The Last Hoorah!

Well not technically the LAST one; but probably the last one of this growing season (I may have some suprises...you never know). But as I look out on the light coating of snow that came upon us last night, I had the feeling of finality for the gardening season.

Luckily, I was able to get the shallots planted before the snow. The ground was hard, but with a little work and a little added warmer compost I was able to get the soil friable enough to plant the shallots.

The rich, creamy flavor and texture of French shallots elevate the delicacy of almost any recipe. The shallots are generally grown from sets that are actually little individual bulbs that you plant to yield 10-15 times the number of shallots! Early in the spring, their dark green shoots will poke through the soil within a couple of weeks of the thaw.

This year, since they are pretty much foolproof, I planted French Red Shallots. These are a good shallot for novice growers (and I will always think of myself that way). They are amazingly productive; are easy to peel and dice and have a delicious, intense, spicy flavor. In the summer, when the top greens start to die back; they will yeild shallots roughtly the size of chestnuts with coppery russet skins and purplle pink flesh. Plus, they store really well. They can last up to a year if properly cellared (Dark, Cool, Dry).

I am looking forward to the winter time part of gardening. The planning of next year's garden, the seed catalogues arriving in the next few weeks! I will check in with everyone then!

Happy Holidays!

Happy Gardening!

The Trees are ALIVE!

Well the day has finally come!! The planting of the fruit trees!. Many of you know that I ordered trees from the National Arbor Day Foundation back in August. The trees were ordered as saplings (Dwarf Winesap and Dwarf Lodi); I was told that the trees would arrive sometime in Mid November.

Well wouldn't you know it, they arrived the day after Thanksgiving (not so mid) and I was out of town with my family...grrrrr. But the good news is becuase of the good care and preparation by the folks at the NADF ensured that the trees would be healthy if they sat for a day or so in the packaging. NADF preps the roots by soaking them in a gell that helps seal in moisture to the bare roots, they then wrap the roots in wet shredded paper and then enclose the bundle in plastic bags to seal in the moisture for shipping.

I filled a large bucket with water and unpacked the trees and immediately submerged them for 3.5 hours...allowing the bare roots to be exposed to air even for a few minutes can cause damage in these delicate saplings.

While the trees relaxed in their bath, I dug the holes. I dug about 8 inches down, placing the extricated soil next to the hole. I then took a handful of soil and put it back in the bottom of the hole to create a small mound. This will support the root canopy and ensures there will be no air pockets below the roots. You could use compost to create the mound, but if your soil is of good quality and nutrient content, you will not need to add any ammendments and too much fertilizer is not good for trees.

I then carefully place the trees back in the hole and back fill to near the surface. I add water to compress the soil and moisten the soil. After this, add the remaining soil and water again. I then repeated the process with the other tree. The final step was to stake the tree, mulch around it and add protection from rabbits and squirrels by adding a ventilated sleeve around the trunk.

I will water the trees every few days while the weather cooperates and also water when the winter weather allows (dry winter days with no snow). These trees are very small and will not produce fruit for a few years, but they will eventually be beautiful and bountiful espaliered trees adding fruit and form to the garden!

Happy Gardening!

Late Season Bulb Digger (Finale)

Now that the soil is prepped and you are ready, it is time to tuck your bulbs in the soil and prep them for winter!

Plant your bulbs at twice their height and twice their width if planting single. When creating bulb compositions follow the height rule, but you can then crowd the bulbs into whatever formation you want. I plant mine in concentric circles alternating the bulb type for maximum beauty.

I throw a little compost into the holes before planting to provide nutrients in our terrible clay soil, then cover them with soil, add a bit of water and then cover over with a nice layer of mulch.

To protect your precious bulbs from pests (the dreaded grey squirell here in Columbus), I sprinkle and mix in the mulch some cayenne pepper...this keeps the pesky squirells away from my tender bulbs! You will have to periodically refresh the pepper until it snows and the ground is covered. Also companion planting narcissus bulbs keep the pests away as well!

If you follow these simple steps, you will have a spring bursting with color!

Happy Gardening!

Late Season Bulb Digger (Part 2)

Once you have selected, purchased or ordered your bulbs, you will want to get them planted before the ground freezes.

Selecting the location

Before selecting the location to plant bulbs in the landscape, consider the light requirements of the plant. Does it require full sun, part shade, etc.? Once that is determined you can decide to plant in a bed, around rocks, under trees based on what will make the bulb thrive.

Now for the fun part, planning your palate...I love the juxtaposition of pink, yellow, lavender and blue and I plant in clusters of each color paired with yellow (yellow/pink, yellow/purple, yellow/blue), mixing the bulbs in various heights to create clusters. This year I added something calle the queen of the night (cue Whitney Houston!) that is a deep deep purple. I am excited to see what the results will be.

Preparing Soil

Properly preparing the soil for bulb planting is important. Good soil drainage is essential in raising bulbs. If you have soil with a high clay content (like we all do in Columbus), it can be improved with the addition of compost and peat moss. The material should be worked into the top 12-18 inches of soil.

Next up, planting and caring for your bulbs!

Happy Gardening!

Late Season Bulb Digger! (Part 1)

I admit it...I am...but I am not ashamed! The stores, garden centers and many garden "experts" would have you beleive that you practically have to run from your labor day celebrations to the garden center to get your bulbs and get them in the ground!

I, however, take a more laxidasical approach...I wait...I wait with a knowing grin

I never buy bulbs from garden centers until at least November 1st. Why? for a couple of reasons. One, my garden plants are still up and going until then, it makes it difficult to determine where I want to plant a cluster...Two, I am CHEAP!!! Bulbs purchased in late October or early November are at least 50% and up to 85% off (this year I waited until the 15th of November and bought about 250 additional bulbs for 90% off). Now that is for commodity bulbs like tulips, narcissus, etc. For specialty bulbs, I go online where the savings can be equally great!

Bulbs provide a good investment for the money spent. They can supply years of color to your yard (particularly in early spring when it needs it the most). Most bulbs can be planted up until the ground is frozen, so hold off and wait to buy your bulbs!

Happy Gardening!

Building the Fourth Wall (Part 3)

With time running out before the fruit trees arrived from the Arbor Day Foundation; it was time to install the trellises. Unfortunately the design of the system became a problem again. The brackets used to attach the trellise to the base were simply not rubust enought to hold the seven foot tall trellis secure and the system flopped again.

Once again, ingenuity and creativity came to our rescue. We purchased 72" metal 1/2 inch diameter pipes (in black) from our local home improvement store. We pounded the pipes into the ground (about 3 feet down) aligned with the center spoke of the trellis and affixed them to the trellis using industrial strapping.

As you can see, the result is a beautiful trellis system that will eventually be the framework for a stunning display of two dwarf fruit trees trained to follow the structure in a two dimensional sculpture. Once planted, the trees will grow through pruning and training on the trellis. While I wait for the trees to grow and produce fruit, I will us teh trellis system to support a crop of sweet peas this spring. Multiple uses and efficient space management! That is what having a potager is all about!

Happy Gardening

Building the Fourth Wall (Part 2)

Now that the trees for the espaliered are on their way, we needed to get the trellis system installed. I purchased modular stakes that attach to the trellises that are then sunk into the ground and attached. Easier said than done…While beautiful, the trellis system makers did not think out their design very well. The weight of the trellis overwhelmed the stake bottoms while simply sunk into the soil and the trellis toppled on the first and second attempt to install them. This was a frustrating situation!

Luckily, my friend Don came up with the thought of concreting in the bases to ensure that the bases would stay firm! To do this we had to draw a straight and level string line after we measured the span of the three trellises. Once done, we dug small holes where the trellis stakes would go into the ground. Using quick setting cement, we filled in around the stakes with the dry concrete mix and added water according to package directions. Now we simply had to wait for the concrete to set and our schedules to align to install the trellis system!

Happy Gardening!