Days 4, 5 & 6 of 25 Days of December Herbal Celebrations!

Dear Folks,

Continuing my re-posting of 25 days celebrating herbs mentioned in the bible, here are days 4, 5 & 6 featuring:

Cassia, Chamomile and Chicory

Day 4
Herb:  Cassia (Cinnamomum iners) Exodus 30, Psalm 45:8, Job 42:14

Like True Cinnamon (Day 3 Cinnamon zeylanicum), Cassia is mentioned in the bible for its perfume and scenting properties in anointing oil, and was traded in commerce.  Job named his second daughter after the herb (Keziah, Job 42:15  Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.)  We can believe that he must have thought them very special to name one after a valuable trading spice and to grant them an inheritance.

(Image: source: Naturalis Biodiversity Center/Wikimedia Commons)

Food:

Make cinnamon sugar for dusting pancakes, waffles, oatmeal or the top of whipped cream desserts.  I keep a shaker jar of cinnamon sugar in the pantry right next to the salt and pepper.

To make a large amount, combine:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Store in glass away from light and moisture.

A small shaker jar holds quite a bit less.  So adjusting for the size of your shaker, 1 part cinnamon to 4 parts sugar,  = 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to 4 teaspoons of sugar.  Add several grains of rice to the shaker to keep the mix from clumping if moisture gets in.

Read More Here:
http://edibleherbsandflowers.blogspot.com/2015/12/25-days-of-herbs-and-celebrations_4.html

Day 5
Herb:  Chamomile -- Isaiah 40:6   "All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field"

Chamaemelum nobile, is the herb most known for its calming and sleep aid properties. Perhaps no other herb is quite as useful as Chamomile to take the edge off some the frensy which accompanies holiday preparations (except maybe Lavender - Day 12)

CHAMOMILE OR CAMOMILE...anyway you wish to spell it,
this herb is worth finding and keeping near by.
By: Catherine, The Herb Lady, Originally published in the East Valley Tribune December 27, 2003
       It is said of Chamomile "May all your wishes come true" (in the language of herbs and flowers-Flora's Dictionary by Kathleen Gips), and that would be appropriate for this hectic but happy season of the year.
       So sit down with a relaxing cup of chamomile tea, put your feet up and I will tell you about this simple herb.
       There are actually a couple of species of Chamomile (the usual American spelling); German Chamomile, matricaria recutita (aka M. chamomilla); annual used in teas and cosmetics; Roman Chamomile, chamaemelum nobile (aka Anthemis nobilis), perennial used in teas, cosmetics and lawns; English Chamomile, chamaemelum nobile 'Treneague' is a perennial non-flowering variety of the Roman species used in the popular "chamomile lawn" of England; and a dyer's herb (yellow coloring) Golden Marguerite, dyers's chamomile, (Anthemis tinctoria 'Kelwayi').
       The tea you are drinking is most likely the Roman variety which most people prefer.
       The apple scented daisy-like flowers and leaves are a calmative (meaning calming) agent, used for insomnia, nerves, as a digestive aid, and there is some research going on into its anti-inflammatory properties.  Teas are generally made from the flowers, but if you grow your own, you can use the leaves also.
       A note of caution. Chamomile is a member of the Compositae (daisy) family, and as such some people are allergic to the flower tea (if you have ever had a "morning after" type headache after sipping chamomile you may be allergic to these types of flowers). A leaf tea may not cause the reaction, although leaf alone is inferior in its actions.
       Chamomile has traditionally been used as a hair rinse for blonde or light colored hair to enhance the highlights (Rosemary does the same for brunets).

Read More Here:
http://edibleherbsandflowers.blogspot.com/2015/12/25-days-of-herbs-and-celebrations_5.html

Day 6
Herb:  Chicory, (a bitter herb of the Bible) Numbers 9:11

The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Exodus 12:8 They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

Hanukkah (Dates vary each year)
The Bitter Herbs used in Hanukkah Celebrations is symbolic of the bitterness of slavery in Egypt

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday commemorating the re-dedication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire.  Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar. It is also known as the Festival of Lights and the Feast of Dedication.  See wikipedia for more history and information.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

Feast of St. Nicholas called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century Christian Saint and Greek Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor (modern-day Demre, Turkey). -- Wikipedia

Read More Here:
http://edibleherbsandflowers.blogspot.com/2015/12/25-days-of-herbs-and-celebrations_6.html



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-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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November Planting In The Desert & Two Soup Recipes Using Herbs and More From The Garden

Dear Folks,

November is a continuation of the robust planting we can do in our fall garden, along with harvesting the last of the summer crops of produce and herbs. [Pictures is my herb harvest ready to dry or use.  Check out my recipe for "Herb Soup", below.]

November PLANTING:
Anise
Asparagus
Bay, Greek (Sweet)
Beets
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cabbage, Ornamental
Caraway
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chamomile
Chard
Chervil
Cilantro
Dill
Endive (and Chicory)
Fennel, Leaf
Fruit Trees
Garlic (only as green garlic)
Greens
Horseradish
Kale, Ornamental
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lavender
Lemon Verbena
Lettuce
Marjoram
Mints
Mustard
Myrtle
Onions, Green
Onions
Oregano, Greek
Oregano, Mexican
Parsley
Parsnip
Peas
Radishes
Rosemary
Sage
Savory
Spinach
Tarragon, Mexican
Tarragon, French
Thyme
Turnips

EDIBLE FLOWERS TO PLANT:

Calendula
Carnation (Dianthus)
Chamomile
Cornflower (Bachelor Buttons)
English Daisy
Hollyhock
Jasmine Sambac (Arabian)
Johnny-Jump Up
Marigolds, including Tangerine Scented (Tagetes Lemonii), Citrus Scented (Tagetes Nelsonii)
Nasturtiums
Pansies
Primrose
Scented Geraniums
Shungiku Chrysanthemum
Snapdragons
Stocks (Matthiola)
Sweet Alyssum
Sweet William (Dianthus)
Violet

GARDEN TIPS for November
    First frost date average is around November 17th.
    Frost in the Valley at the 1100 or lower elevations is usually limited to ‘soft frost’ where simple cloth sheets or paper placed over sensitive plants (or moving potted plants beneath patios or trees) is sufficient to protect them.  Never use plastic covers as the plastic transmits the cold to the plant tips.
    For every 1000 feet over 1100 in elevation the first frost day is moved forward 10 days.  The possibility of hard (killing) frosts starts to occur, although at 2000 feet or lower this is still a rare occurrence.
    Frost pockets in the Valley can surprise gardeners.  As a matter of practice, if the weather forecasters predict an overnight temperature of 40 F, I prepare for frost by protecting my sensitive plants with cloth or paper covers This is because heat retention by buildings and walls dissipates by early morning (4 or 4:30 a.m. to dawn the temperature can drop 8 degrees plus or minus).
    Frost danger continues until about mid-February.
    Cool weather annuals and biennials can be sown every 2-4 weeks (beginning in August) through the end of November for a continuous crop through next spring.
    November through January can be a ‘rainy’ season for the desert. You can usually hold off on regular watering if you have received a half inch or more of rain within 2 days of normal watering days.  Make good use of your water meter to determine soil moisture. 
    If rains are heavy this month, in addition to foregoing some water days, you may need to put down Ironite or green sand to compensate for mineral bonding (which makes iron unavailable to the plants) due to both the excess water and the cold soil.

FROST DAMAGE
The best way to think of frost damage on your edibles is the damaged plant material is now a partial protective cover to the underlying growth.

As mentioned in prior notes, frost damage in the lower desert gardens is usually limited to 'soft' frost which is controlled by simply putting cloth or paper covers over the plants at night, or if containers, moving them under evergreen trees or onto the patio.

IF, however we get hard or killing frosts, of extended periods or days, die-back will occur even on protected plants.  The reason is the radiant heat retained by structures and even the soil dissipates completely, leaving the plants exposed to too-cold air.

Whether the frost damage is from soft or hard frosts if the plant is still alive DO-NOT-REMOVE-THE-DAMAGE.  Doing so risks damaging the growth still alive under the top die-back.  I don't remove even dead plants until spring.  I have found basil seedlings coming up under a large dead basil plant killed off by a hard frost.

Obviously we like our gardens to look pretty most of the time, but selectively resisting the urge to pull something a little bedraggled gives you, the gardener, access to earlier production of the warm weather plants because of their larger root systems.

Herb Soup

From the book : “101+ Recipes From The Herb Lady” - by Catherine Crowley

    A wonderful blend of herbs, lettuces, croutons and cheese. The greatness of this soup, besides its fabulous flavor, is the ability to vary the herbs, lettuces, croutons and cheeses for different flavors. I developed this recipe from Provencal soups.

1    shallot, finely chopped
2    tablespoons butter, unsalted
4    cups mixed fresh herbs, finely chopped (I used Thai basil, cilantro, parsley, see note below*)
1    package spring lettuce mix
1    teaspoon coarse salt
1/8    teaspoon black pepper
6    cups boiling water (can use broth - but try the water the first time)
6    cups croutons (any stale bread diced will work too - some day-old nice artisinal breads would be great for this)
3/4    cups Parmesan cheese or more if you like

    Set aside 1/2 cup each of herbs and lettuces for garnish. Divide croutons and cheese into 6 soup bowls.
    Saute shallot in butter for 1 minute. Add herbs, salt, and lettuces all at once and cook—stirring for 5 minutes. Add boiling water, cover and simmer for 15 minutes—stirring occasionally. Ladle greens and broth into soup bowls. Add garnish of herbs and lettuces to each bowl. Serve and enjoy. Serves 6.
    *Traditional recipes call for sorrel and chervil or any combination you like - the Thai Basil has a tarragon aspect to it which mimic the chervil with a kick and cilantro's citrus back-note mimic the sorrel. 

Here is another Harvest Soup Recipe for using greens and herbs from your garden, along with sweet potatoes.  I posted this on the blog back in February 2009.







-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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It's National Coffee Day - Tips, and Can We Grow It Here in The Desert - Giving it A Try!

Dear Folks,


Yes that is a coffee tree. I will talk about my experiment below.

I LOVE coffee. So much so that while I had to get off it twice on doctor's recommendations, I went back to my morning cuppa's each time.


I am rarely a purest on the subject of foods and recipes. Hummus, make it with any bean (or pea) you want. Burgers with blueberries in them -- check. Oatmeal as a side dish instead of rice -- check.

BUT when it comes to coffee after decades of office coffees that varied form week to sludge I want wonderful, fragrant, superior tasting coffee teach morning. I grind beans sometimes each day, but usually every several days. Store in a tight fitting glass jar in the frig waiting for me to make my morning coffees - 1 cup at a time!


I never liked iced coffee until several years ago when I saw a great short video on making it the perfect way.

I have enjoyed the Vietnamese Iced Coffee served in restaurants, even got the special filter (drip) which sits on the glass, but never got around to making it at home.

I can't find the video, but here is the simple trick. You are going to use your usual amount of grounds, whether pot or cut. Fill the pot or cup full of regular ice cubes - do not use mini cubes, you need the air space to make this ratio work out. Use 60% of the amount of water you normally use to make the coffee. Then make your pot or cup of coffee. Viola - Perfect Iced Coffee!!


There is apparently some science to this. The traditional way of making iced coffee it to 1) either make the coffee stronger and pour of ice, or 2) just pouring the usual hot coffee over ice. 1 usually tastes better than 2, but until you try to ice-in-the-pot method you won't have the BEST tasting coffee. Here is what happens. The very, very hot coffee is cooled immediately when it hits the cubes, immediately infusing the flavor with all of the "bright" notes coffee lovers want.


Give it a try and let me know what you think.


Recipe tips:

---Add some fresh coffee to your brown or beef gravy to add a rich note. If you do not over-use the coffee, no one can tell it is in there, it just tastes more flavorful.
---Of course any bakery chocolate can be enhanced with some coffee, add some brewed coffee, or I like to keep a jar of high quality espresso powder in the freezer for adding to recipes.

For Iced Coffee - how about replacing some of the ice cubes with Chocolate Ice Cubes!


My Version of Chocolate Ice Cubes
The original recipe, which I tried left grainy bits in the bottom of the cup not bad tasting, but I wanted all the flavor IN the coffee
7 ounces of milk
1 ounce of water
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 cup of Ghiradelli Cocoa (already has sugar in it.


In a small sauce pan add some of the milk, the water, sugar and cocoa. Turn the burner on medium and stirring constantly dissolve the sugar and cocoa. Then add the rest of the milk and heat to meld everything. DO NOT BOIL - it is not necessary - only heat to ensure the sugar and cocoa are dissolved.


Pour into ice cube tray and freeze - they do not get as hard as water ice cubes. Pop out (you may have to lift an edge of each with a knife) and store in container or ziplock bag.


Add one to your cup of coffee or 2 to a glass of milk for a cold "cocoa".

Here is the original recipe. Use the ratio of sugar suggested if you use unsweetened cocoa. Give the link a minute to work - it is translating from French.

Here is a fun link with what else you do with coffee and coffee grounds. 14 tips for using coffee and grounds. No 10 - feed acid loving plants. My container growing Blueberry plants (see the cover picture of my calendar in the sidebar showing my handful of blueberries) do well with my 1-2 times a month days worth of coffee grounds sprinkled on the soil

Growing Coffee In The Desert
I was inspired to once again try a coffee plant/tree in my garden - I was not successful before because I tried at the wrong time of year in the wrong place.  The inspiration came from a podcast over at Urban Farm with Scott Murray, a well known permaculture expert in California, who decided to create companion orchard.  He was growing avocado trees and interplanted with coffee!!  Okey dokey, the other tree I want to try in this experiment is avocado, but I will wait on purchasing one.

This is going to be one of my experiments where I keep my fingers crossed.  I picked up a Barbados (Acerola) tree from Shamus O'Leary this past February and could not resist purchasing a Coffee Tree from him.  Here is the challenge.  They are frost sensitive and usually brought indoors in the winter, even here.

When I received a Mango from a friend last year, I decided to create an "under story" grouping using specific orientation and a combination of evergreen (citrus and bay) and deciduous (plum).

So here is the positioning.  The Coffee is in front of an Orange tree.  To the left you can see Bay leaves, and to the right a bit of the Mango.  What you can't see is to the right - a huge Santa Rosa Plum.  The Coffee is facing south.  So protection from the intense Northern sun in the summer, a goodly amount of sun from the East in the winter, plus the Southern exposure in the winter.

My hope is the canopy of the bay and citrus will provide some frost protection, and I will plan on covering on freeze nights.

I will keep you posted on how it goes and grows.

REMINDER:  Free Seed Share and Lecture coming up Friday and Saturday.

Have a great day in your garden!


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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Podcast Interview and Video on Wicking Bottles

Dear Folks,

I was recently interviewed by Greg Peterson of Urban Farm on the subject of herbs - of course :-) and specifically about growing them in the desert garden (and USDA Zone 9B and above) plus more.

I hope you enjoy this podcast and check out Greg's other informative podcasts and more ways to get your growing on!

I mentioned Suzanne Vilardi in the interview.  Suzanne's is one of the premier growers of edible seedlings in the valley.  Check out her website and find her wonderful transplants here.

I am pleased to share a podcast interview. Greg Peterson of Urban Farm

Video

Yesterday I finally posted a short youtube video on using a poor man's version of the wicking bottle to stabilize a new transplant.  Wicking bottles can also be used while vacationing to ensure your beloved house plant does well while you are gone. [Pictured first is right after I transplanted, watered and then inserted the filled water bottle in the ground.]

The IMPORTANT component of a wicking bottle success is that you MUST water the area or pot well before inserting the wicking bottle. [Pictured is the plant and bottle now empty 24 hours later.]

The bottle watered slowly over 24 hours.  This bed will be watered on Thursday on its normal 7 day cycle.  I may give the plant another interim watering around Sunday or Monday before next Thursday's watering if needed (if we do not get rain).  I will monitor the plant to make sure it is stabilizing properly, and then allow it to go with only the 7 day watering cycle to ensure deep roots.  The cage is to keep the critters off until the plant grows bigger.

Here is the link to the video.

In the podcast my 2017 Wall Calendar is mentioned.  Here is the link to the 3 versions available now.



-- Catherine, The Herb Lady If you enjoyed this post, subscribe in the upper side bar link, to get all my posts! Disclaimer: Clicking on links on this blog may earn me a small commission if you purchase something. Your price does not change.

Barbados Cherry Tree Update

Dear Folks,

First - the "early bird pricing" - 20% off suggested SRP expires on September 14th for my 2017 Month-By-Month Wall Calendar.  Gift idea for your family or friends in USDA 9b and above?

2017 Month-by-Month Wall Calendar

Acerola Barbados Cherry (Malpighia emarginata) is a shrubby tree is native to Southern Mexico and Central and South America.  It is becoming more common in Southwest gardens as a substitute for common cherry trees like Bing which require high chill hours and will not fruit (or sometimes even grow) in the desert.

We put our Barbados in the ground on February 16, 2016.  6 months later it grown robustly as you can see from the picture.

We started seeing flowers in May and then mid August spotted two cherries, bright green.  I'm sure they were growing well before - just did not see them.  Then all of sudden they are bright red and then easy to pull off the stem.

The taste is as often described in references - tart sweet or sweet tart.  There are 3 seeds in each cherry and according to the references, they can be grown from seed, but may be hybridized, as I understand there are multiple varieties and crosses available.

I will probably see if the seeds germinate :-)

I am looking forward to more growth, more cherries and many years of a fun fruit option in the garden.

website

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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National Farmers Market Week August 7 - August 13th

Dear Folks,

I am still out of town, arranging for this post ahead of time because I want to ask

Do You Support Your Local Farmers and Farmers Markets?

I regularly participate in the Mesa Community Farmers Market and support my local farmers and food producers.  MCFM has been running strong, year round, since 1995.

In a world dominated by big ag corporate farmers, really knowing who produces the food you buy is, in my opinion, a very big deal.

Here in the Valley the numbers of farmers markets has grown substantially.  When I started participating in 1998 or 1999 (don't remember which :-), there were maybe a half a dozen markets, most of them running only during the October - May.

Now there are dozens and dozens, and many run year round.

And now small backyard gardeners can bring small amounts of extra produce to the Community Table where the produce is sold for them for a small fee.  A great win/win for gardener and consumer.

Many of the farmers selling at the local markets started out backyard gardening and their passion brought huge bounties of food and then they had to figure out what to do with it all.  Some went from a backyard to buying or leasing acreage to go into local farming, if not organic, at least organic-like with no chemicals.

Another win/win - we wind up with more local, small farmers who produce gorgeous and tasty food, and the consumer has real food choices.

Not sure where the markets are in Arizona?  Here is a link with many listings, just do a search by your city.

There are other resources for finding markets. The USDA keeps a list of markets, nation wide, which does not include chains.  You can search by zipcode and choose how close you want (10 miles, etc.)  FYI all farmers markets, no matter how small, can list with the USDA, but they have to do that individually.  If you think there may be small FMs or farm stands near you, try a google search.

In addition to your own garden, get the best produce available, SEASONALLY (that means harvested ripe and nearby).

Have a great week!

I will be back blogging as soon as my brain gets off vacation mode :-)


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

http://www.herbs2u.net/ 

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August Sowing In The Desert Garden + Tips on Critter Control and Dense Planting for Success

Dear Folks,

Thyme To Sow For Fall!    The picture at the right is me crumbling leaves between the double berms of my Barbados Cherry tree.

Yes, I know it is 105+ on average, but if you want winter squash/pumpkins for the holidays and get a jump start on your fall gardening. Sowing in August and forward into the fall is the way to grow.

Note: I am off traveling for until early August.  I am providing a lot of information to help you ready your fall garden.

Below is my monthly planting guide.  SOWING, not transplanting is the key here. 

Shade the soil not the plant.  Density of planting. ["NURSE PLANT"  -- Pictured is one of my 2 foot wide posts using purslane to protect the soil of some pepper and moringa plants.]  As much as possible there should be little or no soil showing.  Light twig or leaf mulch* over the seed bed can help deter birds and critters and keep the seeds moist.Seed beds need to be kept uniformly moist, so the seeds never dry out before breaking the soil surface.  This may require sprinkling each evening.

"Nursery Beds" can be used, with existing plants or summer loving flowering plants like Portulaca (Moss Rose), where you use the edge of the flower canopy to sow under.

Critter control can be maintained with chicken wire hats.  My Frist  Short Video on using chicken wire.  I just created a second video on choosing a different Chicken Wire Hat, when the critters are really intent on your seedlings.  I also show using a collar to ward off sowbugs, slugs and snails.

*Light twig or leaf mulch the picture of me at the top is from my short video on double berming a tree, but the same principle of crumbling leaves as a mulch applies to sown beds.  Just crumble the leaves to a light dust, to help retain moisture to the seeds while they germinate underground.

Two principles of sowing here in the desert garden are key to success.

1)  Seeds respond to soil temperature and fall primarily into two categories -- those that love their feet warm and those that like their feet cool.  In other words the seeds and plants respond to soil temperature.  They also respond to daylight hours and that coincides with the soil temperature.  Carrots like cool soil and don't mind shortened daylight hours.  Tomatoes need their feet warm and the longer the day the better.

2)  Seeds are dormant.  To break dormancy consistent moisture and temperatures are needed to keep the seed germinating.  If you let the soil dry out while the seed is germinating underground - it will die.

If you think August is too soon to sow, last August 1st I sowed cilantro and chervil seeds - on September 25th I saw the Chervil seedlings, followed shortly thereafter by the cilantro responding to the soil cooling!  The plants then took off.

I am repeating here a post from my facebook page on the density of planting and radiant heat.  

Density Planting and the issue of radiant heat.

I talk about this, a lot, particularly now while we are in our high heat times, but it is applicable year-round in the desert garden. If you shade the soil, not the plants, you will have better production and healthy plants.

If you put your hand on the hood of car on a July afternoon, or touch a metal handle that is in direct sun, you know exactly what radiant heat feels like.

It is really simple. The direct sun bakes everything, even in the winter the temperatures of objects (pots, concrete, block walls, bare soil) exceeds the air temperature. In the winter I found the effects of our desert sun on the sides of pots (for example) to be 20+ degrees higher than the air temperature. In the summer it is more like 80+ degrees over air temperature. You know all the jokes about frying an egg on a street in July? That does not occur at 105 or 110 air temperature, but it does occur at radiant heat of 180+.

I took a picture of the edge of my strawberry bed to give you a visual of what is happening. The edges of the bed are dried to crispy-critter stage. Move in and you see lush green with only a tiny dried leaf edge here and there.

The mass of green holds in moisture, minimizes moisture loss, and lessens the over all temperature of the soil and root zone.

Keep this in mind as you review your garden and for planning, planting and sowing activities. I am getting a blog post together on August Sowing and Gardening Tips.

Mulch is the secondary density. Use 2-4 inches around plants, but not touching them.

AUGUST PLANTING:
           Large selection of seed-only (sowing) planting.
Anise
Beans, Snap (bush and pole)
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Caraway
Carrots
Cauliflower
Chervil
Cilantro
Corn        
Cucumbers
Dill
Fennel
Greens, all
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mustard
Onions, Green
Parsley
Pumpkin
Purslane
Squash, Winter

EDIBLE FLOWERS TO PLANT:
Marigolds, including Tangerine Scented (Tagetes Lemonii), Citrus Scented (Tagetes Nelsonii)
Nasturtium
Portulaca (Moss Rose)
Stock
Sweet Alyssum

GARDEN TIPS for August
    The new-to-desert gardener may be asking how can anyone plant in August, with 105+ temps.  Well consider:  If you want pumpkins for Halloween, you have to count back 90-120 days for seeding in.  These seeds will germinate in the 'cooling' soil.
    Cool weather annuals and biennials can be sown every 2-4 weeks (beginning in August) through end of January for a continuous crop through next spring.
    With food plants such as pumpkin and corn and their long growing season requirements, a one-time planting is sufficient.  AND, give the pumpkins room!
    With corn, plant in 'blocks' not 'rows' space the individual seeds approximately 6 inches apart imagining a 12 inch square, then the next square etc. you will have rows in a sense, but not the typical farmers rows.  The reason for this is pollination - the anthers of the corn knock together better with the closer planting and therefore you get more corn.
    PLANT ONLY one variety of corn a season - otherwise they may cross.  Save one or two cobs, allowed to dry on the stalks at the end of the season for, replanting next corn season
    Heavy pre-fall seed planting begins now (corn, pumpkin, etc.).
    Higher humidity can reduce moisture loss to plants, reducing watering frequency, but check with water meter regularly.
    Hold off on any major TRANSPLANTING until the fall when the temperatures drop back to prime planting weather.
    Chlorosis may appear particularly in the fruit trees.  This yellowing of the leaves, leaving the leaf vein showing through bright green is the result of the iron in the soil being made unavailable to the plant due to excess water in the soil which causes the iron to bind to other minerals.
    Easily treated with an application of ironite or green sand before watering.  These elements do not burn the plants and can be used as needed throught the season.  The yellowing of the leaves usually resolves within 1 to 2 weeks of the application.  Use only ironite or green sand and not a fertilizer containing it as you could overfertilize and THEN burn the plants.
    Although this is a result of a lot of water in the soil it does not necessarily mean you are overwatering, only that the additional water required due to the high heat of the season is causing the situation.  It sometimes also occurs in the winter time when the cold soil causes the same thing to happen.

HOWEVER - you can over water during the Summer Monsoons.  Use your moisture meter to check soil moisture after heavy rains.  You may be able to skip the next watering cycle if it is within 2 days of the rain.

SUNBURN damage:  Like frost damage - do not prune until danger of sunburn is over - the damaged plant protects the lower growth.

TOMATO "RESTART" TIP
    Tomato plants that have continued through the summer will start setting fruit again as soon as the night time temperatures drop below 80 again. Towards the end of August to September prepare for new flowering times by pruning back about 1/3 to ½ of plant, do this gradually over several days, to give the protected lower growth time to adjust to the higher light levels.

TIME to watch for aphids and other pests that start to flock back as the night time temps dip down at the end of August.
    They like the cooling weather as we do!  The squash family (pumpkin) is particularly vulnerable so keep your safe soap spray handy (1 quart of water, 1 teaspoon each of vegetable oil and dawn dish detergent)  Shake spray, shake spray undersides and tops of leaves every 5 days as needed.  Do this in the evening so the spray does not sunburn the plants.
    With the cabbage family another food plant favored by the bugs, pour a quarter cup of light soapy solution right down the center stalk once a week (1 quart of water and a finger tip of dawn dish detergent)  Grandma would dump the used dish pan water down the plants to do the same thing.

Geoff Lawton shared a short video with an Australian Permaculture Farm - well worth watching for the concept of dry land farming possibilities using permaculture practices.

That is all for now folks.  I know I threw a lot at you here, I want you to be successful in your gardening journey.

You can find links to sellers of my calendar and books at on my website or the side bar here.


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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What If . . .The Market Shelves Were Empty?

Dear Folks,

I am very concerned about the economic impact of the political fights going on right now.  Not just for now, but also for the future.  I am concerned about a worsening problem of access to quality food.

And there is a simple solution which gives a family or individual, food, a peaceful activity, and more control over their own destiny.

Grow Food!

What if you went to the grocery store tomorrow, and you found that the shelves were mostly empty?  Would it be too late for you to learn to grow your own food?

That was part of the lead paragraphs in an email I received from the Grow Network.  http://thegrownetwork.com/

Which made me remember the phrase:

Grow food not lawns?  It is estimated that there are 35 million lawns in the US.  What if many or most of them were turned into food gardens?

The average lawn is 5,000 square feet.

Which made me remember a great article in Mother Earth News.  

Edible Landscaping: Grow $700 of Food in 100 Square Feet!

In 2008 well known edible landscaping author Rosalind Creasy (the link is to her author page on Amazon) with Cathy Wilkinson Barash (well known edible flower author) began a test of how much food and food savings could be achieved from just 100 square feet (5 x 20 feet). The result?  $700 over 6 months.

A little simple math will show you how much your lawn could be producing or a new garden bed.  AND in the desert, since we can garden year-round the math looks even better 2 x $700 from 100 square feet.  Image if you had more area to grow in?

http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/edible-landscaping-zmaz09djzraw.aspx

Rosalind wrote a follow up blog to the article.

http://www.rosalindcreasy.com/edible-garden-how-to/

Creasy's first book published in 1982 was what pushed my "growing" interest in edibles going forward.  The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping: Home Landscaping with Food-Bearing Plants and Resource-Saving Techniques

I ultimately published my book "Edible Landscaping in the Desert Southwest: Wheelbarrow to Plate," to address the year round growing capabilities of our desert gardens.

As an aside, Creasy's  book The Edible French Garden, showed me for the first time the "Alpine" type strawberry.  It was some years later that I discovered those berry seeds for growing in my own garden.

Back to growing food instead of lawns, or just adding too or staring a vegetable bed.  What are you waiting for - the grocery shelves to be partially empty?


I am not trying to be one of those end-of-the-world people who are telling you to build shelters, I am saying - Growing some or most of your own food gives you remarkable control over your future.  If you can grow some or most of your own food, you won't go hungry. Period.

AND you will have a possible source of extra income. Most of the farmers markets welcome backyard gardeners and many now have "community tables" where you do not have to set up your own table - they sell for you for a small percentage.

You can share your extra with your neighbors and food banks.

What are you waiting for?


Growing your own food is a win/win.



-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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Thinning Peaches and way to use the thinned baby peaches

Dear Folks,

I decided to start doing some mini lessons on my youtube channel.  I started the channel some years ago but never got going because the camera was not my friend :-)

Since the first video I put up there, I have gotten far more comfortable taking stills which I use here on the blog and elsewhere and finally got more comfortable doing some video work.

I hope you find these helpful.

Thinning Peaches.  This has always been a chore for us because it made us so sad to pick off fruit we worked so hard to create a healthy environment for a happy tree.

Then I went looking for something to do with the thinned peaches and one of the folks over at the Valley Permaculture Alliance posted a recipe for pickling the baby peaches.  It works because the pit is not formed in the less than marble size fruit, so you get a kind of "crunchy olive".  The flavor is neutral so whatever liquids and spices you use will give you the flavor.

They were fun to make and eat.

Catherine's Lesson - Thinning Peaches

Powell Gammill's original post in 2012 that got me trying pickling the baby peaches.  Such a great "recycle" of what otherwise winds up compost.

The recipe I revised for my try at this.

In the picture I show using a toothpick to prick each peach.

PICKLED BABY PEACHES
[Pricking each peach is important to the pickling process.]  Can be used for any similar fruit which is routinely thinned, such as apricots.

5 Cups baby peaches (green almonds, apricots, probably baby oranges if you wanted to try them)
4 cups of vinegar
1 1/2 cups of honey
4 tablespoons of sugar
2 teaspoons of cloves
3 bay leaves
3 cinnamon sticks
2 teaspoons of coriander seed.


Rinse, de-stem and prick each peach from stem end almost through to the other end.

Bring vinegar, honey, sugar and cloves to almost a boil to completely dissolve honey and sugar.  Place peaches in a jar big enough to hold - or 2-3 smaller jars if you choose (I used a half-gallon mason).  Divide cinnamon, bay leaves and coriander seeds between jars if using multiples.  Pour heated vinegar solution in jars, make sure the peaches are covered - they float.  Cap and keep in a cooler place. Turn or shake the jars each day.  Steep for 4 weeks.  Once you open the jar(s) you will need to refrigerate them.

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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Grafted Fruit Trees - How To.

Dear Folks,

If you have a citrus, peach, apple or other fruit tree in your gardens, the fruit you enjoy was grafted onto a root stock chosen to avoid diseases and pests better than the delicious fruit variety you eat.  The most delicious fruit trees are frequently vulnerable to soil born diseases.  Grafting plants is a centuries old technique.

Jake Mace hosted a 3-part demonstration by Doug Jones, President of the Arizona Chapter of the California Rare Fruit Growers here in the valley.

I just finished watching all three and highly recommend them to you if you have any interest in grafting yourself, of if you just want to understand the process.

Over the years I've seen still and video of grafting and the skill of doing it correctly is very evident in Doug Jones' demonstrations.

If you're going to grow Fruit Trees at Home, this is one of the Most Important skills you can learn! How to GRAFT your FRUIT TREES! I learned from the Master himself, Doug Jones, at www.AZRFG.org and we filmed the entire experience so You All could learn as well! This video has 3 Parts! Watch them now by clicking below:

1. How to Graft PART 1 Here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8BCMvMIK08

2. How to Graft PART 2 Here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nVxGmXMWxg

3. How to Graft PART 3 Here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG6pf0AYAhE

I want to emphasize the point Doug makes in the video about best planting time for fruit trees -- October - November!  This is the time I recommend and the reason, as Doug notes, is they have the entire winter to settle their roots down, and get over any transplant shock before the late spring/summer heat hit.

. . .

For my month-to-month planting calendar showing best planting times for all the edibles you enjoy you can purchase at Changing Hands Bookstore online, Amazon, or my publisher's site.

Have a great day in the garden!



-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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Sprouted Corn for Salads

Dear Folks,

A while back I read about some chefs sprouting corn to include in their dishes.  Hmmmm, I thought, I need to keep that in mind.

Fast forward to last month and I suddenly got the bug to sprout some beans for use in our salads, soups and stews and I had my beautiful harvested Glass Gem Corn.

I had not actively sprouted foods in a long time because I had so much to choose from either in my garden or at the farmers market.

But cold and damp weather got me thinking about sprouting.  There is something soothing about having something growing on your counter in the middle of bleak weather that is reassuring.

I finally started some on January 9th, and with one thing and another, other than rising twice a day, I did not get to use them until yesterday. About 20 days - FYI you will probably want to harvest and use at about 10-12 days because the roots get a little to tangled to pull freely of each other (I like the roots in sprouts).  If you don't want the roots then just cut them off and use the tops as I did in the salad below. (I used 1 tablespoon of corn to sprout -- that is a pint mason jar.)

The results were fun and surprising.  Sprouted corn is sweet with a mild taste of corn on the cob flavor.

In the early part of January I posted on sprouting beans etc. where I discuss getting back into growing real food - fast - beans take about 2-3 days and they are ready.  By combining some bean types together you also increase the nutrition.  Also if you or your family want beans in the diet but have 'issues' with them, sprouted anything are easier to digest.

Harvesting from the garden is absolutely my favorite thing to do. Having said that, there is a lot of be commended about sprouting on your kitchen counter.  If the weather is dismal or you are too over-loaded to go out and pick, clean and prep salad, sprouted beans, grains and corn are truly easy-peasy.  Soak, rinse, repeat, eat!!

Yesterday I made a salad totally from our garden and the sprouted beans and corn.  Red Romaine, Green Ruffles and Arugula Lettuce, Sugar Peas, and a Red Scallion along with the Garbanzo and Green Lentil sprouts with the corn, pulled it all together. Just awaiting my limequat vinaigrette dressing.

Folks, if you enjoy my posts, please share.  Thank you.

Have a great week, watch your tender plants, protect them while we are in this cold spell and get ready to sow and plant after the system moves out.


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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Free Lectures Coming Up! Mark Your Calendars - January 30th & February 20th

Dear Folks,

This coming Saturday I will be talking on the subject of Edible Flowers at the Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market.

All of the beauty and usefulness of flowers can be found in Edible options instead of many pretty but toxic flowers.  Come on out, see and learn all the variety to have something blooming in your gardens year round, for your enjoyment, along with the hummingbirds, butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects.

Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market
Saturday, January 30, 2016 - 9 a.m.
3806 North Brown Avenue,
Scottsdale, Arizona

The transition time from late Winter to Early Spring in our desert gardens can be a bit of a challenge. Are we going to get frost? When is the last frost day? Do we sow seeds or transplant seedlings?  What types/varieties of edibles should you plant?

I will address these and other factors for the gardener heading into spring and summer in the desert garden.  Unlike 4-season areas, if you plant at the right time for the variety you can have an edible garden year round in the desert!

Mesa Urban Garden (MUG)
February 20, 2016 - 1:30 p.m.
Sow, Plant, "Mulch", Protect
Late Winter/Early Spring in The Desert
How To Grow Successfully 
212 East 1st Avenue
Mesa, Arizona

I hope to see you at these events.  Have a Best Day,


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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The Great Caper Caper Update aka Growing Capers in the Desert

Dear Folks,

If you love capers, hopefully you have been following my updates on the Great Caper Caper Mystery aka how to successfully germinate seed and grow caper plants in the desert.

The prior post on the project is here.

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Suzanne Vilardi and I started this about 3+ years ago and we have been successful in our goals.  Growing a mother plant, harvesting seed, germinating seed and growing young plants.

Fast forward to this spring and summer when I planted some of Suzanne's first generation plants in various locations in my gardens to trial where they do best.

The good news is they did outstanding in full sun with minimal watering after they were established.

The bad news is this was THE year of the flea beetle which thrived in the soil because of our mild winter last year.

FYI - this year's cold winter should inhibit their activity in our gardens.  Purchase neem sprays or you can try BT powder if you see activity in the spring and summer.  STAY on it by doing daily bug inspection particularly around the broccoli family plants and greens like arugula (my arugula looked terrible until the invasion was over - then I pruned it back and new growth was delicious).  These pest are active at night and early morning hours before the sun hits the plants.

Established plants weather the infestations okay, but a young plant can struggle or die.

July, September, December, 2015

In the picture I show the healthiest of the young plants just going to town in July, then being attacked in September and what the poor thing looked like on December 31, 2015.  I have hopes of the plant making it through to spring - we will see and I will keep you posted.  I did try both BT and Neem Spray, but the infestation was too quick to try and keep up with the beetles - and they fly so you have to be really good at catching them in the sprays.  The BT is probably more helpful if you can target the plants when the weather is dry.  I had less success because the pests came out when we were getting some monsoon rain and it just washed the BT off. almost immediately.

I was particularly excited about this planting area because 1) it is in FULL sun, and 2) during the summer, after it got established, it was ONLY watered once a week (deep watering for about 2 hours), except for the summer rains, which are always hit and miss.  This area is also slightly recessed (the best way to set up gardens in the desert) so all moisture was held in the beds.

The Other Transplants and The Mother Plant

4 other plants did not make it past the first month or two after transplanting in April and it was just one of those things.  Not enough sun or the soil stayed too wet.  Capers are high drainage Mediterranean plants which love growing out of rock crevices in full hot sun.

The two other thriving transplants are in a more typical garden set up some folks may be using.  An established area with over head trees BUT with a West and South facing orientation, which means they got a lot of sun during the day, but were aided by a lot of duff mulch on the soils surface.  They are just under the drip line of the tree canopy.  This entire area, including trees was sprinkler watered every 2 days for an hour during the summer   Don't be mislead by the hour aspect sprinkler watering works but distributes the water over a larger area not focused only on the root system.

The Mother plant has been thriving for about 3+ years in a North West exposure, in the same duff/mulch conditions and has just loved it there.

On December 31, 2015, the Mother plant is now about 6 feet across and the two youngsters are 2 and 2.5 feet (the plant in between them is an artichoke).  The center picture in the collage is one of the young plants in July at about 7 inches tall.

This past fall I again supplied Suzanne with fresh harvested seeds and she just reported some spouting activity.

We have a facebook group page on the project.  It is a closed group you can ask to join.  We check for trolls before accepting group participants, so you can comfortably participate on the group once you are accepted.

Check out the facebook page devoted to this.

I am so happy this project has succeeded.  Perhaps one of the local farmers may choose to grow capers in the desert for commercial harvesting and it would be do in no small part to Suzanne's asking me about 4 years ago if I wanted to try and see if I could get a plant or two to grow - happily - here in the desert.

THANK YOU, Suzanne Vilardi  (Vilardi Gardens on Facebook) for asking and trusting me to partner with you on this - it has been a fun experiment that succeeded.

We expect plants to be for sale in late spring through Vilardi Gardens.

GARDENING

Through the rain.

This series of storms is just dumping a LOT of water on the valley and it is both an opportunity and a benefit (hopefully no flooding).  We are going to save at least a month's worth of watering bill because we turned off all of our auto watering features AND the property is totally bermed except for a small driveway, so we can capture up to 3 inches of standing water (and there was standing water in some of the gardens yesterday) before the berms over-flow.

SOW after the rains have finished otherwise you risk them being washed away.

PLANT  before or during rains because it helps the soil seal well around the plants.  If the plants are small cover with a poor man's cloche (gallon plastic jugs with the bottom cut off) to keep the tender growth from being pounded, but still taking advantage of the rain.

Seasonal Planting

Sowing and planting here in the desert is all about timing for best success.  We are at the end of the winter sowing and planting and getting into the beginning of spring sowing and planting.

That means you can still plant sugar peas, carrots, beets, lettuces and similar short maturity vegetables, along with bare root strawberries and asparagus, but you can start tomatoes, peppers, basil, eggplant and similar warm weather lovers inside for transplanting out on February 1st (using the cloche for the last few frost night protection.

My gardening wall calendar provides month by month planting info, gardening tips and maintenance help and, while dated, can be used as a perpetual reference - with pretty pictures from my gardens :-)

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Changing Hands Online Bookstore.

My Publisher




-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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HELLO!! "The" Reason To Grow Or Choose Locally Grown Food.

Dear Folks,

Maybe it is the confluence of events, but in the last several weeks there have been more alerts and recalls of food that seem to be waving the flag to put attention back on where your food comes from.

Let's just put the subject in practical terms -- the more a piece of furniture, a computer, or a piece of fresh food is handled the more likely it is to be damaged.  This is not rocket science per se, folks, but it is a matter of physics  -- the affects of matter moving through time.

So in case you need ONE more reason to put more of your money and energy into buying locally grown produce and other food, or growing some of it yourself, read the article below.

Long Road From Farm To Fork Worsens Food Outbreaks. 

The Reason To Choose Locally Grown

Desert Gardening and Edibles

So many folks still think you can not grow the veggies, fruits, and herbs in the desert.  In an article in the Sunday paper, Gary Nabhan of Native Seed search makes the point that people lived here for hundreds of years and they ate "something".  Go here for the article.

Mr. Nabhan's point is that the desert can and did produce sustainable food for people.

As we look at our climate, with similarities to Provence and Tuscany, what we have is the ability to garden pretty much year round if certain seasonal facts are kept in mind.

--Drainage in the soil is absolutely mandatory to be successful.  You can garden in a container but the same principle applies.  The soil must be 'fluffy' and well draining and there has to be enough space allowed for the root system to expand.

--Edibles need sun - a minimum of 6-10 hours - year round.  In a residential setting you need to map your garden before hand so you know where the sun comes from and what time of year the area(s) get sun.  If you have places with the appropriate amount of sun year-round then you are ready to plant.

--Plant at the right time of the year for the variety.  If you pay attention to THAT element and the other 2 you will not need to shade most plants in the summer.  Planted at the right time, they adapt.  This might be the single most important point for those moving here from the mid-west or north east.  Learning the different planting times.

--Water properly.  Lawn style watering simply does not work for edibles, they need deep watering, a drying out period between the watering to encourage deep roots and you need to learn what "deep" means.  It means watering sufficiently that you can stick a kababo skewer straight down in the soil after watering with out impediment.

--Variety of Plants.  In many cases you can grow anything you grew in other places in the US.  Choosing Native seeds is an excellent start.  Click here for Native Seed Search an outstanding organization dedicated to the preservation of heirloom and historic foods of the southwest and Mexico.

--- Find Heirloom or naturally hybridized options to garden with.  When searching for a supplier look for the "Safe Seed Pledge" (SSP) somewhere on the sites.  These seed and plants nurserys pledge to not knowingly grow, distribute or sell GMO or GEO plants.  Do some research.  Not all hybrids are GMO - some like the colored cauliflowers (which have higher antioxidant qualities) like "Cheddar" (a deep orange variety) was developed in Canada and is sold by some SSP suppliers.  Some suppliers will only carry heirlooms.  Find your own comfort level on varieties to purchase, just make sure they are wholesome.







More Thoughts On Self-Reliance:

Current events are scary.  I don't like the tenor of what seems to be happening - everyone is angry at someone and since we are all consumers in one way or another, the anger is making its way into the selling and buying of everything.

Can you sew, tune your car engine, fix a flat tire, start a fire, bandage a wound, fix electric wiring, clean a clogged drain, put a roof on your home?  Do you think about taking more direct control over all the necessities and handling of emergencies in your life?

If you have a job how can you decrease your expenses and put something aside?  If you do not have a job, what CAN you do, what skills do you have or can learn quickly, to earn money, legally and ethically?  We are in more than interesting times.  People who have been unemployed for a long time, finally have to look at re-training and giving up on the idea that they are only skilled to do one thing.  It hurts to lose the job, which for most people is also part of their identity, and look for another way to earn a living.  While you have a job is a good time to re-evaluate your skill set and consider self-reliance on some things.  Just because I can some of our food does not mean I do not buy food at the grocer, but it does mean that I have a skill set that gives me flexibility.




Some other thoughts on growing some or most of your own food as a way to have more control over your choices.

When making choices in the reality of our world NOW, it does not matter what your politics are.  The reality is laws which target immigration issues are and will have unintended consequences and those consequences will matter, a lot, to all of us pretty soon.  Some analysts are warning of civil unrest - here in the US - and protests seem to be on the rise.  Pretty soon, according to some of the most dire warnings, you won't be able to hire someone to do anything from cutting your landscaping to purchasing dinner at a grocer for the evening meal.

From farmers who worry about finding "anyone" to help harvest, to service companies like restaurants, landscapers and just about every other industry which has a historic use of low-wage earners, one of two things are going to happen:  Jobs "opened up" by tossing out illegal immigrants are going to have to be filled, possibly forcing some businesses to pay higher wages - presuming they are able to stay in business, OR those jobs are going to other parts of the world or they will go away completely (possibly replaced by some kind of technology which "perforce" the business to create).  In most cases the cost to the consumer is going up in either case.  If food from California is considered expensive, consider what food from other countries - as the main source of your food purchases will be.

Referring back to the beginning of this post - what are the consequences of your purchases of food, sourced far away, to wholesomeness and health of your family.

For your own sake buy local or grow local!  (It will also benefit your community and probably your neighbors too.)

Be safe and be nice to yourselves and others,

-- Catherine, The Herb Lady