I'm not typically a meme-type of person unless there's some motivation involved, and as one of my favorite gardening sites is challenging us to do this and win a book and button, I'm motivated!
You Grow Girl™ - » Seven Things (Plus some extra fun things at the end)
I'm gonna get this done soon!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Getting down with the Sickness: in search for the cure-all cuppa
Ironic that I spoke of the hibiscus syrup being "medicine" in yesterday's posting because all week I've been feeling a rather "EH," but yesterday night I started really not feeling good: headache, slight chills, some nausea and what I know is a fever but my dinky old electronic Walgreens thermometer swears I do not by proclaiming me a cool 97.6 degrees F.
Though I wouldn't be surprised at having a naturally low normal temperature (I'm constantly cold), the fact that the highest this thermometer was getting was 98.3 degrees, and then a 99 reading and then back down at 98.2 degrees made me suspicious, so I am borrowing a thermometer tomorrow or having my lovely hubby purchase one for me because in my slight delirious headache-y state I don't think anyone wants me driving.
I will admit to an odd satisfaction at being sick only because it reminds me that I'm alive? It sucks during the sickness, but afterwards there's a feeling of "Made it through that one!"
Only with the swine flu going around and my having just read fun statistics, I am feeling a wee bit worried.
As I can't do too much except: sleep, read, avoid throwing up and drink tea (and apparently blog some), out of all of those things that I am sure you would care to read about or at least be of interest or use to you would be the drinking tea part because this is where I can at least utilize my herb garden to the dickens.
I have loose and bag tea up the wazoo because I'm a fiend, but I'd like to believe that the fresh stuff straight from the backyard might have "active chemicals" or something that'll really make me feel better and fight this thing.
Tisanes, herbals teas without true Camellia sinesis tea leaves, are pleasant and relatively easy to make unless it's an herb like lemongrass where if you really want the super fragrant thick white bulby part, you have to bludgeon it with an object like a rolling pin.
Something that I am sadly not in the mood or have the energy for today.
No, I'll stick with some easy plucking of lemon balm, and maybe add some of the tropics to it like pineapple sage or mellow it out with bee balm (aka Oswego tea).
Or perhaps some easy yanks of my overgrown mint, either the plain or chocolate variety, though I am not sure I want to be drinking anything that would make me feel potentially cooler as I already have chills.
I started growing catnip (a member of the mint family, though what isn't nearly it seems?) earlier this year and haven't really tried it as a tisane yet, but this is a good time if any. Supposedly it has a soothing effect, though you might not know from watching its effect on cats.
Same with my scented geraniums (lemon/citronella, ginger, mint and rose), they're edible, why not give them a go? Their larger leaves would look lovely in the bottom of a cup.
I also do have a green tea plant, but have been very hesitant to use the leaves partially because there always seem to be so few leaves and of the potential let-down I am worried about as it is my understanding that a little processing (steaming/drying) does it good.
Ugh, I just want it to be easy and pull off some leaves, toss them into my boiling water and be done with it! So many choices and too much icky feeling...why can't I train the dog in herbalism, give it my currently useless opposable thumbs (after this post at least) and tell it to make me a cuppa???
Worse of all, what's always good when I feel sick is fresh ginger slices (which I am growing, but would have to dig up and wash) boiled with brown sugar. Ahhhhh.... now that's a panacea.
*looks out window* AND great, it's storming out.
Though I wouldn't be surprised at having a naturally low normal temperature (I'm constantly cold), the fact that the highest this thermometer was getting was 98.3 degrees, and then a 99 reading and then back down at 98.2 degrees made me suspicious, so I am borrowing a thermometer tomorrow or having my lovely hubby purchase one for me because in my slight delirious headache-y state I don't think anyone wants me driving.
I will admit to an odd satisfaction at being sick only because it reminds me that I'm alive? It sucks during the sickness, but afterwards there's a feeling of "Made it through that one!"
Only with the swine flu going around and my having just read fun statistics, I am feeling a wee bit worried.
As I can't do too much except: sleep, read, avoid throwing up and drink tea (and apparently blog some), out of all of those things that I am sure you would care to read about or at least be of interest or use to you would be the drinking tea part because this is where I can at least utilize my herb garden to the dickens.
I have loose and bag tea up the wazoo because I'm a fiend, but I'd like to believe that the fresh stuff straight from the backyard might have "active chemicals" or something that'll really make me feel better and fight this thing.
Tisanes, herbals teas without true Camellia sinesis tea leaves, are pleasant and relatively easy to make unless it's an herb like lemongrass where if you really want the super fragrant thick white bulby part, you have to bludgeon it with an object like a rolling pin.
Something that I am sadly not in the mood or have the energy for today.
No, I'll stick with some easy plucking of lemon balm, and maybe add some of the tropics to it like pineapple sage or mellow it out with bee balm (aka Oswego tea).
Or perhaps some easy yanks of my overgrown mint, either the plain or chocolate variety, though I am not sure I want to be drinking anything that would make me feel potentially cooler as I already have chills.
I started growing catnip (a member of the mint family, though what isn't nearly it seems?) earlier this year and haven't really tried it as a tisane yet, but this is a good time if any. Supposedly it has a soothing effect, though you might not know from watching its effect on cats.
Same with my scented geraniums (lemon/citronella, ginger, mint and rose), they're edible, why not give them a go? Their larger leaves would look lovely in the bottom of a cup.
I also do have a green tea plant, but have been very hesitant to use the leaves partially because there always seem to be so few leaves and of the potential let-down I am worried about as it is my understanding that a little processing (steaming/drying) does it good.
Ugh, I just want it to be easy and pull off some leaves, toss them into my boiling water and be done with it! So many choices and too much icky feeling...why can't I train the dog in herbalism, give it my currently useless opposable thumbs (after this post at least) and tell it to make me a cuppa???
Worse of all, what's always good when I feel sick is fresh ginger slices (which I am growing, but would have to dig up and wash) boiled with brown sugar. Ahhhhh.... now that's a panacea.
*looks out window* AND great, it's storming out.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Hibiscus propagation: Celebrate with soda and martinis afterwards!
I've heaped so much praise on this little plant it's probably going to explode or do something (like die over the winter or become full of aphids) to make me annoyed at it :)
Plants make great gifts, especially unusual ones like this one for my relatives and the fact I don't want to dig up the entire root ball of my currently ginormous Haight Ashbury ("3-4 ft tall," it said. My bum, it's over 6 ft now!)
So, I've been taking cuttings here and there of 1.5 ft tips of the branches and stripping the stems/leaves of the last 6 inches or so to instigate root making after I pop them into old beer bottles of water.
It'll take maybe a couple of weeks or more before they decide to root up, but it's worth it! I am so fearful it won't make it in the ground over winter even after a good mulching, so this is my insurance (crosses fingers).
When I had stripped the leaves/stems earlier, I let them fall to the ground thinking to just let them "go back to the earth," rot and all that.
As I was letting them fall and noticed the great pile that was building up around my feet I day dreamed about the yumminess of the leaves and versatility of the simple syrup I make from them and couldn't do it.
It would be like letting food rot on the vine or dumping down the trash.
I had to save the leaves!
So I rinsed them, threw them into a pot and added just enough water until it covered the leaves and put that range on HIGH. When things got boiling well enough I added sugar to taste so that the sweetness didn't overpower the Haight Ashbury citrus flavor but was thick enough to constitute a syrup and gave it a tasty-taste.
Mmmm, nothing like a scarlet spoonful of sugar to make the medicine of life go down, eh?
As it was still pretty much morning, I wasn't going to be making delicious gin hibiscus martinis (the vodka ones are ok too, but really, gin is better), so I broke out the sparkling water (still sparkling amazingly after weeks being open I've found) and made myself a little Hibiscus soda!
Beautiful (and refreshing)!
Plants make great gifts, especially unusual ones like this one for my relatives and the fact I don't want to dig up the entire root ball of my currently ginormous Haight Ashbury ("3-4 ft tall," it said. My bum, it's over 6 ft now!)
So, I've been taking cuttings here and there of 1.5 ft tips of the branches and stripping the stems/leaves of the last 6 inches or so to instigate root making after I pop them into old beer bottles of water.
It'll take maybe a couple of weeks or more before they decide to root up, but it's worth it! I am so fearful it won't make it in the ground over winter even after a good mulching, so this is my insurance (crosses fingers).
When I had stripped the leaves/stems earlier, I let them fall to the ground thinking to just let them "go back to the earth," rot and all that.
As I was letting them fall and noticed the great pile that was building up around my feet I day dreamed about the yumminess of the leaves and versatility of the simple syrup I make from them and couldn't do it.
It would be like letting food rot on the vine or dumping down the trash.
I had to save the leaves!
So I rinsed them, threw them into a pot and added just enough water until it covered the leaves and put that range on HIGH. When things got boiling well enough I added sugar to taste so that the sweetness didn't overpower the Haight Ashbury citrus flavor but was thick enough to constitute a syrup and gave it a tasty-taste.
Mmmm, nothing like a scarlet spoonful of sugar to make the medicine of life go down, eh?
As it was still pretty much morning, I wasn't going to be making delicious gin hibiscus martinis (the vodka ones are ok too, but really, gin is better), so I broke out the sparkling water (still sparkling amazingly after weeks being open I've found) and made myself a little Hibiscus soda!
Beautiful (and refreshing)!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Ferns: Finally a tasty that doesn't need much sun
SUPPOSEDLY, all ferns all are edible, but the only confirmed one that is recommended is the Ostrich fern, as some ferns are believed to potentially contain carcinogens (though what doesn't just about nowadays? Even water does I swear...)
(Cinnamon fern)
Don't start noshing on your dentist's office fern just yet (plus they might use some nasty stuff on it), but you might be surprised to hear that the fiddleheads of Ostrich ferns are quite delicious and similar to that of asparagus in flavor with a little steam and butter.
Ostrich ferns are quite common, I've seen them sold in pots at my local grocery store and can tolerate considerable temperatures, naturalized in the New England areas, tolerating zones 3-7. I grow its relative the Royal/Osmanthus/Interrupted fern which is purportedly edible too, though I have yet to try it due to its smallness in size.
(Osmanthus fern, too small and w/no fiddleheads!)
Though I do not grow Ostrich ferns myself due to lack of room some inability to provide good shady/moist conditions with room for a potentially 3-5ft plant, I hope some day to be able to do so and if others can provide a place for them in their yards to naturalize I would suggest it in the name of tasty and an easy conservation kind harvest rather than creating a potential over harvesting issue in its natural wild environment as harvesting and eating fiddleheads is starting to become somewhat trendy.
You need good conditions and plenty of shade of course if you want them to do well, and also it takes a good while before the fiddleheads are of a good size before they make good eating in volume. Think of them as really pretty asparagus (which take at least 3 years before good establishment).
It's also good to note too that you can't just take every fiddlehead from a plant because, like asparagus (and I suppose nearly every perennial vegetable you want to come back), it's called photosynthesis, they need it to grow and continue on with that beautiful thing called life to nourish you next year (ok, they probably don't care about your needs, but I assume you care about theirs).
Links of Interest:
http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/4198.htm
http://www.gorgetopgardens.com/perennials/ferns-ostrich.html
http://my.gardenguides.com/members/divaqs/blog/2007/04/15/The_Edible_Ostrich_Fern
http://noseeds.blogspot.com/2008/04/edible-ostrich-ferns.html
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/08/travel/edible-ferns-of-new-england.html
(Cinnamon fern)Don't start noshing on your dentist's office fern just yet (plus they might use some nasty stuff on it), but you might be surprised to hear that the fiddleheads of Ostrich ferns are quite delicious and similar to that of asparagus in flavor with a little steam and butter.
Ostrich ferns are quite common, I've seen them sold in pots at my local grocery store and can tolerate considerable temperatures, naturalized in the New England areas, tolerating zones 3-7. I grow its relative the Royal/Osmanthus/Interrupted fern which is purportedly edible too, though I have yet to try it due to its smallness in size.
(Osmanthus fern, too small and w/no fiddleheads!)Though I do not grow Ostrich ferns myself due to lack of room some inability to provide good shady/moist conditions with room for a potentially 3-5ft plant, I hope some day to be able to do so and if others can provide a place for them in their yards to naturalize I would suggest it in the name of tasty and an easy conservation kind harvest rather than creating a potential over harvesting issue in its natural wild environment as harvesting and eating fiddleheads is starting to become somewhat trendy.
You need good conditions and plenty of shade of course if you want them to do well, and also it takes a good while before the fiddleheads are of a good size before they make good eating in volume. Think of them as really pretty asparagus (which take at least 3 years before good establishment).
It's also good to note too that you can't just take every fiddlehead from a plant because, like asparagus (and I suppose nearly every perennial vegetable you want to come back), it's called photosynthesis, they need it to grow and continue on with that beautiful thing called life to nourish you next year (ok, they probably don't care about your needs, but I assume you care about theirs).
Links of Interest:
http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/4198.htm
http://www.gorgetopgardens.com/perennials/ferns-ostrich.html
http://my.gardenguides.com/members/divaqs/blog/2007/04/15/The_Edible_Ostrich_Fern
http://noseeds.blogspot.com/2008/04/edible-ostrich-ferns.html
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/08/travel/edible-ferns-of-new-england.html
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Can't get enough of the fuzzy: Moss
Plants, we eat 'em for taste, we like how they smell and look visually for color and texture in the garden, but it's those rare few (like lamb's ears) that that make us feel like children by simply touching them.
Furry-like plants evoke this sort of odd line between plant and mammal, and like cat/dog/rodent owners, it's hard for us to fathom enjoyment in petting a fish or a turtle or snake (sorry amphibian/reptile/aquatic pet owners).
It's like the "cuddle affect," where when you encounter something soft and tickles your fingertips a person just melts and feels soothed.
That's moss for me.
(moss in its natural environment)
Moss is a great little plant--- and useful too:
(1) As many gardeners are familiar with, sphagnum and peat moss are helpful amendments andn growing mediums (though ought to be used/bought from sustainable sources or not used at all)
(2) As peat it's been a cheap renewable fuel source for those in many countries (if harvested properly).
(3) It makes scotch so darn tasty and distinctive.
(4) Sphagnum moss has been used in the past for dressing wounds due to its absorbancy levels and slight antibacterial properties.
(5) It's even forged ahead of its ancient roots to be part of biotechnology!
(6)... of course I had to say it, some varieties are edible!
I allow moss to grow wherever it wishes in the garden, mostly on the north facing brick under the brush by the house and on the soil where it creeps into off the brick and one concrete edgers, really softens things up.
It's surprisingly cold hardy for something so delicate looking, and with a little frost on it, it holds its own visually.
There's a fairly ready supply of moss in my garden and I luckily live near a woods and man-made creek where the moss likes to grow, so I gather some here and there at times and like to use it to make gifts as amusement for myself and others:
(Thrift store assumed to be wedding favor metal basket)
(full basket shot)
(side view of moss squished into lacey metal basket holes)
I've attempted, somewhat unsuccessfully, to propagate moss using the buttermilk/beer method, but maybe I'll try this recipe.
What probably happened (AKA "stupid things I did that you should avoid") is that I spread the mixture on too dry or sunny areas slash I didn't "mist" them enough to make sure they were happy, which means they probably also weren't in a naturally happy location in the first place.
Though moss propagation is slow, it's better to grow your own rather than constantly harvest it from the wild as its slow growth makes it hard for it to recover.
Here are some great examples of moss art/graffti/use:
http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/moss-bathmat-feels-good-looks-great-075565
http://storiesfromspace.co.uk/data/html/mossgraffiti.html
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/08/eco-graffiti-london-brooklyn.php
http://www.dwell.com/articles/unauthorized-moss-art.html
Furry-like plants evoke this sort of odd line between plant and mammal, and like cat/dog/rodent owners, it's hard for us to fathom enjoyment in petting a fish or a turtle or snake (sorry amphibian/reptile/aquatic pet owners).
It's like the "cuddle affect," where when you encounter something soft and tickles your fingertips a person just melts and feels soothed.
That's moss for me.
(moss in its natural environment)
(1) As many gardeners are familiar with, sphagnum and peat moss are helpful amendments andn growing mediums (though ought to be used/bought from sustainable sources or not used at all)
(2) As peat it's been a cheap renewable fuel source for those in many countries (if harvested properly).
(3) It makes scotch so darn tasty and distinctive.
(4) Sphagnum moss has been used in the past for dressing wounds due to its absorbancy levels and slight antibacterial properties.
(5) It's even forged ahead of its ancient roots to be part of biotechnology!
(6)... of course I had to say it, some varieties are edible!
I allow moss to grow wherever it wishes in the garden, mostly on the north facing brick under the brush by the house and on the soil where it creeps into off the brick and one concrete edgers, really softens things up.
It's surprisingly cold hardy for something so delicate looking, and with a little frost on it, it holds its own visually.
There's a fairly ready supply of moss in my garden and I luckily live near a woods and man-made creek where the moss likes to grow, so I gather some here and there at times and like to use it to make gifts as amusement for myself and others:
(Thrift store assumed to be wedding favor metal basket)
(full basket shot)
(side view of moss squished into lacey metal basket holes)
I've attempted, somewhat unsuccessfully, to propagate moss using the buttermilk/beer method, but maybe I'll try this recipe.
What probably happened (AKA "stupid things I did that you should avoid") is that I spread the mixture on too dry or sunny areas slash I didn't "mist" them enough to make sure they were happy, which means they probably also weren't in a naturally happy location in the first place.
Though moss propagation is slow, it's better to grow your own rather than constantly harvest it from the wild as its slow growth makes it hard for it to recover.
Here are some great examples of moss art/graffti/use:
http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/moss-bathmat-feels-good-looks-great-075565
http://storiesfromspace.co.uk/data/html/mossgraffiti.html
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/08/eco-graffiti-london-brooklyn.php
http://www.dwell.com/articles/unauthorized-moss-art.html
Monday, October 5, 2009
Adventures in seed saving and other fun fall activities
*lukewarm* Yea, sustainability.
Erm, AHEM, I mean, woohoo! ;)
This bit of cold water on the happiness that is my garden stems slightly from seed saving, a bit of a messy time consuming process for some seeds (like Malabar spinach), but still a very important and cost saving process.
(red stem Malabar Spinach)
My slight gripe is that I forget teeny tiny little spiders really enjoy chillin' and making a home on the tiny flowered racemes of plants such as basils, lemon balms and perilla.
Whilst gathering perilla seed for the giveaway (still up and going if anyone wants it or the malabar spinach!) I was cutting a bunch of the perilla recemes to trying to get just enough seed for one packet and avoiding any spider webby looking bits as well as possible.
Despite my efforts when I started seed extracting, little spiders started scurrying around EVERYWHERE.
I'm not nervous about spiders themselves; I'm just nervous about getting bit because I have unfortunately pretty bad reactions to mosquito and spider bites (serious burning, itching and swelling to grapefruit size bites sometimes).
And I really hate Benadryl, so bites (as I probably have ranted before) are a problem and I really DIS-like squishing spiders, even if there are million of them running around me because hey, spiders are pretty good.
Needless to say, I thought to myself as I was being nibbled on, "Ouch. ouch. ouch. They're. tiny. little. things. They'll probably---OW, produce tiny little bites?"
So yes, the bites were little.
Until 2 minutes later, where they were about 10x what they were before and I headed for the neem oil, which doesn't relieve itchiness immediately, but when it starts working, it really works.
Seed saving tomatoes are a snap at least, every time you eat one you can eat the fruit and squish out the gelly inside to add to water and let it ferment. Then clean, dry, and save.
Okra and beans are easy too, sweet "let 'em dry on the vine/stalk!" and then bust 'em open to get to the seeds AND save.
(Scarlet Runner bean)
It's just those herbs, those darn, darn herbs with their leeeetle flowers that attract leeeeeeeetle bugs, which THUS attract leeeeeeeetle predators (aka spiders) that get to me. *shiver* I can still feel tiny spiders crawling all over me!
(Purple Perilla, AMAZING no tiny spiders made a cameo here. Anneliese, I SWEAR I got all the spiders off before I mailed you your packet of seed!)
Anyways, fall is a stupid busy time, more than spring is I often forget.
Gotta (1) seed save, (2) re-pot outdoor things for inside, (3) plant perennials in the coolness of fall, (4) plant fall/winter vegetable garden, (5) take cuttings for propagation, (6) Divide any spring flowering perennials, (7) Offer to rake people's leaves for composting!!!
AHHHHHHHHHH! *runs around collapses*
Happy Autumn to you and don't die of overwork!
Erm, AHEM, I mean, woohoo! ;)
This bit of cold water on the happiness that is my garden stems slightly from seed saving, a bit of a messy time consuming process for some seeds (like Malabar spinach), but still a very important and cost saving process.
(red stem Malabar Spinach)My slight gripe is that I forget teeny tiny little spiders really enjoy chillin' and making a home on the tiny flowered racemes of plants such as basils, lemon balms and perilla.
Whilst gathering perilla seed for the giveaway (still up and going if anyone wants it or the malabar spinach!) I was cutting a bunch of the perilla recemes to trying to get just enough seed for one packet and avoiding any spider webby looking bits as well as possible.
Despite my efforts when I started seed extracting, little spiders started scurrying around EVERYWHERE.
I'm not nervous about spiders themselves; I'm just nervous about getting bit because I have unfortunately pretty bad reactions to mosquito and spider bites (serious burning, itching and swelling to grapefruit size bites sometimes).
And I really hate Benadryl, so bites (as I probably have ranted before) are a problem and I really DIS-like squishing spiders, even if there are million of them running around me because hey, spiders are pretty good.
Needless to say, I thought to myself as I was being nibbled on, "Ouch. ouch. ouch. They're. tiny. little. things. They'll probably---OW, produce tiny little bites?"
So yes, the bites were little.
Until 2 minutes later, where they were about 10x what they were before and I headed for the neem oil, which doesn't relieve itchiness immediately, but when it starts working, it really works.
Seed saving tomatoes are a snap at least, every time you eat one you can eat the fruit and squish out the gelly inside to add to water and let it ferment. Then clean, dry, and save.
Okra and beans are easy too, sweet "let 'em dry on the vine/stalk!" and then bust 'em open to get to the seeds AND save.
(Scarlet Runner bean)It's just those herbs, those darn, darn herbs with their leeeetle flowers that attract leeeeeeeetle bugs, which THUS attract leeeeeeeetle predators (aka spiders) that get to me. *shiver* I can still feel tiny spiders crawling all over me!
(Purple Perilla, AMAZING no tiny spiders made a cameo here. Anneliese, I SWEAR I got all the spiders off before I mailed you your packet of seed!)Anyways, fall is a stupid busy time, more than spring is I often forget.
Gotta (1) seed save, (2) re-pot outdoor things for inside, (3) plant perennials in the coolness of fall, (4) plant fall/winter vegetable garden, (5) take cuttings for propagation, (6) Divide any spring flowering perennials, (7) Offer to rake people's leaves for composting!!!
AHHHHHHHHHH! *runs around collapses*
Happy Autumn to you and don't die of overwork!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
I've bean runnin' around, this fence, for so long...
After waiting what seemed forever (I lie: these things were harvest-able earlier in the season as I plant these suckers first thing in the spring, I've just finally got around to really harvesting them), I am going to be in Scarlet Runner Bean heaven!
Scarlet Runners need a long warm season to develop their ginormous pods and seeds and as I want to make room for other things, I felt it was time to start harvesting/ cut some down.
I plant these for quick fence cover/their great hummingbird attractors/nitrogen fixer/food purposes.
The beans themselves can be cooked and eaten fresh (meaning, cooked right after picking) or dried, and their pods are quite palatable too I find, though can get stringy and the outside rough if left too long on the vine.
I love how colorful the beans and pods are! Bright beautiful green and shocking pink and purple inside! If that's not healthy for you, I don't know what is, it's like eating the 80s! (wait, *shiver* there)
Last year I unfortunately allowed the beans to get too long and stringy and eating the pods was not so pleasant of an experience, so as I gave the beans a few quick shellings, I noticed how thick and succulent the pods were (probably from the recent monsoon-like rain we've all recently) and the thick walls had swollen up so much they actually were squishing the beans themselves into a bit of a square-like shape!
So, in the name of tasty and testing for quality control, I frenched (sounds funny) a few, tossed them in with butter and cooked them for a while until they seemed done, but tender-crisp enough to retain it's nutritional value (other than lectin ;) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lectin) and sprinkled just a little sea salt.
Delish!
Runner bean are annual, or so I thought here in zone 7b, but in warmer climates they are perennial and form tubers that are edible as well. I thought I noticed some runner bean shoots earlier in the year before I had planted my seeds, so perhaps with good composting/mulching, you can perennialize them in your garden. I have yet to eat any of the tubers that may have developed in my garden bed by the wall... they're planted with cannas and I am afraid they're all a bit crowded in together to figure out which tuber is which!
IMPORTANT!
As mentioned via link above, lectin is dangerous and many are unaware of the dangers of undercooked beans (thanks processed/canned foods) it's very important to remember to cook all beans thoroughly to avoid these nasty complications.
It only takes 5 raw kidney beans for example to cause potential symptoms of lectin poisoning!
LINKS OF INTEREST:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/681/
http://www.scienceyear.com/outthere/index.html?page=/outthere/diner/fatalfoods/index.html
http://home.howstuffworks.com/scarlet-runner-bean.htm
Scarlet Runners need a long warm season to develop their ginormous pods and seeds and as I want to make room for other things, I felt it was time to start harvesting/ cut some down.
I plant these for quick fence cover/their great hummingbird attractors/nitrogen fixer/food purposes.
The beans themselves can be cooked and eaten fresh (meaning, cooked right after picking) or dried, and their pods are quite palatable too I find, though can get stringy and the outside rough if left too long on the vine.
I love how colorful the beans and pods are! Bright beautiful green and shocking pink and purple inside! If that's not healthy for you, I don't know what is, it's like eating the 80s! (wait, *shiver* there)
Last year I unfortunately allowed the beans to get too long and stringy and eating the pods was not so pleasant of an experience, so as I gave the beans a few quick shellings, I noticed how thick and succulent the pods were (probably from the recent monsoon-like rain we've all recently) and the thick walls had swollen up so much they actually were squishing the beans themselves into a bit of a square-like shape!
So, in the name of tasty and testing for quality control, I frenched (sounds funny) a few, tossed them in with butter and cooked them for a while until they seemed done, but tender-crisp enough to retain it's nutritional value (other than lectin ;) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lectin) and sprinkled just a little sea salt.
Delish!Runner bean are annual, or so I thought here in zone 7b, but in warmer climates they are perennial and form tubers that are edible as well. I thought I noticed some runner bean shoots earlier in the year before I had planted my seeds, so perhaps with good composting/mulching, you can perennialize them in your garden. I have yet to eat any of the tubers that may have developed in my garden bed by the wall... they're planted with cannas and I am afraid they're all a bit crowded in together to figure out which tuber is which!
IMPORTANT!
As mentioned via link above, lectin is dangerous and many are unaware of the dangers of undercooked beans (thanks processed/canned foods) it's very important to remember to cook all beans thoroughly to avoid these nasty complications.
It only takes 5 raw kidney beans for example to cause potential symptoms of lectin poisoning!
LINKS OF INTEREST:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/681/
http://www.scienceyear.com/outthere/index.html?page=/outthere/diner/fatalfoods/index.html
http://home.howstuffworks.com/scarlet-runner-bean.htm
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Drinks on me! Mimosas!
My rules/exceptions to growing non-edible plants are that they must be:
1) interesting/unusual flowers to attract pollinators/beneficial insects
2) landscaping plants that survive my lack of watering and care
3) low groundcovers that can act like living mulch
4) FUN plants for my amusement
The last category applying to this plant, Mimosa Pudica:
Though I like the drink (orange juice+champagne/prosecco) and find it super groovy, I enjoy mimosa plants more so (unless it's a really bad day). Mimosas are great amusement and called the sensitive plant because of this:
The first time I saw this I think I was very very young and was very very impressed by a plant that seemed to move/play dead.
It was literally probably a decade later before I encountered it again in college in a greenhouse that was left open on the Ag campus and then some 5 years later before I was very lucky to have actually acquired it from a semi-local nursery a few hours north of Memphis where they were giving them away to the children for free.
So... I'm not a child, but my "SQUEE"-ing probably convinced them that I was one at heart and they let me take 3 little mimosa plants home with me because I knew a couple other little children at heart :)
Why would they give away such a cool plant for free you might ask?
Because it freakin' self-seeds like mad! (Um, so note potential invasiveness...)
(seed pod casings... the actual seeds are planted/sprouted--->)
Some months ago I noticed my now not so tiny plant had bloomed tiny pink puffballs and formed flat bean-like seed pods, making sense as they are in the legume (nitrogen fixing bean-like) family Fabaceae. When they became brown and dry enough that the pod fell off the stem easily I opened the pods out of curiosity and decided to plant the seeds with the pessimism that it probably wouldn't work... BUT THE SEEDS SPROUTED!
Oh. My. Joy.
Mimosas are cathartic. When you are annoyed or are in need of amusement, just poke at it and it's droopy sadness (really just water loss, the plant has no feelings! That I know of at least...) makes an annoyed person feel a whole lot better!
I like to touch the leaflets little at a time, getting the closing up/plant drooping to occur slowly, or see if I am delicate enough to get only one leaf to droop at a time. My husband thinks its fun to just go "RAAH!" on it and smack the entire thing all at once, making the main stem as well as all the leaves and tiny branches go sad. (I kind of glare at him when he does that because then I have to wait a good while before the plant recovers enough to be poked again).
What do I plan to do with little mimosa seedlings? I sort of imagine a lot of little pots of the mimosas , maybe 7 of them, that I can label them singly with the days of the week Mon-Tues-Wed-Fri-Sat-Sun, and pick one each day to torment (and then recover for a week) thus not OVERLY stressing one plant out too much.
Ok, that's a little disturbing... I really won't do that, scout's honor!
Instead I'll probably just give extra away so that I can share the joy.
I found out too that mimosa plants are actually edible! Hoohah! This fills my ultimate standard of a perfect plant! Edible and Fun! Unfortunately I probably won't be using mine as food, but the fact I can SAY I can eat it is comforting.
Interesting Mimosa links:
http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/plantoftheweek/articles/Mimosa.htm
http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week147.shtml
1) interesting/unusual flowers to attract pollinators/beneficial insects
2) landscaping plants that survive my lack of watering and care
3) low groundcovers that can act like living mulch
4) FUN plants for my amusement
The last category applying to this plant, Mimosa Pudica:
Though I like the drink (orange juice+champagne/prosecco) and find it super groovy, I enjoy mimosa plants more so (unless it's a really bad day). Mimosas are great amusement and called the sensitive plant because of this:
The first time I saw this I think I was very very young and was very very impressed by a plant that seemed to move/play dead.
It was literally probably a decade later before I encountered it again in college in a greenhouse that was left open on the Ag campus and then some 5 years later before I was very lucky to have actually acquired it from a semi-local nursery a few hours north of Memphis where they were giving them away to the children for free.
So... I'm not a child, but my "SQUEE"-ing probably convinced them that I was one at heart and they let me take 3 little mimosa plants home with me because I knew a couple other little children at heart :)
Why would they give away such a cool plant for free you might ask?
Because it freakin' self-seeds like mad! (Um, so note potential invasiveness...)
(seed pod casings... the actual seeds are planted/sprouted--->)
Some months ago I noticed my now not so tiny plant had bloomed tiny pink puffballs and formed flat bean-like seed pods, making sense as they are in the legume (nitrogen fixing bean-like) family Fabaceae. When they became brown and dry enough that the pod fell off the stem easily I opened the pods out of curiosity and decided to plant the seeds with the pessimism that it probably wouldn't work... BUT THE SEEDS SPROUTED!
Oh. My. Joy.
Mimosas are cathartic. When you are annoyed or are in need of amusement, just poke at it and it's droopy sadness (really just water loss, the plant has no feelings! That I know of at least...) makes an annoyed person feel a whole lot better!
I like to touch the leaflets little at a time, getting the closing up/plant drooping to occur slowly, or see if I am delicate enough to get only one leaf to droop at a time. My husband thinks its fun to just go "RAAH!" on it and smack the entire thing all at once, making the main stem as well as all the leaves and tiny branches go sad. (I kind of glare at him when he does that because then I have to wait a good while before the plant recovers enough to be poked again).
What do I plan to do with little mimosa seedlings? I sort of imagine a lot of little pots of the mimosas , maybe 7 of them, that I can label them singly with the days of the week Mon-Tues-Wed-Fri-Sat-Sun, and pick one each day to torment (and then recover for a week) thus not OVERLY stressing one plant out too much.
Ok, that's a little disturbing... I really won't do that, scout's honor!
Instead I'll probably just give extra away so that I can share the joy.
I found out too that mimosa plants are actually edible! Hoohah! This fills my ultimate standard of a perfect plant! Edible and Fun! Unfortunately I probably won't be using mine as food, but the fact I can SAY I can eat it is comforting.
Interesting Mimosa links:
http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/plantoftheweek/articles/Mimosa.htm
http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week147.shtml
Friday, October 2, 2009
A Dynasty is Over: Great Wall of Spinach cut down
The weather being colder and I, in anticipation of sweet, sweet sugar snap peas and snow peas decided it was time for the malabar spinach to go.
(Well, most of it)
I am experimenting (aka 'being lazy') and seeing what will happen to the spinach after the frost/during the winter and on (if it doesn't get too gross as the plant is almost succulent-like).
I am curious if the spinach will self seed itself for next year as I dropped plenty of berries/seeds on my first seed collecting harvest.
My malabar spinach, the red stem, "Rubra" variety, was quite lovely to behold much of the summer and once it started to seed and the weather become not so pretty, its color change was akin to those "love it or hate it" situations where you enjoy a plethora of yellow-pink-orange-ish colors with the fading green leaves and hot pink stems, or you think it sort of look like vomit.
Either way, it didn't look too palatable.
The twine trellised vines were pretty easy to take off all together, and while I'll go through and save some more seeds from the piles of malabar spinach vines, I am trying to figure out a good way to potentially compost them or if I probably ought to solarize the lot because I am nervous about utterly self seeding my compost pile with it.
The seeds shouldn't survive the winter, but in a compost pile, things do surprisingly well, and we know how warm it can get in there...
Ugh, now I need to re-string the fence again for peas, luckily it'll be a while yet before they need the support much if at all!
So, goodbye sweet faux-spinach! Next year, if things work out, I may try to see if you are freezeable!
(Well, most of it)
I am experimenting (aka 'being lazy') and seeing what will happen to the spinach after the frost/during the winter and on (if it doesn't get too gross as the plant is almost succulent-like).
I am curious if the spinach will self seed itself for next year as I dropped plenty of berries/seeds on my first seed collecting harvest.
My malabar spinach, the red stem, "Rubra" variety, was quite lovely to behold much of the summer and once it started to seed and the weather become not so pretty, its color change was akin to those "love it or hate it" situations where you enjoy a plethora of yellow-pink-orange-ish colors with the fading green leaves and hot pink stems, or you think it sort of look like vomit. Either way, it didn't look too palatable.
The twine trellised vines were pretty easy to take off all together, and while I'll go through and save some more seeds from the piles of malabar spinach vines, I am trying to figure out a good way to potentially compost them or if I probably ought to solarize the lot because I am nervous about utterly self seeding my compost pile with it.
The seeds shouldn't survive the winter, but in a compost pile, things do surprisingly well, and we know how warm it can get in there...
Ugh, now I need to re-string the fence again for peas, luckily it'll be a while yet before they need the support much if at all!
So, goodbye sweet faux-spinach! Next year, if things work out, I may try to see if you are freezeable!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Carving hopes will NOT be squashed this year!
Bah. Humbug. And it's not even Christmas yet.
But it's October, the Halloween season and I got no pumpkins.
I'm bitter because I REALLY wanted to grow my own pumpkins this year for pie, for seeds and most of all to make JACK-O-LANTERNS, but the squash borers decided to sink those plans, grrr.
Pumpkins can get expensive, especially the really big ones I can extravagant on and though I noted some moderately good size ones for $4/apiece I had been so intent from the start of spring/early summer to have grown my own pumpkins, even wishing to get some of those GINORMOUS pumpkin seeds and attempt to make myself a little pumpkin house in the backyard.
Husband wasn't too keen on that one.
Two years ago I bought pumpkins and I was quite pleased with my efforts:
Last year, due to finances, I skipped out on the pumpkins and made crummy brown paper bag lantern cutouts with tea candles illuminating them and they were BLAH as well as wonderfully dangerous I found.
(I realized midway that the cheap polyester costumes that kids get nowadays and in addition to clumsiness on everyone's part were not a good combo. I would like to assure everyone reading that NO ONE caught on fire that night!)
So... I want to do pumpkins again.
Granted I saw these "craft pumpkin" things on sale at craft stores, where it appears you can cut and shape and save for every year, and though I am sure it is cost effective in the long run, I like the whole Native American feeling of using the whole thing when I have a real pumpkin.
Because with a "faux-kin" I'd be constantly channeling my Jack Sparrow and thinking, "But, where's the pumpkin pie?!" (don't you dare tell me to use the stuff in the can!)
Plus there's nothing like cumin and sea salt dusted roasted pumpkin seeds, mmmm, that's autumn for ya.
But it's October, the Halloween season and I got no pumpkins.
I'm bitter because I REALLY wanted to grow my own pumpkins this year for pie, for seeds and most of all to make JACK-O-LANTERNS, but the squash borers decided to sink those plans, grrr.
Pumpkins can get expensive, especially the really big ones I can extravagant on and though I noted some moderately good size ones for $4/apiece I had been so intent from the start of spring/early summer to have grown my own pumpkins, even wishing to get some of those GINORMOUS pumpkin seeds and attempt to make myself a little pumpkin house in the backyard.
Husband wasn't too keen on that one.
Two years ago I bought pumpkins and I was quite pleased with my efforts:
Last year, due to finances, I skipped out on the pumpkins and made crummy brown paper bag lantern cutouts with tea candles illuminating them and they were BLAH as well as wonderfully dangerous I found.
(I realized midway that the cheap polyester costumes that kids get nowadays and in addition to clumsiness on everyone's part were not a good combo. I would like to assure everyone reading that NO ONE caught on fire that night!)
So... I want to do pumpkins again.
Granted I saw these "craft pumpkin" things on sale at craft stores, where it appears you can cut and shape and save for every year, and though I am sure it is cost effective in the long run, I like the whole Native American feeling of using the whole thing when I have a real pumpkin.
Because with a "faux-kin" I'd be constantly channeling my Jack Sparrow and thinking, "But, where's the pumpkin pie?!" (don't you dare tell me to use the stuff in the can!)
Plus there's nothing like cumin and sea salt dusted roasted pumpkin seeds, mmmm, that's autumn for ya.
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