A Coach for Your Garden

One of the many things I love about gardening is that it doesn’t take that much effort to become good at it. You learn something new every time you set to work. But I’ll admit there are a few tasks that can be intimidating when you first approach them. Things like pruning, pinpointing a problem or knowing that to tackle first.

Well you don’t have to go it alone and you don’t have to hire a pro to do it for you. Hire yourself a Garden Coach. This is a relatively new field that has gotten a lot of good press lately. Coaches come to your garden and help you with pretty much whatever has you flummoxed. If you need direction for how to prune your apple trees, want to start a new vegetable garden, help identifying what plants are already in your yard (and what’s a weed), even tips on the basics, like the correct way to plant things or what part of your yard would be considered full sun.

Some coaches do follow-up visits or reports and sometimes all you need is some immediate advice. The next time you come across a tricky gardening conundrum and want to throw in the trowel, think about calling in a coach instead. Fees vary, but most are quite reasonable. Check out the Garden Coach Directory or call your local Cooperative Extension office. A lot of Master Gardeners are also Garden Coaches.

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Does Mother Nature Know Best?

Finally my coddled little tomato seedlings can get snuggled into the ground. The Lily of the Valley are in full bloom, and full fragrance, which means it’s safe to force your tomato seedlings out on their own. No more daily watering and shuffling them under cover when the temps threaten to dip.

And the iris, at least the bearded and Siberian iris, are popping open, so my peppers can also go in the ground. I have dozens of pepper seedlings, so I’m not really looking forward to that task. It’s not planting them that taxes me, it’s finding space for all of them. Most are hot peppers and you can’t plant just a few. I have ‛Aji Cristal’, ‛India Jwala’, ‛Kung Pao’, ‛Maule’s Red Hot’, ‛Pasilla Bajio’,  ‛Ristra’ Cayenne, ‘Santaka’ and ‛Super Thai Hot’, for drying and ‛Black Hungarian’, ‛Fatali’, ‛Hot Lemon’, ‛Hot Portugal’, jalapeno, ‛Pepperoncini’ and ‛Santa Fe Grande’, for eating fresh and freezing.

I don’t know how much it helps, but I plant each pepper with a toss of Epsom salts, for magnesium, and a book of matches, to add some sulfur and slightly acidify the surrounding soil. And wonder of wonders, the rain they predicted actually did come – put only because I watered the garden once I finished planting.

The only things left to plant are the squash and cucumbers. For those, I wait until after Memorial Day. They won’t grow much before it heats up anyway, and by waiting until June, I can hopefully avoid squash vine borers, here in the Hudson Valley.

I know, I could be foolish here, putting my precious seedlings out on their own when nighttime temps have been so erratic. The weather has been anything but predictable, but I’m going with nature’s cues.

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Word 4 Wednesday – Inspiration
Give and Take

I’ve never been good at commanding inspiration. The best I can do is clear my head and make room for what ideas may come. Being outdoors seems to offer more chances for my mind to roam, probably because I’m not focusing on details. When I’m in a garden or anywhere in nature, all the senses are alert and there’s so much to take in.

The effect is amplified if I’m in a vegetable garden – every scent, texture and flavor conjures up a memory. But they aren’t end points, to be enjoyed and appreciated as your take the tour.  Vegetable gardens are full of possibilities and anticipation and if that doesn’t set your mind off and running, you must be full.


I know that clutter is suffocating to me, whether it’s papers waiting to be filed or a garden with no place to rest the eye. Simplicity allows me give some order to my thoughts.

I can’t tell you how many times I hear myself say “I would never have thought of doing that.” I’m always amazed at others’ ingenuity and tuck away the clever ideas I stumble upon in case I should need them later. More often than not, I adapt them to my needs and hopefully my creation will provide inspiration to someone else.

And finally I would have to say that inspiration hits with the most frequency when I find myself captivated by a site, for whatever reason. Color combinations, the arrangement of objects, design in general… these things leave me so inspired, I tend to take on too many projects at once. It’s a much better problem than not having the inspiration to do anything.

Visit W4W at Garden Walk Garden Talk

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Crossing the Hudson

I finally made it to the Walkway Over the Hudson this weekend and it was everything I was told to expect. I brought along my new wide angle lens, to test out. Unfortunately,

the railing on the walkway was high enough to keep getting into my pictures, so my focal point became the sky. I have to admit, the clouds were phenomenal, but I really wanted to get better photos of the river banks. I guess I’ll just have to go back again and bring my stilts with me next time.

Photo by Stephen Ausmus / USDA

The crowds crossing back and forth on the walkway were a friendly bunch, but I can’t say as much for the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis (EAB). Unfortunately, the little bugger has been spotted in Dutchess County – the first sighting east of the Hudson River.

According to the DEC, “Since it was first discovered in Michigan in 2002, EAB has been responsible for the destruction of 70 million trees in the United States.”

The beetle inserts its eggs in the tree and the larvae feed in tunnels just below the bark. This blocks the tree’s vascular system, preventing water and food from moving within the tree and eventually causing it to die. A tell-tale sign that EAB have visited a tree is the D-shaped exit hole made when the larvae come out.

There are several other indicators and helpful info on control and reporting infestations on the National EAB Information website. This included restrictions on moving untreated firewood. There’s always some new, exotic pest changing our environment, so it’s nice to have easy access to faqs ahead of time.

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Garden Days 2012

For my local followers, Ulster and Dutchess counties are hosting their Garden Days this Saturday (4/14). Lots of great classes.Lots of giveaways. Lots of fun.  Ulster’s focus is “Flower Power” – new varieties, wildflowers, bulbs, flowering shrubs, roses, even designing with the color wheel. No excuse not to be surrounded with color this summer.

Dutchess is going the well-rounded route – from shade gardens to the total tomato gardener, to cold frames, to lessons from Mohonk – you’ll have a hard time choosing. There’s even lunch in the Master Gardener greenhouse.

If you’ve never been to a Garden Day, prepare yourself for a treat. A whole day with like minded people talking plants, deer, blight and beauty. You’ll be raring to get outside and dig.

If you go to the Ulster County Garden Day, I’ll be there at lunch time, signing my book. Stop by and say hi.

 

 

 

I’ll be at Ulster, signing my book. Stop by and say hi.

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And the Winner of the Book is…

Alan! (It’s Not Work, It’s Gardening! ) Congratulations. I hope you enjoy it and try growing a few of these wonderful heirlooms. Email me a mailing address and I’ll get it right out to you.

Thank you to everyone who entered the drawing. Don’t forget, I need a mailing address in order to send out the seeds. I promise, it won’t go any further.

Let me know what vegetables you grow this year and how they do for you. A recipe or two wouldn’t be unwelcome, either.

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April Fools Came Early

After a couple of weeks with the weather flirting with 80 degrees, I woke up to shivering daffodils. It’s almost all gone now, but the damage is done. I had started to harden off seedlings outdoors, but for the past couple of days they’ve been in my wheelbarrow, so I can roll the in and out of the garage. I actually put a couple of broccoli seedlings in the  ground, just to test things. Well, they are not the better for it. Broccoli plants can handle some chilling, but the tender seedlings don’t like it cold. The leaves are not thick enough to deal with it.

 

My peach tree had just started to bloom the other day, when they predicted our first frost in months. I was relieved that we didn’t get the frost and the buds continued to open. There were even insects flying about, enjoying the show.

I said March was confused this year and it really is going out with a bang. It will be interesting to see how the tree does this year.

The snow is actually better than the cold temps. As the snow freezes on the blossoms, the heat released by the flowers is trapped as water vapor and it’s supposed to provide some insulation from frost damage. We shall see.

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March Goes Out Like a Lion

Considering how mild my winter was, I am in no position to complain about the weather. But still, I think it was just plain mean to tempt us with 80 degree days and then send an arctic guffaw our way, just when we became spoiled. I was just getting used to seeing something new blossom everyday.  It was sad to see some of the flowering trees turn brown over night, but it’s the fruit trees we’re really worried about. My peach is just beginning to open and I don’t think I had any harm done. I hope the local growers were as lucky.

Although we’ve been spared snow, my yard is looking very white these days. I believe this is a deutzia showing off here. I hate when I forget what I planted, although you’d think I’d be used to it by now. This is the best it’s ever looked, in the spring. I guess it liked the mild winter, because it’s blooming a little early. I don’t think it’s ‘Chardonnay Pearls’ ®, but it does have chartreuse foliage, so it’s a stunner all summer.

Most Deutzia shrubs are hardy to USDA Zone 4 and incredibly tolerant of abuse. They may prefer moist soil with a neutral pH, but this one is growing in my slightly acidic, sandy loam and it’s not complaining.

And I have to give another high five to my common old variegated hostas. They are so entrancing when they start to unfurl. I rarely have deer, so I’m one of the lucky folks in my area who can grow hosta easily and I do love plants that demand so little attention and look good all season.

Just a quick note, only 4 more days to leave a comment, for a chance to win a book. Good luck!

 

 

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Free Seeds and 2 Chances to Win My Book

I’m still offering free seeds of ‘Rat’s Tail’ radish, to anyone who sends me their address. Well, almost anyone. You do need to be in the continental U.S. But I’m upping the ante and offering a chance to win a free book. All you need to do to enter is leave a comment. A winner will be selected on April 1st – no fooling.

Timber Press, is offering an even bigger give away – 35 packs of seeds and 5 gardening books! Get over there and enter right away, the contest only lasts until Friday, March 23rd.

And a huge thank you to June Stoyer for our wonderful chat on The Organic View. If you missed her podcast today, you can still hear it on her website.

Here’s a quick temptation from my book. I hope it makes you hungry.

‘Jimmy Nardello’ sweet peppers twist and curl as they grow into peppers that are glossy, crunchy and bursting with flavor. And there are plenty of them.

Have you ever seen a more beautiful lima bean? ‘Christmas’ lima bean needs a long growing season and grows best in USDA zones 8 or higher, but oh, my, they make a nutty, creamy comfort food – nothing like their starchy green cousins.

I don’t know why more people don’t grow winter squash. Maybe it’s because they take up so much space in the garden. Well, make space! ‘Poitmarron’ squash is a lovely tear drop shaped squash with a musky chestnut-like flavor. Wouldn’t that be exquisite on a cold winter day?

 

 

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Heirloom Seed Give Away!

I’m still a little in shock, but my first book is now published and out in the world. It’s called The Beginner’s Guide to Heirloom Vegetables, but I think any vegetable gardener or cook who loves great tasting, fresh flavors would like it. I started growing heirlooms in search of a tomato to please my father’s memory of what tomatoes used to taste like. That probably rings a bell for many of you. From tomatoes, I realized how many kind of peppers and beans there are in the world – and how few I had tasted – yet. I haven’t stopped eating since.  If you get a chance to read it – or better still – to grow something from it, I’d love to hear from you. I’ve got a short video with more from the book, if you’d like to take a peak.

Heirloom 'RatsTail' Edible Podded Radish
To get you started, I’ll send some of my ‘Rat’s Tail’ radish seeds to anyone who emails me their address, while my supplies last. ‘Rat’s Tail’ is what’s called an edible podded radish. You eat the crunchy seed pods, instead of the bulbs. The flavor is still a robust radish, but ‘Rat’s Tail’ can take the heat. It will keep producing all summer long, if you keep harvesting. You may want to succession plant, because you’ll get a lot of pods from a couple of plants. Better to stagger the plantings and keep them coming in a steady supply. Give them a try. They’re super easy to grow.

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