How am I Doing You Ask...

...and I answer hesitantly, "could be doing better". 


This weekend was supposed to be a weekend of tilling and prepping. But, alas, it was filled with illness and this bedridden gardener was unable to play in the dirt. 


Never fear! I am well and able to make my next move. I am hopeful that I will not only till and prepare my plots this upcoming weekend but plant my flowers as well. If all goes as planned by next week I will have two plots ready for the growing. 


I leave you with a few words of wisdom. Head them well.

"Bulb: potential flower buried in Autumn, never to be seen again."

"Hoeing: A manual method of severing roots from stems of newly planted flowers and vegetables."
- Henry Beard

"A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows."
- Doug Larson 

Needle and Thread

The gardener stood in front of the carousel for fifteen maybe thirty minutes, though to him it seemed like hours. He would bend way down to read the packets on the bottom then stand very tall, almost on his toes, to read those on top, and only after carefully examining the selection in front of him would he reach out to turn the carousel. Each time it would squeak as if it were happy to be touched.

The gardener must choose his selection carefully. Once selected there is no turning back. The whole season hinges upon the varieties the gardener finally deems fit for his land.

Arriving home the gardener begins to fill with the joy of anticipation. The gardener quickly sets to work prepping the bed of soil. Small compact peat pots are set up in a beautiful line and the water is slowly poured over them.

The small pots begin to expand, filling with the life-giving water. With a gentle tug, the gardener releases the mesh pots exposing the soil within.

Carefully, the gardener sows the seeds, three tomato and one cucumber per pot, into the peat. With a brush of the fingertip they are covered and ready to sprout. 

  

Finally, with a click of the plastic top, the procedure is finished. Every pot is watered, every seed is planted, and nature is left to run its course. 

I brush off my hands and walk away, eagerly waiting the first sight of green.

Seeds!!!

As promised, week one of my four week venture to plant my garden has come to a fruitful (or should I say vegetable) end. With four varieties chosen and paid for I have finalized my seed selection. 

Been a While Eh?

Ray's Garden has been on an unannounced hiatus for the past month. Those of you reading now, thanks for not abandoning me.

Life for this novice gardener has been a little hectic as of late. Some great changes have been happening in my life which has, unfortunately, kept me from devoting time to this lovely blog of mine. But, never fear for I return with great hope for the future...

The spring is fast approaching. Winter's benumbing weather has begun to break and I now wake to the warming sun. I've begun to see sprouts of grass growing in my yard and my garden is starting to fill with the perennial annoyance of weeds. So, I say to myself, "self, it's time to get back to it".

With that in mind, I've made a weekly goal checklist. My hope is that by the end of the month and beginning of April I will have a fully planted garden ready to start growing.

Twenty Below by Paul Engle

The temperatures have dropped below zero and the air has become like a wall of ice. The recent snow still covers the ground with more on its way. I, like so many others, stay indoors and only step out to peek at the world.

Poetry is not an unfamiliar sight here at Ray's Garden. This time, though, I have a poem that's not my own.
Twenty Below by Paul Engle : The Poetry Foundation [poem] : Find Poems and Poets. Discover Poetry.

Enjoy!

Baby it's cold outside...

I woke up this morning to 7 degree weather and a ground that crunched at my feet. Stepping outside I look around at the trees that look so dead. The last leaf fell weeks ago and has begun feed the earth. My garden has done the same.

I shiver at the cold and at the idea that there are no plants to tend. The frozen soil is beyond all hope of tilling and even if I could break the ground I know that nothing would grow. So, I turn to my memories of the time I spent planting, growing, tending, and harvesting my garden.

But, I have more than just memories of my garden. As I look back in nostalgic bliss at the garden that kept me warm, I realize that I am fortunate to have recorded the season and enjoy knowing that I can share this warmth with you too. 

DIY Cold Frame

My most recent post got me to thinking about the home gardener and just how 'high tunnels' can be applied to the small garden. It's great that there are options for the gardeners who's livelihood depend on their crops. But, what about those of us who just want to grow some lettuce in the late fall and early winter? To that issue I say, cold frame.

Now, those of you familiar enough with Ray's Garden may notice that this particular plot looks a little alien. That's because this is not Ray's Garden. It is, in fact, The Mountainside Garden. Today's post is going to be a first. I'll be talking about the experiences of another fellow gardener. One who is much more seasoned than I am and has chosen to take on the task of building a cold frame. A task, which I have learned, is not too difficult. Even for a beginner gardener such as myself.

Birds Aren't the Only Thing Tweeting in my Garden

Well. Ray's Garden has gone tech and has a twitter account now. I'll be tweeting about anything from articles I like to blog updates. Follow me on twitter and don't miss out.

Let's talk cold weather gardening

So, winter has started to peep it frosty head out of hiding. The days have begun to shrink as the light begins to fail earlier. Gardeners wake up to a sharp white frost layering the ground and covering their crops. And with that frost comes the end of the season. For some at least...

Some professional gardeners are turning to government subsidized options and building 'high tunnels'. This is revolutionizing the availability of local produce. Click on the picture to take a look...

'high tunnels' extend growing season for local farmers

Fried Green Tomatoes (not the movie)

As a good ole' southern boy there are a few treats that I grew up knowing well. Pecan pie, deep fried catfish (and of course the hush puppies to accomp'ny it), and beans 'n cornbread are just a few of the delicious dishes I know and love. So, natur'lly, when my tomato plants decided frost be damned they was gonna bear fruit anyway, I knew what I had to do...

Time to Plant!

Wait...what? Time to plant? What could possibly need planting this late in the season?

Garlic!

Thinking Ahead

Well, this season is starting to come to a close. Naturally I've begun to think about what I want to grow next year. I ponder the past season's triumphs and losses and think about what I've learned. Next year will be about trying to ameliorate my troubles by honing my gardening skills further. 

I want to see more tomatoes and not make the mistake of caging them late. I will find creative and inspired ways to avoid the pests that destroyed my yellow squash. I plan to keep the rabbits at bay with new fencing and perhaps I can save my beans. There you have it--I've chosen three crops already.
 

Another change my garden will see next year is a reduction of plants. I found this year that five was just one species to many. My garden is small and my plants grew well. So, next year I will grow four types. Some quick math will tell you that I have room for one more vegetable, then. 


So... Ray's Garden is having a survey!

I've added a poll to the site asking my readers what they think I should plant next year. So, it's up to you to decide. What will be? Corn? Cucumbers? Okra? Or onions? I look forward to finding out.

The poll will last till January 31st. On February 1st, I will declare the winner. 

Update on Squash Bug Situation

I've been using the soap solution for several days now, spraying on average once a day, and it seems to be working. At first I saw fewer bugs, gradually I've seen even less. Finally, I went out and found none. Today, however, I did find that some of the eggs had hatched and a new batch of baby bugs were poised and ready to take over. Luckily, I found them in time and sprayed it all down. I feel good about this solution and (at this point) would recommend it to anyone who asks.

They!

For some time now I've been wearily checking my squash leaves for the dreaded sign of squash bugs. I will go out to my garden and apprehensively lift several of the leaves looking for those feared reddish-brown eggs. You know the ones right? No? Well they look kinda (exactly) like this.

I Harvest Ergo I Cook

My wife and I have recently opted to change out diets dramatically and eat vegan. Consider this post a response to the many who wonder what it is exactly someone who eats a vegan diet does, in fact, eat.

I adapted this recipe from the April 2010 issue of Veg News.

Summer Squash Vegan Quiche 

1 Lb.  firm tofu, drained
1/3 C. unsweetened soymilk
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Medium yellow crookneck squash (fresh from garden if possible)
1 Medium patty pan squash (from your father's garden if possible)
3 Cloves garlic 
1/2 Tbsp. dried basil
1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 Tsp. Salt
2 Tsp. Pepper
1 9 Inch vegan pie crust
1/4 C. vegan cheese (I like garlic and herb almond cheese)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, blend tofu and soymilk until smooth. 

2. In a saute pan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add yellow squash and patty pan squash. Cook for about 5-6 minutes until tender. Add garlic and continue to cook for another minute. 

3. Fold squash and garlic into tofu mixture adding basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.

4. Pour mixture into uncooked pie crust, spreading smoothly and evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Rotate once halfway through to ensure even cooking. 

5. Pull quiche from oven and sprinkle vegan cheese over top. Return to oven and cook for another 5-10 minutes until cheese begins to melt (note: vegan cheese doesn't melt like regular cheese, don't expect it to fully melt). 

6. Enjoy warm or let cool off and serve cold. Great for breakfast, brunch, or dinner. 

Caution! Addictive Recipe Ahead.

I can't get enough of heirloom tomatoes. They look, taste, smell, and taste (I feel a need to repeat this) great. Next time you make it to your local natural food store, or farmers market definitely pick up a pint (or three) of these wonderfully flavorful and richly colored tomatoes. 

Heirloom tomatoes are grown from seeds that have been passed down generation after generation. Because of this, they are considered to be a vestige of the antique tomato. They are more "true to form" than their cousins the hybrid tomatoes. Also, unlike hybrid tomatoes (which are what you mostly see at the supermarket) heirloom tomatoes are open-pollinated. This helps to create the prized multifarious nature of the heirloom tomato. 

While waiting for my tomatoes to grow I have greatly enjoyed the many heirloom varieties available to me. I've used larger ones on sandwiches and burgers while using the smaller cherry tomatoes in salads. Salads, like this one!

Heirloom Tomato and Chickpea Salad

2 pints of Heirloom Tomatoes
2 15oz cans of Chickpeas drained and washed
2 C. Kalamata Olives
1 tbsp. Fresh Oregano finely chopped
1 tbsp. Fresh Basil finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste 
1 tbsp. Olive Oil


Cut tomatoes in half and combine in large bowl with Chickpeas, Olives, Oregano, Basil, Salt, Pepper, and Olive Oil. 


Yes, it is just that easy. 


I've been enjoying making many variations on this salad. By changing up the type of beans or olives the combinations are endless. I've even tried capers instead of olives. 

So, have fun, try something new, and enjoy good veggies. 

Tomato Haiku

Cage tomatoes young
A new gardener must learn
Or else they grow wild

Can I Keep Him?

Remember that earlier post insert flashback here when I talked about the rabbits eating my greens. Seems like so long ago. As you recall (I'm sure you recall right) I put up a fence to keep the rabbits out. Recently though I was messing around in my garden and I saw the cutest smallest little bunny rabbit ever. There it was, looking up from my beans, as relaxed as can be.

No Vegetable Left Behind

I'm loving the harvest of lettuce, squash, and more beans than I know what to do with. But, I don't want to forget about those vegetables left behind. I still have tomatoes and carrot (yes singular) to think about. 

I have little faith in the survival of my carrots. Only one has really shown any growth.


















I am very excited about the tomatoes, though. They are surely going to be ready for harvest near the end of July and beginning of August. 

I'm looking forward to the continued harvest and growth of my garden.

Production, Harvesting, Reaping What You Sow, or Whatever You Feel Like Calling It

Countless hours have been spent, back bent, sun beating down on my neck, sweat pouring from my forehead as I till, hoe, rake, plant, weed, weed, and weed some more. All this time telling myself not to be upset if nothing grew. Yet still, knowing the disappointment that would come from so many lost hours. 

I am excited to say I am not disappointed.