Living in harmony with the animal kingdom doesn't mean they get to eat my garden

 

If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive.
                             Eleonora Duse (famous Italian actress 1858-1924)

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

This week we're going to talk about protecting your garden against the various “critters” who like to reap the benefits of your gardening efforts.

In western Pennsylvania we have a huge deer issue. I hesitate to call it a problem because I love to watch the deer grazing on the hill behind our house and they were, after all, here before we were. However, grazing on my garden is definitely an issue. Some of the deterrents we've used are:

• stringing gallon plastic jugs around the garden (They don't like the movement of the jugs bouncing around in the breeze.)

• stringing old CD's around the garden (In addition to the movement of the CD's, the sun reflecting off the shiny surface is apparently a deterrent)

• five-foot high wire fencing

• and finally

• building an elaborate structure around the garden. On the hill behind my house two square foot gardens are enclosed in a six foot high fence supported by 4"x4" s and accessed through a  gate.  This was built by my husband and has worked beautifully.

All of these measures have had some degree of effectiveness with the above-described structure being by far the most effective. But not everyone would want to go to that extreme. Some other measures that I've heard of, but haven't tried, are to scatter human hair around the garden, which apparently is also effective against those cute little bunny rabbits, and to hang mothballs or strong smelling soap near the garden.

If you're using chicken wire around the garden, make a little “skirt” along the bottom. In other words, bend the bottom of the fence outwards so that it lies flat on the ground. This will discourage small animals from digging under the wire.

Here are some suggestions for how to deal with the creep-crawly type of pests.

The best methodology is to avoid them in the first place. Planting marigolds or nasturtiums in or around the garden will help to ward off nematodes, worm-like creatures that can wreak havoc on your garden. Another tactic is to plant garlic, mint and onion around the edges of the garden as a lot of potential pests are repelled by the smell of these plants.

Believe it or not, dandelions can be very beneficial to the garden. Dandelions attract beneficial ladybugs and provide pollen for their food. Ladybugs eat certain destructive insects like aphids. Dandelions long roots give air to the soil and enable the plant to accumulate minerals, which are added to the soil when the plant dies.  Not only are dandelions good for your soil, they are good for your health. Dandelion leaves in a salad provide beta carotene, an important nutrient, as well as vitamins C & A. However, grow dandelions around the garden area rather than in the garden as they will take nutrients from the soil that should go to the vegetables.

Cabbage Worms – these are the worms that attack cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts. You know they are there when you find partially eaten leaves. If you look closely you will find worm droppings and a tiny worm, almost the same color as the plant lying at the stem of the leaf.

The best way to get rid of them is to pick them off and destroy them. Then cut out the damaged portion of the leaves and wash away the droppings with a gentle spray of water. Do this to all of the affected plants.

Cut Worms – cut worms cut down an entire plant by eating through the base of the plant. Cut worms come out at night and go into the soil to sleep during the day. To find them take a pointed instrument or a pencil and gently dig a circle around the plant. You should find the worm in the soil but if you don’t find it right away, keep making wider circles around the plant until you find it. Then destroy it right away by dropping it in salty or soapy water or it will quickly burrow into the soil again and disappear.

Slugs and snails – these pests can be detected by the slimy silvery trail that they leave behind and small holes they eat into the plants. They also eat at night and sleep during the day. They like to sleep under boards, mulch or other cool resting places. If you put little planks up between your garden squares, you can catch them sleeping under the planks during the day. Pick them out of the garden and drop them into salty or soapy water.

Ants – You can try mulching the garden with coffee grounds. Thoroughly cover any anthills with the grounds but also spread them on the entire garden.

 And then there is Neem Oil, an extract from a common shade tree native to India and South Asia. The seeds of the tree, which hold the highest concentration of the oil, are used in wax, oil and soap products. In the garden it serves as a pesticide and anti-fungal agent. It can be applied directly to the soil or sprayed on the plants. Distributors claim it is effective on 200 species of chewing and sucking insects. Neem oil spray can be purchased at most garden supply centers and online.

But if you prefer to make your own...

Homemade Organic Pest Control Sprays

#1 Buttermilk Spray: A mixture that’s great for getting rid of pests in and around houseplants or vegetables is buttermilk and flour. This is most effective for aphids, spider mites, thrips, whitefly, worms and slugs. 

#2 Mix a pint of water, a quarter cup organic dish soap, two teaspoons of paraffin and six tablespoons of finely chopped garlic. Soak the mixture for a day, strain the ingredients and put the mixture in a spray bottle

#3 8-10 cloves garlic

7 or so Tabasco Peppers

A couple spoons of Murphy's Oil Soap

A couple spoons Canola Oil

Habanero sauce

a couple spoons of organic, non-toxic liquid soap (such as is used for washing dishes).

Thoroughly mix the ingredients with just a little water, then mix with 1 quart hot water. Bring to a boil and let it steep for a while. Strain the veggie bits out with cheesecloth to make sure your spritzer bottle doesn't get clogged. Then go to town on the bugs.

Reflection: In the opening quote Eleanora Duse speaks about the simple things of nature being a message for the living soul. John Burroughs, author and naturalist got that message. My hope for you is that, during this spring season, you will too.

“To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring — these are some of the rewards of the simple life.”

John Burroughs, American naturalist and nature essayist, 1837-1921

...It's time to start planting.

 

“If spring came but once a century instead of once a year, or burst forth with the sound of an earthquake and not in silence, what wonder and expectation there would be in all hearts to behold the miraculous change.”                                                                                                                                                                                     Henry W. Longfellow

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

Spring is silently bursting forth once again.  Let's take the time to enjoy the miraculous change. Hopefully you've had some time to get your garden ready to plant. If you haven't already started planting, remove rocks and large twigs from the garden and give the soil a good raking first. Here are the things that you can safely plant now:

Peas – St. Patrick's Day is the traditional date to plant peas and potatoes in Western Pennsylvania. but since we had such a cold wet winter, I gave the soil a little extra time to dry out a bit. Peas that get plenty of sun will be sweeter than those grown in part shade.. If you're following the square foot garden method, you should have sixteen 1'x1' squares. Plant two rows of four peas in one square. If you're planting in rows, the peas can be planted close together, like two inches apart or even less. Make two rows of peas about six to eight inches apart. Leave 12 inches between double rows. Peas grow on vines and will need some type of support as they grow - one trellis between the double rows will suffice.

Onions – onion sets can be planted now in zones 5 and higher. Plant them one inch below the soil and give them enough room to grow into a nice sized onion. In a square foot garden, depending on the type of onion you can plant 9-16 to a square. Like other root vegetables, onions don't like competition, so keep the onion beds as free of weeds as you can.

Potatoes need room so they are not a good crop for square foot gardens. If you want to grow potatoes find a larger space for them. My potato bed is 8' x 4'. The nurseries should have seed potatoes now. Seed potatoes will be free of any potato diseases. Pick the ones with plenty of “eyes.” Cut them into pieces that have at least one or two eyes. Dig ditches 7-8 inches deep, creating mounds of soil between the ditches. Place the potato pieces at least six inches apart in the ditches, with the cut side down. Cover them with a few inches of soil but do not fill the ditches. When the potatoes sprout leaves, cover the leaves with the soil from the mounds. When the leaves emerge again hill up the soil around the plants. Do this twice and then let them grow.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me at roseannlord7@gmail.com.

Reflection: What could be sweeter than the fragrance of the spring air? Those of you who live or work in the DC area have the wonderful benefit of the cherry blossoms which should be at the height of their season about now. Our gardens, in addition to providing us with the best possible food, help to purify the air and reduce our carbon footprint.

...that spring cannot be far off.

 

Who can resist the feelings of hope and joy that one gets from participating in nature's rebirth?
                                                                                                              Edward Giobbi

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

In just a few days it will officially be spring.. As the days get longer and warmer and sunnier our seedlings will be growing and looking stronger, getting ready to be planted in the soil.

I was turning the soil in some of my garden lbeds ast weekend and added the compost that I started last spring. It was so black and rich and well - beautiful. So I want to say a few words about composting this week. Although this is not the most popular time of year to start a compost pile, you can really start one at any time. The only difference is in the materials available. Since dry leaves are an ideal base for a compost pile and we often have an over-abundance of them, fall is the favorite time to start composting. But shredded paper can be substituted for dry leaves and is just as effective. If you have access to a paper shredder (or even if you don't; kids make great paper shredders) it's a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and nourish your garden at the same time. You can use untreated newspaper, paper towels, napkins, unsolicited “junk” mail, paper plates and all that used paper that piles up next to the printer. The smaller the pieces the faster it will decompose. Compost is one of the most important elements of this gardening process and we will re-visit the subject later in the year, but here are some basics.

Compost is a natural way of building soil, the same way that soil is made in the forest. Trees drop their leaves, plants grow and die and it all goes back into the soil.

It’s much better than commercial fertilizer. If you make it right it will have everything the plants need and It doesn’t cost a cent.

What Does it Do?
Compost improves the soil texture.
It lets more air into the soil.
It increases the soil’s water holding capacity.
It puts nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus into the soil, three ingredients that the plants need to grow well.

Hastening the Compost Process

Making the compost rapidly creates heat which will destroy plant diseases and weed seeds in the pile. Big leaves should be torn up so they will break down faster.

Egg shells are a wonderful addition, but decompose slowly, so they should be crushed. All additions to the compost pile will decompose more quickly if they are chopped up before adding.

Almost any organic material is suitable for a compost pile. What does organic mean? Natural. The pile needs a good mixture of carbon-rich materials, or "browns," and nitrogen-rich materials, or "greens." Among the brown materials are dried leaves, straw, shredded paper and wood chips. Nitrogen materials are fresh or green, such as grass clippings and kitchen scraps.

Brown = dry, high in carbon
 Green = moist, high in nitrogen

Mixing certain types of materials or changing the proportions can make a difference in the rate of decomposition. Achieving the best mix is more an art gained through experience than an exact science. The ideal ratio of brown to green is anywhere from 5:1 to 30:1, depending on which expert gardener you consult. At any rate, you should have a much greater volume of brown material than green.

To collect your kitchen waste keep a small compost pail with a lid on it in the cooking area. When you add kitchen scraps to the compost pile, cover it with several inches of brown material. Dead plants and flowers can go in the pile but avoid weeds that have gone to seed or have big roots. You can use wood ashes but not too much. You can use manure from ducks, sheep, pigs, goats, horses and cows (animals that eat only plant food) but you should let it sit a while before adding it to the pile as “fresh” manure can overheat the compost pile. Hay or straw is a good addition, especially if there are not a lot of leaves around.

Other good materials:
Newspaper, but not colored
Wood shavings from untreated wood
Coffee grounds and filters
tea bags
Hair
Feathers

What you should not use:
Manure from dogs or cats
Ashes from coal or charcoal 
Meat or fish including bones, grease, skins, etc.
Milk or milk products

 

Reflection: It's been a long and, in many ways, challenging winter. As this quote from the Essene Gospel of Peace suggests, now it is time to celebrate along with the earth.

As the earth bringeth forth her bud,

And as the garden causeth its seeds to spring forth,

So the Heavenly Father will cause the Holy Law

To spring forth with gladness and joy

Before all the Children of Light.

In the Garden of the Brotherhood,

All the earth shines with holiness and abundant joy,

For there are the seeds of the Holy Law sown.

The Law is the best of all good

For the Children of Light:

It giveth unto them brightness and glory,

Health and strength of the body,

Long life in communion with the Angels,

And eternal and unending joy.

...you never know what might happen when you hand a child a shovel and invite him into the garden.

 

Why try to explain miracles to kids when you can just have them plant a garden?    Robert Brault

When my grandson, Sean, was three years old he was helping me in the garden when we unearthed one of those tiny plastic soldiers that boys used to buy by the bagful. It wasn't the first nor the last time that I dug up one of these wounded plastic warriors, caked with dirt and invariably missing an arm or a leg.

“What is it?” Sean asked.

“It's a toy soldier from when your dad and uncles used to play war on this hill.”

“What is war?” he asked.

I put down my trowel and attempted to answer that question in a way that a three-year-old would understand.

“War is when two groups of people fight with each other,” was the simplest answer I could come up with.  But he wanted to know more, and I found myself trying to describe war in an honest, but not too graphic, way to this innocent child.

“Why do people have wars?” was his next question.

This one was even harder.

“I guess it's because they're afraid that they won't have enough,” I answered.

“Enough of what?” he asked.

“Enough of the things they need and want.”

“You mean like food?”

“Yes, food and other things.”

Sean thought about this for a while. Then a big smile filled his face.
“Oh, but Grandma,” he said. “They don't have to have a war. Everybody can just make a garden.

That seems like a very simplistic and childish solution to a very complex problem. But Sean's answer to the problem of war is not so far-fetched. If everyone's needs were met and we could do away with greed, why would anyone want to go to war?

Children love to dig in the dirt, which makes it very easy to get them interested in gardening. And they love to watch things grow, to see the tiny seeds they plant in a cup, or in the ground, sprout and grow into a beautiful tomato plant, a head of lettuce or a vine full of beans. In all the places that I've had the opportunity to make gardens with kids, they've been incredibly enthusiastic learners. In addition to my grandchildren, I've gardened with school children in Washington DC and Pittsburgh, with orphans in Venezuela and kids in Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. It's always been a joy to witness and become drawn into their exuberance.

Children all over the world have a steady diet of violence. It's on TV and in the movies, in the news, in toys and video games and even in the schools. In some parts of the world children are living with the horror of war and famine. Sadly, anywhere in the world, violence can be right in their own homes. Although the subject of violence is not often discussed with children until some horrific event occurs, there is all too much evidence of how it's affecting them – anxiety and despair, bullying, school shootings, and a rising rate of suicide in children as young as ten years old.

No one can stop war or violence just by making a garden, but the fruits we will harvest by gardening with children are rich and varied. Gardening gets them off the screens, out of the house and into the fresh air. They will learn about and come to respect the Earth, our common home. They will come to realize that the Earth offers an abundance of the things we really need. The garden can be a means of teaching them that people are the same all over the world and have the same basic needs. It can be used to teach them about nutrition and maintaining a strong, healthy body. Gardening will foster the virtue of patience and, when done with a group of kids, will teach them about mutual respect and cooperation.

Schools all over the country and the world are discovering that gardening with kids is one way of helping to foster a more peaceful and equitable world. As Dr. Jane Goodall, famous for her work with chimpanzees, became aware of the scope of the environmental crisis, the focus of her work broadened. In 1991 the Jane Goodall Institute initiated the Roots & Shoots program. Young people from kindergarten through college age are involved in projects for the betterment of the community, the preservation of the environment and the welfare of animals. The program started when a group of teenagers met with Dr. Goodall on her back porch in Tanzania, There are now 10,000 groups in 100 countries. Want to know more? https://www.rootsandshoots.org/for-youth/

 

"What you see depends on how you view the world.  To most people this is just dirt, to a farmer it's potential."                                                Doe Zantamata

Hang in there, fellow gardeners. Spring is truly on her way. It may seem hard to believe for those of us with snow still hanging around, but it's true. So what to do while we're waiting?

March is the time to start your indoor seeds of tomatoes and peppers. Tomatoes are best started late in the month to avoid ending up with spindly plants in May.

Would you like to grow a very special tomato plant? I'm going to tell you how. This is called the Selke biodynamic cherry tomato plant. The seeds for the Selke are produced by a man named L.A. Rothraine in Bradford, Pa. About twenty years ago I was at a biodynamic workshop and L.A. was the keynote speaker. He told us about his very special cherry tomato plants and how they can grow to twelve or fifteen feet tall and produce a couple of thousand tomatoes (yes, I'm talking about one plant). L.A. Showed us pictures of these giant tomato plants and gave us each a couple of seeds to take home and plant. I was skeptical, not that I didn't believe that it was possible to grow such a tomato plant, just that I didn't think that I could do it. I thought it would take a gifted gardener to pull this off. 

 Nonetheless, I took my seeds home and planted them, first in the house and, when the time was right, in my garden. I picked the one that looked the strongest and healthiest and planted it exactly as L.A. had instructed. That was at the beginning of May. I looked at this tiny tomato plant and thought, no way are you going to be twelve feet tall. In early July I called L.A. And asked, “What do I do with this thing? It's huge.” He instructed me to support it with bamboo, which I did. But two weeks later my husband and I had to replace the bamboo with 2 x 4's. The plant did grow to be about 12 feet tall and produced over 2000 tomatoes.

Our tomato plant became an attraction in the neighborhood, especially for the kids next door who used to come over and feast on these sweet cherry tomatoes as if they were candy. And of course, they are – nature's candy. So, if you would like to grow one of these glorious tomato plants, write to L.A. Rothraine right away and he will send you seeds for the cost of shipping, along with instructions on how to grow one of these amazing tomato plants. The address is Highlands Star Seed, P.O. Box 990, Bradford, PA 16701.

Reflection: Everything depends on the earth, the soil, that substance that our mothers constantly urged us to wash off of ourselves. Yet, despite that upbringing, something in us longs to get our hands dirty, to get down on our knees and renew our contact with Mother Earth. What is that something? Is it the innate understanding that this substance is the true food of life, the source of all health and happiness, the stuff that allows human beings to keep on being? Maybe so.

 ...that we can help to heal our world through gardening

“I'd rather have a cupboard full of herbs than a closet full of shoes.” source unknown 

Growing Herbs in Containers

Container gardening is an ideal way to grow herbs. For one thing, it keeps those herbs that tend to go wild and take over the garden, well contained. You can start your herbs from seed or from young plants(seedlings) purchased at a nursery. If you're going to go with seedlings, I suggest you try to find ones that have been grown organically, which more and more nurseries are now offering. To grow from seed, plant the seeds indoors in seed-starter trays, 4-6 weeks before the start of your growing season, at which time you can transplant them to their permanent containers.

Some advantages of growing herbs in containers are:

You can move the pots around so, as the position of the sun changes through the season, you can change the location of the pots to take the best advantage of the sunlight.
You can position the pots where they will be the most convenient to your kitchen.
You can put your container plants close to an easily accessible water source.
You will not have to contend with weeds - that is as long as you fill the containers with the right kind of soil.

Soil: An organic potting soil is the best for container gardening. Garden soil should not be used, not only because it will probably sprout weeds, but it will become too dense after a while. It's a good idea to feed the soil every 10-14 days with organic fertilizer such as Organic Grow or compost tea. *

Containers: The size and shape of the container should be determined by the root system of the plant and how much it will spread. Parsley, for example, has a long taproot, so it needs a fairly deep pot. Most herbs will thrive in 8-10 inch pots but some, like lemon grass and mint, need a lot of room to spread – 12-18 inches in diameter. Avoid pots that are too large or too heavy to move around. Plastic and resin pots are light weight and can be moved from indoors to outdoors with the season. Ceramic pots, though heavier, come in many different designs and colors and can add to your outdoor decorating scheme. All containers should have drainage holes in the bottom to prevent water-logging the plants. Most planting pots will come with drainage holes, although some ceramic pots do not. Holes can be drilled in them with ceramic drill bits. A tray or saucer under the pot to catch spillage, will prevent stains on the deck or outdoor carpeting. The containers should be placed where the plants will get at least six, and preferably eight, hours of sunlight.

Watering: Container plants should be watered every day that they aren't rained on. Keep the soil moist but not soggy. The water should not be too warm or too cold. Some gardeners fill their watering cans when they are done watering for the day and let them sit out until the following day. This will give the water a nice temperature for the plants and allow any chlorine or fluoride in the water to dissipate. On really hot days container plants might need an extra drink by mid to late afternoon. This can be determined by putting your finger into the soil up to the first knuckle. If the soil feels dry, it should be watered again. Water early in the day or in the early evening. Watering in the hottest part of the day can cause the leaves to burn; while watering too late, so that the foliage stays wet during the night, can lead to fungus diseases. Directing the water to the soil, rather than spraying the plants from above, is also advisable. These guidelines can be applied to garden plants as well as container plants.

Herbs will be either annual - must be re-planted every year, or perennial - lives for two or more years. The annuals include basil, dill, cilantro, parsley (will grow for two years, but not as good the second year) and summer savory. Chives, ginger, lemon grass, oregano, thyme and fennel are perennials. Your seed packet or seedling packaging will tell you whether the herb is an annual or a perennial.

Planting: To plant purchased seedlings, gently remove them from the container and if they come with a peat pot around them, remove the peat. The planting directions may say that you can plant them right in the peat pot, but it will wick up the water, depriving the plant. Break up the root ball at the bottom and tuck the plant in the space you have made in the soil, making sure there are no air pockets around the plant. Add a little more soil after planting but keep about a 1-1/2 to 2 inch space at the top of the pot, to avoid spillage over the edge when you water.

Some perennial herbs can be grown together in the same pot. Contrasting colors and textures can make a pleasing arrangement. Chives, parsley and oregano, for example, make a nice combination. Make sure the container is large enough to allow for growth. The height of the plants should also be taken into consideration, so tall plants are not casting a shadow over lower ones.

Growing herbs in containers is an adventure that can offer some surprises. You may find that some of the herbs, lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme and winter savory, for example, will give you a year-round harvest, even in cooler climates. Here's a photo of my daughter-in-law, Melinda's, rosemary plant that has been growing on my patio through the winter, despite our record cold temperatures and 50 inches of snow by mid-February. Melinda informed me that some people consider it good luck to have rosemary growing by your door.

As with any type of gardening, expect there to be trial and error. Don't stress over it. Gardening is a life-long learning experience. Try growing some herbs that you frequently use in your cooking. Keep it fun!

Reflection: I'm reading a fascinating book entitled, Thus Spoke the Plant, about recent scientific discoveries, traditional wisdom, and anecdotal stories about the sentient qualities of plants.

Here's what the author, an environmental scientist, has to say about the relationship between plants and humans.
“Indeed, plants seem to know us well, and what we need. In some herbalist circles, it is said that plants are willing to help us and are keen to share their knowledge with us. As plants continue to co-evolve with humans (and other animal species), it is also suggested that new properties and functions for plants will emerge as new needs develop.” Monica Gagliano, PhD

The older I get the more I tend to think that there's a whole lot more going on in the world around me than I've ever been aware of.