This morning I noticed my lavender and thyme are still growing. This is pretty amazing for January. I also enjoyed seeing some beautiful ice crystals on the greenhouse.

Lavender and Thyme in January

Crystals are so interesting with a display of tremendous order and yet each crystal formation is unique.

Ice Crystals

Fall is my favorite season. I love the colors that appear when plants no longer make chlorophyll. These yellows, oranges and reds are a class of chemicals called carotenoids, xanothophylls and anthrocyanins (reds and purples). Read more about the chemistry of Fall colors.

tarragon, roses, mums, and blueberry leaves

And just because the days are shorter and the air is growing colder doesn’t mean the planting has to end. I’m experimenting with winter wheat and barley, alternatives to grass.

This bright green color is an odd sight in the Fall.

And while I am thinking about all these ideas it is nice to have a place to sit and enjoy the lavendar, the thyme, and the fun painted design on this bench by my youngest son.

a place to rest and think

We’ve been enjoying such wonderful Fall weather. Not too hot. Not too cold. Just right. And the flowers are blooming everywhere. I picked this bouquet from my yard today. Can you find the lavendar, basil and sage?

Aromatic Herbs and Flowers

It’s interesting to walk inside the greenhouse and experience a temperature that is 5-10 degrees warmer than the outside temperature. The plants seem to be thriving. I’ve been able to root a couple of cuttings of rose bushes from Kentucky, continue growing hot peppers, keep my jasmine tree and my bonsai tree happy and grow a tub of potatoes, kale, and celery. It is a way of holding on to summer for a little longer…

Greenhouse in October

I believe it is important to learn from mistakes and not be afraid to start over when something isn’t working. I tried to put a raised bed in the center of the greenhouse and grow zucchini. It didn’t work. The zucchini plant produced giant leaves and no zucchini. I couldn’t reach the back of the garden bed. The spiders took over. the bottom leaves were molding.  Anything else I tried to grow was slowly being overshadowed and deprived of space and sunlight. So I tore out all of the zucchini and rearranged the garden beds. Now I am growing peppers, brussel sprouts, kale and celery. The plants suffered a little in the transplanting but they’ve recovered nicely.

Greenhouse - Take Two

The potted plants are carrots and potatoes. It you look through the greenhouse you can see the giant sunflower stalk in the back. When the weather gets colder I have a place to bring some of the other potted plants inside the greenhouse. It takes lots and lots of dirt to fill up these raised beds – about 20 40lb bags.

I’ve learned that the tarragon has a tendency to lean over so I’ve used a few rocks to create some support. This plant has bright yellow flowers that are lovely.

Tarragon On the Rocks

Yesterday evening I looked at my giant sunflowers and noticed a little yellow bird happily munching on sunflower seeds. I felt very pleased to be feeding such a beautiful creature. In special moments like these I feel like the garden is magical.

Look for the Yellow Bird

I imagine this little bird feels lucky too. A big plate of sunflower seeds are laid out just for him.

I’ve planted red cabbage right in the middle of the wild flowers. Red cabbage may be boiled in water and the liquid, once concentrated with further boiling, can be used to made pH paper. The pigments in the cabbage turn red in acid and green in base with many color changes along the pH scale.

I’ve learned that you don’t grow zucchini in a green house. The zucchini that ate Chicago is in my greenhouse now. It has dozens of massive leaves but the zucchini rot before they are big enough to pick. Nothing else can grow because the zucchini plant takes up all the space and covers up everythings else.

I’ve learned that carrots take two cycles of growing – one year the plant produces seeds and the second year the seeds produce the tap root that is the carrot. So starting carrots from carrot tops didn’t work. Learn more about carrots at the carrot museum.

I’ve learned that plants take lots and lots of water – and when it doesn’t rain for a few days that means keeping the water turned on for hours.

But! I’ve had some successes too!

I’ve learned that sunflowers can grow to enormous heights.

My First Giant Sunflower

And I’ve learned that when the potato plants begin to die there are potatoes under the earth.

My First Potatoes

I have a new respect for farmers – it isn’t as easy to grow food as one might think. I have rasberries but they taste sour and I’m not sure why. My heirloom peas are dying. I’m trying to figure out how to use four, yes, four green beans in some kind of recipe because that is all I ever seem to have at the same time.

It is very interesting to learn this way. Already I am thinking about new ideas for next year – how to have more success, how to benefit from the lessons I’ve learned.

Thor is taking it easy today as the Sun heats up the Earth.

Thor is very pleased to pose himself near the lilies. He’s letting me know this is a good day to kick back and enjoy the beautiful bounty of nature.

Thor Among the Lilies

Bergamot, also called Bee Balm and Monarda didyma, (red)

This summer the bergamot has been spectacular. This is not the bergamot that flavors Earl Grey tea. (This comes from the Bergamot Orange) Bergamot is sometimes called Bee Balm or Monarda. It contains thymol, a substance with antiseptic properties.

Thymol

Its leaves may be brewed to make tea. It has a pleasant odor. Thymol is also found in thyme.

Fresh Kale in a Pot

Tonight we cooked fresh Kale. An entire stock pot full of kale cooked down to a small serving but it was delicious.

And very soon we’ll have zucchini. You can see a baby zucchini just getting started.

Zucchini

The yellow-orange flowers that bloom before the zucchini forms are very beautiful too!

The stella d’oro (star of gold) is in full bloom beside the pond. 

Stella D'Oro, a beautiful Daylily

 The fern that was recently transplanted has settled in nicely. Ornamental grasses are starting to spread. The cool weather and cloudy skys limit the sunshine and warmth that promote rapid growth. The small daisies are in full bloom and look wonderful beside the clematis. The pond water is full of algae so I’ll be buying some algae eaters at the pet store today.

In another part of the garden the wildflowers are coming up. And who would have believed that buckwheat, a cover crop that improves the soil, could be so beautiful. I love to see all of the white flowers. Today I saw a very plump bumble bee enjoying the blossoms.

Buckwheat and an Aspiring Sunflower

But my favorite blossom today is the tiny, delicate, yellow blossom of tarragon, an herb used in France. It looks so lovely next to the begonia flowers. The variety shown here is not French Tarragon but another hardier tarragon.

Tarragon (Dragon's Wort)

Evening Primrose

I love the bright yellow color of these perennials. They are in full bloom this week alongside the greenhouse. They first open as the sun sets and have an iridescent glow by moonlight. The oil of the evening primrose is believed to have medicinal properties but scientific studies have mixed results and most studies are not well designed. There is more to be learned about this beautiful wild flower.

This morning my pets woke up with the sun and they didn’t think I needed to be sleeping so at 4:37 I stumbled downstairs, fed the little beasts and let the big beast out. I was pleased to see some beautiful flowers in full bloom.

A ripe pea pod ready to pick.

It was lovely to take a walk around the yard and check on all the progress of the plants.

The greenhouse is finally finished – the last wall took a long time to complete because the kit was missing a piece and when it came it seemed my time and good weather were never coordinated.

Through the front door.

I’m growing lettuce in the hanging baskets, potatoes in the big tub, brussel sprouts, broccholi, spinach, zucchini, carrots and celery in the wooden frame. The bucket of water is just sitting there evaporating keeping the humidity high. So far the plants look healthy but they still have a lot of growing to do and I’m not sure they have enough room.

Behind the greenhouse is my wildflower area. I threw so many different kinds of seeds on the ground that I have no idea what is going to grow there. One of the plants you can see is buckwheat. It is a cover crop – it has the kind of roots that harbor bacteria that fix nitrogen. At the end of the summer I will plow this little field under – but not before I harvest some sunflower seeds and cabbage. I’ve also hidden a few herbs: oragano and thyme. Do you also see dill and chamomile?

Anything goes in this mix of herbs, wildflowers and buckwheat.

 Oh and did I mention the alliums? I’m growing onions and garlic. I’m just beginning to learn a little bit about the chemistry of this family of plants. They produce some interesting compounds that contain sulfur.

And one last update – my son finished landscaping the pond. He then dumped his two goldfish into it and they seem to really be enjoying all the space. They spent the winter in a five gallon tank.

Pond water is full of nutrients for plants

 On the left next to the yellow yarrow plant you can see a little of the gooseberry plant that is growing. Just about all the plants I’ve added to the garden this Spring are perennials. I’m hoping next Spring will be a lot less work. Berries are easy to grow and delicious. Right now I have rasberries growing but no berries yet – they need lots of sun and we’ve had a rather cloudy Spring. I’m also trying to grow blueberries and strawberries. It’s too soon to know how they will turn out.

So far I’ve mostly used herbs from the garden. Tonight we had some spinach and kale from the garden. The plants are still small so we didn’t eat much but it is a start. It is possible to grow your own food – even in the city.

A few days ago I looked in my refrigerator and found out my carrots had grown roots! I could have thrown them away but with vegetable planting coming up soon I decided to cut off the tops and put them in water and here they are today:

Carrot Tops

This is easier than starting carrots from seeds and quicker too. If you try this be sure to change the water every couple of days. These could be planted in moist soil any time.

The composter arrived in a zillion pieces. Today’s project was to put it together and put some garbage in it with the hope that some day it would turn into fertile garden soil.

Do It Yourself Composter

The directions came in three languages but were difficult to make out in all of them. Nevertheless the best approach to problem solving is step by step and that is what I did. I even checked off each step as I did it so I wouldn’t get lost. When I bought this thing the seller didn’t tell me I needed a socket wrench and a big drill. I had to make do with adjustable wrenches and a portable drill. The screws were so hard to turn that the charge was used up quickly and I had to keep recharging the drill. This was frustrating.

Lots of Pieces

When the composter arrived in its box I took everything out and arranged all the pieces in front of me. It is important to be organized. I like to spread out all the parts so I can see everything at once. (That’s true when I solve chemistry problems too – I need to have space to think.) The entire time I worked on this project Thor stayed close. You can see him sitting by the little pile I’ve gathered to toss into the composter. I imagine he is wondering what I’m doing with all this strange looking stuff.

A Skeptic

It turned out that putting this composter together was a very long process. The frame went together well enough but I broke a drill bit trying to start holes for the screws – then I found out that the screws had ends like little drills and didn’t need any starter holes. About now you may be wondering what a composter is exactly. It’s a good question.

The Composter Stand

Soil fertility is essential when growing food crops and each crop leaches nutrients from the soil so there has to be a way to put them back. When we chop vegetables, make coffee, crack open eggs we put lots of food in the garbage and this debris is full of nutrients but if you just went outside and dumped them on your garden you would attract flies and maggots. Yuck. So you need a container that will allow air in but keep the compost warm and out of sight as it decays. When we rake leaves, cut grass and collect newspapers we are gathering valuable organic nutrients that can be returned to the soil instead of sent to a landfill.

Sides are Attached

This composter is a sturdy container built on a stand so that it will be possible to turn it. Turning the composter allows all the ingredients to mix well speeding up the decomposition processes. The black color of the composter will soak up radient energy. The inside of this composter will get pretty warm. We can measure it in a week or two and you’ll see what I mean.

Materials that can go into a composter are divided loosely into two categories: brown and green. Brown ingredients are rich in carbon. They are also stocky and coarse. They include brown leaves and brown grass, woody stalks of plants like sunflowers, paper and wood products, twigs, newspaper, dryer lint!! Green materials are richer in nitrogen. These are kitchen scraps such as vegetables, melon rinds, eggshells, fruit, tea bags, coffee grinds, green leaves and fresh grass clippings. Overall you need to put in a lot more brown materials compared to green materials to maintain a healthy mix for ideal decay and soil formation.

Compost Ready to Mix

Composter At Work

I think it is very cool that stuff I usually throw away will become useful. I know it takes time and won’t happen overnight. There is also some work involved. This mixture needs to be turned regularly for best results. This composter is easy to spin even when it is full. I’ve put it in a shady corner of the yard in an area where nothing grew last summer.I decided to fill in the space with marble rocks. I haven’t given up on the idea of having something grow around the composter but for now this will do.

Thor isn't Convinced

Thor watches the entire four hour ordeal as I put the composter together and now that he sees it he doesn’t know what to make of it. He’s ready to take a walk and he’s letting me know that he’s been more than patient. Perhaps he’ll be pleased when he sees the fresh, black soil coming out of the container. It won’t look at all like the materials that went into the composter. It won’t smell bad either. If the composter does its job it will produce a rich loam that will nourish the food crops well.

Today it is cold and damp but I have all this energy and I want to do something in my garden. There is a great indoor activity; planting seeds. It is possible to start plants indoors before the last frost and then move them to your garden. Seeds costs less than actual plants but it takes patience to grow them. It is fun to collect seeds. They come in so many sizes and shapes. Little bottles used to store beads are great containers for seeds.

Seed Collection

Seeds lose potency over time and some plants don’t produce very viable seeds so you will have to experiment. I noticed there are even seed survival kits for sale now - non-hybrid seeds that will keep the world going after who knows what happens. Seeds really are amazing. Add a little water and they come to life.

Seeds Come in Different Sizes and Shapes

I am always pleased when I can recognize a seed. Beans and peas are easy to identify. I can also spot sunflower seeds because I’ve eaten them before. I label the seed packages and put them all in a zip lock bag in case I need to refer to them at some point. I also label the bottoms of these containers. That way I can look up a seed’s identity. I could store the seeds in their original packets but this way I can look at them all together.

To grow them it works best to put them in potting soil in a peat pot. When it is time to move them outside you just put the entire pot into the ground and it will disintegrate. It takes about ten days for little seedlings to appear.

Sprout

It is important not to let the seed dry out during this time. The seed hull is often tough and the little plant has to break out of it. It helps if it is softened by moisture. You should plant more than one seed in a pot. It is all about survival of the fittest. You can select the strongest plants for your garden.

Seedlings

Sunflowers are especially fun to sprout because they are no sooner out of the earth and they began to gyrate – looking towards the sun. They grow quickly. These sunflowers are about two weeks old.

Sunflowers

I put all the little seed pots on a tray and carry them outside on nice days and bring them inside when the weather is too cold or too stormy. Every day they look a little bigger. This is a great activity for the rainy month of April.