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April News 2004 |
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and Updates for April
2004 Welcome to our monthly "Newsletter". This is where we announce the most recent additions to our website along with "what's happening in our gardens", helpful hints, herbal tips, etc. Please check back often as we will be updating regularly. What's happening in our garden for April: Early spring is a time of hard physical work for us as the compost pile needs moving and spreading, the vegetable garden needs rototilling, all garden beds raked of debris and weeded along with many other projects. Who needs to go to the gym when you get plenty of outdoor physical exercise? Our herb garden needed to be completely taken apart and redesigned as the fence was rotting along with the original landscape ties. I now have a beautiful new window in our newly renovated kitchen overlooking our herb and kitchen garden. The bird feeder is also placed nearby and gives endless hours of entertainment while working at the kitchen sink. A kitchen garden is one of my favourite and most used garden areas. It is so convenient and enjoyable when cooking meals to just walk out the back door and grab a handful of fresh herbs along with leafy greens and fresh cut flowers. If you have room for a small kitchen garden it is very worthwhile. They can be as small or as large as you wish from a ‘strawberry’ planter filled with herbs to a larger garden plot. Having it located close to your back door is its greatest advantage. April "To Do" List: -turn over compost bin from previous season to speed decomposition. -spread compost from the bin now ready – spread about at least 2” over all garden beds. -plant asparagus – prepare soil well as these plants will produce for many years. -plant potatoes. -direct sow beets, snow peas, radicchio, kale, collards, oriental greens, carrots, kohlrabi, lettuce, radish, Swiss chard, spinach – use thinned seedling in salads. -transplant broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, lettuce and kohlrabi which were started in greenhouse – harden off for 5 days before transplanting. -plant garlic and shallots if not done last fall. -direct sow sweet peas and larkspur. -fertilize rose bushes and work in 2 Tbsp Epsom salts to promote new cane production. -prune roses if not already done so. -perennials can still be divided if necessary. -spring flowering shrubs such as Forsythia are pruned right after they flower. Greenhouse Gardening for April: (for a cool greenhouse kept at 40 - 45F (5 - 7C) -plants in bloom for this month – pelargonium, jasmine, jade plant, cyclamen, begonias, gerbera, mini rose, and rosemary. -The greenhouse is now very full awaiting the last frost before everything can be moved out and the greenhouse given a thorough cleaning. -sow summer annuals. -sow tomatoes, peppers, melons, squash, more lettuce, eggplant, okra, and celeriac. -still time to take cuttings. -increase watering and fertilizing of over wintered begonia tubers. -repot over wintered potted plants – fertilize. -plant up hanging baskets and containers but keep in greenhouse until after last frost. Indoor Sunroom or Conservatory: A list of plants presently blooming in our sunroom: -Poinsettia -Christmas Cactus -Oncidium Orchids (Dancing Lady Orchid) -Dendrobium Orchids -Phalaenopsis Orchids -Bromeliad -Cattleya Orchids -Oxalis -Anthirium -Arabian Jasmine Growing Conditions for House Plants – Part 6 Location: No Heat in Winter Suitable plants for this area include Araucaria, Aspidistra, Beloperone, Cacti and Succulents, Chlorophytum, Cineraria, Clivia, Cyclamen, Fatshedera, Fatsia, Grevillea, Hedera helix, Helxine, Hydrangea, Netera, Rosa, Saxifraga sarmentosa, Setcreasea, Streptocarpus, Tolmiea. Herbal Hints: -direct sow cilantro, parsley, dill, fennel, chervil, borage, summer savory. -keep basil seedlings indoors until warmer weather in June. How to make a Kitchen Garden: Growing vegetables and herbs together and locating them close to your kitchen door can be the most enjoyable and useful area of your entire garden. They can be designed so that they are a pleasure to look at as well as being productive. The kitchen garden can also include cut flowers for decorating the kitchen table. Tips on design: Choose a sunny spot with easy kitchen access. -grow vegetables in crop rotation. -leave room for access to tend and harvest your plants. -rectangular plots divided by narrow paths work well. -tuck favourite herbs throughout vegetables. Kitchen Garden Main Vegetable Crops to plan for: Bed #1 – Root vegetables – these include beets, carrots, turnips, radishes. Bed #2 – Brassicas (cabbages, kale, broccoli, kohlrabi) Bed #3 – Legumes (peas and beans) Bed #4 – Onion family – onions, shallots, leeks. Bed #4 – Potatoes Leafy greens – lettuce, mesculin, mustard greens. These can be tucked in between any available space. 4 Year Crop Rotation: Using the above 4 beds allows you to rotate your crops from year to year to discourage the build up of pests and diseases. This is one of the fundamental principals of organic gardening. -Raised beds are easier to work with, help the soil to warm up quickly and drain better. -Add plenty of organic garden compost and manure in the fall. -Always use fresh seed. -Sow a small amount of seed every few weeks to avoid a ‘glut.’ -Hoe and water regularly. -Grow some annual flowers and herbs that attract friendly predators of pests. -Herbs can also be grown in containers and placed strategically throughout the kitchen garden adding to the overall visual appeal. -chives and parsley make a neat edging to the bed. -perennial herbs such as rosemary or thyme can be given a permanent home. -Bachelor’s button daisies (Bellis perennis) make a neat edging as do nasturtiums. My kitchen garden is my most pleasurable garden as I love to cook but I am always pressed for time. Having easy access to fresh vegetables and herbs saves time along with a great sense of satisfaction. Bringing in a few cut flowers for the table only enhances the enjoyment of gardening and cooking. Handmade Soap News: Part 9 – Making the Wood Ash Lye The first ingredient required in making handmade soap was a liquid solution of potash most commonly called lye. This lye solution was obtained by the colonists by placing wood ashes in a bottomless barrel set on a flat stone with a groove and lip carved into it. This stone sat on a pile of rocks. The lye was made by slowly pouring water over the ashes until a brownish liquid oozed out of the barrel bottom. This potash lye solution was collected by allowing it to flow into the carved out groove around the stone slab and from there dripping into a container placed at the lip of the groove. Natural Cleaning Products: Extra Strength All-Purpose Cleaner 2 gallons warm water 1 1/2 cup household ammonia 1/2 cup sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) 1 cup vinegar Combine all ingredients. Organic Gardening Tips: Organic Seed Starting Mix: 1 part sifted garden loam 1 part sphagnum peat 1 part coarse sand. Mix well. I use a wheelbarrow but if you only need a small amount use a bucket. Health and Wellness Sourdough Bread: I have been making my own bread for over 30 years and sourdough has always been my favourite. Sourdough contains nature’s friendly bacteria as does homemade sauerkraut, yogurt, etc. In my opinion we need to eat more of these food products especially with the concerns of today’s ‘super bugs’. The years of misuse of antibiotics make these friendly bacteria products even more valuable. To make sourdough bread you need to have a good ‘starter’. I am very fortunate to have an 83 year old starter given to me by a good friend. Here is my favourite recipe: Sourdough Bread (makes 1 loaf – may be doubled, tripled, etc.) The night before: Put 1 1/4 cups warm water into a bowl. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp regular yeast over the water and soften for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup sourdough starter and 1 cup flour. Mix well. (don’t worry about the lumps as they will disappear once the starter gets going). Cover with a clean cloth and let sit 12 hours or so to develop a sponge. Next day add: -1 egg -2 Tbsp blackstrap molasses -1 tsp sea salt -1 Tbsp olive oil -approx. 2 cups whole-wheat flour -2 Tbsp each sesame seeds, flax seed, cornmeal, etc. Add all of the above to the sourdough sponge. Mix in enough flour to knead into a smooth ball. Place into an oiled bowl turning dough ball so that it gets a light covering of oil around it. Cover with saran wrap and place in a warm place until doubled in size. Punch down and shape into loaf, buns, free form round, etc. Place into greased baking pan, cover with clean cloth and let rise until almost doubled in size. I like to bake the loaf before it has actually finished ‘proofing’. Place on bottom rack of oven and bake at 400F for 45 minutes. Enjoy! Note: Store your sourdough starter in a tightly closed ceramic or glass container. Never use metal! Once your starter gets down to about 1/2 cup you need to 'feed' your starter by adding equivalent amounts of milk and flour, give it a stir (don't worry about the lumps), let sit overnight in a warm place until bubbly. Cover tightly and store in the fridge. If you haven't used it within 6 months, give it stir, remove all but 1/2 cup and 'feed' the starter again. Thanks for visiting! Susan |
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