Welcome to Spring!!!

Dear Gardening Friends,

A seed starting tray.

Nicotiana Sylvestris, "Only the Lonely"

     There are less than twenty-four hours until we can say,  “Welcome” to Spring!!!! This winter, while I have been waiting, I have attended to lots of “pre-season” activities. A list of seeds for both the “potager” and the flower beds has been compiled and ordered. I started my first round of seedlings on January 21^st, to celebrate the second inauguration of President Barack Obama, including a mix of vegetables and flowers. I started some Fish Peppers, since I know them to be slow to germinate, as well as lots of Lacinato Kale and some Portuguese Couve Tronchuda , (Collard Greens). I had hardly dropped their seeds into the soil before the Cosmos popped up.  Now, they are taller than the lights I have used to grow them! Nearly the same is true of the Nicotiana Sylvestris, “Only the Lonely,” which makes me marvel at how some of the tallest plants come from the tiniest seeds. I am excited to grow for the first time, a beautiful flowering vine, Eccremocarpus, “Tresco Gold,” seeds for which were a present from my “California family,” Malcolm, Kiki, Campbell and Xia.

Scaled down lawnmower, 30 inches high

     In early February, New Yorkers, (and quite a few out-of-town visitors), were distracted from the cold by the 59^th Annual Winter Antiques Fair, a benefit for Eastside House Settlement. Among the many desirable objets on display, was a beautifully preserved, scaled-down lawnmower, with silvered blades, perfect for the energetic six year old who wants to help neaten up the grass. My biggest thrill however, was interviewing my friend Barbara Israel, doyenne of garden furniture and ornamentation, who kindly described the pieces she brought to this years fair.

     About three weeks ago, on a warmish day for February, with temperatures in the 50’s, I had the thrill of discovering a cloud of my honeybees hovering around the entrance to their hive! I had been wondering if they survived the winter, but didn’t want to disturb them during the cold. Now, I am confident that they are there, inside, awaiting weather warm enough to stretch their wings and get about the business of pollinating the garden, gathering nectar and pollen and making honey.

     Flower shows in Philadelphia, Allentown and The New York Botanical Gardens Orchid show are happening or about to, and on Tuesday of this week, our crocuses blossomed, so start your gardening engines! The 2013 gardening season is underway!!!

An Invitation to the 2013 gardening season!

Dear Gardening Friends,

     What with one thing and another – its having been the hottest year on record, that made it impossible for us to be out in the sun after 9:15AM, and the arrival of a new dog (Champion Redbranch Mystic Druid) who consumed as much attention as we could give him - I managed to let last year get past me with just a single Toonmoose garden blog entry. It isn’t that there weren’t a host of activities and garden related experiences worth noting after April, which included our being invited to participate in the local garden tour for the first time. Lets just say that by the time we did all of those things, finding the energy to write about them eluded me.

     The surprise is that some of you actually missed those blog entries and were kind enough to tell me so. What is more, I missed the time I spent communicating with you, and sharing thoughts about our mutual passion – gardens. So, loath as I am to make resolutions, (they are so easily broken,) I do plan to resume reporting on all things garden related and hope that you will rejoin me for the “ride” during the 2013 growing season.  

     After all, one of the comforts of gardening is its’ cyclical nature. We may be “thrown off” by the vagaries of temperature changes from year to year, and I accept as credible, the premises of those who warn about “climate change.” Yet, as a Northeasterner in what is currently zone 6, I am relieved to think there will always be another Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter, with the particular garden pleasures attendant to each of these seasons.  So it is that I awaited the arrival of this years’ seed catalogues with all of the anticipation formerly reserved for Santa’s drop down the chimney. It is a delight to be preoccupied with which varieties of vegetables one will attempt to grow this year, fully aware that some will fail to produce, while others will succeed beyond ones wishes.  It is all a part of the magic and mystery of gardening!

     To get into the spirit of things, I am going to start some seeds indoors; beginning with one of my garden staples, Fish Peppers. They can be slow to germinate, taking up to three weeks to peak their heads above the soil, so all the more reason to give them a jump-start now. When they finally can be set out, in May after the last frost, they will be that much closer to producing fruit, to add the perfect sizzle to scrambled eggs and homemade hot sauce. How about you? What do you consider are your “must-have” garden plants, vegetables or flowers, organic or imaginary? “Inquiring minds want to know!”

Let the Gardening Games Begin!!!

                                  LET THE GARDENING GAMES BEGIN!!

Planting Spring Peas, Progress # 9, on March 17th, St. Patricks Day

Dear gardening friends,

     Welcome to the 2012 gardening season! This year in the Northeast, record warm temperatures arrived in March, making for an extended Spring. Many plants got an early start, encouraging us to hope for an especially productive season. Then too, this years garden at Penrose Bungalow will have special meaning, since, for the first time, we have been invited to participate in the local community garden tour, scheduled for Sunday, June 10. Make no mistake, the prospect of sharing our green sanctuary with the public, has us on our gardening “toes,” figuratively, and knees, literally. One goal is to share our experiences with you through photographs and written musings on this blog. I hope you will enjoy it.

Bronze Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare purpureum

     Often, gardening is as much about what one removes, as it is about what one puts in. With this in mind, today I am experiencing a great sense of accomplishment, bordering on elation, at having successfully extracted the Bronze Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare purpureum, from the herb garden. Is this too strong a reaction, you wonder? Perhaps, but this was the most odious task facing us as we went about our Spring garden clean-up, contributing to a sense of utter hopelessness. So, given the difficulty of accomplishing this task, and the impact that having this chore done has on the rest of the garden, I don’t think so. Permit me to go on. Yes, this is essentially a weeding job I am talking about. A couple of years ago, I, like many a misguided gardener, introduced this plant into the garden, attracted by its feathery foliage, and similarity to Foeniculum Vulgare Azoricum, the bulbing fennel that can be eaten, cooked or raw. While the F. purpureum has an appealing fragrance, not unlike anise or licorice, it does not produce an edible bulb. The root system it does produce, is long and slender, carrot or parsnip-like, but plunging 15 to 18 inches deep into the ground. On the other hand, it seeds prolifically and germinates easily. In no time at all, it becomes an invasive, pernicious nuisance, requiring being dug out, with great exertion on the part of the gardener.  So, beware! For weeks, as we have enjoyed this unusually long Spring, I have watched with dread as the new seasons crop of fennel shoots came up. As this was a particularly dry spell, I knew what a tight hold the roots of this plant would have on the arid soil. Given a casual tug, the tops might break off, but the roots would only grow deeper. Then, when we got word of a drenching rain forecast for Saturday/Sunday April 21/22cnd, I knew my opportunity had come. Wet soil would loosen the grip the roots would have on the earth. The roots would still have to be dug out, to be sure, however, they would come out much more easily, and hopefully, as a single piece.  Yessss!!!

     Outfitted with gloves, a long-handled fork and a warm jacket to fend off the still damp air, I set about my work. The jungle of feathery growth visible above ground, emanated from a tangle of long roots standing shoulder to shoulder and reaching deep below ground. Still, thanks to the previous days soaking rain, the ground spread open under the weight of my body counterbalanced against the tines of the steel fork. With the soil loosened, the roots eased up from their earthen hiding place with a minimum of resistance. The removal process took several hours, not including a break for lunch, but, bit by bit, I observed progress as the surface of the soil was revealed. By mid afternoon, I had filled two Hefty Cinch Sacks with the unwanted growth, and rediscovered Tarragon, Lemon Balm and Oregano plants that were all but squeezed out by the encroaching fennel. Most importantly, I had regained a sense of control over our garden, no matter how temporary. Whatever other challenges this gardening season presents, can now be met with optimism and confidence.  Hurray!!

Queen of the Night Tulips

Mini Daffodills

Peach Irises

Blue Irises

     Here then, are some images of the garden thus far that I hope the reader will enjoy, including a short video of part of the New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show for 2012. Enjoy, and share your comments and reactions, please. 

The "Christmas Lion" wishes everyone a "roaring" good time this holiday season!

Welcome to Winter, 2011! Today, December 21st, marks the official start of winter, and as such, will be the shortest day of the year. So far, so good with the weather, despite that unexpected Nor'Easter that dumped 7 inches of snow on us on October 29th.

Guidelines for preparing greens.

Here, in a large swath of the Northeast, we are still shaking our heads in disbelief over the blizzard that befell us on Saturday, October 29^{th 2011} . Winter is still officially six weeks away, but this storm left the appearance of mid-January across the landscape, dumping seven inches of heavy white snow. Far from their peak of Fall color, the leaves of many trees are still green and still on their branches, which allowed the snow to pile up on them quickly. The result is widespread damage, with many broken limbs and downed power lines. Few of us were prepared for such a dramatic change in the weather. We barely had time to bring in our tender potted plants, and I have yet to bring the, pomegranate or fig tree inside. I can only hope these haven’t sustained any permanent damage. In the potager, parsnips, carrots, (aptly named) snow peas, beets and collard greens are nestled in beneath this premature precipitation.

One positive outcome of the sudden drop in temperature is the conversion of the starch in these vegetables into sugar, (glucose), effectively sweetening them up. Growing up in urban Trenton, New Jersey, the appearance of Collards in the market was always a clear indication of the change to a colder season. A welcomed sight, their arrival was accompanied by vigorous discussions about their preparation. For an African-American family with roots in the South, greens - Collards, Mustard or Turnip – are an essential part of any menu, anticipated with great relish. Yet, from family to family, there exist subtle variations on the “proper” method of cooking greens.

One step that is universally agreed on is that one must begin by washing one’s greens, repeatedly! My good friend, the dancer and actor Vanoy Aikens, who learned to cook greens from his friend, the late, great Eartha Kitt, swears that Collards must be thoroughly washed, no fewer than “THREE TIMES!!!” That entails soaking them in a sink of cold water, carefully rinsing each leaf; emptying, rinsing and filling the sink and washing off each leaf again, then doing this step one more time, perhaps using running water this third time. The reason for this, being that there is nothing so unpleasant as chomping into fine grit or any soil residue that a less thorough washing might miss. A cooks’ reputation can hang or fall on so crucial a step!

Beyond this, is the question of whether to chop or tear the leaves? There are some cooks who swear by folding, then chopping one’s greens into manageable “ribbons.” Others are committed to tearing the tender leaf from the stalk, peeling it away from the ribs by grasping at the top of the leaf and pulling down toward the base of the stalk. Some cooks seek to eliminate the ribs and stalks, while others enjoy their somewhat meatier texture when cooked. A Brazilian friend, Carlos, has even been known to use a grater to create a “chiffonade” of his greens, sautéing them in olive oil, but in my experience, this is a radical departure from Southern tradition.

While all of this washing and dividing of leaves is going on, one should prepare in a separate pot, a stock with which to cook the greens. It has always been my understanding that greens, especially Collards, contain a lot of water, and therefore only need enough additional moisture to keep them from sticking to the pot. That stock, a prime component of any “pot likker,” is crucial, though not difficult, to prepare. Ms. Edna Lewis, the doyenne of Southern cooking, recommended simmering two pounds of pork shoulder in a gallon of water for two hours. One then strains and discards the shoulder, using the remaining stock as a base for cooking greens, root vegetables, beans, etc. For cooking smaller portions, a similar stock can be made by simmering a ham hock and reducing the amount of water proportionately. Those who object to pork may achieve a tasty variation by substituting smoked turkey wings or legs for the pork, and simmering them down. Remove the bones and leave in the bits of meat to flavor the stock and greens.

Bear in mind that greens wilt down, so that while it may appear that one has an excess of greens to begin with, once they have softened and wilted, there will only be a fraction of their original volume.

Thus, for cooking Collard Greens:

Prepare a stock, using Pork Shoulder, Ham Hock or Smoked Turkey. Start with two pounds of meat in a gallon of water and boil for two hours. Strain. For smaller quantities, adjust meat and water proportionately.

Wash thoroughly and prepare greens.

Into a covered pot, place greens with just enough stock to cover them. (Avoid “watery” greens.) Bring to a simmer. Cook until tender, with a silky, glistening texture, 40 minutes to one hour. Add additional stock to pot as needed to prevent greens sticking to pot. For additional flavor, add one or two cloves minced garlic, chopped onion or green pepper and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes. Add salt and pepper as needed. Serve with scallions, or the Peppers of ones choice on the side, or with a sprinkling of pepper vinegar.

Corn bread is an ideal compliment for greens.

A tour of the garden at Penrose Bungalow

Friends,

Here, (via youtube) is a video tour of the garden at Penrose Bungalow, on the eve of the arrival of Hurricane Irene. Fortunately, the garden did not sustain any major damage from the storm, beyond becoming temporarily water-logged. Enjoy!

July 7, 2011



Garden Update


Dear Friends,

When last I wrote to you, my fellow gardener’s, the 2011 gardening season was just getting under way. Since then, in the ongoing tug-of-war between actual, “hands-in-the-dirt” gardening and “writing’ about gardening, the “actual” has taken precedence over the descriptive. As evidence, there are at least four dozen Hefty Cinch Sacks worth of weeds atop the compost pile to show for our efforts.
So far this year, Nature has blessed us with a sufficiency of sunshine and rain, to facilitate a bountiful harvest of flowers and vegetables. May it always be so! That said, the Spring Peas (Progress # 9), our first crop of the season, planted back in March, is finished now, replaced by garlic bulbs for Fall harvesting. Bush Beans (Blue Lake), and Snow Peas (Oregon Giant), are beginning to come in, and Zucchini and Tomatoes are ripening by the day.
Meanwhile, we accepted the challenge (once again), of participating in the Bucks’ Beautiful Summer Garden Competition, the judging for which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 9th. With this in mind, we devoted a portion of almost everyday for the last month to preparing the garden for the judge’s assessment. HRH Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and her ‘swellegant’ friends are not the only ones for whom hats and gloves (of the gardening variety) have become indispensable accessories to nearly every costume! As luck would have it, the judges came a day earlier than originally scheduled, on July 8th, (we were informed of this change of plans), however, we are optimistic that they enjoyed what they saw.
In May, the nascent gardening season shifted into high gear when John and I, accompanied by his brother Merrell and his wife Anne, who were visiting from Minnesota, went to see the extraordinary moss and wildflower garden of local horticulturalist Dave Benner. Now in its 49th year, there is no better example of a rare and native plant and shrub garden to be found, attracting appreciative visitors from far and wide. The most distinctive feature of a garden filled with distinctive features, may be the total absence of grass in preference of a variety of mosses that have naturalized the hillside landscape. Thus, we have dubbed Dave the Moss King, for his use of moss in his own garden, as well as selling it through the company Moss Acres. The unexpected outcome of this visit is a 67 minute film (shot in one “take”), The Patient Dream, in which Mr. Benner, occasionally aided by his wife Sue, takes us on a tour of the garden and it’s many highlights. Stay tuned for more on this “must see” film.
June brought the fulfillment of a longtime desire, to visit friends and gardens in California. Highlights of that trip included a stay at the Los Angeles home of my dear friend Vanoy Aikens, the longtime partner of dance legend Katherine Dunham, in the heart of old LA. Not surprisingly, Van’s terrace overlooking the city is the most lushly planted of any in his building, and a wonderful example of the vegetation that thrives in LA’s weather. I retrieved a twig of a succulent, that broke off while being watered, and have since rooted it, (in a pot), here in our Buck’s County garden. I can only hope that it will grow here as well as it does there. Another bonus of that visit was a snippet of Cyperus alternifolius (Umbrella plant), found on a nearby street corner in Los Angeles, now rooted in water on our back porch. One mans’ weed is another man’s desirable exotic, what can I say? Following Los Angeles, I was the lucky guest of friends’ Malcolm and Kiki B-R, and their family, Campbell and Xia (two legged) and Boudreaux and Lucille (four legged), in Oakland, California. It was a restorative experience to be in their company. While there, I got to fulfill a long held wish, to visit the Richmond, California home of Annie’s Annuals, which I and thousands of others know through their extensive online plant offerings. As good as the website is, it doesn’t hold a candle to the bricks and mortar, or, in this case, chain link and open air, display of an extensive variety of beautiful plants. Despite the challenges of traveling with fragile plants, (airport security checks were particularly daunting,) it was impossible to come away without a few of their plants. That said, I scooped up pots of Salpiglossis (Chocolate Royale), Calendula, Nicotiana (Only the Lonely), Linum (Flax), Geranium “Bill Wallis,” and Artichoke “Violetto and Zucchini Costata Romanesca. All made it home safely and have brought new color, shape, texture, fragrance and flavor to the garden.
I know that on the Chinese lunar calendar, this is the year of the rabbit. Still, does that really explain why our garden is overrun with bunnies this year? From the herb garden to the potager, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter are proliferating and taking unfair advantage of this old softie, who hasn’t the heart to play farmer MacGregor, chasing them with a hoe. Fortunately, so far, there is enough Kale and Swiss Chard for us all, but if the rabbits continue their onslaught, tougher measures may be called for.
Keep gardening!