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Blog Tag: rebecca snavely

Ikebana Grow Blog

DIY As Art: Exploring Ikebana

February 17, 2015/in Grow /by Rebecca

DIY As Art: Exploring IkebanaIkebana, the Japanese art of floral arrangement, plays with the idea of nature in constant change, and the art of exploring that rhythm and order.  Considered an art-form along the lines of painting or sculpture, it was more often practiced by men, and, in the past, “was considered an appropriate pastime for even the toughest samurai.”

As we anticipate spring showers bringing up all kinds of flowers, why not take an ikebana class?  Or host one!  Have your friends over, and invite a teacher to your home?

What you’ll need, according to Ikebana International:

Containers: most ikebana artists use glass containers, to reflect and play with the light in the arrangement. Bamboo baskets are most commonly used during the warm months.
Holders:  There are a variety of holders to fix your flowers in your container.  A few:

  • a Kenzan:  Used to fix the flowers in the container, a kenzan is a heavy lead plate with erected brass needles where the stipes are fixed,
  • a gotoku-dome (tripod):  Shaped like a tripod, used to hold an iron kettle or pot over a hibachi fire.
  • akutsuwa-dome (horsebit holder) is iron, and shaped like a horse’s bit, which can be twisted into 50 different shapes, each with its own name.

Click here to find a chapter in your region!  Will you start practicing the art of floral arrangement?  Share photos with us on Facebook or over on Twitter @TheCityFarm!

(Photo Credit: My Personal MFA)

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Groundhog Shadow, Celtic Goddess, and Indoor Terrariums

Groundhog Shadow, Celtic Goddess, and Indoor Terrariums

February 4, 2015/in Grow /by Rebecca

Happy six more weeks of winter, according to our favorite, favorite groundhog, Phil.  But before we worried about more cold weather from the world’s wee, furry winter season soothsayer Punxsutawney Phil, there was the day the Celts called Imbolc, or St. Brigid’s Day, to determine whether the winter would continue six more weeks.  Unlike the marmot medium, the Celtic goddess of winter, Caileach, was said ensure beautiful, wood-gathering weather on February 1st in order to gather her firewood and ensure her favorite wintry weather would continue.  Monday, it appears it was a good wood-gathering day, as Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, and predicted 6 more weeks of winter.

The good news? You can plant a terrarium or air plant indoors, no matter the weather!

It’s easy to create and care for your own air plant or terrarium. What do you have in your home to house your indoor greenery?  A fish bowl?  A jelly jar?  The City Farm’s Cow Milk Glasses? A sea urchin from your last ocean dive, such as what LA-based designer Cathy Van Hoang creates, with upside down shells as planters to create indoor, aerial jellyfish? Mother Nature Network gives an easy, step-by-step guide:

  • First, rinse out your choice or terrarium with bleach water, and let it fully dry out for two days, to prevent any mold or spores that might affect your plant.
  • Because your jelly jar or sea urchin doesn’t have drainage, start your terrarium with an inch or two layer of pea gravel, and then break up some sphagnum moss or burlap on top of the gravel. (According to MNN, the moss or burlap will prevent potting soil from seeping down to the bottom of the container.)
  • Next, add a half inch layer of horticultural charcoal, to absorb unwanted odors, and then, adding approximately 2 inches of potting soil, depending on the height of your container.
  • Visit your local nursery to choose the plants you want for your terrarium – thick, leafy plants like reindeer moss and ferns are favorites.  You can also add decorative rocks, or little tchocktkes that you love – miniature unicorns? Why not?  (Sweet Digs is a fabulous shop in Yucca Valley, just outside Joshua Tree, where you can create your own!)
  • Keep your plant moist, but not wet, with misting, and placing it in indirect sunlight.  If you can’t see your plant through the condensation in the container, you’re giving it too much moisture.  And if you notice mold or fungus, you can remove bits of the plant, as well as dead flowers or leaves,  with tweezers or chopsticks.  Twice a year, feed your plants with small amounts of a granular fertilizer.

Six more weeks of winter?  Bring it, Phil.

Will you be planting a terrariums or air plant? Show us your gorgeous indoor garden on Twitter!

(Photo Credit: Air Plant Jellyfish by Petite Beast, Mother Nature Network)

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Gardening Winter To-Do List: Growing Onions From Seed

Gardening Winter To-Do List: Growing Onions From Seed

January 27, 2015/in Grow /by Rebecca
Onions get such a bad rap, those tear-jerking balls of smelly-breath-makers.  But what would a veggie pizza or tasty omelet be without them?  Though it is hard to trace to their origin due to the fact that their tissues leave very little trace, it is known, according to The National Onion Association (that is a REAL thing that I did not make up) that onions were found in Chinese gardens 5000 years ago, and that there is evidence “that the Sumerians were growing onions as early as 2500 B.C.  And even though, at my family gatherings, we paper-rock-scissors the lucky chef who gets to cry while dicing the onions for the risotto, in ancient Egypt, the vegetable was considered an object to be worshiped, symbolizing eternity in its circular layers.Want to grow your own eternity onion?  According to Urban Farmer, if you live in a warmer climate (zones 6-10), late January is a great time to start your onion seeds indoors. For those of you in zones 1-5 start your onion seeds in mid-late February.

  • Use fresh, first-year onion seeds, which, according to GrowVeg.com, germinate better than their older counterparts, which can, technically, be stored up for two years in a cool, dry space.
  • VegetableGardner.com reminds us that varieties differ in the length of daylight and the temperature required to make a bulb. Short-day types are ideal for the South, where they grow through cool southern fall and winter months. They’re triggered to bulb by the 12 hours of sunlight that come with the return of warm, early summer weather, while long-day onions are best grown in the North, where the summer daylight period is longer.
  • Using a fresh seed-starting mix, plant your seeds in flats, and choose a warm spot to encourage the seeds to germinate, such as the top of your refrigerator.  The seeds love a balmy 68 – 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • When the seedling has three leaves, transfer to a pot at least 4 inches deep.
  • After germination, Barbara over at GrowVeg notes that a bright supplemental light is needed, such as a two-bulb florescent fixture, for 12 hours a day.  Every day, using scissors, she trims the onions back to around 3 inches.
  • When you’re ready to move your onions outdoors, after the temperatures are consistently above 46F, GrowVeg recommends creating deep planting trenches lined with rich compost and/or composted organic fertilizer.

Do you plan to grow your own onions?  Tell us over on Facebook or Twitter @TheCityFarm!

(Photo Credit: The New York Botanical Garden)

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Oregano Dreams & How to Grow Your Own

Oregano Dreams & How to Grow Your Own

January 20, 2015/in Grow /by Rebecca

I’ve used this blog to confess a few of my odd habits and/or stories, my coffee cravings and how the grounds help my garden grow, my sage-smudging blunders, my jonesing for fresh-squeezed-lemon in hot water before I can greet Facebook or the sun.

And now I confess my proclivity to all things odd as I admit, though I don’t remember any of my actions, I am a night-time-showering/sweater-sorting/caller-of-911/tennis-racket-swinging sleep “walker.”  But even as … strange as my many roommates will tell you my night-time personality may be, I am stating here, I will NOT wear oregano on my head to induce psychic dreams.  At least, not tonight. Because I must also confess, after researching the folklore of the herb, I’m dying to know if oregano placed on or near the head brings about visions and prophetic dreams.  

It was also thought to be an antidote to poison, and protect one from evil.  So there’s that.

Even if you don’t ward away evil by planting oregano near your home or dream the winning Lotto digits, the herb has been linked to good lung health, due to its carvacrol and rosmarinic acid content. According to Organic Health’s Website, “both compounds are natural decongestants and histamine reducers that have direct, positive benefits on the respiratory tract and nasal passage airflow.”  And it’s a great flavorful seasoning for Italian dishes.

How to grow your own oregano:

  • Native to the Mediterranean region, oregano loves the sun, so choose a spot with full-sun to place your pot, or to plant in your garden.
  • Most oregano can tolerate a moderate freeze, but if you live in a colder climate, consider planting in a container that can be moved indoors during the worst winter cold.
  • Plant your seeds or cuttings 6 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost.
  • Oregano loves loamy, gravelly soil, and moderate water, so be sure your container drains well if planting in a pot, and water when the soil feels dry.
  • When the plant is about 8 inches tall, you can begin to harvest.  The flavor is most intense just before the plant blooms.
  • Many prefer using dried oregano in cooking, which also allows you to preserve your harvest and trim back the plant to grow more densely.  To dry, hang the harvested leaves in a bunch, upside down, and when the leaves are crisp, remove from the stems, and store in a glass container.

And check out The City Farm’s handy garden tote, to keep all your growing tools on hand!

Will you be growing your own oregano?  Tell us here, or over on Facebook or Twitter!

(Photo credit:  Todd’s BBI)
https://thecityfarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/oregano_shutterstock.jpg 1991 2871 Rebecca https://thecityfarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/logo-cityfarm.png Rebecca2015-01-20 09:51:292015-03-30 19:00:19Oregano Dreams & How to Grow Your Own
How To Grow Your Own Celery

How To Grow Your Own Celery

January 13, 2015/in Grow /by Rebecca

I have been living a lie. I don’t remember when I heard that celery was a “negative calorie” food, that munching on the crunchy green stalk burned more calories than it provided as food.  Looking up the history of celery on Wikipedia, I learned that is a lie. But celery is part of weight-loss diets, as it provides low-calorie dietary fiber.  And, not only great for weight loss, added crunch in your stir-fry, or as a vehicle for peanut butter, the seeds of celery plants are also often used as an oil in the perfume and pharmaceutical industries, as well as in spices (have you tried celery salt?).

Last week I wrote about greening your new year with a garden space inside.  Kick off your indoor garden by growing your own celery!  It’s quite easy, and after reading about it on RealFarmacy, the boyfriend and I decided to give it a go.  I can’t wait to cut a stalk of celery off my own plant.

  •     Simply buy a stalk of organic celery from your local farmer’s market or grocer, cut off the base, rinse it off and place it in a small saucer or bowl of warm water on or near a well-lit window — with the base side down and cut stalks facing upright.
  •     RealFarmacy notes that while leaving the celery in the water for approximately one week, the stalks begin to dry out, but “the tiny little yellow leaves from the center of the base began thickening, growing up and out from the center, and turned a dark green.”
  •     Change the water in the saucer every 2 – 3 days, and use a spray bottle to spritz the new growth directly.
  •     After 5 – 7 days, transfer the celery base into soil (I love how RealFarmacy used an oatmeal container!) covering the whole base with soil, allowing just the leaf tips to show through the dirt. If you live in a temperate climate, plant outside.
  •     Water generously, and watch your celery grow!

We (okay, *I*) named our new celery plant Cecil.  It’s day 3 in the potting soil, and he’s already growing like mad, helped along by a weekend of rain in L.A. Have you set green-growing intentions for 2015?  Will you try growing your own celery?  Tell us here in the comments, or over on Twitter @TheCityFarm.

(Photo Credits: Stoop celery: Rebecca Snavely; Celery in oatmeal tins: RealFarmacy)

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How To Green Your New Year

How To Green Your New Year

January 6, 2015/in Grow /by Rebecca

How To Green Your New YearResolutions are SO 2014. So this year, instead of making new year’s resolutions, I set intentions.   It’s probably no different, but I’m hoping that by embracing a different term I might make these intentions realities, ways of life.

The dark winter days paired with the feeling of a fresh start and new intentions make this month a perfect time to create a garden nook inside, to add some green and growth to a corner of your life.  Take a look around — is there a space that is stocked with unused tchotchkes? A stack of sweaters you might take to your local shelter, or that collection of CDs you can transfer to the cloud, and create room to grow green things?  Look for a spot with natural light, or where you can connect and hide a cord to plug in some plant lights.

Search your cupboards for favorite jars or cups to create a collection of unique planters – and take a look at our City Farm collection to add a few new pieces for variety: a gum ball jar or wire bottle tote to display cut flowers? A votive cup to house a succulent?  A ceramic bowl?  Choose different shapes and heights to create an eclectic space that is uniquely you.

600_8141Creating a work station is part of the fun of making the most of small spaces – is there a spot to store your potting soil, a small trowel, a watering can?

With weak winter light, if you plan to start seedlings, and you’re feeling extra crafty, check out this how-to guide to transform an old bookshelf into an indoor grow light / plant stand!

 

Next week, kick off your indoor garden by growing your own celery! Until then, keep up with us on Facebook & Twitter. Happy New Year!

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Growing a Zen Garden: How to Plant Bamboo

Growing a Zen Garden: How to Plant Bamboo

December 30, 2014/in Grow /by Rebecca

‘Twas the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and Portland Oregon was filled with strangers and cousins and visitors from foreign lands, looking for all that keeps Portland weird. Disgruntled teens returned gifts, tired shoppers sipped cappuccinos, a man dressed as Robin Hood in furry tights walked the downtown streets, collecting dollar bills from the rich, giving to the poor, and I was all zen-ed out walking through the Portland Japanese Garden.  I took in the perfectly placed stone path, the carefully groomed rock gardens dwarfed by the over-arching evergreen trees, the pond gardens filled with koi fish and the flash of money tossed into the water in defiance of the “coins prohibited.”

Growing a Zen Garden: How to Plant Bamboo

The Japanese garden was a respite just above the city of bedraggled holiday spirits, a quiet stroll filled with sounds of water pouring through bamboo into a shallow pool, a man-made waterfall creating a space of peace.  According to the garden’s Website, the strolling pond gardens are a model of Japan’s gardens that were “intended as recreational sites for the wealthy and were attached to the estates of aristocrats and feudal lords (daimyo) during the Edo period (1603–1867), when this style of garden was at its height. These gardens were sometimes created to be reflections of a landscape of some distant place once visited, or the place of one’s birth, or even a famous place in China.”

Do you want to recreate the serene sense of a distant place once visited? Or the place of your birth? (For me, Reno is not exactly a place I want to bring to life in my backyard, but maybe your birthplace is more idyllic than John Ascuaga’s Nugget?) Growing bamboo will work for almost everyone reading this, as it grows anywhere from East Asia to Northern Australia, sub-Saharan Africa to the mid-Atlantic United States south to Argentina and Chile.

Ian Connor, a bamboo expert based in Portland, recommends clumping bamboo such as those in the Fargesia and Thamnocalamus genera, which remain well-behaved without a barrier. Towering timber bamboo, however, provides the “exotic feel” you may expect.  “Besides a screen, it can be planted as a hedge and turn a garden into rooms with separate styles. Not all gardens, though, are big enough for rooms. For those, Connor suggests creating private seating areas by planting bamboo in curves.”

  • In mild climates, plant bamboo at any time of the year.  In colder regions, plant your bamboo early enough before your first frost to have established plants to survive the first winter.  If your summers regularly hit 100 or higher, wait until fall or spring to give your bamboo the best shot.
  • Choose a spot with good sunlight, aiming for one with around 5 hours of direct sun.
  • Digging your hole 1.5 to 2 times as big as the root mass, add compost or manure fertilizer to the bottom of the hole before planting your bamboo.
  • Space your bamboo 3 to 5 feet apart, and one foot from the edge of other planting areas.

Do you already grow bamboo, or plan to plant some soon?  Tell us on Facebook or Twitter!

Photos: Japanese Garden Waterfall and Koi – photographer David Gn, Bamboo – photographer Marv Bondarowicz)

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Holiday Host Gifts that Grow

Holiday Host Gifts that Grow

December 23, 2014/in Grow /by Rebecca

It’s hour 23, you’re dressed for your boyfriend’s boss’s | sister-in-law’s | pet vet’s holiday dinner, and there’s no time for Prime to deliver a host gift.  What to take? That magnet your kid made in 2nd grade? That block of Humboldt Fog you bought to savor by yourself in quiet after hours of small-talk? That gift card for a sushi bento box from your local fish dealer?

Plants make the perfect gift, as they keep on giving and growing. If you want to keep it festive, consider picking up an Amaryllis, a Cyclamen, or a Christmas Cactus. If you have a bit more time, you could create a “grow” kit, filling a mason jar with rich, organic dirt, to package with a packet of seeds or a box of bulbs, a pretty pot and watering can, and a spade and / or gardening gloves. In your holiday card, you can include the following hand-written instructions for your host to care for her new plant!

Cyclamen are beautiful and delicate, but they’re actually hardy plants that do well in colder climates.  HGTV warns that three things will harm your cyclamen: over-watering, heat, and too much light. The coldest room in your house is the best home for your bright plant, which is much easier to grow from one in full bloom than from seed.  (But if you like a challenge, check here for tips, and google a “germination chamber.”)

Christmas cactus, or Schlumbergera, a genus of cacti originally found in the coastal mountains of south-eastern Brazil, are winter-blooming cacti that are easily cared for indoors.

  •  To propagate, cut a short Y-shaped segment from the stem tip of a healthy plant, and place it in slightly sandy soil a quarter of its length deep, according to GardeningKnowHow.com, who also  recommends an even watering, and choosing a well-lit spot for your plant to thrive, but avoid direct sunlight.
  • Cut your shoot back at the second joint, and after a few weeks, the cutting will start to show growth, which is the time to transplant it to a larger pot with a potting soil mix of compost, loam and sand.
  • Water frequently, especially in spring and summer, the cacti growth period, keeping the soil slightly moist.  The plant should not sit in water, however, or it will develop root rot.
  • Find a room where the temperature remains between 60 and 70 F.  And come fall, when your Christmas cactus has stopped flowering, encourage it to eventually rebloom by starting its dormancy cycle: reduce its light (12 – 14 hours of darkness), temperature (between 50 and 55 F), and moisture.

Do you have a last-minute holiday host to honor? A growing gift will remind them of your gratitude for their hospitality for months to come.  Take a photo of your “grow kit” gift and share it with us on Facebook or Twitter.  Happy Holidays!

(Photo Credit: Christmas Catcus: New Floridians)

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Sage Smudging Confessions & How to Grow Your Own

Sage Smudging Confessions & How to Grow Your Own

December 16, 2014/in Grow /by Rebecca

Confession: I have a past of ignorant mis-smudging.  Growing up in Eugene, I am oft called a hippie here in L.A., what with my car-free ways and belief in spirit animals.  But even dropping that reference, I realize I am nowhere near knowledgeable about Native American traditions.  So though I leapt at the idea to smudge my new home when moving in to a studio that had been inhabited by the tortured soul of an artist in conflict with her landlord, I’m not surprised to learn that I didn’t really know what I was doing.

A friend came and we offered blessings on the … room. (See above reference to “studio.”) While I waved my smoky bunch of sage in the air, I spoke my intentions for each part of the space, to create meals in the kitchen to nourish both body and soul of a visitor, that my desk might be a place for creativity to brew and thoughts to be put to page, that my door might be the way to a place of peace, thoughtful conversations, and belly-laughter.

And I did it WRONG.  I mean, part of me believes there’s no wrong way to put out good intentions.  But the next time I smudge a space with sage, I’d love to follow the guidelines detailed here by Cat Criger, aboriginal elder-in-residence at the University of Toronto.

Why is sage the herb of choice for purifying a place, ridding it of negative energy? Salvia officinalis, or garden sage, is a short, evergreen shrub, a member of the flowering plant Lamiaceae family, and with its grey leaves and bluish-purple flowers, is native to the Mediterranean region.

Sage’s name hints at its nature: sometimes called S. salvatrix (sage the savior), the second half of Salvia officinalis refers to its medicinal use—according to Wikipedia, the officina was the storeroom of a monastery where herbs and medicines were stored.  Historically used to ward off evil, treat snakebites, increase women’s fertility, Pliny the Elder said the plant was called salvia by the Romans, and used as a diuretic, a local anesthetic for the skin, a styptic, among other uses. That plant has a lot to live up to.

Whether you want sage for smudging, to brew, make your own essential oils, or simply add flavor to your food, here’s how to grow your own.

  •        Sage thrives in USDA zones 5 – 8, and grows in almost all climates.  If you live in a region with extremely cold winters, you may want to plant in containers, to bring inside during the coldest weeks (months? Let’s say weeks).
  •         Plant your sage in full sun or slight shade.
  •          Use well-draining soil, and though it grows in a range of soil, it does best in slightly acidic soils, with a pH value of roughly 6.0 to 6.5. (SF Gate)
  •       Looking out your window, do you see snow? If so, plan to start your sage from seed 6 – 10 weeks before your last spring frost.
  •          If you choose to start your sage from cuttings, SF Gate recommends rooting it using sand and a rooting hormone before transplanting into individual pots. Either seedling or your cutting can then be transplanted to a sunny spot in your garden when your soil has reached 60F, one to two weeks before the last spring frost.  Or, if you are keeping it in the container, move to a sunny spot on your balcony or patio, and be sure that the soil drains well.

How do you use your sage?  Leave a note in the comments, or tell us on Facebook or Twitter: @Rebecca Snavely & @TheCityFarm.

(Photo Credit: Dried Sage, Joene’s Garden)

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Finding Life in the Desert, Falling in Love With (and Growing) Joshua Trees

Finding Life in the Desert, Falling in Love With (and Growing) Joshua Trees

December 7, 2014/in Grow /by Rebecca

“I’m not really a “desert” girl,” I’d explain when someone asked why I had never camped out in Joshua Tree National Park.  I grew up in the lush green of Oregon’s rainy Willamette Valley.  The desert just leaves me thirsty.

“I may be a desert girl,” I said to the boyfriend while we sat on the cold wall of the patio of a Joshua Tree house, watching the sun rise over the stark mountain range, the sky slowly turning a baby blue with streaks of golden-tinged pink, quails waking to scuttle across the hard-packed dirt that is spotted with succulents whose beauty is neither flashy nor brilliant, but spare, somehow both delicate and hardy.

And then I entered Joshua Tree National Park, and I GOT IT.  It’s a magical place.Finding Life in the Desert, Falling in Love With (and Growing) Joshua Trees

Initially created as an 825,000 acre National Monument in August of 1936, Joshua Tree was designated a National Park on October 31st, 1994 by the Desert Protection Act, adding an additional 234,000 acres to the park. The rock formations look like they must come alive at night, gentle giants that stomp through the park, illuminated by moonlight, campers exhausted from a day of bouldering and hiking too deep in sleep to know. Each rock-monster step shakes the ground, witnessed only by the slow-growing, deeply rooted Joshua trees.

“Yucca brevifolia” the plant species now known to Bono fans and desert-lovers as a Joshua tree was so-nicknamed by a group of Mormons, settlers crossing the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century. According to Wikipedia, the tree’s unique shape reminded them of a Biblical story in which Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer.

Joshua trees may need more than prayer; the Wiki entry notes that conservationists are concerned that they will be eliminated from the National Park, “with ecological research suggesting a high probability that their populations will be reduced by 90 percent of their current range by the end of the 21st century, thus fundamentally transforming the ecosystem of the park.”

If you live in a similar region to the Yucca’s native Mojave desert, you could grow your own “crooked cross” from seed. SF Gate gives you the how-to, here:

  • Fill a 4-inch planting pot to within 1 inch of the rim, with a sterile seed starting mix. Avoid using any mix that contains soil or compost, you want great drainage.
  • Add water to the mix slowly until excess water drains from the bottom of the pot. Set the pot aside to drain completely so that the mix is slightly moist.
  • Place the Joshua tree seed in the center, on top of the mix.
  • Pour a handful of the potting mix into a kitchen sieve. Holding the sieve over the pot, tap the sides to sprinkle a 1/8-inch layer over the seed.
  • Using a spray bottle, mist the top layer of mix with water.
  • Place your heat mat in a west-facing window, set it to 72F, and place your pot on top.
  • Be sure to keep the soil slightly moist at all times during germination.
  • Over the following week, slowly turn down the temperature of the mat after, til you reach 65F, until the seed sprouts, usually within 30 days, but it can take much longer, so have patience.
  • When your seedling reaches 4 to 5 inches, transplant into a larger pot, filled with a gritty cactus mix. (SF Gate)

The tree is a lesson in patience, observation, and quiet, growing only 2.3 inches per year. That morning, as I sat watching the the desert day begin with the swooping of birds, the scuttling of lizards, the crowing of a neighborhood rooster, remembering the soft sound of a cotton-tail bunny’s erratic hops between brush and then, later, the howling of a pack of coyotes in the dead of night, I realize that however slow or quiet the desert seems, it teems with life.  Edward Abbey writes about desert music in his book:

“A few flies, the fluttering leaves, the trickle of water give a fine edge and scoring to the deep background of – silence? No – of stillness, peace.

…“In the desert I am reminded of something quite different – the bleak, thin-textured work of men like Berg, Schoenberg, Ernst Krenek, Webern and the American, Elliot Carter. … their music comes closer than any other I know to representing the apartness, the otherness, the strangeness of the desert. Like certain aspects of this music, the desert is also a-tonal, cruel, clear, inhuman, neither romantic nor classical, motionless and emotionless, at one and the same time – another paradox – both agonized and deeply still.

“Like death? Perhaps. And perhaps that is why life nowhere appears so brave, so bright, so full of oracle and miracle as in the desert.”

~Edward Abbey, “Desert Solitaire”

[Photo Credit: Rebecca Snavely]

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Grow Amaryllis Indoors and Create Space for Silence

Grow Amaryllis Indoors and Create Space for Silence

December 2, 2014/in Grow /by Rebecca

There aren’t many opportunities for silence these days. Even a walk or jog requires a soundtrack streamed from my iPod to my earbuds, and if I choose to listen to the real soundtrack of my life, it’s usually a cacophony of car noises, the steady hum of a nearby freeway, or the rev of an engine, the honk of a horn, the chirping of birds and barking of a dog defending its territory.  I find myself craving silence, though not carving out space or place for it.

Thinking back on memorable moments of silence, I’m transported to Christmas Eve.  Beyond begging to open just *one* gift before our traditional tearing of wrapping paper on the 25th, I remember counting the hours to the one quiet part of our Christmas custom: a candlelight Christmas Eve service.  We gathered just before midnight, so that as we lit the candle of the person standing beside us and sang an old hymn about a silent night or a holy night and created a sea of blinkey lights in the dark room, we could emerge from the church into that dark first hour of Christmas day. We’d wish each other Merry Christmas, my friends and I exchanging cheap gifts of mall-store jewelry, and head home to not-sleep so that as soon as the sun rose, I could rush out to see what trinkets were left in my stocking.

Though I no longer wake at dawn, and a cup of steaming hot coffee and pancakes heaped with butter and syrup are more my speed on Christmas morning, I still love the times I make it to a Christmas Eve service at a church, relishing in the quiet moment that the song ends and the only sound is of a collective held breath at the magic of hundreds of candles creating a gorgeous glow on the faces of the crowd.

Grow Amaryllis Indoors and Create Space for Silence

How can we create more moments of silence?  In “A Book of Silence,” Sara Maitland writes that “In our noise-obsessed culture it is very easy to forget just how many of the major physical forces on which we depend are silent — gravity, electricity, light, tides, the unseen and unheard spinning of the whole cosmos. … Organic growth is silent too. Cells divide, sap flows, bacteria multiply, energy runs thrilling through the earth, but without a murmur. … Gardening puts me in contact with all this silent energy; gardeners become active partners in all that silent growth. … The earth works its way under my nails and into my fingerprints, and a gardener has to pay attention to the immediate now of things.”

If December isn’t the best month for you to spend hours in your garden (hello lovely rain storm in L.A.!), you can spend some time with the silence of growing things indoors.  One of my favorite holiday plants is what is commonly called the Amaryllis, but I learned is actually a Hippeastrum, a genus in the family Amaryllidaceae.  (The generic use of “amaryllis” applies to a South African plant, generally grown outdoors.)

According to WhiteFlowerFarm.com, amaryllis that you purchase already potted need only a thorough watering with lukewarm water to begin growing.

  • Place the pot where the temperature remains above 60°F. The warmer the temperature (70-80°F night and day is ideal), the faster the bulb will sprout and grow.
  • Provide bottom heat (by setting the pot on a propagation mat or on the top of a refrigerator) to help stimulate growth.
  • Water only when the top inch of the potting mix is dry.

If you want your bulb to bloom again in a year, it’s important to let it re-build after flowering.

  • Cut the flower stalk 3 to 5 inches above the bulb, but do not cut off the leaves.
  • Place your plant in a sunny window, and continue your watering habit when the top inch is dry.
  • WhiteFlowerFarm recommends fertilizing with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer once a month, and after the final frost, either moving the pot outdoors or planting the bulb in full sun.

How are you creating space for silence this winter?  Tell us on Twitter @RebeccaSnavely & @TheCityFarm

(Photo Credit: TraditionalHome)

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Growing a Patriotic Garden and Menu for the Holidays

Growing a Patriotic Garden and Menu for the Holidays

November 25, 2014/in Grow /by Rebecca

This Thanksgiving, are you going patriotic on your dinner party? Does your pilgrim menu hearken back to only that which the Native Americans served? That sounds fun!  Educational! And limited!  If your menu is missing some flavors, think bigger.  Like Statue of Liberty big, this land is your land, big.  There are a lot of fun flavors and foods that are very ‘merican.

Because America’s dinner tables are just that, a flavorful mix of other nation’s cuisines.  So while it is good to honor what grew natively in our land, it’s très American to add hints of flavor from around the world, honoring that poem carved on the base of Lady Liberty:

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Emma Lazarus’s words are so powerful, I wouldn’t dare change them. But if I did, it might go a little like this:

Give me your meatballs, your macaroni,

Your spaghetti, yearning to breathe free…

Growing a Patriotic Garden and Menu for the Holidays

If I could add on, it would be to ask all immigrants to continue sharing the food and recipes from their native lands, letting us all continue to learn, taste, and grow.  NPR’s The Salt highlighted this very sentiment in their piece “A Journey Through the History of American Food in 100 Bites.”  “Apple pie isn’t American in the way people often mean. Every ingredient, from apples to butter to nutmeg and cinnamon, came from somewhere else.

“But then, so do most Americans.”

Let’s start with Brussels sprouts.   “Sprouts were believed to have been cultivated in Italy in Roman times, and possibly as early as the 1200s in Belgium. The modern Brussels sprout that we are familiar with was first cultivated in large quantities in Belgium (hence the name “Brussels” sprouts) as early as 1587, with their introduction into the U.S. in the 1800s. They were grown in California in the early 1900s, with the first central coast plantings in the 1920s.”

Mother Nature Network has 10 recipes guaranteed to make your mouth water, though I swear by the same simple one I posted about cauliflower.

To grow your own Brussels sprouts:

  • Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before last spring frost.  (Overnight frosts bring out the sweetness in the plants.)
  • Work fertilizer into soil a few days before planting or transplanting.
  • Plant transplant seedlings 12-24 inches apart.
  • According to OrganicGardening.com, small sprouts (about 1-inch diameter) are the most tender. Harvest them as they mature from the bottom of the stalk upward. Remove sprouts by twisting them from the stem. Pinching off the plant tops forces sprouts to mature faster. Just before a severe freeze, uproot the plants, remove any remaining leaves, and hang the “logs” upside down in a cool place for a few more weeks of harvesting.

What are you preparing or planting for your cross-cultural/American Thanksgiving?  Leave a note in the comment section , or tell us on Twitter!  @TheCityFarm & @RebeccaSnavely

(Photo Credit:  UndergroundWineLetter.com, ClarendonSquare)

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Why Thanksgiving is the Red-Headed Stepchild of the Holidays

Why Thanksgiving is the Red-Headed Stepchild of the Holidays

November 18, 2014/in Grow /by Rebecca

I was going to work on a “growing gratitude” post for Thanksgiving this last weekend, but then the accounting that I’d been working on all weekend vanished in the spinning (yet colorful!) pinwheel of frozen death. All is well now, but by the end of the experience, my brain was mushy from number-crunching and I felt very little space in my little hard heart for giving thanks.

But! It’s a new day.  And it’s November, even through there’s little evidence here in L.A., where I’m still wearing a tank top on my morning run.  I wanted a reminder of the season, something to trigger a space in my soul that we’re approaching our celebration of gratitude.

Every December, I faithfully watch “Little Women” and Barbara Stanwyck’s “Christmas in Connecticut” to get me in the holiday spirit, but I don’t have a go-to for Turkey Day. Looking for a list of Thanksgiving movies, I find there is a dearth of delightful classics. I guess I could watch Katie Holmes battle her family, a turkey, and heavy eyeliner in “Pieces of April.”  But it doesn’t cut it.  Nor do the giant retailers: The day after Halloween, Starbucks and CVS had Christmas décor lining the aisles, pumpkin flavored everything making way for Christmas blends and blinky lights.

What happened to Thanksgiving to make it the redheaded stepchild of the holiday calendar? And how can we reclaim it, and give it its rightful place on the calendar and in our shopping malls?

Ah – that explains it.  We don’t buy much for Thanksgiving.  It’s the anti-retailer holiday.  People actually go out of their way to volunteer at a homeless shelter this one Thursday of the year. There’s no undercover mascot like a “Secret Santa” to send us to stores to buy electronics for a co-worker we’ve never met.

That’s the beauty of Thanksgiving – we gather bearing casseroles and time-honored cranberries from a can to over-eat and remind ourselves that even without the gifts under the tree or the mad dashes for last minute trinkets, we are grateful.

Another way to find gratitude is to dig in the dirt. Caring for and growing your own food and flowers is a great way to connect with the daily cycle of your life, to press pause on your busy day and check in on your plants. If you’re looking to grow some traditional Turkey day items, take a look at last year’s “Growing Gratitude” post on cranberries and mindful eating, the history of the squash as inspired by Little Women, or the history of carrots and a link to growing your own.  It’s also a great idea to create your centerpiece from your own garden – explore in your garden and get creative with your greens.

Tell us how you plant to grow some gratitude this November.  Leave a note in the comments, or head over to Twitter! @RebeccaSnavely & @TheCityFarm.

(Photo Credit:  Sad Turkey via Snippets & Slappits)

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Living like ‘Little Women:’ Limes, Pears, & Poppies

Living like ‘Little Women:’ Limes, Pears, & Poppies

November 10, 2014/in Grow /by Rebecca

If you read my post on “’Little Women’ and the History of the Squash,” you know my love for the 1994 film adaptation of Alcott’s book, and my Christmas tradition that surrounds it, trimming a tree and watching the film with a friend over a bowl of popcorn and mugs of mulled wine.

And thus you’ll understand my distress upon reading the recent news that ABC is going to attempt a television version of my beloved book and movie.  I wondered what it is I love so much about the 1994 version, besides the obvious: Susan Sarandon IS Marmee and know one else should ever try to replace her.

It’s also Jo’s imagination, that “late at night my mind would come alive with voices and stories and friends as dear to me as any in the real world. I gave myself up to it, longing for transformation.”  It’s Laurie’s heartbreak when Jo refuses his proposal.  It’s the friendship between sisters who care for each other and burn each other’s books and create the Pickwick Club to critique stories and put on plays. It’s Beth’s love for the poor Hummel family.  It’s Amy’s limes in winter and Marmee’s feminist indignation when Amy’s teacher tells her it is “as useful to educate a woman as to educate a female cat.”

There are so many beautiful details in the film, colors that stand out against the stark, often dark landscape of the lean times surrounding The Civil War.  The bright green limes in the winter snow, the soft green pear Laurie leaves in the mailbox to announce he is home for a visit from college, the bright red petals of the poppy scattered over Beth’s death bed.  (Errr, spoiler alert.  Beth dies.)

Want to live like one of the “Little Women?” Surround yourself in the colors and tastes of the March household.

Amy’s Limes  “I’m so degradetated. I owe at least a dozen limes.”

  • Growing limes works best if you live in a warm climate, zones 8 – 11, with a mild winter.  However, if you live in a colder climate, dwarf varieties grown in protected containers will thrive as far down as USDA Zone 4.  If the temperature drops below 50F, bring your container(s) inside.
  • Plant in full sun, with soil that drains well.  Limes dislike salty or clay soil.
  • Nourish:  According to SF Gate, fertilize your citrus tree every couple of months, using citrus plant food or slow-release fertilizer with extra nitrogen. “The nitrogen content should be nearly double when compared to the phosphorous and potassium content; for example, 20-10-10. Only a third of the recommended amount of fertilizer needs to be used each time.”
  • When your soil is dry 6 inches deep, give your limes a healthy drink of water, approximately once to twice a week.
  • Fun fact – limes actually turn yellow when they are fully ripe, but are most flavor-packed with picked while still green, with just a tinge of yellow. (If lemons are your thing, read “Confessions of a Lemon Addict,” here.)

Laurie’s Pear “Laurie’s home for the weekend! In need of funds, no doubt. We’d have a week’s groceries for what he spends on billiards.”

  • Plan to plant pears? Choose two varieties and check with your local nursery that they are compatible with each other, as pears need cross-pollination to produce.*
  • Plant in full sun in the winter or early spring.
  • If you choose full-size trees, you’ll need a little more room, as they should be spaced 20 – 25 feet apart. If you’re tight on square footage, consider a dwarf variety, to plant 12 – 15 feet apart.
  • Similar to planting peaches (https://thecityfarm.com/hocus-pocus-magriculture/) if you’re transplanting from a container, lay the root ball on its side and use shears to remove any circling roots.  Your hold should be dug a few inches wider and deeper than the spread of the roots, and does not need to be fertilized before you plant.
  • OrganicGardening advises that you give each tree 5 to 10 pounds of composted manure to start and mulch the trees generously.  For the first few years, be sure your trees get an inch of water, whether from rain or your hose.

*OrganicGardening notes that the “available varieties include Asian types, European types, and hybrids of the two. The classic European pear varieties—’Bartlett’, ‘Anjou’, ‘Bosc’, ‘Comice’, and lately even ‘Seckel’— have become highly susceptible to a widespread bacterial disease called fire blight. They’re wonderful pears, suited to USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 to 8, but not the best choices for large swaths of the East and other regions where warm, wet springs—prime fire blight conditions—are the norm.”  If that sounds like your region, your best bet is the “Magness.”

Beth’s Poppies “I know I shall be homesick for you even in Heaven.”

Oh my god Beth.  I was trying to end this on an up note. But I do love sobbing in that moment, when Beth tells Jo she can be brave, too. That she’s not afraid to go ahead of her sisters into the unknown.  Cut to beloved hausfrau Hannah, tearing red poppy petals from the flower to sprinkle them over Beth’s empty bed, her worn, wrinkled hand pausing to grasp the hand of Beth’s doll.

SO SAD.  But poppies, although associated with wartime death, don’t have to be. Work with me. They’re bright. Cheery. So here’s how to add some cheerful color to your garden and remember Beth in her better days, writing about the history of squash.

  • Poppies are easy to grow, in zones 1 – 10, and best to grow from seed.
  • Plant perennial poppies outdoors in early spring, as well as annual varieties at the same time for Zones 3-7. If you live in Zones 8-10, sow in the fall.
  • Scatter the seed in your garden, or barely cover, in well-drained soil.
  • Watch them grown, cut for indoor arrangements. Scatter to re-enact the saddest scene.

What is your favorite scene in “Little Women?”  If you haven’t seen it, or it’s been a few years (or days) you can buy or rent it on YouTube.  Pour a glass of gluhwein, pop some corn, curl up with the March sisters, and tell us all about it.

Twitter: @RebeccaSnavely & @TheCityFarm

(Photo credits: Limes – Under a Blue Tree; Pears – Daily Hiit; Poppies – History Mike; Little Women – Abby Rosebrock)

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How to Hibernate with Your Fall Harvest

How to Hibernate with Your Fall Harvest

November 4, 2014/in Grow /by Rebecca

Having grown up in relatively mild climates, where fall = rain and winter was a rare snow day, celebrated with pancakes, hot chocolate, and a sad attempt to push an inch of snow into a squat snowman, I never really understood what it meant to winter.  After moving from Oregon to Southern California, I now understand it to mean wearing warm socks, turning on lights a bit earlier against the shorter days and longer nights, and breaking out the knit hat on a night out.  It was only when I moved to Kosovo for one of their coldest winters on record that I discovered that “winter” could actually be a verb, and I needed to learn quite quickly how to do it.  To stoke a dying fire that was the only source for cooking and heat in a place where the electricity was off for most of the day, to balance on icy sidewalks and shovel snow from the drive.

While it’s not *technically* winter until Solstice on December 21st, after our Halloween rain here in L.A., it finally feels like fall!  It’s time “to autumn.” What does that look like for you? Beyond eating soup and wearing my favorite boots, I don’t know how I’d define it that verb.  So I took to the interwebs, and learned that if you’re already feeling the chill of fall frosts coming, canning your veggies or storing them for the winter is a perfect way to welcome the colder weather.  And for those of us in warmer areas, you can still plant cold-weather veggies, like lettuces, radishes, or carrots.

The other cool thing I learned while online boot shopping visiting MotherEarthNews.com is that storing your wintery veggies like beets, cabbage, and turnips is in keeping with their biennial nature (“plants that flower and set seed during their second growing season”), so they’re accustomed to hibernating for the winter.  In addition to those root veggies, it’s easy to store celery, leeks, brussels sprouts, peppers, and citrus fruits for anywhere from two to eight weeks in a cool room, and MotherEarthNews says that onions, pumpkins, sweet potatoes will last ‘til spring if you keep them dry and cool.  According to GrowVeg.com, late-harvested apples store best in trays with shredded newspaper, straw or special padded cardboard liners, in a cool, but not frosty, room.

Are you canning your fruits and veggies for the winter?  Picking proper storage for your harvest? Tell us how you “autumn” in the comments or over on Twitter @TheCityFarm.
(Photo Credit: ChugachFarm.com)

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Hocus, Pocus, Magriculture!

Hocus, Pocus, Magriculture!

October 28, 2014/in Grow /by Rebecca

Artist Sam Van Aken is making magic with agriculture (magriculture?), creating a tree that blooms in various colors and then produces over 40 different fruits.  No, Van Aken is not trying to play God, though he was inspired by the Catholic rite of the priest transforming the wine and bread into the blood and body of Christ.

Sam had been performing “hoaxes” on the radio, hijacking commercial stations with his own versions of ads and songs.  Researching the etymology of the word “hoax,” he was led to the transubstantion of the Eurcharist in the Catholic church, as “hoax” is derived from “hocus pocus,” which is in turn from the Latin “hoc est enim corpus miem,” meaning “this is my body,” the phrase the priest uses to bring the mystery of the body of Christ into the present, physical space for the people of the church.

As an artist, Sam was intrigued. How could he alter the appearance of a thing while the reality of it remained the same?  Combining his childhood, growing up on the family farm, with his work as an artist, he began to build a fruit tree.  To graft together the more than forty stone fruits, he approaches local farmers and growers for their fruit, adding an element of the political surrounding the diversity of food production to his growing statement on art and commerce.

But, Sam told Epicurious in the interview, “first and foremost I see the tree as an artwork. Like the hoaxes I was doing, I want the tree to interrupt and transform the everyday. When the tree unexpectedly blossoms in different colors, or you see these different types of fruit hanging from its branches, it not only changes the way you look at it, but it changes the way you perceive [things] in general.”

You may not get the chance to graft together a fruit tree to blow your mind and neighbors’ preconceived notions about life.  So how can you see the daily or mundane in a new light?  Oftentimes all it takes is a shift in perspective.  Growing your own fruit tree, caring for it, nurturing it, watching it finally blossom and produce delicious fruit can be a way to see your world through new eyes.

If you want to plant a peach tree, put it on your calendar for this spring!

  • Peach trees grow best in full sun, in sandy soil, in USDA Zones 5 to 8. If you live in colder regions, check with your local nursery about varieties that will do best in your neck of the woods.
  • Choose a young tree to transplant, approximately one year old. If possible, plant the same day that you adopt your tree.
  • According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, if you have a container-grown tree, remove the plant from its pot, lay the root ball on its side, and cut away any circling roots. For grafted trees, plant the inside of the curve of the graft union away from the sun.
  • Dig a hole a few inches bigger and deeper than the reach of the root ball. Make a small pile of dirt to set your tree on in the hole, and gently spread the roots away from the trunk.
  • If you’re planting more than one tree, give regular sized peach trees 15 to 20 feet of space; if you’re growing dwarf trees, place them 12 – 15 feet apart.

I admit, I take compliments ALL the time for remembering birthdays, anniversaries, and first dates and I don’t give Google calendar ANY credit.  But it’s the only way I remember to do anything. Mail my rent? Check. Eat lunch? Check check. Fertilize my peach tree three years after planting?  Definitely need to set an e-mail reminder for that.  It’s like a free personal, electronic assistant. To take the best care of your peaches, add these dates from the time you plant your peach tree:

  • 6 weeks after planting, fertilize your peach tree with one pound of nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Year 2, use 3/4 pound of nitrogen fertilizer once in the spring and once in the early summer. Year 3, add approximately one pound of nitrogen to your tree(s) in the spring. (The Old Farmer’s Almanac)
  • Pruning your peaches is critical. Check out these videos on YouTube for a how-to from Dr. Mike Parker, Tree Fruit Extension Specialist with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service at North Carolina State University: click here to learn about pruning your two-year-old tree, and here what to do with your three-year-old.

How do you see the magic in your daily surroundings?  Tell us in the comments or over on Twitter @RebeccaSnavely & @TheCityFarm.

(Photo Credit: Epicurious.com)

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Caring for Cauliflower: Plant Now For a Spring Harvest

Caring for Cauliflower: Plant Now For a Spring Harvest

October 21, 2014/in Grow /by Rebecca

I was shocked – as shocked as one can get about vegetables, which, frankly, runs pretty low on my shock-scale.  But still, when my brother-in-law ordered a small plate of roasted cauliflower for the table, I didn’t think I’d be (softly) stabbing his hand with my fork in order to eat the last piece.

That night, the Olympic Provisions kitchen handed over the incredibly easy recipe (see below) to replicate the yummy dish at home, so we might make as much as we wanted and ensure familial bliss.

If you read this blog and recently planted easy peas, you’ll have more time to tend to your slightly more needy cauliflower crop.  The benefits are awesome: adding more cruciferous veggies to your plate will not only give you more vitamin C and K, but also add glucosinolates to your diet, “compounds containing sulfer that are found only in cruciferous vegetables. Eating glucosinolates might help lower your risk of cancer, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.”

Cauliflower thrives in a cool climate of consistent 60 degree weather,  and grow best planted in the fall. If you live in a warm area, you can plant any time from now ‘til early winter, but want to wait ‘til the weather is consistently around 75 degrees or colder.

  • Plant 6-8 weeks before the first fall frost.
  • Choose a spot with at least 6 hours of full sun, with soil rich in potassium and nitrogen.
  • Start your seedlings indoors, according to OrganicGardening.com, and plant the seeds ¼ to ½ inch deep in peat or paper pots. Harden off your seedlings for a week by exposing them to a few hours of outdoor sunlight and air each day before you transplant into your garden.
  • Plant the seedlings 15 to 24 inches apart (check with your nursery regarding the variety that will work best for your region).
  • Cauliflower needs consistent water to grow well – 1 to 1 ½ inches per week.
  • Be patient – some varieties take 75 to 85 days after transplant to fully mature.
  • To keep your cauliflower looking fresh and white (unless you’re growing the gorgeous purple variety), The Old Farmer’s Almanac suggests you blanch your plants to protect them from the sun. “When the curd (the white head) is about 2 to 3 inches in diameter, tie the outer leaves together over the head with a rubber band, tape, or twine.”
  • The cauliflower is ready to harvest around 7 to 12 days after blanching.

As promised, the recipe for roasted cauliflower a la Robert the brother-in-law:

Chef’s note: Measurements don’t really apply for this recipe. You go where the spirit leads you. Baking on a pizza stone is ideal, but a baking tray works well, too.

  • Depending on your hunger, take 1 head of cauliflower (or more). Cut out most of the core and detach/cut the florets. Separate florets to make smaller ones – but not too small.
  • Throw into a mixing bowl and add enough olive oil to get them nicely coated but not drenched. Mix around by hand and add more if needed.
  • Grind coarse sea salt and pepper (to taste) into the bowl, then mix again.
  • Heat oven to at least 450 with pizza stone/baking tray in there. I often do these on the barbecue, getting the temp well above 500. Requires being more watchful, but the higher temp seems to result in best combination of charring and firmness.
  • Once you get oven to desired temp, dump cauliflower onto the pre-heated tray and spread out as much as possible.
  • Check in about 8 minutes (sooner at higher temps). On a pre-heated tray, the side of the floret facing down will start to brown first. Watch for this, and if that’s the case, push the florets around a bit for even browning.
  • Check again at about 12 minutes and press on the stems of the bigger pieces to see how soft they are. You want them to be somewhat soft to the touch, but still firm to the tooth. Try one and see if you like the texture. If not, give them a couple minutes and sample again.

Serve to happy eaters who never knew cauliflower could be so good.  Are you growing your own cauliflower?

(Photo Credit: Pirate Kitchen)

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Grow Garlic, Avoid Vampires

Grow Garlic, Avoid Vampires

October 13, 2014/in Grow /by Rebecca

It’s time for me to ‘fess up: I think vampires are real.  Well, maybe not *real* real.  But back in ’92, after watching the Luke Perry / Kristy Swanson cult classic “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer,” I began to seriously consider what it meant to invite some vampire err… someone into your house.   And while it’s *mostly* a running joke about my weird phobias (clowns ARE real and they’re terrifying, people), I’m not opposed to keeping a clove of garlic handy come Halloween time.

Are you planning a ghoulish gathering or hosting a Halloween pumpkin patch party this year? A quick Google search reveals all kinds of ideas for adding vampire-repelling garlic to your menu, from cupcakes to pumpkin sage bread to a warm and savory soup.  If you want to pick your garlic from your garden next year, now is the time to plant! Garlic grows year-round in mild climates, and will be ready to harvest in spring or summer for those living in colder regions.  Just be sure to plant your cloves six weeks before the first real frost.

  • Pick a spot with full sun.  Though garlic will grow in almost any soil, it will best thrive with well-drained dirt and plenty of organic matter.
  • To prep, OrganicGardening.com suggests soaking your garlic bulbs in a jar of water with one tablespoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of liquid seaweed for a few hours before planting.
  • Pull apart the bulb of garlic into cloves, and plant each clove 4 to 8 inches apart, with the pointed end facing up, the tip a good 2 inches beneath the soil.
  • Cover with mulch or straw, and soon you’ll see the shoots starting to pop up.  If you actually have a real winter, unlike those of us in Southern California who are just hoping for a tiny bit of rain, the garlic will stop growing until the spring.
  • If your rain dance doesn’t work, water weekly to meet the garlic’s needs for about an inch of water while the garlic is growing.
  • Prune aggressively.  When your garlic starts producing flowering, curly tops that start to get spiky, sacrifice these “scapes” for the plant to grow a bigger bulb.
  • According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, your garlic is ready to harvest when the tops turn yellow and start to fall over.  Carefully pull up the bulb, and dry inside for 2 weeks, til the roots are dry and the skin of the garlic is dry and papery.

Even if you’re not worried about keeping vampire visitors at bay, there are many other benefits to garlic.  Rich in antioxidants, it was used to fight gangrene in both world wars, and continues to battle disease as a regular part of your diet, combatting the common cold.  Research is ongoing, but studies show that garlic benefits your heart health and blood pressure, as well as adding tons of flavor to your food.

Do you grow your own garlic? Planning to plant some this month?  Talk to us on Facebook or Twitter!

(Photo Credit: HarvestToTable)

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