The Love Of Garlic

Garlic

If you haven’t already done so way back in May there’s still enough time to get some garlic sown. You can plant garlic cloves anytime but it just depends on your zone whether they will grow that year or the next. Some people have said that you can grow your garlic cloves in a polytunnel or greenhouse in any season as long as the temperature and lighting are right.  

When it comes to planting your garlic

The day you intend to plant, not before, break your bulbs into cloves, then mark out rows at least 11 inches apart with cloves 3 to 5 inches apart in the rows, according to size. The larger the clove, the more space it needs. Plant the cloves root end down pushed into the soil, pointed end up, with up to 1 inch of soil covering it.

I have used cloves from garlic I have purchased and garlic my neighbor's have given me from their crop harvested over the years; they’re always a hard neck variety which means I’ll get a flower stalk in the spring (or ‘scrape’) which tastes great in a salad ( that's a bonus)!

I plant them about 6 inches apart with about 10 inches between the rows and about an inch below the surface of the soil. Choose a sunny site with good drainage and keep it weed-free. Once planted I cover the bed with some netting to deter the birds from tugging on the newly emerging shoots (do they think it’s a bed of worms)? 

Once planted, your garlic cloves will concentrate on pushing roots deep into the soil so don't despair if growing points do not appear until a few months later just keep them weeded and from July onwards keep them well-watered. In July and August, after hoeing around the garlic to remove weeds and aerate the soil, incorporate the rest of your fertilizer.

I rotate my crops on a four-year plan with the aim of preventing any build-up of disease.

Materials I Use

Materials I Use

Materials I Use

The Gate

The gate

The gate. It’s a big old thing; heavy, creaking, clunky……it swings open reluctantly and bangs shut with a dull thud. Fortified with a chain heavier than anything Jacob Marley could ever manage to shake and clank. The paint is peeling, the hinges are rusting…..it blends perfectly into its sprawling, decaying urban surroundings and hardly warrants a second glance. 

But it is a magic gate. This gate has the power to transform those who pass through it and reward them with moments of pure bliss and joy. Every time I step through this gate I feel the crunch in my shoulders loosen, my head is carried a little higher, my stride softens and slows, the frown on my brow disappears as surely as if it had been botoxed, I breathe……deeply. It is a Wizard of Oz moment…..stepping from black and white into blazing technicolor.

Life outside the gate is so often played in black and white – we all have it; the pressures of work and money, family life, juggling time, health issues, all the nitty-gritty, grind down stuff…….but on the other side of the gate the black and white, if only for a brief moment, disappears and we have roses in our cheeks again.

Sometimes, as I try to fall asleep after a particularly hard day, I picture myself opening the gate and walking through…. Your kitchen garden may not have a gate….a big, old, clunky gate like mine……but I’m sure whatever threshold you cross you, too, step into color. 

In my kitchen garden I am still the same old me……but a better me. In the kitchen garden, I am me in glorious technicolor.

My Fred Clarkeara After Dark Black Pearl Orchid

My Fred Clarkeara After Dark Black Pearl Orchid has been growing tremendously

over the past few weeks and I can't wait for it to bloom. I read a quote today...

"There are as many styles of beauty as there are visions of happiness."Before your

eyes lies a type of beauty that lies way beyond visions of happiness, in my honest

opinion. It's almost unattainable, but oh so mysteriously real. What could be so black and almost metallic, making my flora loving heart skip not one, but two beats?

Welcome to the sensual world of an orchid hybrid known as Fredclarkeara After Dark 'SVO Black Pearl. I discovered this beauty at the Botanical Gardens Orchid Show 1 year I went with a few friends. Growing this plant and watching it produce these mind-bogglingly beautiful and beguiling black flowers has made me a confirmed flora futurist. I've never seen anything like it. Have you? Well, the horticulturalists at Four Seasons Landscaping Nursery in Northwestern Indiana have definitely blinded me with some serious science. Fredclarkeara After Dark 'SVO Black Pearl' is a masterpiece. It was love at first sight!

Fredclarkeara After Dark 'SVO Black Pearl' is a hybrid cross between genus of the orchids Catasetum, Clowesia, and Mormodes. It produces interesting thick bamboo shoot-like pseudobulbs that produce large pleated straps of tropical foliage. The foliage is deciduous and begins to drop off as late autumn/early winter dormancy sets in. This hybrid is fairly easy to grow as long as you follow some strict rules. When the plants begin to shed their leaves, STOP ALL WATERING. The decrease in water will encourage mature pseudobulbs to extend 2 to 4 pendant inflorescences with as many as 15 to 22 flowers on each of them!

And as you can see the flowers are spectacular! They'll last up to 6 or 7 weeks before falling off in a beautiful black shower of rich robust blossoms. I grow mine in a mix of fine bark, sphagnum moss, and perlite. It prefers bright light and warm indoor conditions. Does great on the mantel of my living room. When it breaks dormancy and new growth occurs in spring, resume watering and fertilize regularly. 1 tablespoon of fertilizer per gallon of water should create the right mix.  These plants can die easily if overwatered so take care to keep moisture fairly even during growth periods and let them dry out when foliage begins to yellow and drop.  If pseudobulbs get really shriveled during dormancy, give them a teeny tiny sip of water once or twice a month to sustain their vitality. Remember the lack of water encourages remarkable flowering. So if you have an appetite for something excitingly exotic, treat yourself to the mystical magnificence of Fredclarkeara After Dark 'SVO Black Pearl'.  

My Sweet Potato Soul

Start The Slips

Sweet potatoes aren't started by seed like most other vegetables, they're started from slips. Slips are shoots that are grown from a mature sweet potato. You can order slips from mail order or Internet catalog or you can start slips from a sweet potato you bought at the store or one from your garden. If you buy a potato from the store, be sure to find out if you're getting a bush type or a vining type. 

To start your slips, you need several healthy, clean sweet potatoes. Each sweet potato can produce up to 50 slip sprouts. To create sprouts, carefully wash your potatoes and cut them either in half or in large sections. Place each section in a jar or glass of water with half of the potato below the water and half above. Use toothpicks to hold the potato in place.

Sweet potatoes come in two forms: vining and bush varieties. Both types thrive in the hot summer sun and are relatively easy to grow. The slips need warmth, so put them on a window ledge or on top of a radiator. In a few weeks, your potatoes will be covered with leafy sprouts on top and roots on the bottom.

Root the Slips

Once your sweet potatoes have sprouted, you have to separate them into plantable slips. To do this, you take each sprout and carefully twist it off of the sweet potato. Take each sprout and lay it in a shallow bowl with the bottom half of the stem submerged in water and the leaves hanging out over the rim of the bowl. Within a few days, roots will emerge from the bottom of each new plant. When the roots are about an inch long the new slips are ready to plant. To keep your slips healthy be sure to keep the water fresh and discard any slip that isn't producing roots or looks like it's wilting.

Prepare the Soil for the Slips

Before you plant sweet potato slips, you have a little extra work to do. Sweet potatoes need loose, well-drained soil to form large tubers. You don't want the roots to face resistance when they try to expand within the soil. Loose soil is more critical than almost any other factor when it comes to growing sweet potatoes successfully. 

Materials I Use

Materials I Use

Plant the Slip

Using a small hand trowel, dig a hole about 4" or 5" deep and 3" wide. Place one slip in each hole with the roots pointing down. Position the slip so that the bottom half will be covered with dirt while the top half with all of the new leaves is above ground.

Carefully fill the hole with dirt so that you don't bruise the new plant. Sweet potatoes don't like to be bruised or bumped around too much. When you have completely covered it with soil, gently press the plant and surrounding dirt to set the plant and to remove any remaining air pockets. Continue the same way until all of your slips are planted.

Water, Water, Water

Once all the slips are in place water them. You'll need to give them a thorough soaking until all the surrounding dirt is wet. Stop watering before your mound starts to erode. New plants, like slips, need to be watered every day for the first week and every other day the second week. Each week the watering will get a little farther apart until you're watering once a week. If the ground is very dry or you've had a lot of rain, you may need to adjust this schedule in your own garden. Sweet potatoes can withstand drought but they'll produce less, so make sure you water them during the hottest part of the summer.

Sweet Genovese Basil

Sweet Genovese Basil

A hugely popular culinary herb, the tall and relatively slow to bolt stems on this basil plant bear dark green leaves about 3" long. This is a wonderful pesto basil and our Italian Cuisine Kit is a great starter set for the ambitious chef! 

Basil is also a fantastic companion plant and natural pest repellent. Check out Briscoe's Tips to learn what not to plant near your Basil and how you can use it to keep mosquitoes away this summer!

Briscoe's Tips

Ocimum basilicum:

Characteristics: Basil is one of the easiest and most popular traditional culinary herbs! This tasty favorite is an annual and will grow well in just about every zone. Be sure to plant outside only when night temperatures reach 50 to 55 degrees or above.

Light: Basil needs a lot of light, but will benefit from a little shade during the hottest part of the day.

Water: Water basil when it is dry to the touch, without overwatering.

Soil: Basil likes rich, well-drained soil and will grow best in soil enhanced with well-composted manure.

Use: Genovese Basil is a favorite for authentic Italian cuisine.

Basil is a great natural pest repellent and companion plant:

Basil is a wonderful plant to plant near your kitchen windows or doorways, not just for its use in your favorite dishes, but because this culinary herb has terrific natural pest repellent properties! Said to effectively keep house flies and mosquitoes away, planting Basil near entryways to your home, rubbing it on your skin and clothing, and planting it around your yard and patio will help reduce the number of unwanted summer pests. Planting it in your garden will also keep destructive pests like Thrips, whiteflies, and aphids away from neighboring plants. Basil blooms are also very attractive to butterflies and other useful pollinators.

Basil is said to increase the health and flavor of many vegetables like asparagus, bell peppers, cabbage, and especially tomato plants when companion planted together. For best results, do not plant Sage or Rue near your Basil, as this is said to inhibit the plant’s growth and flavor. Instead, grow Chamomile near your Basil plants to encourage its success.

Ocimum basilicum

Basil 'Genovese' also called Sweet Basil, is one of the most popular herb plants that people buy. People grow a lot of different basil plants and this is a favorite for authentic Italian basil flavor and aroma, it is often used to make traditional pesto. It is a must for your culinary herb gardening efforts.

Culturally, Genovese Basil is important to Italian cuisine, and traditionally was a symbol of love throughout Italy. When women were preparing for courtship, many would place a potted Genovese outside of their door to signal suitors that they were receptive to their calls. In India, it is considered a sacred herb and is often dedicated to Vishnu and Krishna.

Uses Edible aromatic foliage, dark green leaves about 3" long. Yields abundant leaves with authentic Italian basil flavor that tastes great in a pesto sauce. Easy to grow in containers or outdoors.

Tips: As with most varieties of basil, they love the sun and cannot tolerate cold. If you are keeping it indoors to extend its growing season, make sure it gets lots of light and adequate, but not excessive water. Pinch the flowering tops down to the first set of leaves, or first node, to prolong its usefulness in the kitchen.

Basil plants have a distinctive flavor that adds zest to tomato dishes, 

salads, and many other foods. A warm-season annual, this culinary

herb grows four to six feet in height. 

To grow basil plants outdoors, transplant small plants to a sunny, 

well-drained location with fertile soil. Plant in a spot near your kitchen so

leaves can be collected as they are needed. The number one reason for

problems with basil is planting too early. As basil does not tolerate cool

temperatures it is best to wait until after May 1 to plant outside. Night

temperatures should be in the high 50’s.

To grow small quantities of basil early in the season, try potted plants

in a sunny window. Remember, warmth and plenty of sun are necessary

for vigorous plants. Frequent pinching will give leaves for cooking and

keep the plants tight and bushy.

Materials I Use

Materials I Use

To store basil, puree leaves, and freeze in ice trays, or if you dry the

leaves, do it in a microwave to keep the leaves from turning black. Grow a

succession of plants to ensure a regular supply of leaves.