Neighborhood Garden Party

Black Sphinx Dates, A Community Treasure!

2011-06-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

The Mountgrove Neighborhood in Arcadia( 46th to 47th place near Lafayette) has verdantly, majestic treelined streets that have been recognized as an oasis in the desert for almost 95 years. The moment you enter the grove there is a sudden change in mood and ambience. Everyone feels it. Whether visitor stumbling upon us for the first time or permanent resident. There is a calm, a quiet, a peacefulness that envelops you and makes you feel at home. It is the trees. They are like none other. Planted as a twenty acre agricultural grove In 1917 these very distinct palms are called Black Sphinx Dates. They bear a tremendous crop of large, plump, moist, honeyed fruit with a swarthy thin skin ranging from copper to bronze to maroon to almost jet black in color. Their flavor is sweet and delicate. There is nothing in the world like a black sphinx date.

Mountgrove is a friendly neighborhood. All through the year you find neighbors and friends walking their dogs, taking quiet strolls and just gathering in front yards to share life. At night their way is illuminated by the lights shining up on the fronds of many of these tall trees to show them off. All the families that choose to live in Mountgrove have a deep pride in their area and take special interest in beautifying their homes.

This Sphinx date grove is a unique place because it is believed to be the only producing Sphinx date Palm grove in the world. These luscious fruit were so coveted that during his administration President Eisenhower would purchase these rare dates to give as gifts to his closest friends and family every Christmas. In 2005 The Arizona Tree Council recognized and awarded the area as a “Great Tree Grove of Arizona”. A very special honor.

At the time the Sphinx Date Ranch was established it was a long ten miles from town with only dusty roads and desert between them. As the southwest developed and more people moved west development eventually reached Arcadia. In 1953 building started in mountgrove. streets were carefully planned so that they wound around the trees and homes were plotted so that they might sprawl among them. Every care was taken not to disturb the natural setting. Utilities were brought in to serve these homes. The trees were almost 40 years old at this time.

SRP is the electric utility that services this area. Recently they have determined that a great number of these trees are out of compliance with their standard for foliage growth in and around the power lines. They have “informed” all the residents that 58 trees should be removed. For 50 years they have trimmed any fronds that they deemed unsafe but recently they have changed their trim schedule from annually to once every 3 years as an internal cost saving move. Now they are claiming that because of the growth of the trees “into their lines” there is a need to “move or remove” any offending tree. An option vehemently opposed to by homeowners in Arcadia and especially in Mountgrove.

They seem to have statutes and government backing their cause. We believe this problem, which has not been a problem for over 50 years, can be solved by SRP understanding that this is a unique agricultural and aesthetic grove and agree to compromise their newly adopted trim schedule to keep the trees of question in compliance with their requirement to keep the lines clear within 10 ft of the powerlines, instead of bullying this neighborhood with its powerful force and financial resourses to behead or chop down this Arcadia Treasure.
Meetings are taking place with homeowners but the outlook thus far looks grim. We wanted to inform residents in and around this area what is afoot and stay open to any suggestions to ward off this grave situation. For more information, please contact, Robbie Shaw at js4501@aol.com.

Neighborhood Markets, A New Way to Shop!

2011-04-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

Vendors, taking their wares to Market!

Where do you go to shop? Just last weekend I was able to participate in two local Farmer's Markets. The Simple Farm's Vintage Barn Sale and Farmer's Market, and Boho Farm and Home Farmer's Market in Phoenix. First of all, I want to say that I think this is the new (old) way to shop. From the amazing turnout, other people are loving it too. It's local, personal, fresh and real. And, it's coming to a neighborhood near you! These garden markets are not easy to come by. The farmers/gardeners take months of work preparing their locations for what might look like a nice weekend picnic site. They are called micro-farms, small organic farms of ten acres or less that are emerging as the go-to place for healthy, organic food and specialty items. Not only that, these urban and suburban farms are a nice place for antique dealers, artisan and craftsmen to share their talents and wares with their own community. A neighborhood market is not just selling eggs, fruits and vegetables, jams and handmade soaps to our neighbors and friends. It's about planting, pruning, picking and tending animals. It's about research, time, and lots of passion. It is really all about placing something that one person has cultivated or made with their own hands, into the hands of another. These markets are all about relationships, they are as much a social event as a shopping trip! I want you to meet some of the people behind last weekends markets. Take a look at the activities and beauty of small farms, as they celebrate community, good food and friends.

Me, with Caroline of Boho Farm and Home at her Farmers/Flea Market.

Just picked herbs were available at the market.

My daughters Aaryn and Caitlin at our Sweet Life Garden "store".

Korina, selling her fabulous Fru Fru Pops!

Nick, standing beside his amazing metal sculptures!

Kiara and her gang selling luscious whipped body butter!

Sarah creates the cutest magnetic bulletin boards.

Here's Emily, of EA Designs and her beautiful burlap pillows, enjoying a fru fru pop.

Here's The Simple Farm, a three acre organic farm in north Scottsdale, Arizona

"Goods" from the Vintage Barn Sale.

Fresh Lavender is available at their farmers market!

A French Garden

And... of course french radishes!

Friends and fellow farmers, Michael and Lylah, they run this place!

Lylah and Anita, preparing for the farmers market.

Anita, gathering vegetables for the morning market.

We call this urban or suburban agriculture,

to find out more, check out The Simple Farm (for market day info.), Boho Farm and Home and the amazing talent we have right here in our community.

You'll like what you find!

Raised Bed Garden Update

2011-03-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

It's only been three weeks since we planted these raised bed garden boxes. I stopped by the other day to take a look. I thought you might like to see what I saw. Aren't they purty!

Brick Raised Beds

2011-03-05T17:45:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like a new raised bed to get you off to a good start this spring. We just finished these beautiful brick raised beds for friend and local water store owner, (Water Connection), in time for the rain to bring a good soaking to the newly planted seeds. Denise's new garden site has plenty of sun and is located right outside her kitchen door for easy care and harvesting.

The beds are four by ten feet and two feet high, just the right height to sit comfortably and reach the center of the bed. We used old Phoenix brick to coordinate with the house and add to the character of the central Phoenix home.

The boxes or planters were nice and deep and we had lots of room with which to work. First we filled them with Baker Nursery top soil, and mixed in a little sand. Then, we layered a combination of leaves, manure, mulch, Singh Farm compost, straw, and a few bags of Patio Plus potting mix. Lastly, we added organic amendments; bone meal, blood meal, kelp and humate.

A timer and drip line were installed. This all sounds quick and easy, but there was a lot of digging and shoveling and turning!

Of course, the fun part is choosing the seeds and transplants. Start small and plant what you will eat. Here's Daisy, the Water Connection Store dog and his owner, a happy, new gardener!

March Groundwork

2011-03-02T20:29:00.000-08:00

There is nothing like a wet and wild spring to awaken your earthly instincts! The Spring rains have brightened everything in the garden and I don't know about you but, I cannot find one reason to stay inside on days like these.There are a few more days until the official first day of Spring arrives. For most people this day isn't particularly important, but as a gardener, it's a day in the year that always makes me pause and think about how significant this day would have been to our ancestors. If you had to totally rely on your knowledge of gardening to survive, you would celebrate this day too. This year the Spring Equinox arrives on March 20th at 7:21pm. That's when the sun is positioned directly over the equator, making the length of the day and the length of the night equal. From this day, the days gradually grow longer and warmer. Spring is here!

With a few seeds and some nice, loose, rich soil, there's no way you cannot expect abundance in the days ahead.

March to-do list~

Sow seeds for lima and green beans, black eyed peas, sweet corn, cucumbers, jicama, melons, squash, sunflowers, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. Transplant artichokes, eggplants, tomatoes and peppers.
Prepare soil for spring planting. Add compost, mulch, well-rotted manure, or other organic matter and turn into soil.
Pull weeds before seeds form.
Watch for garden pests. For aphids try hosing plants with water, or use natural aphid spray. 1 Tbs. Dawn dish detergent, 1 Tbs. vegetable oil to 1 gallon of water. Add to a spray bottle. Spray top and underside of leaves in morning or late afternoon.
Feed roses a half a cup of Epsom salt and rose food, always water well.
Trim old, woody or dead wood from herbs. Transplant basil, chamomile, chives, lavender, lemon balm, lemon grass, oregano, sage, rosemary, and mints.
Sow seeds for poppy, marigold, hollyhocks, cosmos, sunflower and zinnias.
Continue to plant container roses, deciduous fruit and citrus trees. Add compost or mulch for extra nutients to tree wells and water deeply as trees leaf out.
Thin fruit on deciduous fruit trees (apples, pear apricot and peach) to 4 to 6 inches apart.
Now is the time to plant sweet potatoes, they are easy to grow but just make sure to provide lots of sun and space in your garden.

February Groundwork

2011-02-03T20:33:00.000-08:00

The month of February offers an opportunity to expand our home gardens and prepare for spring, (yes, these cold nights will pass). George Brookbank, one of my favorite desert gardening experts refers to February as the in-between month," It's the end of winter, but not quite spring." Do we continue to plant winter vegetables that will use our garden space or get a jump-start on summer planting? If you have enough space, you have the best of both worlds. If not, February is a great time to add a new garden box, or a halved wine barrel. Save your black plastic pots from your local nursery and use them for your new transplants until space opens up in your garden. At Love Apple F arm in California they use 15 gallon pots to plant their fingerling potatoes. This year my neighbor is planting his tomato and pepper seedlings in a bag of potting mix, and will move them to his garden when the soil warms up in a few weeks. Look around, you can grow your own food almost anywhere!

February Checklist

This is your last chance to sow cool-season vegetables before warm weather arrives. Plant carrots, beets, bok choy, green onions, leaf lettuce, peas, radishes, spinach, turnips and potatoes.
Begin to plant warm season vegetables. Beginning mid-February plant transplants of tomatoes, peppers and artichokes. The average "last-frost" date is around the middle of March. Be prepared to cover new transplants when a freeze is expected.
After mid-February, sow seeds of sweet corn, melons, cucumbers, summer squash, and sunflowers.
Prune roses and fruit trees.
Plant bare-root fruit trees and roses by mid-month.
Fertilize roses and established citrus trees.
Improve soil by adding 4 to 6 inches of a combination of compost, mulch and well-aged manure. You could also add some organic amendments including, bone meal, blood meal, alfalfa meal, and rock phosphate.
Pull spring weeds while soil is moist and roots are shallow.
Harvest citrus and winter vegetables.
Start an herb garden. Plant parsley, cilantro, oregano, chive, marjoram, rosemary, tarragon, thyme and mints.

Make Way For Ducklings!

2011-01-27T14:00:00.000-08:00

Your never know what's going on in your neighbors backyard. But, I have to say that I wasn't surprised when David, neighbor and fellow urban farmer decided to take on a new venture. Yes, down the street at Care-A-Lot Farm, there's lots of quacking going on. Take a look at these adorable little ducklings.

It looks like they're deciding who's boss.

Ramon, enjoying the ducklings.

I asked David to let us in on the why and the wherefore of duck raising. He was kind enough to be candid and honest about his experience thus far. I have to say that David has had years of experience working on organic farms and raising animals for meat, eggs and pleasure. All of the animals at his farm are treated with lots of care and respet, just like the name implies. If you are interested in taking a closer look at his ducks, Care-A-Lot Farm will be one of the featured farms at the Spring Edible Garden Tour in April or early May

Here's what David had to say, " So, why ducks? Why not? Back in November, we decided to venture into the art of duck rearing, mostly because I like variety but, also because they supposedly can lay the same number of eggs as a chicken. As an added benefit, ducks are much better at eating insects (primarily flies) and grasses. We placed our order for twelve ducks (3 males, 9 females), and one December day, they arrived (13 of them) via mail. After some research, we picked the best top three laying varieties. Peking, Indian Runner and Khaki Campbell ducklings. The ducks are growing very fast. You feed them the same food that you would a chick/chicken and within three weeks, they no longer need protection from the elements. Ducks LOVE water. I thought it was an overstatement when people told me, but given the choice between breathing and swimming, I am convinced they would swim. At six weeks, we integrated them with my chickens, there were no issues. I was worried that the ducks would be at the bottom of the totem pole and perhaps starve, but I was wrong. They can eat ten times faster than the chickens ... so now I must be careful that they don't eat all of the food. My ducks should start laying eggs at about six months, similar to chickens. They stick together and go EVERYWHERE together. I didn't think ducks were supposed to be loud, but if they don't get their food in the morning, they QUACK and QUACK! Luckily, food shuts them up. It's too early to say whether or not I am glad I got ducks. They are definitely adorable and add dimension to the farm. Will they lay the same number of eggs as a chicken? Can I convince the public that duck eggs are just as tasty as chicken eggs? Will my neighbors complain? Well, I guess I will have to wait and see ... "

A few weeks later. . . my how they've grown!

DUCK EGGS. Coming to a neighborhood near you!

Born in Arabia, Bred in Arcadia

2011-01-06T10:29:00.000-08:00

One of the first groves ever planted in the Arcadia area was the Black Sphinx date palm in or around 1917. The pups were brought from Arabia and planted just South of Lafayette between 46th and 47th Place. The grove still stands today with 400+ trees. In 1954 the area was subdivided and houses were carefully built amongst the trees to minimize tree removal. Neighbors who live here liken the area to a rain-forest canopy.
Several years ago, with guidance from a long-time “datilero”, Harry Polk, I started harvesting the dates from the trees in my yard as well as those of my next-door neighbors. If you would like stop by my house at 4641 E. Calle Redonda (602-840-0622), I have dates available for $7 per 1-pound box.
The plump moist fruit, almost jet black in color, has a delicate flavor and creamy texture. They are delicious right out of the box, or stuffed with blue cheese, goat cheese, chocolates or nuts; they are also wonderful in salads or as a glaze for chicken.
One of my favorite recipes is for Moroccan Chicken and Date Tangine from Food.comhttp://www.food.com/recipe/moroccan-chicken-and-date-tagine-44107

Pollination Time

Bagging Time

Delicious Black Sphinx Dates

2011-01-03T16:20:00.001-08:00

January is here and it's not a time for slackers. It's time to prepare for Spring! January is the month to prune, plant, and dig holes. This is the time to think about expanding your garden. But, don't think too long. The dormant bare-root trees need to be planted before the roots dry out and the warm sun stimulates the buds to leaf out.

Here's the list for the month

Plant deciduous fruit trees. If you are planting bare-root trees, get them in the ground as soon as possible. Don't let the roots dry out. Take the tree out of the bag and set it in a barrel of water with a little vitamin B. Let it soak overnight. Have your holes pre-dug and soil mixture ready. Here is a list of fruit and nut trees for the low desert. Many nurseries have potted fruit trees available. You can plant these any time in the next few weeks.
Start taste testing citrus fruits for sweetness. Navel, sweet oranges, mandarins and tangelos are close to harvest time.
Continue to sow seeds or transplants of cool-season vegetables for a continuous supply of salad greens and root vegetables until warm weather arrives.
Time to plant bare-root roses. Find a location where roses have filtered afternoon shade. Valley nurseries have hundreds of roses available. Rose societies will be offering how-to clinics for pruning and planting. Take advantage of the expert knowledge of the valley rosarians. Check out the Maricopa County Extension's rose publication for more information.
Prune established roses to encourage optimum blooming in April. Cut all canes back to approximately one half. Cut canes back to an outward facing bud. Remove dead canes. Remove old or weak canes. Strip off all leaves and dispose of them. Seal all cuts with Elmer's glue to seal new cuts. Don't be afraid. Practice makes perfect.
Sow seeds of tomatoes, peppers eggplants and basil indoors in time to transplant in the garden in late February to early March.
Continue to watch for freezing temperatures and protect frost-tender plants. The last average frost date is around February 15th.
Watch for gray aphids on tender new growth and hose off regularly with a forceful spray of water. Also, looper-worms like to eat cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. Check under leaves and near the base and pick off worms.
This is a great time to add color and texture to your garden. Plant cool weather annuals between your vegetables. Calendulas, johnny-jump-ups, pansy, petunias, snapdragons and stocks will continue to bloom until spring. Cool-season herbs include, dill, parsley, cilantro and thyme.
Prune deciduous fruit trees by the end of January or before flowering starts.
If you are an adventurous gardener, plant asparagus now.

Have a great new year, and enjoy spring gardening in the desert!

December Groundwork

2010-12-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry to be so late, we have been busy with the our garden tour and we just had to take a few days off. Here we are again, almost at years end, except for a few frosty nights and some frost bitten tomatoes, the December weather has been perfect. Here's a quick run down of the schedule for this months garden activities.

Have frost cloth ready in case of a predicted freeze for frost sensitive plants. Use frost cloth or old sheets (we double our layers and keep our fingers crossed!) to cover tomatoes and peppers. If possible, cover all the way to the ground to keep warmth in. Wait until the later part of February to trim any affected frost damage.Winter vegetables will usually survive the frosts. Watch your local weather reports. The last frost date is usually March 15th.
Citrus trees begin to ripen, be ready to harvest sweet, juicy, lemons, oranges and grapefruit.
Continue to sow or transplant cool weather vegetables. Root crops, lettuces and members of the cabbage family can be planted until early spring. Favorite salad ingredients can continue to produce until the temperatures heat up in late spring.
Examine your crops for pests, look under leaves and around the base of the plant for looper-worms, especially on your cole crops. Hand pick if possible. If the little green caterpillars get out of hand, most nurseries recommend B.T. as an organic control. If birds are a problem, place netting over garden area.
Local nurseries will begin to stock bare-root plants (roses and fruit trees) at the end of December. Plan and prepare a nice sunny location for planting next month. Pre-dig your hole and add a little mulch, compost and gypsum or sand. Fill the hole with water to soften the soil in preparation for the new tree roots. Research your southwest desert varieties. Choose varieties that require no more than 250 chilling hours.
If you like tomatoes and peppers, try some heirloom varieties from seed this year. Plant seeds to produce your own transplants for spring planting. Sow seeds indoors around the end of the month. Choose varieties that will do well in our desert climate. (nativeseeds.org). Transplants should be ready to plant outside from mid-Feb to mid-March.
Feed vegetables a good, well balanced fertilizer every couple of weeks. Don't over fertilize herbs if they look healthy and green.
Start collecting fall leaves for composting. We usually mow ours up and catch them in a bag. They are small and ready to go in the compost pile. Don't forget to ask your neighbor for their leaves, they keep well in bags for many months. Layer leaves with the summer's bagged lawn clippings, and other organic material for fast decomposition. Spray with a little water and let it rot!
Prepare beds for spring planting. If you have a new area that you'll be planting, layer 4 or 5 inches of manure and let it rest for awhile. In a few weeks, you can add compost and amendments and work that in. Don't work the soil when it's wet.
Deadhead spent flowers. Roses, especially will give you beautiful blooms this month. Prepare for pruning next month when you will be striping all leaves and blooms off the canes.
Gather seed catalogs, choose and order seeds for spring sowing.

That's it, it's time to take a break and enjoy time with friends and family. Have a great holiday season, we'll get back together in the new year!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2010-11-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

Mild November days remind us to slow down and relish in the fact that we have survived the summer onc e again. Here in the low desert of Phoenix we have two growing seasons.This cool season weather is the perfect time to sow peas, root crops, leafy greens and a long list of cabbage family crops. Plant cool-season herbs and edible flowers, experiment with new tastes and textures in your Autumn dishes. One of my favorite herbs is dill. I love the delicate, feathery-like leaves or fronds. It reminds me of a fairy land, especially when the flower heads form into little yellow umbrellas and turn into seeds! Dill is easy to grow from seeds. Sow them in full sun and well-drained soil. Plant in the back of the garden bed. They can grow up to 3 feet tall. Cut fresh as needed. Fronds, flower heads and seeds are all edible. After you have had your fill, dry for later use. Spread fronds out on a paper towel and air dry, or microwave for 3 minutes. Remove thick stems and crumble. Store in an airtight container. When seedheads form, let them dry and remove seeds. Add to fish dishes, dips, soups and salads. Leave a few seedheads to dry in your garden for self-seeding.

November Checklist ~

Adjust watering schedule as weather cools. Water deeply so moisture will reach the root system, but less frequently as the season changes.

Inspect vegetables closely for insects, pests and diseases.Keep an eye out for little green caterpillars or Cabbage Loopers. This is also the time of year for aphids. Rub out or pinch out at first sign of the ash colored cluster. Also try using a soapy spray by mixing 1 tbsp. each of Dawn dish soap and vegetable oil with 1 gallon water. Spray in early morning or evening. Make sure you spray the underside of leaves. With early detection, you're more likely to manage or prevent any major damage to plants.

Dead-head spent blooms and harvest veggies to stimulate continued growth.

Continue to sow cool-weather annuals and biennials every 2 to 4 weeks through the fall for a continuous crop of vegetables through next spring.

Thin seedlings as they grow to prevent crowding, this gives your young plants plenty of room to grow. Use scissors to cut seedlings at ground level. Wash and toss these sprouts into your salad.

Be prepared for early winter frost. Average first frost date takes place around the end of November to the first week of December. We usually have 7 to 10 nights of below freezing temperatures a year. Check out the National Weather Service for more up to date information. Cover frost sensitive plants with a sheet, light blanket or frost cloth (not plastic) all the way to the ground. Frost-tender veggies include; Tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplants. Paper bags or boxes are great for low lying plants. Floating row covers are another option. If a hard freeze is forcast, try using outdoor Christmas lights under cover for extra warmth. Coldest temperatures are just before sunrise.

Fall brings cool weather and an abundance of free organic matter. As trees begin to drop leaves, bag and save for compost pile, mulching or adding to layered garden beds. Mow over leaves a couple of times for a ready-to-use mulch. You can never have too many bags of leaves!

EGGPLANT GRATIN - Barefoot Contessa

2010-10-03T15:18:00.000-07:00

The Barefoot Contessa never lets me down. I have all of her cookbooks and her recipes are great. Even cutting back on the rich ingredients I have had great luck with her recipes. I found this recipe in her Barefoot in Paris book. It is excellent. And I think it would be great served with grilled chicken.

But pretty much anything hidden below the conncoction of ricotta cheese, parmesan, and marinara sauce, all toasty and bubbly on top, would taste good.

Ingredients
Good olive oil, for frying (this always cracks me up--"good olive oil")
3/4 pound eggplant, unpeeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 extra-large egg
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good bottled marinara sauce

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat about 1/8-inch of olive oil in a very large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is almost smoking, add several slices of eggplant and cook, turning once, until they are evenly browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Be careful, it splatters! Transfer the cooked eggplant slices to paper towels to drain. Add more oil, heat, and add more eggplant until all the slices are cooked.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, half-and-half, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

In each of 2 individual gratin dishes, place a layer of eggplant slices, then sprinkle with Parmesan, salt and pepper and spoon 1/2 of the marinara sauce. Next, add a second layer of eggplant, more salt and pepper, half the ricotta mixture, and finally 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan on top.

Place the gratins on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard sets and the top is browned. Serve warm.

Note: I cooked the eggplant in a very seasoned pan and did not need to use much olive oil. I also substituted regular milk for the half and half. And I made one gratin not two.

September Groundwork

2010-09-05T09:36:00.000-07:00

If there is a season for everything, then why in this season of planting have I not yet felt the inclination to plant! Oh yes, it's still 110 degrees outside! That aside, my September to-do list is quite similar to my August to-do list, so what you didn't do last month you should plan to do now. Late September is the beginning of the fall sowing season and as temperatures in our low desert begin to drop it is the prime time to plant. If you are still too meek to venture out and sow your seeds, you may also wait for the nursery transplants to arrive later this month.

September To-Do List

Organic matter is used up as it feeds organisms and is changed into humus. Refresh garden beds and boxes with 4 to 6 inches of a combination of compost, well-aged manure or organic matter. Turn into soil to a depth of 12 to 14 inches. Use a spading fork rather than a shovel, it breaks up clumps and aerates the soil.

Sow seeds for snap beans, beets, bok choy, cucumbers, green onion, kale, leaf lettuce radish and turnips (see planting calender for complete list).
Save bags of grass clippings, leaves from fall foliage, shredded newspaper and spent summer annuals for use in your compost bins. Stop by your neighborhood coffee shop and ask for their coffee grounds.
Trim back tomato and pepper plants that made it through the summer to encourage another crop.

If you did not fertilize citrus in August, feed with the final application of nitrogen for the year.

Lightly trim roses as soon as new growth begins to about one-third. Work in alfalfa meal, blood meal or fish emulsion for added nitrogen. For phosphorus add bone meal, or rock phosphate. Water to a depth of two feet.
Set out strawberry plants. A garden just isn't complete without a strawberry patch. Strawberries grow well in lower desert regions of Arizona. If you want a good crop of strawberries later in the year, September is the best time to plant. This ensures that the plant has time to become well-established with a strong root system by January. This is when the strawberry plants flower and set fruit. For a nice strawberry patch you will need an area about 4ft x 4ft, plant about 4 inches apart, giving plenty of room for runners to fill in the bed. Use lots of organic compost and make sure the drainage is good. Sprinkle a little bone meal over soil monthly and water in. Set your plants in the ground at the same level they were growing in the nursery container. Raised beds are perfect for a strawberry patch. Choose a location that receives at least six to eight hours of sun. In case of a frost this winter, cover with clear plastic for a greenhouse effect. In the summer keep shaded from the direct sun. Layer straw under the strawberries to keep soil moist and to discourage slugs and pill bugs from munching on your ripe berries. Mulch to maintain consistent soil moisture. Varieties that are well-adapted to our low desert climate are, Chandler, Sequoia, Tioga, Shasta and Camarosa. Strawberries are easy to grow and always provide a pleasant surprise when you find your first red berry at the peak of ripeness!

August Groundwork

2010-08-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

It's time to prepare your garden beds for fall! In late August and early September a new planting season begins, be ready to sow cool weather vegetables. Begin by looking through seed catalogs for inspiration, there's an amazing variety of of vegetables available. Last fall I planted Royal Oak leaf lettuce and Red Sails, both were an amazing addition to my garden and salad bowl. Experiment with purple broccoli or sow seeds of white radishes. Remember to rotate your vegetables to different locations in your garden from year to year. If you want a continuous supply of crops, sow seeds every two weeks during the planting season. Thin seedlings when the plants have two to four leaves, leaving room for the growing plant. Consider planting enough of your favorite, tried and true veggies to share, bottle or barter!

Things to do in August

Prepare fall beds, spread 4-6 inches of compost or well-aged manure on top of soil. Turn in to a dept of 12 to 18 inches.

Deadhead flowers and harvest vegetables to promote continued production. Remove spent and dried plants that didn't make it through the summer.

Sow seeds for a second crop of summer squash, sweet corn, cucumbers, snap beans and carrots

After August 15th you may begin to sow fall vegetables (see planting calender). Carefully monitor your watering.

Fertilize citrus trees a with nitrogen rich citrus feed, water at a dept of 3 feet at the trees outer canopy.

Plant Sweet Corn by the end of August, choose varieties that mature within 65 to 80 days. Amend soil with organic matter(nitrogen) and keep seeds moist until sprouting.

Trim back tomato plants by 1/3 to encourage new growth as weather cools.

Wait for the cool Autumn breeze!

ZUCCHINI WALNUT MUFFINS

2010-05-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

Muffins in May? Is that odd? Since zucchini will soon be in abundance I thought I would be prepared with a few great recipes.

This recipe comes from the June 2009 issue of Cooking Light magazine. I added walnuts since I like a little crunch in my muffins, and zucchini and walnuts are a good combination. I also mixed in the little tiny bits of walnut dust with the cinnamon and sugar sprinkling it on top of the unbaked muffins. Mmmm, good.

Can't tell you if they freeze well since they didn't last long.

Ingredients
4.75 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 1 cup)
3 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2/3 cup)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 large egg
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine whole-wheat flour and next 6 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Combine zucchini, milk, oil, honey, and egg in a small bowl; stir until blended. Make a well in center of flour mixture; add milk mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
3. Combine 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle over tops of muffins. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.

Kim
http://arizonatraveler.blogspot.com

May Groundwork

2010-05-10T22:48:00.000-07:00

It seems as though spring has had a hard time leaving us this year. That's ok with me, but my tomatoes and peppers are having a hard time adjusting to the fluctuating temperatures! With this fair weather and a little digging, a vegetable garden becomes a family affair. Fast growing choices for kids might include: patty pan squash, cantaloupes, watermelon, and armenian cucumbers. Of course, the summer isn't summer without sitting in the shade of a sunflower house. (Plant sunflower seeds in a circle). Hopefully, cherry tomatoes were planted earlier in the season and are ready for little hands to pick while meandering in the garden. Here's the list of things to do for the month of May.

Continue to plant warm season vegetables, flowers, container fruit trees and citrus trees.

Transplant basil, garlic chives, lemon grass, oregano and mint.

Warm weather flowers include, marigolds, purslane, portulaca, sweet alyssum, scented geranium, zinnia, verbena and sunflower.

Citrus trees need to be fertilized, always water thoroughly before adding fertilizer.

As weather warms, increase your watering. Water deeply and slowly, but infrequently. Don't let soil get bone dry though. Check and reprogram water systems.

Add mulch, straw or compost around the base of each plant to help retain moisture.

Deciduous fruit trees should be thinned so fruit is 4 to 6 inches apart. (Just keep thinning! )Be prepared with bird netting and ladders as fruit ripens. Place netting before fruit is ripe! Another method is to pick the fruit before it's ripe and let it ripen indoors in brown paper bags. Water trees deeply to a depth of three feet every 7 to 10 days to provide moisture as fruit size increases.

Have shade cloth on hand to cover tomatoes as temps rise to the 95 to 100 degree range. Gently shake stems early in the morning to help pollination tomato flowers.

Feed roses every two weeks during their peak bloom season. Water deeply to 18 inches.

Harvest onions, garlic and chives.

Enjoy the merry, merry month of May!

January Groundwork

2010-01-06T16:07:00.000-08:00

Here's the list for the month

Plant deciduous fruit trees. If you are planting bare-root trees, get them in the ground as soon as possible. Don't let the roots dry out. Take the tree out of the bag and set it in a barrel of water with a little vitamin B. Let it soak overnight. Have your holes pre-dug and soil mixture ready. Here is a list of fruit and nut trees for the low desert. Many nurseries have potted fruit trees available. You can plant these any time in the next few weeks.

Start taste testing citrus fruits for sweetness. Navel, sweet oranges, mandarins and tangelos are close to harvest time.
Continue to sow seeds or transplants of cool-season vegetables for a continuous supply of salad greens and root vegetables until warm weather arrives.
Time to plant bare-root roses. Find a location where roses have filtered afternoon shade. Valley nurseries have hundreds of roses available. Rose societies will be offering how-to clinics for pruning and planting. Take advantage of the expert knowledge of the valley rosarians. Check out the Maricopa County Extension's rose publication for more information.
Prune established roses to encourage optimum blooming in April. Cut all canes back to approximately one half. Cut canes back to an outward facing bud. Remove dead canes. Remove old or weak canes. Strip off all leaves and dispose of them. Seal all cuts with Elmer's glue to seal new cuts. Don't be afraid. Practice makes perfect.

Sow seeds of tomatoes, peppers eggplants and basil indoors in time to transplant in the garden in late February to early March.
Continue to watch for freezing temperatures and protect frost-tender plants. The last average frost date is around February 15th.
Watch for gray aphids on tender new growth and hose off regularly with a forceful spray of water. Also, looper-worms like to eat cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. Check under leaves and near the base and pick off worms.

This is a great time to add color and texture to your garden. Plant cool weather annuals between your vegetables. Calendulas, johnny-jump-ups, pansy, petunias, snapdragons and stocks will continue to bloom until spring. Cool-season herbs include, dill, parsley, cilantro and thyme.
Prune deciduous fruit trees by the end of January or before flowering starts.
If you are an adventurous gardener, plant asparagus now.

Have a great new year, and enjoy spring gardening in the desert!

I Have Completely Changed the Way I Garden!

2010-01-01T19:05:00.000-08:00

I have officially changed my philosophy of gardening. It is already a challenge to have a vegetable garden in the desert of Arizona, but a year ago, I went to a gardening clinic that was taught by two Master Gardeners here in Maricopa County and they showed me a whole new way to garden.

It is called Square Foot gardening, and it was developed by an engineer named Mel Bartholomew. He has published several books and his official web-site is: www.squarefootgardening.com

Anyway, the Master Gardeners were both AZ natives and had been gardening here for many years. They had learned about this new method a few years earlier and were sold on it and now I am also.

The theory of it is to use square foot sections and to use them efficiently and you will increase your harvest while using less space. Let me explain.

You start by leveling your area where you are going to put your square foot planting boxes. I (yes, ME!), built four 4x4 boxes and one 2x4 box using 2x6 pieces of lumber. I placed them in the area where my garden has been for the past 17 years. I put weed cloth under each box to prevent weeds from growing up into the boxes.

Next step is to mix the garden mix to fill the boxes. Mr. Bartholomew has a special recipe that he developed which is 1/3 vermiculite, 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 compost. The initial cost of this is a bit, but it is the only time you will have to do it. From here on you just keep adding compost which is quite inexpensive or free if you make your own compost, which I do.

After mixing and filling the boxes you then need to make the square foot grid. I just bought inexpensive molding from the hardware store and we put it together one night for a family activity. Doesn’t Michael look like he is having more fun than he can handle?!?!?!

You can attach this to the garden boxes or just lay them on it which I did to make it easier when mixing in more compost in the future. Now you are ready to plant! I received a handout showing what and how many plants to plant in each square foot. Basically, you need to determine if it is a small (ex.-radishes, 16 plants per square-foot), medium (ex.-beets, 9 per square foot), large (ex.-leaf lettuce, 4 per sf), or extra large (peppers-1 per sf). Then you map out your garden and decide what you will plant.

Several of the large plants can be planted on a trellis so they take up even less room because they are growing up, this is called vertical planting. I was amazed at how much I was able to plant. More than I had ever fit into this same gardening space.

After planting, I put together a drip line with one head in each square and attached it to my faucet so I just turn on my hose for an hour and it drips onto each section to water it evenly. ***Note-I did use a sprinkler for the first 2 weeks until all the seeds had sprouted, then switched to the drip system.

I have already harvested 1 batch of lettuce and radishes since I planted in September and as you can see, now in December it is going strong.

The selling points of using this method of gardening are: 1-I don’t need to solorize the soil in the summer, 2-the ease of weeding is tremendous, and 3-since you can garden in Maricopa county year-round, it means less time in the hot summer you need to spend maintaining the garden.

Now I admit, I have only been doing this for 4 months and I will let you know how I feel about it in July and August when it is 115-120 degrees out there but since I usually didn’t garden in the summer, I will try it this year to see if I like it or not.

So, I recommend you check out this method. It does take some work to begin with but the time savings so far in the actual gardening has been less than the building of the garden so I have come out ahead time-wise. That time savings means more time for other things I enjoy doing, like playing with my graden train!

Mel Bartholomew teaches workshops all over and he insists this method can be adapted in any climate and location. Try it and let me know what you think!

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH KALAMATA VINAIGRETTE - Gourmet Magazine

2009-12-11T10:58:00.000-08:00

I don't love cauliflower but my friend, Jennifer, does. So when I saw this recipe in Gourmet Magazine I emailed it to her. Then I found myself with a lot of Kalamata olives and a head of cauliflower so I decided to make this. I loved it! Roasting cauliflower brings out a nuttiness flavor. It is delicious and so easy. Enjoy!

1 (2 1/2-to 3-pounds) head cauliflower
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small garlic clove
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (to taste)
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lower third.

Cut cauliflower lengthwise into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Put in a large 4-sided sheet pan and toss with 2 tablespoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Roast, turning once or twice, until golden and just tender, about 25 minutes.

While cauliflower roasts, mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt, then whisk together with lemon juice, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, olives, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Serve cauliflower drizzled with Kalamata vinaigrette.

Kim

BULB AND SWEET PEA PLANTING

2009-11-22T06:30:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year! This year with the help from family and friends we planted tulips, sweet peas, irises, freesias and ranunculus. We soaked the sweet peas over night. The moisture from soaking helps the sweet peas germinate more rapidly and loosens the skin or shell, which covers the seed. Sometime this spring we should have a beautiful garden.

We planted nearly 100 bulbs. You have to prepare the ground before planting. Good soil makes for lovely flowers. Over the years we've been adding soil amendments to our flower bed. This year we added 11 bags of manure and our own homemade compost. The results have been terrific. The soil has never looked and felt better.

These are the tools we used. These tools work like a charm. The one on the left is called "hand bulb planter" and the one on right is called " bulb dibber". I've used both and they are equally good.

Do these hands look great or what! The soil was perfect for planting. A little dirt never hurt anyone.

Happy Gardening!

Tammy

BUTTERNUT SQUASH APPLE SOUP

2009-11-14T05:21:00.000-08:00

Normally I don't love pureed soups but I really liked this version. This is the quintessential Fall soup! Butternut squash and apples, plus a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg--mmmm, good.

And this soup is good for you with all those good veggies and there is just one tablespoon of butter and no cream.

I roasted the squash for 30 minutes (splitting it in two and placing it in a 350 degree toaster oven). Roasting brings out the flavor of the squash even more than cooking it directly in the soup. But either way would work.

This soup comes from Simply Recipes, a favorite cooking blog.

Butternut Squash Apple Soup

Ingredients

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 rib of celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 Tbsp butter

1 Butternut Squash, peeled, seeds removed, chopped

1 tart green apple, peeled, cored, chopped

3 cups chicken broth

Pinches of nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper

Saute onion, celery, and carrot in butter. Cook for 5 minutes. Add squash, apple, and broth. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until squash is soft. Puree. Add spices to taste

Serves 4

Kim

November Groundwork

2009-11-05T13:05:00.000-08:00

Mild November days remind us to slow down and relish in the fact that we have survived the summer once again. Here in the low desert of Phoenix we have two growing seasons.This cool season weather is the perfect time to sow peas, root crops, leafy greens and a long list of cabbage family crops. Plant cool-season herbs and edible flowers, experiment with new tastes and textures in your Autumn dishes. One of my favorite herbs is dill. I love the delicate, feathery-like leaves or fronds. It reminds me of a fairy land, especially when the flower heads form into little yellow umbrellas and turn into seeds! Dill is easy to grow from seeds. Sow them in full sun and well-drained soil. Plant in the back of the garden bed. They can grow up to 3 feet tall. Cut fresh as needed. Fronds, flower heads and seeds are all edible. After you have had your fill, dry for later use. Spread fronds out on a paper towel and air dry, or microwave for 3 minutes. Remove thick stems and crumble. Store in an airtight container. When seedheads form, let them dry and remove seeds. Add to fish dishes, dips, soups and salads. Leave a few seedheads to dry in your garden for self-seeding.

November Checklist ~

Adjust watering schedule as weather cools. Water deeply so moisture will reach the root system, but less frequently as the season changes.

Inspect vegetables closely for insects, pests and diseases.Keep an eye out for little green caterpillars or Cabbage Loopers. This is also the time of year for aphids. Rub out or pinch out at first sign of the ash colored cluster. Also try using a soapy spray by mixing 1 tbsp. each of Dawn dish soap and vegetable oil with 1 gallon water. Spray in early morning or evening. Make sure you spray the underside of leaves. With early detection, you're more likely to manage or prevent any major damage to plants.

Dead-head spent blooms and harvest veggies to stimulate continued growth.

Continue to sow cool-weather annuals and biennials every 2 to 4 weeks through the fall for a continuous crop of vegetables through next spring.

Thin seedlings as they grow to prevent crowding, this gives your young plants plenty of room to grow. Use scissors to cut seedlings at ground level. Wash and toss these sprouts into your salad.

Be prepared for early winter frost. Average first frost date takes place around the end of November to the first week of December. We usually have 7 to 10 nights of below freezing temperatures a year. Check out the National Weather Service for more up to date information. Cover frost sensitive plants with a sheet, light blanket or frost cloth (not plastic) all the way to the ground. Frost-tender veggies include; Tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplants. Paper bags or boxes are great for low lying plants. Floating row covers are another option. If a hard freeze is forcast, try using outdoor Christmas lights under cover for extra warmth. Coldest temperatures are just before sunrise.

Fall brings cool weather and an abundance of free organic matter. As trees begin to drop leaves, bag and save for compost pile, mulching or adding to layered garden beds. Mow over leaves a couple of times for a ready-to-use mulch. You can never have too many bags of leaves!

ROASTED RED PEPPER DIP

2009-10-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

I love adding red bell peppers to most any savory dish I make. Roasting them just makes them more heavenly. This recipe is easy and always a hit--I've even sent this home with friends and they tell me they've eaten it for breakfast! Enjoy.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

1 ½ cups roasted red peppers
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded white Vermont Cheddar cheese
1 ½ cups mayonnaise
1 teaspoon hot sauce
½ cup minced leeks or green onions, white part and a bit of green
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
Crushed oregano
Basil
Thyme

To roast red peppers--roast them over a flame or under the broiler until charred black. Then put peppers into a brown paper bag, close the top, and leave them alone until completely cooled. Then remove the peppers and peel off the charred skin and you are left with gorgeous roasted peppers.

Chop roasted red peppers and place in a mixing bowl with any leftover juices. Add Cheddar and Vermont Cheddar cheeses, mayonnaise, hot sauce, leeks or green onions, pepper and paprika. Season with oregano, basil, and thyme. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.

Serve with toasted pita bread triangles or plain water crackers. Also good in sandwiches.

From Capital Celebrations – Junior League of Washington

Photo courtesy of Jill Green

Kim

Planting time for Blackberries is coming soon!

2009-10-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

Did you even realize that blackeberries grow here in Maricopa County? They grow prolifically! The varieties that grow best here are: Rosborough, Womack and Brison. Rosborough are the heaviest producer according to the County Extension Service. Baker's Nursery in Phoenix even has thorneless berries.

They need to be planted in well drained soil and the planting times are beginning in January through March. You can get them in bare-root in January while they last. Water them well when first planted, every 3-6 days the first 2 months. Once established they can be watered every 1-2 weeks depending on the temperature.

Fertilize about 1 month after planting then again in June/July. In succeeding years apply it in March and then in late July. Use a 13-13-13 or 10-10-10, within 2-3 foot circle around the base of the cane. They need to be pruned regularly since the canes that give fruit on year die off but by then new canes have spread so you will have a constant harvest after the first year.

Birds are really the only pest you have to deal with and netting takes care of them during the fruiting season.

For more information on blackberries check with the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension Service. You can down load instructions from your computer.

I have one bush on a trellis and one growing over an arch in the garden. I get many berries for about 1 1/2 months starting in late April and into May. I love to make jam or just freeze them on a cookie sheet then bag them up to use in desserts or frozen fruit smoothies.

Blackberries are a fun new crop to consider growing in your gardens.

October Groundwork

2009-10-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

October finally brings the subtle change in weather we have been waiting for. For gardeners in the low desert this is our "second spring". Our warm days accelerate the sprouting of our newly sown seeds, and the cool night air gives seeds and gardener a pleasant break. This is the prime season to plant a long list of cool-weather vegetables, flowers and herbs. We have seven whole months of mostly mild weather. This gives root systems plenty of time to become established before our summer heat returns.

October to-do list

Continue to sow cool weather vegetables every 2 to 4 weeks for a continuous supply of vegetables through next spring.

Sow cool-season herbs and edible flowers. The list includes: chives, cilantro, dill, fennel, parsley, anise, chamomile and lemon balm. Flowers include: nasturtium, pansies, calendula, marigolds, johnny jump-ups, scented geranium, snapdragon, stock and hollyhock.

Prepare bulb garden beds, sow seeds of sweet peas, and broadcast wild flower seeds.

Plant now or design and plan your backyard garden for a future location that might include: asparagus, raspberry, blackberry, grape and strawberries. Trellised vines can be trained over a fence, arbor or wall to create "green rooms" in your garden.

Solarizing your Garden

2009-07-13T15:12:00.001-07:00

Here in Arizona we have a great tool in keeping our garden soil healthy and that is the sun. Did you know that in the hottest parts of the summer (July and August), you can take a break from gardening and it will help your fall garden grow better. It is through Soil Solarization. The benefits to your garden are that soil-borne pathogens and diseases are put under control, plant diseases, plant parasites and weeds are killed in the solarization process. It doesn’t hurt the worms; they just dig down deeper where it is cool.
Here are the steps to solarize your garden:

You need to get some CLEAR polyethylene plastic (I use 6 mil that I get in the painting department of the home stores). The longer you can leave the plastic the better but in the heat it will start to break down so I recommend 6-8 weeks.

Step 1:
Till your garden soil to 1 foot depth. Smooth and level out the soil and rid it of any leftover roots, weeds and dirt clods.

Step 2:
With a sprinkler or any other water source, saturate the garden to a depth of 3 feet or more. This could take hours but it is important for successful solarization. Then dig a 6-8 inch trench around the outside of your garden plot. Wet the soil again. Lay the plastic over the garden and trench, sealing the edges of the plastic in the trench with soil, rocks or anything that will make it virtually airtight. Let it bake for 6-8 weeks but make sure no holes get in the plastic to break the seal. You will see it “steaming” up and that is how you know it is working.

Step 3:

After 6-8 weeks remove the plastic. This is when I add 2-3 inches of manure and work it into the soil. Now I am ready to plant.

This really cuts down on the weeds you have during the winter. I haven’t needed to do any additional fertilization in the garden since I have started doing this each year.

The U of A Extension Service has an information sheet on their web-site on this process that you can download and print.

July Groundwork

2009-06-24T00:56:00.000-07:00

July is typically one the hottest months of the year with average temperatures hovering around 105 .9 degrees in the beautiful Phoenix area. Here's a gardening check list.

Check plants for water stress, increase the frequency of water, and make sure you water slowly and deeply to flush the salts below the root system.
Harvest herbs during cooler morning hours and deadhead flowers to keep herbs from becoming stringy or woody. Dry some of your herbs for use later in the year.
Protect tomatoes and peppers with shade cloth and place extra layers of mulch, compost or straw around the plants to conserve moisture and lower soil temperatures.
Support plants and place straw under developing melons, tomatoes and strawberries.
Pick any citrus that might remain on trees, and paint trunks of young trees to prevent sun burn and cracking.
With our high temperatures and drying winds, make sure to keep your compost piles moist so microorganisms will continue to decompose the materials. If open, you might cover with plastic or a tarp until monsoons arrive.
Vegetables that thrive in our desert heat are eggplant, basil, sweet potatoes, armenian cucumbers and okra. You can plant seeds of pinto beans, snap beans, corn, cantaloupe, muskmelon, pumpkins, winter squash and armenian cucumber. Keep a close eye on all new seedlings, they must be kept moist until established.

For added interest and beauty, you can still sew seeds for cosmos, four o' clocks and sunflowers.
Sunflowers are not only great for color and beauty, the seeds are highly nutritious and are rich in oils and minerals. You can easily grow enough sunflowers in your garden to produce snack seeds for your family. One variety used for producing hundreds of seeds is the Russian Giant or the Mammoth. Once the flower has died back and the seed head begins to droop, cut the stem leaving a few inches to tie it up. Hang it in a dry place, not in direct sunlight and tie a paper bag around the seed head to catch the seeds as they dry. Poke a few wholes in the bag to allow air circulation. When you have collected enough seeds, spread them on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and a little oil. Bake in a warm oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Let them cool and store in an airtight container. Relax under a tree in the late afternoon and watch the sun go down.

CALABACITAS

2009-06-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

I recreated this recipe from my memory of eating Calabacitas years ago in a little Mexican restaurant in downtown Phoenix.

Olive oil

Onion - chopped

Zucchini - chopped

Crookneck squash - chopped

Corn

Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper

Heat oil in a skillet (I used garlic-infused olive oil). Sautee onions for a 5 minutes, then add squash and salt and pepper, and cook until fairly tender. Add corn. Heat through. Sprinkle on cheese. Serve hot. This is a great way to use up all that zucchini that seems to appear overnight in the garden.

Kim

THAI CUCUMBER SALAD

2009-05-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

Lots of yummy cucumbers ripening right now. Add a shallot, red hot pepper, and some rice wine vinegar and you have a Thai cucumber salad. Chill for an hour and you will have a lovely little treat.

6 to 7 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix the above and pour over:

1 cucumber, seeded and sliced
1 shallot, chopped
1 red spur chili (or any red pepper), chopped

Chill for at least one hour. I have also substituted a red onion for the shallot and have used crushed red pepper when I didn't have a red chili on hand. It all works.

Kim
www.arizonatraveler.blogspot.com

SWISS CHARD GRATIN

2009-05-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

Swiss Chard? Sadly, another vegetable I'm not familiar with. So, seeing a gorgeous bunch at the farmer's market the other day I bought some.

I found a good Alice Water's recipe on The Wednesday Chef blogsite.

A few things: This recipe calls for 1 cup of breadcrumbs and I think that is too much. I actually liked it better without the crumb topping. Since I had some shallots I needed to use up I substituted the shallots for a 1/2 chopped onion.

Remember, greens tend to really cook down so I put everything in a small baking dish.

I really liked this dish--it was very flavorful. My sister did not care for it but she doesn't like any cooked lettuce-type vegetable.

You could also change few things with this dish--such as I did by adding the shallots. Sprinkling a bit of freshly grated parmesan on top would be great.

Swiss Chard Gratin

4 servings

1 1/2 bunches of chard

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons melted butter

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, diced

Salt

2 teaspoons flour

1/2 cup milk

A few strokes of freshly grated nutmeg

1. Wash and stem the chard. Save half the stems and slice them thin. Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil and cooked the sliced stems for 2 minutes. Add the chard leaves and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and cool. Gently squeeze out the excess liquid from the stems and leaves and coarsely chop them.

2. Toss together the breadcrumbs and the melted butter. Toast on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven, stirring now and then, until lightly brown, about 10 minutes.

3. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed pan and add the diced onion. Cook over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chard and season with salt. Cook for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and stir well. Then add the milk and nutmeg and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more milk if the mixture gets too thick. The chard should be moist but not floating in liquid. Taste and add salt if needed.

4. Butter a small baking dish. Spread the chard mixture evenly in the dish and dot with the remaining butter, cut into bits. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top. Bake in a 350-degree oven until the gratin is golden and bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Kim

http://arizonatraveler.blogspot.com

A safe way to deal with birds!

2009-04-30T18:31:00.000-07:00

I really don't like birds. They make a mess in the garden, but they especially like to steal newly planted seeds and new seedlings as they are coming out of the ground. There are several products that you can buy to keep birds out, but this is the least expensive one and it works perfectly.

PIN-WHEELS!!!

The aluminum ones work the best because they reflect more, but the birds just don't bother the garden when I have these place in various locations in the garden.

If you can't find any in the store, just "google" the word and plenty of places pop up where you can order some. They work great and they are pretty on windy days.

Composting: "Black Gold" for Free!

2009-03-30T12:38:00.000-07:00

During the tight times we are having now, I was interested to read that home vegetable gardens were growing in numbers. Plant nurseries were doing a booming business selling seeds and bedding plants for the home gardener. One important element of a successful home garden is making sure you have a healthy soil and that involves composting.
Compost is an important soil amendment that you need to grow successful vegetables. You can either buy a compost mix at the home/garden centers or, better yet, you can make your own for FREE!
Basically, here is what you need, a pitch fork, plant waste, sun, air, and water.
That is it. Now you can get fancy and build or buy a composter, we call this “gourmet” composting, or you can have a “casual” composting pile. A casual pile may take longer but it will still work. Composting bins help heat up the pile faster than just a casual pile, so that will speed up how soon your compost is ready. You need the temperature to be about 140 degrees for a speedy compost (2-3 months). What is necessary is that you have the right recipe for the compost mix to work. Let me explain.

You need a layer of “green”, like grass clippings or other yard/kitchen waste. When I say kitchen waste I am talking about anything plant based. NO MEAT IS ALLOWED in a compost pile. The only exception is egg shells. These decompose great! All of these products are high in nitrogen. Next, you need a layer of “brown”, like dirt or dried leaves and twigs, which are high in carbon. If you have built a composting cage, or have bought a composter, just make a few layers of these and then get it wet.
The moisture level is very important. If your compost is too wet, it will decay and smell awful! If it is too dry, it will not decompose. You need the same amount of moisture as if you have a sponge that is wrung out.

Once you have your layers and watered it, then you need to mix it really well. Then every few days, you will need to turn it with the pitch fork to keep it “aired”. The only thing to remember is that if is starts to STINK, you have it too wet and need to dry it out some. It should have a fresh smell like good soil smells.
In Arizona, because of the heat, you can have finished compost within 6-8 weeks. You can also add worms to speed it up but here is Arizona, I have never had to do that. Also, if you call Mesa City, they will deliver old black garbage bins to Mesa residents, for a small price that you can use as composting bins. You just need to drill holes in the sides for some air flow to happen inside. Check with other cities to see if they also have this service. Composting is really one of the easiest things in gardening to do and you can save a lot of money by making your own compost.

Have fun getting your hands dirty!

How to Grow Better Tomatoes

2009-03-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

After weeks of planting countless tomatoes for myself, friends and clients I feel confident in saying that I have placed the last tomato in the ground for the season. Although I have not been able to implement all of the valuable advice that I gathered from Love Apple Farm, I thought some of you might be able to take advantage of Cynthia Sandburg’s remarkable, garden knowledge. Cynthia manages the kitchen gardens for Manresa Restaurant near San Jose, California. This woman is serious about her tomatoes! She starts with a two foot hole, adds a raw fish head, a couple of crushed egg shells for calcium, bone meal for a phosphorus source, and an aspirin to increase disease resistance. She then adds worm castings, an organic fertilizer and a root booster! Take a look at Love Apple Farm’s website to find more interesting details.

RASPBERRY SALAD DRESSING

2009-03-20T17:10:00.001-07:00

This is the most delicious salad dressing and you will love it over all of your fresh garden greens. I tend to like sweet over savory so this really hits the mark.

Raspberry Salad Dressing

1/2 c sugar

1 c salad oil

1/3 c red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp salt

8 raspberries or 4-6 strawberries mashed (the more berries you add the thicker the dressing)

Enjoy!

Kim

Get Ready to Grow!

2009-02-20T10:14:00.000-08:00

It's time to get your garden beds ready for Spring planting NOW. Add a four to six inch layer of organic matter or a combination of mulch and well-aged manure to the soil. You can also add organic fertilizers, which might include, alfalfa meal, kelp meal, bone meal and rock phosphate. Till or turn into soil to a depth of 12-14 inches deep. I usually wait a couple of weeks before planting to allow the organisms in the soil to break down and then release the nutrients back into the soil. You can transplant tomatoes and peppers between mid-February and mid-March. Be prepared to cover new transplants until night time temperatures warm up!

Annual Rose Auction

2009-02-18T18:06:00.000-08:00

DON'T MISS,

The Mesa East Valley Rose Society's
Annual Rose Auction

Saturday February 21st

Mesa Community College

(Navajo Room in the Kirk Student Center)

Preview at 12:00

Auction 1:30

Watch for the 'Mystery Rose'!

Check out our website for more information on which roses grow best in Arizona, a list of consulting Rosearians and links to other great rose websites. Please come and browse the Rose Garden at Mesa Community College anytime, it's there for public pleasure!

Submitted by, Jo Ann

http://www.roses4az-mevrs.org

To Fertilize or Not to Fertilize...That is the Question!

2009-02-10T13:41:00.000-08:00

As an Arizona gardener, and having a year round growing season it's hard to know when your plants are supposed to be fed. However, I learned an easy way to remember when to fertilize ANY fruit tree here!

At a Citrus Clinic offered at one of our local Nurseries, we attended a class on fruit trees, both citrus and deciduous. The Extension Agent that taught the class said to just remember three holidays and fertilize on them. The three holiday's are, Valentines, Memorial, and Labor Day's. Now, how easy is that to remember?!?

So we will never have an excuse to not know when to feed those YUMMY fruit trees that give us so many treats!!!

Now, I just need an easy way to remember when to fertilize, the grass, garden, shrubs, palms, flowers... and so on and so on!

Happy gardening-Valentines Day is this Saturday!

Leslie

http://www.bardfan.blogspot.com/

2009-02-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

Don't trash it, stash it, in a compost bin! My name is Jack Notebaert and few neighbors and I from the 50th place and Osborn neighborhood, have all chipped in for a leaf and branch shredder/chipper. The idea is for everyone to share the machine, since it something you'd only use 4 or 5 times a year. Why throw all the good, natural, organic fertilizer on your property away when you can put it right back in your garden. It's $75.00 to buy in! For more information contact jack at 602-751-6319 or email jackn@brickhousecapital.com

BUTTERMILK SALAD DRESSING

2009-02-07T17:14:00.001-08:00

For a great finish to all those yummy salads you are putting together from your garden try this salad dressing. This recipe is from Gourmet magazine and is my new favorite. I don't know about the calories but since it has so much flavor and is very thin you really don't need much to dress your salad.

BUTTERMILK SALAD DRESSING

1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons chopped chives

Whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar, shallots, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until sugar has dissolved. Add in chives. Done!

Kim
http://arizonatraveler.blogspot.com

February Groundwork

2009-01-29T22:15:00.000-08:00

The primary planting season for gardeners in the Southwest desert is October through February. This means that February is the last optimal month for planting our cool season vegetables. The vegetables listed are the varieties that are suited for our cool winter climate. If you love fresh lettuce, spinach and bok choy, they should be planted now to ensure their full life cycle. That is, before the warmer and longer days of spring arrive and trigger the flowering and end of the plants production.
In the Phoenix area the last frost date averages around the 15th of February. Although there have been freezes as late as early March. This is the time of year that a new season of planting begins and a new variety of vegetables can be planted. The warm weather vegtables will be listed in addition to flowers and herbs, these can be planted as early as the 15th of February.