Getting Ready For Spring Gardening: Tips & Inspiration

 Nothing is better than that first sunny warm weekend in early spring.

You slip on the grubby garden shoes like a broken in pair of bedroom slippers and grab the pruners and your old friend the garden hoe.

My favorite small perennial shovel is so worn the wood handle feels 

soft and smooth from hours of digging.  

And while I don't have nearly the amount of chores as I have had in the past, every thing is pretty much the same....like riding a bike...just on a smaller scale.  

I usually hit the vegetable garden first.  

These are Sweet 1000's from last year and I have a few cherries already planted.

If you think you can't grow a vegetable to save your life, just try a cherry tomato plant.  They will grown in spite of your brown thumb....trust me on this one.  

If you're just starting a vegetable garden try to give yourself at least 18 inches of well composted soil.  

Depending on what you want to grow, most plants take about 3 months to get to the harvesting stage, so that gives them plenty of time to develop a really robust root system. 

Challenge yourself to come up with creative trellis and supports.

Unless you're really short on time don't just settle for the usual junky stuff 

from the local garden center.

It barely lasts a season and will likely wind up in the trash.

Here I used bamboo and willow and it worked wonderfully.

This year I have bulbs and flowers planted among the veggies.   

I like the look of it and it helps to keep the garden bright and pretty.  

Or hang a basket or and old bucket near by just for fun

In the rear of my garden I hung a set of harvesting baskets.  

Not only useful but a cheerful addition to the kitchen garden space 

A little bench is used for small containers and for working on topiaries and arrangements 

which come into the house from time to time

Usually spring is the time I like to tune up the irrigation system. 

 Emitters and sprinkler heads get replaced and any thing leaking or that has become too small for the area is upsized.  I always stop in at the local pro-irrigation store near me and chat it up with the guys behind the counter.  You can learn a ton and they are always helpful if you are a new gardener. 

 Now for the good stuff....plant what you like to eat but....

I have had some epic failures trying so hard to do it all.

 I typically steer clear of  things that are  plentiful in my local farmers market

 and take up way too much garden real estate 

I have planted lots of carrots but mine never look this good.

We eat them anyway!

And I always have some sort of onion planted but usually the smaller green scallions

and chive, both of which are super easy

A few things I've tried and will probably never repeat:

strawberries

corn

celery

tarragon

asparagus

artichokes

just to name a few

Lettuce and greens are an excellent choice for any new vegetable garden.

Lettuce doesn't necessarily need intense sunlight to do well either.  So if you have a partially shaded area go of the lettuce varieties.

I always include radicchio and endive

 as well as arugula and some of the spicy asian greens.

 And no great kitchen garden is complete without herbs.  

I love the idea of the dedicated herb garden 

and will try to repeat something like the pretty one I had in Ojai.

 But if you're short on space (like me) plant herbs among the lettuce and tomatoes

My tried and true favorites are Italian parsley, lemon thyme, rosemary, sage, chervil and of course no herb garden should be without basil

I plant the big Sangiovese style basil as well as purple 

and some other odd varieties that all have great flavor.

Lettuce and greens can be self sown into the beds directly and will produce an amazing amount of yield from a small seed packet.  

Remember, the soil must be warm and damp consistently or the seeds won't germinate. 

Small turnips and beets are a great choice and super easy.

You can harvest them early and toss into a salad for some crunch just like a radish.

And do try some radish...easy and usually great results.  

My favorite is the D'avignon 

Perennial beds are always a challenge for me, especially because 

my garden style is full and sort of messy.  

To keep things in check, I prune and deadhead and clip....a lot!

And I didn't plant sweet peas this year either.

I know I will miss them

Instead I think I'll focus on some small little pockets for annuals and summer bulbs.

Bulbs are a great way to add color without a lot of work.

One of the garden chores no one ever like to do but is probably the most essential is to focus on the quality of your soil.  

Adding in some big bags of compost will really change how your plants look and will save on weeding and water down the road.

I know pretty boring right?!

And when I'm not in the garden....

I'm actually starting a much needed kitchen renovation in about a week so I'll try to post a little more and share some new ideas, products and a few new discoveries.

 

Hope you are enjoying the beauty of spring

xoxo

They're back...those little red guys

This post title reads (oddly) those little red guys are back

like I was having a serious break out or perhaps a case of poison ivy

but fear not...in reality I finally have tomato plants in my yard (again).  

Whew...tomato panic over : )

 Not sure what it is,  but a kitchen garden just isn't complete without these little red guys.....

the lowly and much maligned tomato plant.

The tomato plant can either be your crowning glory or the agony 

of your forever present brown thumb

which are you?

I often hesitate (even today) to purchase the little buggers at the grocery store. 

I'm spoiled. I've tasted tomato heaven...nirvana in a red suit. 

Yes my gardening gurus...we are equally appalled
and overjoyed by the often scary quantity of offspring 

a single plant will give and....
we are in love with all things tomato..ey

We sauce them and caprese salad them
We creatively arrange them on little toasts with basil fronds 

 And lets not forget the joy of knowing that their yours...you own them
you grew them 

and now you may eat them (all 4000 little cherries?)
 any which way you choose.

I had many, five to be exact,bumper crop tomato summers 

while we were living in Ojai

I've grown the best heirlooms, 

Cherokee, Black Krim, Green zebra

Yep... San Marzano, little yellow pears, 

The Mortage Lifter, Super Sauce, Sweet 1000, 

Early Girl and late Harvert.... the list goes on and on

 I've picked them green, gold, peach, red, orange,
 broken, split, oozing, buggy and just plain ugly
 and I have love and enjoyed each and every one.

Eating a tomato off the vine, mid summer, hot from the sun is one of 

God's great gifts.

The juice flows and the sweet taste is like none other. 

The serious gardener and the "wanna be" beginner and urbanite 

all rejoice in their first ripe tomato.

You've earned it kids!
 Eat your work!
 It will slay you

The tomato is a rite of gardening passage 

 Camera in hand I photographed them on the vine,
 in a bowl, on a pizza, in a basket, on the grass, 

in a  salad, on the porch....yes everywhere but in the bedroom

 They gave me the inspiration
 for some of the best dinners I've ever eaten

 Will you deny that they are not beautiful?

Yes they are and we love them

I have so missed the vegetable garden and my little red buddies 

and I finally have a nice spot in our new house.

 It's small and not perfect but...

I vowed I would get at least one tomato plant in the ground by June 1st 

and I actually got to plant 4!!!

wish me luck

and

eat your tomato's 

their good for you

carry on tomato gardeners

xxoo

kel

Green Goodness

 My garden is filled to the brim with lettuce right now

 I usually plant or sow directly into the vegetable beds 

with really great results

 You can find Mesclun mixes 

in just about every nursery and there are some great Internet sources 

like  Shepard's Seeds and 

Renee's Seeds 

which happens to be my favorite

 Some times I let the plant get a bit to big and the lettuce is tough 

but in the case of Arugula

you can eat the little flower petals too!

 I pretty much toss in anything that is ready for picking

like radishes and peas 

 The spring onions are really big now 

and

I have leeks and red onions this year too  

 If I can't get the onions to pull out easily from the dirt

 I use a sharp paring knife and cut them off right at the base 

which works fine  too

 Back in the kitchen....lets make a salad

 I usually give the newly harvested green a good 5 - 10 minute soak

 in ice cold water in a salad spinner

What that does is it crisps up the greens a little bit

Then I triple wash...sometimes 4 washes are necessary

 I don't use any pesticides but I like to be sure I have gotten off all of the dirt 

and the little bugs that can hide in the leaves

 All the greens get dumped on to a kitchen towel and are sorted into zip lock bags 

this lets me check every thing over one last time 

and get a nice interesting mix of lettuce varieties into each bag

 now that we have our salad greens....how about some vinaigrette!

 This is a heavenly Meyer lemon concoction 

that you will love

 I will list all of the ingredients at the end 

so you can 

jot it down if you like

 I usually use 3 Meyer lemons

( I have 4 large lemon trees but the Meyers always get used up first!)

I you can't find Meyers 

you can use 2 regular lemon's and one orange

 to create a similar taste

 I use olive oil and Canola oil 

( its nice to balance out the flavors with both)

Dijon mustard

 add in some finely chopped shallot

and some vinegar

 salt and pepper to taste

and a bit of tarragon

I never have fresh tarragon and the dried works fine in this recipe 

 whisk it up and then store in a jar 

with a nice tight lid 

suitable for shaking

 This is the best dressing

I use it on salads of course but it is great on: 

Grilled chicken

Grilled Vegetable's like zucchini and peppers

and it is heaven over vine ripe tomatoes!

or to use as a dip for a  big slice of crusty french bread!

Did I say YUMMY?!

Here is the recipe:

Feel free to tweak as you like

juice from 3 Meyer lemons (look for about 3/4 cups of juice)

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Canola oil

1/4 cup sweet wine vinegar ( I use a Rose' Wine Vinegar because I like the sweetness to balance out the lemon juice)

1/4 cup Dijon mustard ( I usually mix the smooth with the grainy together)

1 large shallot finely minced

1 Tbl dried Tarragon

Salt and Fresh ground pepper to taste

Yield: 2 1/2 cups of Vinaigrette

Shake well before using

Have a fun and relaxing weekend

hope you find time to putter in the garden too!