Early Spring Gardening & Your Shittake Mushrooms

Sowing Peas

Somewhere I’ve heard that there is a tradition of planting the first peas on St. Patrick’s Day. Usually I don’t get to take part in this tradition because of heavy snow covering and frigid arctic air blowing. This is the first year in Vermont that I was able to celebrate this custom, as sunny days and record-breaking temperatures just melted the winter away.

Before you start sowing you should always test to see if the soil can be worked yet. To do this form a ball with the soil in your hand and strike it with the heel of your other hand. If it doesn't crumble, conditions are likely too wet. If conditions are right you can sow other cool-season vegetables, too, such as spinach, kale, lettuce, radishes, carrots, as they function better in cooler temperatures, and can also withstand light frosts or fairly heavy freezes. Planting as early as possible is imperative for these vegetables, which falter when temperatures rise in June. When temperatures warm, cool season vegetables start to use more food than they manufacture, which is not conducive to high yield.

A little note about your Shiitake mushroom logs

I soaked the Shiitake logs in the lake for a couple of days. If you kept your log outside, now is the time to give it a good, cold soak, so the water has a chance to get right into the center of the log. Depending on the ambient temperature, mushrooms will start to form in 1-2 weeks after watering.

Hopefully the weather will continue to stay mild here in Vermont, as there is a lot more gardening and landscaping to be done before welcoming the first of our guests on May 25^th!

“Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.” ~Hans Christian Andersen

Happy Gardening,

Claudia

Beat the February Blues with Wild Foods

February is always a mixed bag weather wise, and we still have some crispy days ahead of us. Our livers may be suffering from over indulgence and due to short days our brains will be experiencing a shortage of serotonin – a neurotransmitter substance that helps us to cope and to concentrate, and prevents depression. Our bodies may also be lacking in the antioxidant vitamins D (low sunlight), and C (from a lack of fresh leafy greens). Don’t be surprised if you are feeling flat and sluggish!

Scientific studies have shown that contact with nature promotes a state of calm, can lower one's blood pressure and also relieves stress. Why not gather some vitamin rich foods at the same time as soaking up much needed natural light, and beat the blues the natural way!

Pine Needle Tea

Pine is rich in vitamin C and contains aromatic oily substances that help to chase away winter infections. Simply place a good handful of lightly crushed needles in a teapot and pour on boiling water. The flavor is very mild (do not drink it with milk). The tea can be made to taste stronger by a little simmering, but be aware that the more you simmer, the less vitamin C there will be.

Pine Vinegar

The needles make a delicious vinegar. Bring some white wine or cider vinegar to the boil, turn off the heat, and at room temperature seal it into a bottle crammed full with pine needles. Let this steep for 3 months in a dark place and enjoy later on your first spring salads!

NOTE: For both of these recipes be sure to use only pine needles, not those from other types of evergreens such as fir, cypress or even yew, as some of these are very toxic. I hope you enjoy the pine's subtle flavor.

Counting the days to spring….,

Claudia

Pool Arbor

We all know that some shade by our outdoor pool can be desirable for our families on those hot summer days.

So we put our heads together to create the perfect spot under which you can dry off your kids, keep them out of the sun, or catch some shade while reading a book. We explored different options and decided on a combination of the right kind of vines and a sturdy supporting structure for our new addition, which will transform a hot and sunny space to a shady pool retreat.

Once the plan was laid out, Tyrell and John from our maintenance staff built this architecturally pleasing structure, which is also ideal to create an atmosphere of rich plant growth abundance. I had to get busy digging up potential grape vines for transplant before the first frost arrived. It was quite a challenge, as the roots grow vigorously underground and you might end up with a 50 feet root system. Well, they are in now with lots of peat moss, water, and love, hoping they will adapt quickly to their new environment.

Eventually once the vines begin to grow next spring, I will train them to weave themselves throughout the various parts of the structure. As for now, I cut them back to 3 feet and tied them to the posts to help hold them in place temporarily until they are well established.

Can't wait to pick the first grapes; they should be quite sweet absorbing all the sun while shading you.

Rosemary - “The Herb of Remembrance”

With winter in full force we are more and more limited with our gardening projects, but indoor herb growing always becomes a wonderful substitute in our northern climates.
  
One of my favorite herbs is rosemary. It's one of the most versatile culinary herbs with a deliciously aromatic flavor, but also offers so many beneficial, medicinal properties to us. Rosemary is traditionally known as the “herb of remembrance”. It contains compounds that relax muscles of the digestive tract, can increase the effects of essential enzymes in the brain, thus helping to improve memory and concentration. Having a rosemary plant in an area of study or work helps improve retention of information. It lifts our spirits and  can help with nervous exhaustion, anxiety, and mild depression. Also said to be good for respiratory issues such as asthma, bronchitis, colds and coughs.
Just smelling it can make you feel better, but you can also make a rosemary tea or tincture.

Recipe for tincture

Ingredients : 
dried or fresh rosemary
  and vodka

If you are using dried herbs a common ratio to use is 1:5 – 1 part plant material to 5 parts vodka. 
For fresh herbs the ratio is 1:3. If using a combination instead of a single herb the ratio always remains the same. Vodka is the preferred alcohol as it only contains alcohol and water.

• Chop herbs finely, then place into a glass jar. Do not pack them tightly or else the vodka won’t be able to get to it all.
• Add vodka to the herbs. If the vodka does not cover all the plant material add some more until it is all completely submerged.
• Put a tight lid on the jar and store for 2 weeks at room temperature. A dark shelf is fine, since tincture does not need light to process. Shake the contents once or twice a day to redistribute the herbs in the alcohol.
• Strain the herb pulp through a coffee filter or some muslin/cheesecloth.
• Funnel into a sterilized, dark glass bottle.
• Label and store in a cool, dark place. A tincture can be stored for 2 years or longer.

The tincture of rosemary can be taken, 2 ml or about 40 drops, two times daily, you can  also  mix it with tea or juice.

Happy Gardening,Claudia

Organic Pesticides for Indoors & Out

Liquid soap is a great alternative to toxic chemicals for both indoor and outdoor plants. 
Mix 2 tablespoons of liquid soap or dish washing liquid with 1 quart water, and pour into a spray bottle. Most indoor household plants tolerate this natural pesticide well. Spray leaves, stem and topsoil to deter insects from coming back. Aphids, mealybugs, white flies and mites are all affected by this soap remedy.

If you need a stronger soap formula, try this:

 4 garlic cloves (segments) finely chopped
1 small onion finely chopped
 1 tbsp. cayenne (red) pepper
 2 tbsp. liquid soap
 1 quart water
 Mix well and let set 1 hour. Strain and pour into a spray bottle or other container. Refrigerated, this natural insecticide will last up to two weeks.

Happy Gardening,
Claudia

Give your Strawberries a Straw Coat

If your winters a similar or even colder than ours here in Vermont it is time to mulch your strawberries. The plants are very susceptible to cold injury and can die if you don't provide adequate protection. You won't have a hard time remembering what to mulch them with. Several inches of straw will dress them appropriately for harsher climates.

Comes spring, remove the mulch from the strawberry plants when about 25 percent of the plant are producing new growth. New growth will be white or yellow in color.


Happy Gardening,

Claudia

Make Mulch with your Lawnmower

Don't know what to do with all the leaves in your yard? Why not bring all your efforts of raking to a good use making your own mulch.

A bed of autumn leaves can take a while to decompose. Before you  use them as mulch, shred them. Run your lawnmower over recently raked piles of leaves and spread the mulch in your garden. In spring, these shredded leaves can simply be turned under to become rich, organic matter in the soil.

Happy Gardening,
Claudia