Lupine

I posted about Lupine three weeks ago (link to post is here). After that post, the Lupine died back. But then, it came back and bloomed again.

Lupine is in the Lupin family and if horticulturally a legume, or bean. Lupini Beans are a staple in the Mediterranean diet, from places like Italy to Egypt.

Lavender

There are so many reasons to like lavender. All year long the silver gray leaves create a wonderful look in the garden. In July (this year June), when the flowers bloom, you get the most amazing fragrance. These flowers attract honey bees that pollinate the flowers and other flowers and veggies in the garden.

I like to cut the flowers, tie them with a string and put them in the bathroom and kitchen for color and aroma. I also like to cook with lavender. You can put a few flowers with rice to add a wonderful exotic taste. Or use dried flowers in salad dressing or as a marinade. But my favorite way to use lavender is in sorbet. Blueberry lavender sorbet. Normally blueberries and lavender are ready for harvest at the same time. I combine the two and the results are mind blowing. This year the lavender is ready before the blueberries so I will have to harvest the lavender and be patient as the local blueberries ripen.

Lilies

Lillies are one of the most popular perennials in the garden. Probably because they have long lasting blooms and come in a variety of colors. The orange ones are Tiger Lillies and the yellow ones are Stella Dora.

An interesting note about lillies. My friend Tom said that he and his wife like to eat the lily flowers. I was surprised when he told me this so I asked him how they are prepared. He said "just like squash blossoms." I haven't had the guts to try to eat lillies yet, but maybe someday.

Succession planting

I've been posting about succession planting since at least 2010. You can see some posts on the topic here and here. The Providence Journal even did a story on succession planting last year that featured an interview with me and pictures of One Love Farm. Unfortunately, that article is no longer available online. If you stop by the Richmond Farmers' Market I can show you a copy.

The picture I uploaded for this post shows succession planting in action. There is are two rows of lettuce greens that are done and ready to be replaced with more lettuce. Next to them (going right to left) is a row of beets that will be harvested in a couple of weeks. The next row is onions. We will harvest them in late summer. The last row is carrots and they will be pulled in a couple of weeks.

With succession planting, you are harvesting crops and replacing them with new crops in the same space. This allows for maximum use of space and lots more veggies than if you put in a single planting.

I will pull out the lettuce this week and put down some organic fertilizer and plant some summer lettuce. Then, when the beets are done, I'll harvest them and put down more organic fertilizer and plant beets for fall harvest. The onions won't be ready until late summer so I might plant a row of radishes for fall harvest when the onions are done. The carrots will be ready shortly so I will again put down organic fertilizer after I harvest them and plant a variety of carrot that does well for fall harvest.

Roses

Roses are one of those plants that people go crazy for. Articles, books, volumes of books have been written about the best roses, proper growing conditions and pest management. While I like roses, I've never been one to go crazy pruning and pampering rose bushes. I'm more of a plant what grows well in your climate and let it thrive.

That said, a couple of years ago, we planted a rose bush of the far side of the berm. I pounded a trellis into the ground and we let the roses climb their way up. Last year we got a few blooms, but this year it really popped. So, if you like the looks of our rose bush, its pretty much dumb luck. And if you think it looks ratty, don't blame me, I didn't put in a lot of effort.

Elderberry

I posted about Elderberries in 2010 and 2011. In both years, the Elderberry bloomed the first week in July. This year, they bloomed the third week in June, a full two weeks early. Check out those posts for info about how to use Elderberries including a wonderful Elderberry Lemonade.

Mint

As you can see from this picture, we have A LOT of spearmint at One Love Farm. And that picture shows just one area where the mint is planted. There is another area with at least as much mint as this. That is why I always ask people when they plant mint "Do you have the room for it?" Mint will take up all the room you give it.

The rocks surrounding the mint garden prevent it from spreading any further. All of the rocks were dug up one by one, picked up one by one, hauled one by one and piled one by one to make that rock barrier and several others nearby. I dug up those rocks when I made the planting beds for One Love Farm in 2002 and 2003.

Spearmint is a versatile herb. I like it in iced tea and chopped in salads. It is a good topping for whipped cream on desserts, too. It is also wonderful in mixed drinks like Mint Julep and especially in Mojitos!

Lettuce

When you think of lettuce, you probably think of heads of Romaine or Bibb or maybe Iceberg. Sometimes we grow head lettuce at One Love Farm, but my preference is to grow a lettuce mix and harvest the leaves when they are small.

This year I am growing two different lettuce mixes. The first picture is a mild lettuce mix that is great for salads. It has some red and green Romaine lettuce, some Bibb lettuce and Oakleaf as well as some other varieties of greens. The second picture is a heartier mix of greens that has Tot Soi, Arugula, Kale and even Mustard Greens. This mix is also good for salads, but can be lightly sauteed in olive oil as well.

At peak season, we harvest ten pounds of greens or more per week which means we have lots for our friends at the Richmond Farmers' Market and the Charlestown Farmers' Market. In fact, greens are such an important part of farmers' markets that we have a special event at the Richmond Farmers' Market. It's called Greens Day and all the farms feature tons of samples of the greens they are growing, including lots of heirloom varieties. This year, Greens Day is scheduled for June 30th.

If you're growing greens, they like lots of sun and steady watering. A little organic fertilizer and keeping the beds weed free will also ensure a good crop of lettuce. Two other things to keep in mind when growing lettuce. First, plant some lettuce every two weeks so that you get a continuous supply. Second, lettuce likes cool weather. Plant early in the season and late in the season for best results. But, if you want to grow lettuce in the heat of the summer, be sure to find a heat resistant variety to grow.

Tomatoes

Sunday I fertilized the tomato plants with a diluted seaweed emulsion, a terrific organic fertilizer. It's hard to tell from this picture, but in the two weeks since I took this picture, the plants have really sprouted up. And this week, with temps expected in the high 90s, we'll see another growth spurt. I just need to make sure the plants stay well watered during this hot and dry period.

You might ask why I planted the marigold flower with the tomato plant. We have found that marigolds repell the tomato hornworm. This pest is one of the worst for tomatoes and can literally devour the leaves on an entire plant in a single day. So, we are motivated to keep the tomato hornworms away. During the last three or four years that we used the marigolds as a hornworm control, we haven't seen any of these pests. It could be a coincidence, but before using marigolds, we would get hit with hornworms almost every year.

Onions

I was cutting the grass yesterday and when I went past this bed I could smell the onions. It was a very strong onion fragrance everytime I went by. Hope that means we will get nice onions by late summer.

I planted both yellow and red onions this year. I couldn't find any white onions locally so I only planted the red and yellow. People always ask me when you can tell that onions are ready to be harvested. In fact, people ask that question about all root veggies. Of course that is because they grown underground and you can't see them as they mature.

Most books and Internet gardening sites will tell you to wait until the green shoots of the onion turn brown and flop over. In my opinion, that might be waiting a little too long. I like to pick the onions when the onion starts to crown above the soil, but the shoots are still mostly green.

It is important to wipe off the soil from the onion and store it in a cool dry place. It is best to store onions flat in a single layer, preferably with the onions not touching to prevent softening. Don't worry if a few of the onions are soft. It is normal to lose a few onions in storage and you just have to resign yourself to that fact. But, if you catch the culprit soon enough, before the soft spot gets too large, you can use the onion right away and just cut out the soft spot.

Dill

Dill is one of the many herbs I grow at One Love Farm. Seven weeks ago, I posted a picture showing the dill seedlings I transplanted. Here is a link to that post. As you can see from the picture posted today, the dill has really done well.

Lots of people use dill for pickling, and it's terrific for that use. But I like dill fresh, chopped in salads or in a marinade. It adds a nice fresh flavor to greens and veggies. I also dry dill and use it in an herb blend with thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley and oregeno.

In a couple of weeks, dill will flower and start to go to seed. Even the flower shoots are flavorful. Dill is easy to grow. It just needs lots of sun and well drained soil. You don't have to fertilize much and you can get several fresh cuttings of dill during the season.

Zucchini flowers

Last year, I posted about getting the first Zucchini of the season on July 11th. Here is a link to that post. This year, I'm expecting the first one next week! While Zucchini is one of my all time favorite veggies, especially to grill, there is another use for the zucchini plant.

The flowers are edible. You want to eat the male flowers and leave the female flowers as the females become the Zucchini fruit. To tell the males from the females, look at the stem of the flower. From the picture above, you can barely make out the stem of the closed flower in the upper left hand corner. It is male because the stem is very thin. The flower in the lower left hand corner is female because it has a thicker stem. This thicker stem will become a full grown Zucchini in a few days.

There are many ways to prepare Zucchini flowers, or Squash blossoms. You can tear them up and toss them in a salad. Or, you can stuff them with chopped veggies, rice and cheese, dip them in flour and fry them in oil as I descriped in the post about Squash blossoms last year. Another method is to lightly sautee them in oil and serve them with your salad. Probably the best known way to serve Squash blossoms is to stuff them with veggies or cheese and dip the flower in a thin pancake batter and fry them. Though this is the most popular method of preparation, it is also my least favorite as it crushes the subtlety of the flower.

However you decide to prepare your Squash flowers, the good news is that you will have lots of them. Male flowers outnumber female flowers on a Zucchini plant by a ratio of ten to one or more!

Thyme

Earlier this week I posted about growing Yarrow to fill in the spaces between the flagstone patio. The second most successful plant that takes up space between the stones on that patio is Thyme. Like many herbs, Thyme "thrives on neglect." By that I mean Thyme likes dry conditions so you don't have to water it, unless there is extreme drought. And even then, it only needs a little water. Thyme also likes rocky soil. Hot conditions also are Thyme's friend. So, it is the perfect plant to fill in spaces between rocks or to edge a border.

In late summer, Thyme sends up fragrant lavender colored flowers which attract bees. You can harvest Thyme year round. Just clip a few sprigs.

Thyme is nice in marinades or sauces. Just tie up a bunch of Thyme with a string and toss it in your sauce. Fish it out when you're done cooking. Thyme leaves are nice in salad dressings, too.

Thyme is easy to dry and store. Just tie up some sprigs and store them in a cool, dry place like a shed or a basement. Once dry, store in an airtight mason jar. You can also dry Thyme in the oven. Remember to set the oven on its lowest setting and spead the Thyme in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Check often and take out when the leaves feel dry.

Thyme will spread, as you can see from the pictures above. We started with a couple of plants and now have Thyme in an area over two hundred square feet, maybe more. If you don't want your Thyme to take over, plant it in a container, but remember to give it a spot with plenty of sun.

Yarrow

Years ago Karen's brother and I built huge patio using stone pavers. Shortly after that, we built a flagstone patio behind the stone paver patio. The flagstone patio is informal, with gaps between the stones for plants and a trellis for growing vines. I planted several different types of plants to fill in the gaps betwen the stones. Wooly Thyme spread to make a fuzzy carpet. Dianthus filled in a spot near the edge of the patio and is crawling up a small hill. Ice Plant blooms with yellow flowers in the late spring. Creeping Phlox blooms with neon pink flowers in early spring. Common Thyme has taken over the north side of the patio, sending up purple flowers in late summer.

Yarrow has been the most successful plant in the patio. We started with one Yarrow plant in a small container and put it in because we read that it would spread. Boy, did it spread. As you can see from the above pictures, the Yarrow has taken over the whole southern half of the patio. It is in bloom right now with white clumps of flowers, heavy on pollen. The plant is very leggy and can look spindly to some, but I like the feathery leaves that sprout from the stem. After a few weeks, the nice white flowers will turn brown and we will cut down the Yarrow to keep it from looking from looking too ratty. But, next year it will be back again and certainly have spread to new areas.

Some interesting facts about Yarrow. It was used in making an early form of beer called Gruit. Drank at weddings in the Middle Ages, descriptions found people going mad from drinking the brew. Maybe just what happens when you have a few too many cocktails? Who knows, since Gruit has long since passed from favor.

Yarrow has also been used for centuries as a medicinal herb. No scientific studies exist about the benefits of Yarrow and I'm not recommending it's use, nor have I ever ingested the herb. But, anecdotally, Yarrow is used to stop bleeding, lessen inflamation and as a hair conditioner. Yarrow has also been used to make a tea to aid in digestion and to sweat out toxins. It's also been used to ease the symptoms of menustrual cramping. I think I'll just leave it in the garden.

Sage

I've been growing sage for a long time. It's one of my favorite herbs and it has tons of uses, culinary, medicinal and ceremonial. Links to posts about Sage are here and here. Early this spring, Karen moved the Sage to create a couple of borders of Sage in the herb garden. As you can see from the picture above, the herb has done very well in it's new spot.

Daisies

Pictures of daisies in containers.

Carrots

Carrots are one of the best vegetables for the home gardener. The flavor is so much better than store bought and they can be grown in both spring and fall without a greenhouse or special protection.

I have found the most difficult part of growing carrots is getting the seeds to sprout. The seeds require constant moisture and cannot be allowed to dry out. If they dry out, they will not germinate. The accomplish this I plant the seeds in a shallow bed. Then, I top the seeds with a little peat moss and tap down the peat moss with the head of a rake to make sure the seeds are in contact with the soil. I water the seeds in immediately. The peat moss will help the soil to retain moisture so the seeds don't dry out. Even so, on warm and sunny days you may have to water twice.

Carrot seeds can take up to three weeks (!) to sprout. You have to be patient and remember to check the soil everyday so that the seeds don't dry out.

One problem with growing carrots is that they can fork. This usually is a result of clay or rocky soil. The root hits a rock or clay spot and splits off in two directions. We don't have much clay soil at One Love Farm, but almost all of New England is very rocky. We get around this issue by planting in raised beds with lots of compost and raking out rocks every spring.

Carrots don't like a lot of fertilizer, especially fertilizer with nitrogen, so go easy. Once the seedlings have established themselves, you need to thin them out. A lot of people I know are reluctant to thin out their crops. But, with root vegetables like carrots, beets and radishes, it is very important. Without thinning, the vegetable will be small and thin. The root needs space to develop and thinning is the only way to accomplish this. One friend of mine will thin out her root crops and plant the thinnings in another bed. If you are so motivated, feel free. But, I suggest that you take the thinnings and put them to good use on your plate. Radish thinnings, when small, make great micro greens. Beet thinnings are awesome sauteed in olive oil with garlic. And carrot thinnings are good raw and in salads.

Carrots, like all root crops, don't like to compete with weeds, so keep your planting bed weed free. Carrots are ready to pick in a couple of months. You will see the tops start to crown above the soil. Feel below the soil to see if your carrot is big enough and then pull it up by the greens. Carrots can be stored for a few months, but they require cool temperatures and high humidity. A root cellar is perfect, but since almost no one has a root cellar anymore, you can store in your basement. One good way to store carrots is to take a crate and fill it with a couple inches of sand. Add a layer of carrots (greens removed) and then another layer of sand. That will help your carrots keep until you have time to build a root cellar!

Tomatoes

I posted about tomatoes almost three weeks ago when I planted the sprouts. Here is a link to that post. Since then, the plants have done well, establishing themselves and starting to grow. A few didn't make it, but that is usually the case when you plant out seedlings. Some have transplant shock, some are vulnerable to pests and some seem to whither for no reason at all.

I used my own organic granular fertilizer to feed the plants. It is made from cottonseed meal, phosphate rock, gypsum and lime. Lime is especially important to tomato plants so this past weekend I added some extra lime to the base of each tomato plant and worked it into the soil.

Lack of lime in the soil tomatoes grow in is really a lack of calcium. Some people use eggshells to add calcium, but I prefer lime. Lack of calcium can lead to blossom end rot, but so can irregular watering and too high a ph in the soil. The lesson to be learned is test your soil and, if needed, add lime. Water regularly (more about that later in the season) and add a good organic fertilizer without too much nitrogen, because nitrogen has the opposite effect of lime.

Cilantro

Cilantro is one of my favorite herbs. It's great in Mexican food, Indian food and even cocktails. Check out this link for a cocktail with muddled cilantro. If that sounds a little weird, just use cilantro as a garnish with beans and rice or salsa.

The strange thing about growing cilantro is that it likes cool weather. Ironic when you consider that cilantro is used in spicy food like Mexican and Indian; not exactly cool weather climates. When it gets hot outside, the cilantro sends up a seed stalk and bolts. You can try picking off the the flowers to keep the ciltantro from bolting, but I've never had much success with this method. Instead, plant cilantro early in the season and pick it before it gets too hot.

Lettuce and Beets

Spring and early summer is prime growing season for so called "cool weather crops" like lettuce, arugula, beets, radishes and carrots. Right now we're harvesting quite a bit of lettuce (ten pounds a weeks or more).

I like growing head lettuce, but prefer growing loose leaf varieties. These mixes, or mesclun as they are commonly marketed, have a variety of leafs in them. Red and green, mild and spicy, tender and hardy, they offer a great variety for the plate and palatte.

One of my favorite leafs to add to the mix is beet greens. I plant the beet seeds thickly which means a lot of plants will germinate. When the beet leaves are a couple of inches high, I will thin them out to allow the root to fully form. But, I never throw out the thinnings. The smaller plants are added to the lettuce mix for a flavorful punch. The larger beet greens are great to sautee in a pan with olive oil and garlic.

Peony

I posted about Peony on Thursday. They had opened and looked great in the landscape. Thursday night a cut a few and put them in a vase (see pictures above). Good thing, too. Yesterday it rained most of the day. Peony have big, heavy blooms, so when it rains they get weighted down. Today, most of the flowers were lying on the ground.

Iris

We pland quite a few Iris at One Love Farm. They are easy to grow perennials, so they come back every year. They are easy to divide in the fall or early spring, so you can make more plants for your garden every year.

According to Wikipedia, Iris comes from the Greek word rainbow. This is apt because there are so many different varieties and colors for this plant.