditional, rent-a-plot community gardens. They also have a foundation supported, community run Veggielution Farm.
- Denver Urban Gardens for has a number of their community gardens on park land.
- Knox Parks Foundation in Hartford, CT helps with several community gardens.
- Green Thumb in NYC - This is the largest community garden program in the nation.
- In Olympia, WA the Parks and Recreation Department for the City of Olympia manages two community gardens, with the goal of increasing that number in a ten year plan. They have a community garden coordinator staff member and a couple of community partnerships.
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