Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick
Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.
At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."
Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.
A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."
[snipped]
She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.
"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
http://www.seeds.ca/hpd/hpd_intro.php
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In the following pages you will find descriptions, stories, history, cultivation details, and real gardeners’ comments on 19000 cultivars of Canadian garden vegetables, fruit, grains and ornamentals.
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Database contains a total of 26686 records
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Anyone can count the number of seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed.
- Robert H. Schuller
http://www.icangarden.com/document.cfm?task=viewdetail&itemid=4501&categoryid=280
Documents: Pro-Mix:
Herb Gardening How-to
by Yvonne Cunnington
by Yvonne Cunnington
I am a garden writer and photographer living near Hamilton, Ont. My articles have appeared in Chatelaine, Canadian Living, Canadian Gardening and Gardening Life magazines. My book for beginner gardeners, Clueless in the Garden: A Guide for the Horticulturally Helpless (Key Porter Books) was published in 2003.
My husband and I tend a large country garden, which has been featured on TV’s Gardeners Journal and in Gardening Life magazine. We have had numerous bus tours visit our garden.
Visit her website at http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/
May 27, 2007
Herbs are hot: they add zest and aroma to your cooking, and in the garden, they love basking in the heat of summer.
Most herbs are surprisingly easy to grow – thriving with minimal care and in small spaces. Container grown herbs look attractive on decks, patios and balconies, and because most of them hail from Mediterranean regions, they thrive in summer’s heat and sun. Even better, they have few insect and disease problems, and most grow best in average garden soil, rarely needing added fertilizer.
Herbal pointers to get you started:
* Give herbs well-drained soil and full sun (6 hours daily). A few herbs like part shade, (see chart), and some, such as mint, prefer moist soil.
* While many herbs thrive in hot and dry conditions, they need watering to get established and in times of drought.
* Herbs can be annuals, such as dill and cilantro, generally harvested 2 to 3 months after sowing from seed. (You can buy them as transplants, but you get stronger plants from seed.) Annuals go to seed quickly, and that’s when their leaves tend to lose flavour. For a fresh supply, replant every 3 weeks into early or mid August. To harvest, snip off leaves, or pull entire plant.
* For perennial herbs, such as French tarragon, sage or thyme, buy small plants. Allow a couple of months of growth before harvesting. (You can grow some perennial herbs from seed, but it takes a season or two to get a harvest.)
* Avoid removing too many leaves or stems at one time – plants need leaves to grow and thrive; keep 15 cm of growth intact.
* To harvest, snip a portion with sharp scissors, pruners or a knife; don’t tear or pull stem off – to avoid injuring or even dislodging roots.
* Once herbs are established, regular pruning promotes lush new growth, which has the best flavour.
Growing herbs in containers
Growing in containers is a great way to have kitchen herbs close to hand in a small space. Some herbs such as mint grow too exuberantly and are easier to control in pots. And in the case of rosemary – a tough woody perennial in warmer climates but not hardy in cold Canadian winters – growing in a pot makes it easier to take the plant inside. (See below.)
To grow well in pots, most herbs need:
* Full sun (6 hours minimum)
* Containers 25 to 30 cm deep with one or more holes for good drainage
* Purchased soil-less potting mix; don’t use garden soil, although you can add a little compost or bagged manure for enrichment
* Watering. How much to water depends on the weather, the plants and the size and type of pot. Terra cotta containers dry out quickly and usually need daily watering high summer. The larger the pot, the easier it is to keep moist.
* Fertilizing. Like all container plants, herbs need fertilizer. Slow release fertilizer pellets added to the top layer of soil at planting are easy: they feed constantly over the growing season. Or give soluble fertilizer with watering once a week.
What about taking herbs indoors?
Remember the bit about herbs coming from the hot and sunny Mediterranean? It’s tempting to take your plants indoors for winter, especially perennial types. Unfortunately, in northern winters even a south-facing window gets a lot less sun than the plants need, and central heating keeps the air very dry (Mediterranean winters are moist). And your herbs won’t be as flavourful in winter – they seem to need heat and sun to create the aromatic oils that make them zesty.
If you’re still keen to try, the keys to success are:
* A sunny south-facing window, plus a florescent grow light for extra brightness. Growth will slow, so harvest small amounts only (if your goal is to keep plants for next year); or continue to harvest until you use leaves up and then discard plant.
* Water when soil feels dry to touch.
* For best winter survival of rosemary, move plant into shadier spot outdoors in early fall to acclimatize to lower light; indoors, keep in a cool bright window with a florescent grow light. A bright, unheated sun porch can be ideal, as long as temperatures don’t dip below -6ºC.
Top 10 kitchen herbs
Food partners
How to grow Harvesting & using
Basil
Annual
(Varieties include sweet green, purple & Thai)
Sweet basil: tomatoes, salads, pesto, Italian sauces, ratatouille; licorice flavoured Thai type: Thai & Asian dishes Loves heat; buy seedling plants or grow from seed; set into containers or garden in full sun when all danger of frost is over Snip leafy stems mid-summer; pinch off flowers for better leaf production. To freeze, chop in blender or food processor; put into ice cube trays; store in freezer bags, use 1cube per recipe
Chives Perennial hardy to Zone 3 Scrambled eggs, omelettes, salads Full sun/part shade; remove flowers for better leaf production & to prevent excessive self-seeding. When overgrown, give clump a haircut. Use fresh; harvest with kitchen scissors from spring through summer. Ready early spring; edible flowers garnish salads. Round-leaved onion chives onion flavoured; flat-leaved garlic chives onion/garlic flavoured
Cilantro (fresh coriander) Annual Pungent leaves used in Asian and Thai, Indian dishes & Mexican dishes (salsa, corn salad) Easy from seed, full sun/part shade. Goes to seed quickly; for continuous supply replant every 3 weeks in summer Harvest by cutting off what you need, or pull out plant when about 20 cm tall; use fresh, quickly loses flavor in fridge
Dill, fresh, (sometimes called dillweed) Annual Fish and seafood, potato salad; salad greens, cucumbers; egg dishes, adds zest to vegetable dishes e.g. new potatoes; seeds flavor pickles Easy from seed in early spring; sow more every 3 weeks for season’s supply; full sun. For small spaces or containers, choose dwarf ‘Fernleaf’ variety (container should be 25 cm deep). Snip off leaves when plants are 15 cm tall; most flavorful before flowers develop. Harvest flower stems for pickles when most flowers are open.
Mint:
Perennial hardy to Zone 4
Fruit salads, iced tea, lemonade, mint tea; new potatoes, lamb, green beans Full sun, moist soil. Aggressive grower, to avoid rampant spread grow in container or sink 35 cm tall bottomless plastic nursery pot or clay tile into soil Harvest leaves through summer. Cut back frequently to encourage fresh growth. Dry leaves for winter on trays or byhanging branches upsidedown in warm, dark, airy place.
Parsley Biennial, (usually treated as annual) Garnishes, soups, salads, salad dressings, sauces Set seedling plants in full sun; good foliage plant in containers; varieties: curly leaved, flat leaved Italian Harvest larger outer leaves first, leaving inner shoots to grow; keeps well in refrigerator; can be chopped in food processor and frozen for winter use
Rosemary
Perennial hardy to Zone 7 with winter protection (e.g. mulch)
Lamb, chicken, pork Italian dishes; great with eggplant and roasted potatoes Full sun. Woody evergreen shrub; not winter-hardy in most of the country, but terrific in containers; bring indoors in fall into bright airy place To harvest snip off tender stem tips; new growth will branch out from cuts. Dries well, hang in bunches in a dry dark airy spot.
French Tarragon Perennial hardy to Zone 4 Salads, egg dishes, fish/seafood, chicken, sauces, vinegars, Purchase plants (tarragon from seed is the non-flavorful Russian type). Full sun/part shade, well-drained soil. Cut back to prevent flowering, keep to 60 cm tall to prevent flopping Use leaves fresh in summer. Freeze for later use. Drying also works, but dried tarragon can lose flavour if left too long
Sage
Perennial hardy to Zone 5
Turkey and chicken Set plants into full sun, moist but well drained soil. Plants may lose vigour after a few seasons, so dig up replace them with new ones Harvest sparingly in 1st season to help plants get established. Pick leaves anytime over summer. Easy to dry, keeps well: hang branches in dry, dark airy spot
Thyme Perennial hardy to Zone 4 Ranks as one of the fine herbs of French cuisine; flavours meat, chicken dishes, herbal butters & vinegars, fish, sauces, stews Plant in full sun; well-drained soil. In very cold winter areas, mulch plants after ground freezes with a light layer of pine needles. Trim back in early spring to remove browned stems & winter dieback Snip leaves and sprigs all summer. Dries well for winter: tie several sprigs together, hang upside down in warm, dark, airy place
For more on herbs: Visit www.richters.com to buy herbs online. For more herb-growing information, click on “Richters Info Centre”.
A version of this article originally appeared in the May 2003 issue of Chatelaine.
http://www.icangarden.com/document.cfm?task=viewdetail&itemid=5755&categoryid=280
Mixing It Up With Herbs
by Charlotte Kidd
by Charlotte Kidd
email: charlottekidd@comcast.net
Charlotte Kidd, M. Ed., is the owner of In The Garden Design, Care & Workshops in Flourtown, PA.
An organic gardener since the 1970s, she brings environmentally harmonious techniques to ornamental gardens in Southeastern Pennsylvania. She’s studied horticulture at Temple University and Longwood Gardens and teaches at the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania and the Main Line School Night.
Charlotte is a member of the Garden Writers Association and the Society of Environmental Journalists.
June 5, 2005
So many herbs, so little time (and space)! Purple, white, and green ‘Tricolor’ Sage; ‘Golden Oregano’; ‘Golden Lemon’ Thyme, ‘Fernleaf’ Lavender, ‘Purple Ruffles’ Basil. How about including their fragrance, texture, and color IN the ornamental garden?
Sun-Lovers (8 to 12 hours sun) in Well-Drained Soil
Low-growing perennial Mediterrean herbs like thyme and oregano are excellent groundcover on hillsides and above walls. They thrive on poor, airy, alkaline, well-drained soil and mucho sun.
Especially consider them for a sloped area beside steps or a path you take to and from your door. As you pass, pinch off a handful of citrus-scented yellow and green ‘Lemon Thyme’ for the fish or chicken for dinner.
As thyme and oregano spread year after year, they’ll reduce runoff and fill that heretofore weedy spot. No fertilizing is required. They flower pink in summer. While their outstanding feature is culinary, their colorful fragrant foliage is a visual delight. Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) cultivars to look for include ‘French’, ‘Creeping Lemon’, ‘Golden Lemon’, ‘Grey Hill’, ‘Lemon Carpet’, ‘Lemon Frost’, ‘Lemon Silver Variegated’ and Thymus argenteus ‘Silver’.
Oregano is Greek for “joy of the mountain” so envision its natural habitat - Mediterranean hillsides. The perennial Origanum vulgare grows in Zones 4 to 9 and flowers purple mostly in late summer. Greek oregano (O. vulgare subsp. hirtum) is popular for cooking. Oreganos today can also be Italian, Mexican, Cuban. ‘Hot and Spicy’ Oregano boasts “a very nice Jalapeno bite.” Newer cultivars include ‘Compact’ (dwarf), ‘Siclian’, and ‘Norton’s Gold’. Some cultivars are tender perennials (not cold-tolerant), so check labels.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is always a fragrant favorite though most cultivars don’t winter well in cold zones. The exception is R. ‘Arp’ - fine in Zones 6, 7, 8, 9. ‘Arp’ is an upright variety (3 to 6 feet at maturity) with grey-green foliage and blue-white flowers.
Partial Shade (4 to 6 hours sun) in Well-Drained Soil
Newer yellow-hued Oregano cultivars stay bright provided they get some shade in summer. Chartreuse, crinkly leafed Crispy Golden Oregano (Origanum vulgare ‘Aurem Crispum’) and ‘Golden Oregano’ are eye-catching additions to a rock garden or small perennial border with a spot of shade.
Basils - Terrific Yet Tender
Want a splash of purple fluttering between the ‘Rocket’ snapdragons and shorter ‘Cooler Orchid’ Vinca? ‘Purple Ruffles’ Basil fill that frame.
Sweet Basil (Ocymum basilium) is a tasty, tender perennial that likes moist, loamy, alkaline soil and summer heat and sun. Though there are now more than 50 varieties of garden basil, Genovese Basil is the longstanding favorite for pesto. For different textures, colors, and scents in the flower garden, try ‘Compact Genovese’, ‘Miniature Purple’ Basil, ‘Siam Queen’, ‘Sweet Dani Lemon’, ‘Minette Bush’, ‘Thai Magic’, ‘Lime’, ‘Cinnamon’, ‘African Blue’, and the large ‘Aussie Sweetie.’
June Events
Sun., June 12. 1-4 PM Open House for Tom Steigerwald’s latest botanical paintings. Stroll the lovely garden and enjoy wine and cheese. 930 Stratford Avenue, Elkins Park, PA 19027. Pat and Tom at 215-635-1648.
Blossoms up!
I received this via email. This is really good to know, if true.
Check the barcodes on foods, whether it is for people or pets. Foodstuffs from China have been killing pets and people. Here’s the information to pass on...
Subject: BARCODES
The whole world is concerned about China made ‘black hearted goods’. Can you differentiate which one is made in Canada, Philippines, Taiwan or China?
The first 3 digits of the UPC barcode is the country code wherein the product was made.
Sample: All barcodes that start at 690 - 695 are all MADE IN CHINA.
471 is Made in Taiwan.
Government and related departments won’t educate the public. Therefore, we have to educate ourselves.
Nowadays, Chinese businessmen know that consumers do not prefer products ‘Made in China,’ so they don’t show from which country it is made.
However, you may now refer to the barcode, remember if the first 3 digits are: 690-695 then it is Made in China.
BARCODES
00 ~ 13 USA & CANADA
30 ~ 37 FRANCE
40 ~ 44 GERMANY
49 ~ JAPAN
50 ~ UK
57 ~ Denmark
64 ~ Finland
76 ~ Switzerland and Liechtenstein
471 ~ Taiwan
480 ~ Philippines
628 ~ Saudi-Arabia
629 ~ United Arab Emirates
690 ~ 695 China
740 ~ 745 Central America
BUY AMERICAN !!!!!! WHEN POSSIBLE THANK YOU
save
http://www.uvm.edu/~pass/perry/links.html
To go directly to sections, click...
* General
* Home Sites, Gardens
* Societies/Organizations
* Specific Plants
* Sources
* Gardens
* Commercial industry
* Garden Gates
The following are a few of the internet sites most relevant to the herbaceous perennial enthusiast and grower. Only firms and sites fairly easily accessible, with seemingly accurate information at time of checking, and some identification, are listed. This list is reviewed and updated frequently, but is by no means inclusive, is constantly changing, and is not meant to discriminate against those sites not mentioned nor endorse those mentioned. .
Links of the world, many worth reading...
http://www.uvm.edu/~pass/perry/index.html
Perry’s Perennial Pages
Good site for information.
You are exactly right. Maybe people are afraid to find out or too complacent that "there's nothing we can do about it." They wouldn't vote liberal, that's for sure.
A great resource for us historical writers!!<<<
Yes, it would be and some of the links will also serve the writer.
Thank you for checking out the thread, I hope that you will join in with us, or read as you want.
You are always welcome here.
And I will pray for you and your health, Granny. I worry about you up there in the desert. I wish you could be back in Wellton. I know it's hot there, but it's probably better than the Kingman area, I'd hope there are fewer drugs, but who knows now.
I can tell you are a soul full of love for everyone you meet because you always wish them the best. The world needs more people like you, truly. I'm not just saying that. Please take care of yourself. and don't let Scott's dog lie on your oxygen tubing.
That drug law, along with EPA regulations, are going to be the death of real estate values. Land can be worth less than zero. It's a terrible shame.
Check the barcodes on foods, whether it is for people or pets. Foodstuffs from China have been killing pets and people. Here’s the information to pass on...<<<
Keep me posted on what you decide.
LOL, one of us posted something on codes in the past few days, but I suspect it was expiration dates.
I have glanced at this thread off and on and am considering a garden in the backyard next spring. My main question is using manure as fertilizer. It sounds like letting it compost for 120 days will cook off all of the bad bugs - any other thoughts on fertilizing and amending clayey soil?
I went to the Ed Hume seed company website as they specialize in seeds for NW America climate. They have mostly heirloom seeds but many hybrids as well.
I AM NOT a plant person - but figured I can learn.
I’m pretty sure my yard will not be the greatest for vegetables but it is worth a try I think. It would still get probably 7 hours of sun a day in the summer (fairly shady).
Pioneers in New Plant Introductions!
PlantHaven®, Inc was founded by Geoff and Maureen Needham in January 1997 in response to a growing demand from plant breeders for good advice and representation in the North American market. We are an independent agency assisting plant breeders worldwide in bringing their new plant varieties to market. Through careful guidance, PlantHaven has nurtured many breeder relationships offering advice and service in market research, performance trials and patent protection.
continues on page:
http://www.planthaven.com/about.html
And I will pray for you and your health, Granny. I worry about you up there in the desert. I wish you could be back in Wellton. I know it’s hot there, but it’s probably better than the Kingman area, I’d hope there are fewer drugs, but who knows now.<<<
When I stop laughing, I will say thank you for every prayer.
We no longer own the property in Wellton and the folks that I knew and loved are all dead now.
Our property was on the path to Mexico, we watched the dope travel that road for years, many with a local cop who only laughed if you told him what you saw, then we got rid of him and got good men in.
If they wanted to know the way to make the pickup, they stopped at our place and asked.
One night, I hung a blinking light Christmas decoration in the end window of the mobile, and an airplane almost landed on my mobile.
I woke up Bill and he said if I thought a plane was in trouble take the dogs and go look...LOL, we all knew to not wake Bill up, he could not handle being woken up and it made him feel bad the next day.
The next day, an old timer stopped by, I told him what had happened and he showed me where one of the WW2 landing strips was and sure enough, the dopers were landing and shifting loads, a mile or so from our mobile.
Even the Feds did not know it was there.
And every night, as I milked, the space ship left its secret base and flew right over my head, to reach the testing grounds, as a bombing range joined our property.
In Wellton, we all knew that the space ship had Air Force pilots, one of Bill’s bosses was in the Air Force with them and still saw them, he was also a cop, so the cops knew ...I found out.
But the hardest I ever laughed, was listening to the Sheriff’s Deputies chase it one night in Yuma.
A Lady called and reported it and every deputy had a wise remark to make........and then a deputy saw it and the chase was on.
When I worked at the court, I bought a radio that picked up Yuma cops, as we rotated the weekend court locations and it was our turn, all too often.
It was on that radio, that I listened to my first riot call, they had a call a riot had erupted, called up every cop in town and I could almost hear the sirens 40 miles away.
And then utter quiet.
And then a tired voice says: “Cancel the others, they are not needed, it is, it is, its a Sunday School Class, playing basketball in the Pastors swimming pool.”
Early evidence of declining nutritional quality
In the last hundred years, every new agricultural or food processing innovation—whether the pasteurization of milk or the rise of frozen foods or the invention of chemical fertilizers—has prompted critics to suggest that the change has compromised the nutritional quality of our food. In the last century, the increasingly scientific and chemical-based efforts to raise crop yields prompted a new round of criticism that our more abundant food supply was actually more deficient. As far back as the early 1900s, Rudolf Steiner suggested that “a lot of things have diminished in their nutritive value,” partly due to the early adoption of chemical fertilizers.
In fact, since the middle of the 20th century, researchers looking at British and American data have found that the nutrient content of those nations’ food supplies have steadily declined.
In the middle of the 20th century, R.A. McCance and E.M. Widdowson, two British nutritionists who tracked changes in the nutrient content of the British food supply, suggested that the future of their nation was threatened by food processing, neglect of manuring, and the disappearance of crop rotations.
A reanalysis of this British government data found “marked reductions” of 7 minerals in 20 fruits and 20 vegetables from the 1930s to the 1980s, concluding that “in every sub group of foods investigated there has been a substantial loss in their mineral content.”
These historical analyses invited critics who challenged the reliability of old data and measuring techniques; many aspects of sampling, handling, and assaying for nutrients have changed over the decades and in some cases methods are not well-documented. Another analysis of British data, also criticized for not controlling for moisture content or separating raw from cooked foods, reported even more dramatic findings: spinach’s potassium content dropped by 53 percent, its phosphorus by 70 percent, its iron by 60 percent, and its copper by 96 percent; a person would have had to eat three apples in 1991 to supply the same iron content as one in 1940; and the iron content of meat products declined by an average of 54 percent.
(The work is one of the few studies to look at meat and dairy products. As such, the double-digit declines in the nutrient quality of meat and dairy products are some of the first indications that consumption of less nutrient-dense animal feed grains and forages has a measurable impact on the animals eating them, and perhaps secondarily, on people consuming the meat and milk from such animals.)
I have glanced at this thread off and on and am considering a garden in the backyard next spring. My main question is using manure as fertilizer. It sounds like letting it compost for 120 days will cook off all of the bad bugs - any other thoughts on fertilizing and amending clayey soil?<<<
Yes, you should compost the fertilizer, as if you use it straight on the garden, it will burn the plants and be too hot for the seeds.
If possible, layer the compost with leaves or spoiled hay.
Rabbit manure is the only one safe to use directly on older plants, that I know of and have used.
No, you don’t loose the plant value and someone with a better knowledge could give you clearer answers than I, but to me it seems that when you mix the leaves, garbage, manure and whatever else you can find, they trap and swap the goodies they each have to actually give you a better product.
If I was working with pure clay, I would then switch to raised beds and go looking for topsoil and compost, that is what I have to do here, as I have both pure sand and pure clay, so my beds were raised, using old lumber.
It is not good to use railroad ties, as they contain a creosote preservative.
Cement blocks will work.
I posted a link to the Sand Hill Preservation nursery earlier tonight , they are excellent for seeds.
If possible use heritage seeds, as they will put up with bad sites for growing, or that has been my experience, the hybrids want to have it just right and that is not possible here.
There are garden articles and links throughout this thread.
Where are you located, maybe there is someone here from your area.
I guess there are drugs everywhere. What a scourge they are to all of us. A real tool of Satan.
My husband's parents live in Hereford Arizona, right in the path of the illegals and who knows what else. I hate having them live down there but they seem unaware of what's going on. They are devout Christians so maybe the Holy Spirit protects them, or a host of angels.
I didn't realize it had been so long since you lived in Wellton. It's in the past for you, obviously, and so no use wishing for something that can't be. You are one tough lady!
Thank you very much for the info!
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