Garden in Review

With the New Year just around the corner, it seems appropriate to wander the garden and see what is going on. Plus, there is a break in the rain and it really hasn't been that cold. Perfect for taking a look at how the plants are doing.

I was shocked to see a rose blooming!


Mild indeed...the rose knows!

I noticed my tatsoi is also putting out new leaves. The rosettes are definitely bigger and I think the slugs have either moved on or decided to hibernate for a bit.

I can't wait for these to get a little bigger and cook them up!

And I am really enjoying this combination of Ruby Streaks mustard, escarole, and red lettuce. The lettuce came from a mix and I think it might be a red romaine.

I don't want to get too greedy with using the lettuce, but in a couple of weeks I think I'll have enough for a salad for two!

And yes, I looked at what I needed to weed. I didn't document it with photos. But, my "to do" list is tucked away in my head. I have some sections that have liverwort and fireweed seedlings that need to be removed.

Now, if someone can please explain why my "early" purple sprouting broccoli never sprouted, that would be great! I planted it plenty early in the spring.


It's huge--at least three feet tall--with gorgeous, inedible leaves and no flowers. What to do? I am tempted to yank it if it's not going to produce anything. On the other hand, it's providing some interesting structure to the bed in a spot that would typically be bare at this time of year. I guess I'll leave it in for now.

Happy New Year everyone. Stay tuned for dreaming with seed catalogs!

Italiko Rosso Dandelion

We've passed the winter solistice and the days now start getting longer. Hurrah!

Although we've had a mild winter yet, the garden is stil resting. Meanwhile, I am enjoying my red dandelion. The contrasting burgundy midribs with the bright green blades are appreciated when not much else is happening. Plus, the red and green goes with the holiday theme as well.



I was apprehensive purposefully planting a dandelion. I am now glad I did for its color and soon for eating. I hope to use the greens in a creamy stuffed pasta dish. The type of comfort food for soldiering on through the winter.

Best wishes to all of you for 2012!

More fig tree observations

I'm getting used to the new look of my fig tree and looking forward to how it will take shape once we emerge from winter.

Pruning the fig was tricky for me. The branches are much more flexible than what I'm used to. I felt the whole tree bend and twist as I worked away. Left over figs rained down on my head. I'm sure it was quite the spectacle.

As I cleaned up, my husband looked at the tree and asked, "What are the starlings going to eat?"

"Exactly!" I replied. Maybe with a small crop next season, my tree will fall off their radar and I can actually have a harvest one of these years!


Another view looking towards the house.

Renovation

I use the term renovation over pruning when referring to a job that initially looks pretty drastic rather than just a few cuts to improve the shape of a tree or shrub.

My first experience with such a task was when I interned at Filoli Center. We took the large laurel hedge back to "sticks" in the cutting garden. There were few leaves left to speak of. As far as my job satisfaction was concerned, I didn't feel like I accomplished much. Accodring to my eyes and what I learned about pruning in my studies, it was ugly. But, like a house renovation, there needs to be some "gutting" before the final vision is realized. I returned a year later once the new growth flushed out and saw what we did resulted in a well-controlled formal hedge.

Now, this is similar to what I had to do with my fig tree in the front yard this fall. I dreaded it--avoided it--especially with a possibly of an audience. There is no where to hide when I'm working out there. And since I'm also a professional gardener, I wonder what people think as they watch what I'm doing; fearing they're calling Plant Amnesty on me. But I knew if I did nothing, it would only be a bigger problem later on.

Last year, I had a couple of friends help me take it back a few feet. They are tree pruning professionals (arborsists) and could reach the branches better than I could with my eight-foot ladder. They could had taken more out, but I didn't blame them for being cautious.


Two afternoons later and three full large green waste cans later, I have a more manageable tree. I don't recommend this type of pruning for any tree. I know fig trees can take a hard pruning. I probably sacrificed next summer's fig crop, but I think the tree will be better for it overall. Plus, maybe with less fruit to pick from, it will fall off the starlings' radar. One can only hope!

Fall Delights--Part 2

I'm super excited my tah tsai (pronounced "tatsoi") is coming back after slugs almost completely devoured them. I took drastic measures and surrounded the tiny plot with copper snail tape. Kinda funky looking, but hey, it's working!


I love the way this plant looks. It's like a miniature baby bok choy with shorter petioles (that's the leaf's stem) and a more compact leaf blade. Super cute! And looks super tasty.


As you can see, I didn't bother grooming the leaves attacked by slugs for this photo shoot.

The days are quickly growing shorter and colder. I hope the plants continue to grow. I hear that tah tsai is super cold-hardy and can even be harvested under snow. We shall see!

Kiwi Berries!

An on-going question I ask my garden is, "What have you done for me lately?" I have been asking my Parthenocissus quinquefolia this ever since we moved into our house six years ago. The Virginia creeper is known for its amazing displays of fall color which I have yet to see.

I've been thinking of what I could replace this vine with. My foremost requirement being something I can eat from the garden. Maybe golden hop vine? A hardy kiwi perhaps?

Well, it turns out this year my Virginia creeper looks amazing. I've never seen it turn this color before. Usually, it turns a dull brown and drops its leaves. This is what remains after last night's downpour.


I don't talk to my plants directly, but they seem to know when they may be destined to the compost heap. Thank you for the fall color! You've been spared this year.

On the opposite side of the garden is another clothesline support. The last couple of years, I have grown scarlet runner and purple pole beans. While I have enjoyed these, the space demands something a little more permanent. I thought back to my two options. I was leaning towards the kiwi berry since I need something that will compete with the bamboo sneaking under the fence from the alley. The golden hop vine seemed less vigorous. While I like the look of the hop vine, I wasn't about to take up brewing.

Before committing to a kiwi berry in my garden (also known has hardy kiwi, arctic kiwi, baby kiwi, dessert kiwi and cocktail kiwi), I tried them again. I remember they tasted a bit strange to me when I first discovered them at Berkeley Bowl about 10 years ago.


I was pleasantly surprised this time: a little tart and a little sweet with the essence of kiwi flavor in a bite-sized berry the size of a grape. Yes! This will be the newest addition to my garden.


Before getting my hopes up, I called City People's to see check their availability. I knew I was taking a chance this late in the season and a somewhat odd request. They told me they had both the straight species (Actinidia arguta) and the 'Issai' variety. I went with the 'Issai' since it's self-fertile, meaning I don't need two plants to produce fruit; a big plus for my small garden. And, my one-gallon plant was 40% off. Yay!

I set up the trellis against the old clothesline structure and planted my new kiwi berry on its center.


I lucked out on a sunny day followed by enough rain that evening to water in my new plant. Hopefully, my plan for out competing the bamboo and providing tasty kiwi berry snacks works out!

Fall Delights

As the leaves change color all around Seattle, I look for similar inspiration in my fall veggie garden.

Easy punches of color can be found in Swiss chard 'Bright Lights' and many kale varieties. One favorite is 'Red Bor' that intensifies as the temperature drops.

I tried out 'Ruby Streaks' mustard last fall and was disappointed. It started out wimpy and didn't have the deep purple foliage I hoped for. Before I wrote it off as a poor performer, I decided to collect the seed anyway and try it again.


This year is a different story. The purple color looks great and really stands out against the Yucca 'Color Guard.' I'm not sure what made a difference this year. Possibly they were planted a little earlier, giving them some more time in the warm soil and adequately adjust to the gradually cooling temperatures.

I'll keep you posted on the other fall veggies I planted around the garden: escarole, tah tsai (go away slugs!), and even red lettuce.