Planning for the Seasons Ahead

For a couple of years now, I’ve been watching Gardener’s World - a fabulous show out of England that first I found on YouTube, and now we watch on Brit Box. It airs Friday night in the UK, and it has become a Saturday morning ritual for me and Tom to grab our coffee and watch it before we begin our weekend. The shots of the flowers and birds, the stray video of one of Monty’s adorable dogs in the garden, virtual tours of famous gardens and smallholders alike, plus a raft of ‘jobs for the weekend’ - we just love it and it sets the mood for the weekend ahead.

A common practice in the UK seems to be the setting out, in the autumn, of the ‘bulb table’ - an old table or plank, filled with interesting old pots that hold numerous spring-flowering bulbs. The table is set by the home’s back doors or windows, so that in the cold and grey spring, one can watch as the bulbs begin to emerge and flower, and therefore be cheered and assured that warmer weather is on the way. I think it is a charming tradition and very much wanted to join in. I don’t have a lot of extra old pots sitting around (I need to shop the sales when they occur and plan ahead for next year!), but I have a few. I ordered a bunch of spring bulbs and then last weekend, I got them planted and set out on an old bench that my dad made. It is, in fact, a bench he made for my brother and I to sit in when we were very small. A few years ago he painted it with boat paint so that I could keep it outside, and the paint has protected it well. I use it for perching and watching the bees fly in and out of the hive, or for watching the chickens. Now it holds my pots of bulbs.

We’ll be able to see this from our dining room windows and the blooms will be cheering in late winter/early spring. I have lots of different bulbs in the ground, of course, but this is a special display meant to be seen from the house. When the bulbs have finished flowering, they are then planted in the garden to fill out the beds in the following years, and new bulbs are purchased for fall planting in the pots.

There are other projects that need to be done now, if the following seasons are to be a success. It is time to plant seeds for winter harvest (or for fall, if you live in colder climes). Last weekend I seeded up trays of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kohlrabi, leeks, and beets. They are in the greenhouse, no door on the front, shielded by a thin layer of agribon (mainly to keep away the cabbage white butterflies). They will be planted out into the garden beds October 1 or thereabouts. At that time, I’ll also seed directly all the other veg that we like to grow in the winter time.

This means, of course, that now is the time to order the seeds you will need. If fall is anything like spring, with people continuing to explore home food production, you’re going to want to get right on that before the seed houses sell out.

It’s also a really good time to figure out your garden plan for next season. I have some very remedial blank layouts that I have saved on my computer, which I just print out and use to plan the seasons ahead. I try to allow for some crop rotation (if possible) and think ahead, even, to the season after the coming one. It takes some tweaking and sometimes several iterations before I feel like I’ve got it all just right.

Our daughter Rin, a senior in high school this year, has already started classes online. I begin next week, with three labs in person (though the class is split up into groups of nine) and all of the lectures online. We are still not sure if our son Adam will be able to actually go to his chosen college, and are hoping for news about that soon - it’s getting down to the wire. Meanwhile he is still working full time at the bakery, which continues to sell out of product early every day (comfort food?). Tom is still working at home and it’s a very busy time for him with his college. The logistic challenges of all of this are just enormous, and he really never stops working, trying to make it all fit and ensuring that the students get what they need in this confusing time. All four of us have our own routines for our off times, which keeps us sane and fit. Tom walks in the dark every night around 8:30, and I go hiking early in the morning when it’s cool. I generally spend the rest of the day in food preservation mode. Rin has been very involved with a daily protest in our city (with social distancing) and Adam has been trying to see friends (with social distancing) before they all go their separate ways for college. The four of us meet at the dining room table every night for a feast made with food grown in our garden. Neighborhood kids (the little ones) come by on their daily walks to visit the chickens. One of our chickens has some sort of an eye problem - I don’t know if she got scratched by a stick, or if some dirt got caught in there, or what - she’s been in isolation for five days as it heals, because the other chickens can be very mean to a sick or injured chicken and make things much worse. I’m hoping her eye does heal, because if she loses vision in that eye, everything will be very difficult for her and we’ll have to make some hard decisions.

So, life continues on no matter the challenges, or perhaps in spite of them. I’d love to know what’s happening in your gardens, what you’re eating and preserving, and how you are managing lives spent mostly at home.

Last Gasp

November has arrived, and we still have daytime temperatures in the mid-80’s. I think this is the last gasp; it looks like next week, temps go down to the 70’s, and nighttime temps start to firmly lodge in the 40’s. It’s about time, and it sure would be nice to see some hint of rain.

Bishop’s Lace

The garden is moving on, mostly according to plan. I’ve had a few failures. Something completely eviscerated the beets and kohlrabi, and I’ve had a terrible time germinating spinach this year. The cabbage I started and planted out (an Italian Savoy type) has not fared well, and in that space, there are volunteer potatoes coming up (which isn’t a bad thing). I have more seedlings in the greenhouse of all those things, as well as chard. I’ll plant those out this weekend. I’ve also re-seeded in several places in the beds.

Shallots

I’ve had a tip that I should order garlic directly from Filaree Farm next year. They do have a lot of varieties, all organic. I would like to support a CA farmer, but I am unable to find anyone that will sell directly to me. If you know of any, please share the info.

I’ve ordered new asparagus crowns from Renee’s. They won’t ship until March. Our old asparagus bed was badly situated - not enough sun - and so I’ve prepped a new space over by the chicken coop and the apple tree. I’m going to have Tom build me a long, narrow raised bed, and then I’ll fill it with not-quite-finished compost from the pile in the chicken coop. I’ll let it sit until the asparagus crowns arrive, and by then it should be ready and fluffy. Asparagus needs a rich, loose, well-drained soil. I’m hoping this new bed will work well.

Shelling Peas

I’ve been working on my plan for next year. It’s a good time to do this, because the summer successes and failures are still fresh in my mind, and with everything planted out for winter, I can see where best to place the 2019 crops. I use a drawing on graph paper, and work it all out there. I’ve decided not to plant melons or corn next summer - we just don’t have room. Trying to get crop rotations perfected also makes things a little difficult.

Sorrel

I’ve also been thinking quite a lot about what I want the goal for next year’s garden to be. As you know, we pick a new goal with every new year. 2018 was the year of soil; I wanted to do things that improved it, and I think we’ve succeeded (more on that subject near the end of the year). But what about next year? It’s important to have that in mind, or else I get burned out and lose sight of the big picture.

Gulf Frittilary caterpillars on the passionvine

I’m also trying to figure out what to do with my recent college education. It’s become clear to me that though I am a complete plant nerd, it’s the cycle of things that really excites me. The systems. The way everything fits together. It wouldn’t be a delightful garden without insects, for instance. And the produce wouldn’t be as abundant and delicious without all the soil life. These things are all connected, and I want to study that. That’s Ecology, and every job I look at in this field requires a degree in Environmental Science or Ecology or Restoration, and I can’t get that where I am right now. So I have some decisions to make.

Fava beans

With the cooler nights, I’m feeling like cooking more substantial meals. It’s time to start making braises, and stews, and bean soup. I have also been making gratins - layered, thinly sliced vegetables with a garlic-infused cream sauce, and a dusting of gruyere. I’ve discovered that it’s possible to make almost any kind of gratin. Our latest involved butternut squash, potatoes, and Lacinato (dinosaur) kale. Use a mandolin for slicing (or if using greens, just tear them into pieces), simmer the cream with minced garlic, use plenty of pepper and salt, and don’t forget to butter the casserole dish. Use 2-3 lbs of veg to 2 cups cream. Some sort of sharp hard cheese grated on top, maybe 1/2 a cup. Bake at 350 for an hour and a half. Delicious, warming, and filling. Good for lunch the next day, too.

a gorgeous potato leaf

Tomorrow, I will give the carved pumpkins to the chickens, after cleaning out any spilled candle wax. They will absolutely love them and peck at them until they are gone, and all the vitamin A in the squash will give the eggs (scarce though they may be at this time of year) a lovely orange yolk.

And oh yeah, the great autumn leaf collection has begun. I do not collect the ones that fall on my garden (though sometimes I move them around a bit), but the ones that fall in the street or driveway get moved into the chicken run, or the compost pile, or the pathways between veg beds. It’s always a lot of sweeping, and I’m thinking of eating my words and buying a leaf blower, albeit an electric one. I hate them. But it might save my hands some aching. (We all have to make concessions as we get older, right? At least that’s what I keep telling myself. Better to garden longer, no matter how much I have to compromise on the noise factor.) If you have one that you like, please pass along recommendations.

a plum leaf

What’s happening in your garden? I’d love to hear all about it.

Happy November!

Working on the Fall Garden

The kids and I are splitting our days between lazy time and purposeful before-school-starts-again time. Half the day is given over to books, movies, and computer games, while the other half is used to fulfill some chore that needs doing before the 21st, when our days will once again be filled with schoolwork and homework. This encompasses anything from eye appointments to haircuts to shopping for school supplies. Some days we take off and do something we haven't done before, like tour the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. It's been fun, but for a restless person like me, it can be hard. I crave, and thrive on, schedule and routine. I actually enjoy being busy. I don't like large swathes of free time with nothing to fill it. And yet I know it's a luxury and I should embrace this short period of freedom. I'm trying.

One of the things I notice when I'm bored is that I want to spend money. Fix things. Make things pretty. Re-do entire flower beds. This would require funds we do not have. As any parent knows, August requires a robust bank account. Even public schools require many hundreds of dollars at registration time - student body cards, new PE clothes, donations to the PTA - all worthy things, just not exactly cheap. And the after-school activities start up again and therefore the fees start up again. So going to the nursery and buying a bunch of perennials? Um, no. Not a priority.

The other thing I want to do when I'm bored is eat. Mainly sweets. I find myself looking up recipes for chocolate mousse and Victoria sponge. Kate and I ducked into a See's the other day and came home with a box of soft-centered truffles. Oy.

One thing that keeps me busy is trolling the summer garden every day, weeding where necessary (though in summer, with only drip irrigation, there really aren't that many weeds), pulling out dead plants and flowers, tying up stray tomato vines, or harvesting whatever is ripe. We're eating tomatoes and peppers nearly every day, and any excess is either canned or frozen. Cucumbers are coming more slowly now, and the beans are in a lull after my last exhaustive picking, though basil can be harvested every other day and made into freezer pesto (just a huge bowl of basil thrown into the food processor with a cup of CA organic walnuts, a few cloves of our garlic, salt, a cup of grated parmesan, and olive oil to bring together into a paste).

But honestly, my mind is already turned to the fall and winter garden, what and how to plant, and when.

I started brassica seeds in July: Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and cabbage. I transplanted most of them the first of August into compostable plastic cups, and they are growing well in a protected space that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. I've given a couple of plants away, but most I will transplant into containers in the next month or so. I've decided to do everything but garlic and shallots in containers (reason below). I have all those one gallon pots that I grow tomatoes in, I can fill each one with fresh potting soil and one plant. I'll have a ton of containers on the back patio this fall and winter, but that's ok. 

Some of these brassica starts have a leafminer problem. 

See that white trail there in the leaf? That's a very small maggot making its way through the tissue. Most leafminers are the maggots of moths or flies. I could have covered these with a light cloth to prevent the flying critters from laying eggs on the leaves, but I didn't realize I'd need to, having never had leafminers before. So I decided to spray them with Neem oil, which is organic, and smothers the maggots. Hopefully that will do the trick. 

I've also planted romaine, carrots, and beets directly into 10-gallon containers for a fall or early winter harvest. I plan to do some butter lettuce, kale, chard, and spinach once it gets cooler - those can go all winter. I have a fall crop of peas in the potato bed and should be able to harvest both peas and potatoes in a couple of months.  

There is a volunteer pumpkin coming up in one of the olive tree containers...

... and I've got kabocha squash and other pumpkins finally coming up next to the garage, where the sweet peas and lupines have been.

I have pre-ordered both my garlic and shallots from Peaceful Valley Farm Supply, and will use two of my 4x8 beds for those, probably planting them in October. Last year, I left my tomatoes in through the beginning of November, but we really didn't get much of a harvest from them in October or November. Just not enough light and heat. So I'll cut my losses this year and take them out in October sometime and start my winter planting.

All the other raised beds will be given over a cover crop of winter wheat and crimson clover. Both should survive our mild winter. If they don't, they'll provide mulch when they winter-kill, having first improved the soil as they were growing. If they live, I'll crop some wheat in the spring, which should be a fun and educational experience, as well as providing food for us and straw for the garden; the clover will provide nutrients for the soil and flowers for the pollinators, as well as covering the soil to prevent erosion from winter rains. I'm excited to try something different over the winter. No row covers will be needed, which will save us some expense (it's time to get new row covers, and I'm happy to put that off for a year - the plants in containers should be protected enough not to need cover, but if they do, I'll use a sheet) and also some labor.

Meanwhile, we have not-quite two weeks left to enjoy our freedom. I'll continue to try and embrace it, without eating too much chocolate or purchasing any big-ticket items. We'll see how well I do. How are YOUR fall garden plans coming?