Master Gardeners Rock!

I always enjoy speaking to the new classes of the Hamilton County Master Gardeners.  They are always interested in learning & ask some great questions.  Thanks to Tom Stebbins for inviting me back to present the Herb segment of the classes.

In the next few days, I'll be posting information that was specifically requested during the classes.
Please bear with me until I get the time to post all of it.  I promise I will get it on here just as soon as I can!
The Down To Earth Garden Girl (a.k.a. Pat)

Planting for Spring

Ok, in all fairness, THIS is why I never have time to blog.
Seeds, products, t-shirts, other creations, other ideas for creations - I think you get my point.  It can be tricky to juggle, particularly where the seeds and plants are concerned.

All I need now is a stretch of sunny weather.  Fat chance of that this week.  We've gone from a blanket of snow to two days of sunshine to five days of rain.  The melting snow would have been enough to create a mess to slog through, but the rain has added insult to injury.  Every step between greenhouses today was squish-squish-squish, interrupted only by an occasional slip and shoe full of mud.

I cannot believe how many varieties of herb and veggie seeds I have started.  And let's not forget the edible flowers.  This was the view a couple of weeks ago.  Some of these have since been potted and more have taken their place. You can hurry through some things, but you can't grab a seedling by its little leaves and make it get bigger.  Add to that two bouts of illness where I lost serious greenhouse time and it's understandable why I fight a feeling of panic every time I walk through the doors. So much of growing is completely out of my control.   My husband will tell you that I'm not a patient person.  I have great expectations - I don't care that the seed packet says 6-12 days for germination.  I'm convinced that if I stare at the dirt every day looking for signs of life, it will speed things up.

Very soon, I will list all the varieties on the menu for this season.  I have to ditch this panic and get back Down To Earth!

Worst Blogger Ever?

I often wonder how people find the time to blog on a regular basis.  Perhaps I have too many irons in the fire, but I like all my activities...so...I will once again TRY to do better.  Promise.

The Year of Playing Catch-Up

We are nearing the end of November.  When did that happen?  It seems like just yesterday I was posting about the newly planted garden.  Seems I have plenty of thyme, but not plenty of time.
I often wonder how people manage to make regular blog posts, Facebook posts, Tweets, follow things on Pinterest, etc.  I dare not even create a Pinterest account...

Shortly after the first of the year, I was running behind & have been running that same race all year.
To recap the summer, while some things in the garden did well, others didn't.  Scored some Tidwell's peaches & our blueberries yielded a decent harvest.  Here's the final tally in the larder:

• Canned:  43 quarts of green beans, 6 quarts of tomato sauce, 12 pints of Kosher dill pickles, 18 pints of lime pickles, 44 half-pints of peach butter, 20 pints of peach syrup
• Frozen:  28 quarts of yellow squash, 8 quarts of blueberries, 8 half-pints of roasted red peppers, 12 quarts of pink banana pumpkin/squash
• Dried:  a pound of cayenne peppers

I think I'm finally at the point were I can take a few deep breaths before it starts all over again. However, I'm mapping out some potential improvements on paper.  For starters, I am going to be more specific with scheduling my tasks.  Only time will tell if this will be effective (there's that pesky 'time' thing again).

I promise you (and myself) to do a better job.
Promise yourself to take time to be Down To Earth!

Planting Has Begun!

When I'm digging and planting, I'm in my element.  Mark did a fine job tilling the garden earlier this month, but after a few showers a crust had developed (along with some young weeds).  I'm using the small tiller to reestablish soft soil for rows.

To say I have an aggressive plan for the garden this year would be an understatement.  If all goes as planned, I will have 3 varieties of yellow squash (Lioness, Fortune & Cube of Butter), 2 varieties of peppers (Big Red & Joe's Long Cayenne), 2 varieties of eggplant (Fairy Tale & Orient Express), 4 varieties of cucumbers (Tasty Jade, Bush Pickle, Arkansas Little Leaf & Rocky), 10 varieties of tomatoes (Mortgage Lifter, Martian Giant, Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, Super Sioux, San Marzano, Principe Borghese, Yellow Pear, Maglia Rosa, & Sweet Pea Currant), and at least 3 varieties of beans (Bountiful, Gita & Lazy Wife Greasy Bean).  Of course, there are other things I will start & plant later in the summer for fall/winter crops.  I'll reveal those later.  When I look through the seed catalogs, many things catch my eye.  I'll never know if I like a variety or not unless I try it...right?

Yes, your Honor, I have lost my mind.  Well, maybe not completely...yet...  The mission, should I choose to accept it and weather permitting, is to sell any excess we may have at market plus give some away.  My Dad always said your garden will do better if you give some away.  Makes sense to me, because I watched him do just that and his garden always prospered.  I hope he would be proud of my agricultural accomplishments.  I know I'm pretty proud, but not so much that it will keep me from being Down To Earth.

Companion Planting

While I was at the Master Gardener's Expo, several people asked about companion planting.  As promised, I am posting some information on that subject.  This is by no means a complete list, but it should be extensive enough to get you going.

Companion Planting Guide
Basil	•          May repel flies, asparagus beetle, mosquitoes & thrips •          Beneficial with tomatoes, squash, strawberries, grapes & peppers •          Avoid planting with rue or sage
Bee Balm	•          Beneficial with tomatoes •          Attracts beneficial insects & bees
Catnip	•          May repel flea beetles, Japanese beetles, aphids, ants, weevils & squash bugs •          May repel rodents
Chamomile	•          Beneficial with cucumbers & onions •          Increases essential oil in peppermint •          Attracts hover flies & wasps
Chervil	•          Beneficial with broccoli, lettuce & radishes •          May repel aphids, slugs •          Incompatible with beans & peas
Chive	•          May repel tomato pests, aphids •          Beneficial with carrots, grapes, roses & tomatoes •          Helps prevent apple scab
Cilantro	•          Attracts beneficial insects
Clover	•          Nitrogen fixer •          Attracts beneficial insects, particularly predators of the wooly aphid
Dandelion	•          Emits ethylene gas that is beneficial to fruit trees
Dill	•          Attracts beneficial insects •          Incompatible with carrots, caraway & tomatoes •          Beneficial with cabbage, lettuce & onions •          May repel aphids, squash bugs •          Can attract the tomato horn worm
Eucalyptus	•          May repel ants, cabbage looper, & Colorado potato beetle
Fennel	•          May repel aphids (I have not found this to be so) •          Attracts beneficial insects •          Incompatible with dill, potatoes
Lavender	•          May repel fleas, moths & whitefly
Lemon Balm	•          May repel many bugs
Lovage	•          Beneficial with most plants •          Attracts ground beetles
Marjoram	•          Beneficial with vegetables & herbs
Mints	•          Attracts beneficial insects, particularly predatory wasps & hover flies •          Use cuttings to mulch beets •          May repel rodents, ants, cabbage moth, aphids, fleas, flea beetles •          Beneficial with cabbage & tomatoes
Oregano	•          Beneficial with grapes, cabbage, squash & hot peppers •          May repel cucumber beetles & cabbage butterflies
Parsley	•          Beneficial with tomatoes, roses, asparagus, carrot, hot peppers, chive & onion •          Attracts beneficial insects, particularly hover flies & parasitic wasps •          May repel asparagus beetles •          Incompatible with mints
Rosemary	•          Beneficial with hot peppers, carrots, beans, cabbage & sage •          May repel carrot flies, cabbage moths & bean beetles
Sage	•          May repel white cabbage butterflies, beetles, flea beetles, carrot flies & cabbage moths •          Incompatible with cucumbers •          Beneficial with cabbage, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower & rosemary
Tarragon	•          Beneficial with most vegetables •          May repel a variety of pests
Thyme	•          Beneficial with eggplant, potatoes & tomatoes •          May repel cabbage worms, whitefly & cabbage looper

We Survived the Whirlwind!

What a week!  It was stressful & exhausting, but we survived our cluster of events.  I could not have accomplished any of it without the love & support of my dear husband Mark, plus help from Taylor & her mom, Cindy.  The encouragement of loving friends was also a big, big help.

Thursday, 4/10 we attended the Grand Opening of the Lookout Farmer's Market.  Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures there, but will next time.  Everyone was very welcoming and excited about their new market.
Friday was a firestorm of activity, getting organized and loading up for 3 venues on Saturday and 2 on Sunday.

On Saturday, Taylor manned the tent at St. Alban's Farmer's Market.  Mark had his maiden solo market voyage at the Hamilton County Master Gardener's Expo and I manned (so to speak) the tent at the Crabtree Farms Spring Plant Sale.

The weather was beautiful, but a bit breezy and the Crabtree staff was supportive, as always.  The farm is such a nice setting; it is an oasis in the middle of an urban landscape.  The only thing I dislike about the event is that, as a vendor, I'm never able to browse through the plants THEY have to offer!  Mark took over there on Sunday and had a rough time with some gusty wind.  He was certainly a trooper.  I think he has made it halfway through his market apprenticeship training without being scared off & is still willing to do it again! 

The Master Gardener's Expo was better than ever and it appeared they had even more vendors than 2013.  There were a wide variety of vendors, including nurseries, landscape companies, garden clubs, agricultural supplies, yard art/birdhouses, garden

tools, nature artists & more!
We had a great spot for the booth and a lot of help whenever we needed it.  On Sunday afternoon I gave a 45 minute talk on incorporating herbs into the home landscape.  There were a lot of good questions and I even helped with some veggie garden issues.  It must have been well-received because I received an excellent rating on the participant evaluations.  That makes a Garden Girl feel good!  Many thanks to those who stopped by any of the locations to support the business.  We appreciate your patronage!

Needless to say, we were both exhausted by the time it was all over and spent today taking it easy and getting back Down to Earth!

I Must Have Lost My Mind

More than once this week I've wondered, have I completely lost my mind?  Never mind that I'm running behind on almost everything.  I have four events this week.  Oh, and never mind that three of the four happen on the same two days.  Have I completely lost my mind?

This Thursday, 4/10, from 3 p.m. till 7 p.m. I will be at the grand opening of the Lookout Farmer's Market atop historic Lookout Mountain.  Saturday & Sunday I will be at both the Crabtree Farms Spring Plant Sale & the Hamilton County Master Gardener's Master Your Garden Expo.  I will also be represented on Saturday morning at the St. Alban's Farmer's Market.  Yep, I'm beginning to rethink my position on cloning.  Luckily, I will be able to pull this off with the help of my dear husband and some very good friends.  I will personally be at the Crabtree Farms location on Saturday & the Expo on Sunday.  On Sunday, I will be giving a talk from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. on incorporating herbs into your landscape.

So if you're out and about this weekend, there are ample opportunities to check out my plants, teas, seasonings & Garden Girl T-Shirts.
I'm sure that by Sunday night there will be some really tired people wanting to get back Down To Earth!

Almost Garden Time!

While we've had some rain, it hasn't been the deluge we experienced last Spring.  We were able to get the garden tilled in between showers without turning it into a mud bog.
There's something about the smell of freshly tilled soil that does my soul good.  So now I'm chomping at the bit, ready to mark rows, plant seeds/seedlings and wait for the fruits of my labor.

I can already envision cages leaning under the weight of rosy tomatoes on healthy branches.  There will be towers of pole beans creating green, leafy columns.  Ah, and let's not forget okra stalks resembling a nuclear holocaust after the marauding deer eat all the leaves...  I can hear my Dad saying 'deer need to eat, too.'

There is something therapeutic about digging in the dirt, planting seedlings that you've watched germinate and reaping the rewards of your labor.  Everyone who eats a vegetable should have to spend one day working in a garden.  People need to understand what it takes to get the food to their plate.
Just maybe that would keep them Down To Earth.

Catching Up...

"The best laid plans..."  Do you sometimes wonder why we bother making plans at all?
After the Fall of 2013 and Winter/Spring of 2014, I had to ask myself that question.  Beset with a couple of health issues, then losing power in the greenhouses during our last snowstorm, I found myself woefully behind on many things.  But while I might have been down, I was definitely not out - at least not yet!

So with the determination and perseverance my Father taught me, plus the faith in God that sustains me, I moved and continue to move forward.  I managed to get more cuttings done and  more seeds started.  Thanks to heat mats and blessings I have been potting seedlings for the past month.  Here's proof that I wasn't slacking.  There were seed trays lined up for 30 feet down one side of the greenhouse.

 
These pictures are from mid-March.  Things are coming along nicely, with a few exceptions.  This seems to be one of those years when all the difficult seeds germinate and the run-of-the-mill seeds decide to be challenging.  This is the first season I have started with no dill or curled parsley because the seeds just sat there...and sat there, while the wormwood, milkweed, pleurisy root and other persnickety seeds popped through the soil like they were on steroids!  Go figure...  Those are the joys and frustrations of growing useful weeds.  Through the sanity and some insanity, it keeps us Down To Earth.
Note:  April 5th I will be at the St. Alban's Market with teas, seasoning, bath brews & salts, note cards & Garden Girl T-shirts.
More to come!

Garden Progress

After an iffy start, the garden seems to be coming along.  This is the weeded part.  I'm ashamed to post the unweeded part!

Leading the charge are the cucumbers. Jackson Classic Pickling Cucumbers, to be exact. From the looks of things, I may be buried in cucumbers...  I already have enough for the first batch of lime pickles.  I've never had much luck with dills, but would love to give them another try.  There should be a trick to keeping them fairly crisp - that is where I have failed in the past.  If anyone knows this bit of sorcery, please share!

The squash is starting to produce just a bit.  They didn't weather the heavy rain as well as everything else.  So far the tomatoes are doing well, as is the okra.  On the tomato list there is Cherokee Purple, Super Sioux, Legend and some pre-Monsanto Big Beef (older seed).  Unfortunately, I've forgotten the variety of okra.  The beans are climbing their strings and will wrap around your leg if you stand still too long near them.  They are Gita, which is a long, slender gourmet bean with a nice nutty flavor.  And when I say long, I mean 18-20 inches long!  They are also stringless with a nice bean production.  I also planted a few 'greasy beans' for a dear friend.  Those are a first for me, so I'm not sure what to expect.

 

Soon I will be transplanting broccoli and cauliflower, and propagation in the greenhouse seems never-ending.  All of it keeps this Garden Girl digging in the dirt and Down To Earth!

Market Update

I will NOT be at the St. Alban's Market tomorrow (6/29/13).  I will return to the market, God willing, on Saturday, 7/6/13.  I will be at the Sewanee July 4th celebration, on (yes, you guessed it) Thursday, July 4th.  If you're up for a day trip with plenty of festivities, come visit!  The vendors will be in Shoop Park on the Sewanee campus (University of the South).  Susan Parry, glass artist extraordinaire, will also be there.
Easy to find, beautiful setting, food, festivities, parade and fireworks...what more could you ask for in a holiday celebration?

Almost Back At It!

Knock wood, this seems to be my shortest encounter with respiratory crud ever!  I've consumed elderberry, echinacea and astragalus tinctures twice a day, along with copious amounts of water and hot teas with honey.  I also did the saline sinus flush early on, which I'm sure didn't hurt and tried to get plenty of rest.  Needless to say, greenhouse stock doesn't water itself...soooo...
Oddly enough, when I would drag myself to the greenhouses to check on things (and water), my head would clear up and I could breathe freely.  Could have been the humidity or the essential oils from the plants, but I can tell you I seriously considered spending the night there!  But...visions of spiders tap-dancing all over my body put an end to that thought!
I'm hopeful that tomorrow will be even better and I can spend more time digging in the dirt!

St. Alban's Market 4/27/13 - UPDATE

Unexpected change in plans - I have come down with the same crud that my husband has had for a week.  This means I will not be able to be at the market this morning.  It could likely not be conducive to my recovery and I'm sure the customers wouldn't appreciate my presence either.
Hopefully, I will be well enough to set up next Saturday.  Sorry for any inconvenience...

St. Alban's Market 4/27/13

For those of you checking my blog, I will be at the St. Alban's Market this coming Saturday (4/27/13) from 10 a.m until 1 p.m. EST.  Since there is rain in the forecast, I will be bringing only plants.  Understandably, wet weather has a tendency to adversely affect my non-plant products.
I will have culinary and medicinal herbs, scented geraniums, butterfly bush, and horseradish.
The market is at St. Alban's Epsicopal Church  which is located on Hixson Pike, just north of Thrasher Pike and Gold Point Circle (road to Chester Frost Park).
Note:  If there are storms in the area, I will not be there.  Selling plants or any other product is not worth being struck by lightning...

Master Your Garden Expo was GREAT!

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Hamilton County Master Gardener's Expo this past weekend!  Once again, the weekend was so much more than I ever expected.  It was nice to reconnect with those I hadn't seen in a while as well as meet new friends.
Major kudos to Sue Henley and Patsy Boles for their efforts in pulling it all together - they did a fantastic job!  If there were any glitches in the execution of the event, they certainly didn't show.                                                  
 I hurriedly took this picture before customers arrived.  The booths were 10x10, so I had to cram a lot into a small space and still leave a means of 'escape'!  This girl is way too old to be jumping tables - HA!  I was in an excellent location and had very nice booth neighbors.

 

 

I had a variety of goods for folks to choose from, and choose they did! I sold out of several things and had to replenish the plant supply for the second day of the show. It was also encouraging that my new t-shirt designs were a hit as well.  In addition, I handed out every single business card I brought!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Even though I have been running a month and a half behind in the greenhouse, the spurts of nice weather and sunshine seemed to give the plants the boost they needed. When almost everything is from seed or cuttings, there is no way to 'rush' the process.  That is perhaps the most frustrating part of the growth process.  It's not like you can grab them by their little leaves and pull them up to the size you need.  In addition, there are always 'critters' that like to show up at the most inopportune times!  However, that is all a part of the natural process, particularly if you try to grow sustainably/organically.  As my Dad would have said, "the bugs have to eat, too."  I just try to make sure I deal with them so you don't have to!

 

Now it's time for rest to prepare for another day of work.  I am feeling very blessed indeed and am looking forward to creating more products, growing more plants and participating in more opportunities.

 

Until next time, stay Down To Earth!

Great Weekend at Crabtree Farms

Crabtree Farms is a rural oasis in an urban setting.  Located just south of downtown Chattanooga, they have been in existence since 1998.  From their website description:

"The mission of Crabtree Farms is to connect Chattanoogans with our local foodshed. Crabtree Farms serves the greater Chattanooga community through education and advocacy programs that teach about growing food sustainably and choosing local produce."

They have a number of events throughout the year, with one being the Spring Plant Sale.  This past weekend, I participated in that event as a vendor.  It was a stellar weekend.  The staff and volunteers were very helpful and accommodating.  Even the weather was agreeable until the last 30 minutes on Sunday - then the wind picked up and it started to rain - but still not bad, considering the potential for volatile spring weather in the Southeast.

Mark always says "Go big or go home", so I went big.  I packed as many plants as I could into the back of the SUV and he helped out with tables, tent, etc. in the truck.  My display had been updated to reflect my 'brand colors' and I had a variety of non-plant products to add to the mix.  I was also

 able to get a few market totes decorated with my logo and my new 'Garden Girl' graphic.  Saturday was sunny and relatively mild with a non-stop stream of customers.  There's no doubt that the sunshine contributed to 'plant fever'.  People of all ages were buying plants of all kinds, ranging from edibles to ornamentals.  There were boxes of various sizes along with little red wagons, all filled to capacity.  Before noon, I was calling for reinforcements and Mark brought another wave of plants.  After I got home Saturday afternoon, I loaded up additional plants to fill the voids on Sunday morning.  Sunday ended up being an overcast and much cooler day than originally expected, but there was still a decent crowd.  I was also pleased that I sold several of my non-plant products.  It was a lot of fun and a more profitable weekend than I had expected!

 

I also had great booth neighbors with great products.  On one side was Rising Dawn Boutique (www.RisingDawnBoutique.com).  This lovely young lady makes hand-tooled jewelry out of metal, wire, various stones, crochet and other mediums.  On the other side was Sequatchie Valley Institute (www.svionline.org).  They had glass work, ironwork, hand-applied batik, tie-dye and other offerings.  Their organization is involved in sustainable living education and they incorporate the craft and artwork into that multi-faceted endeavor.

 

Crabtree Farms also has other event during the year, including a Fall Plant Sale that will be on my calendar as a try-hard-to-do!  Check them out at www.crabtreefarms.org.

 

As always, keep digging in the dirt and stay Down To Earth!

Pat

Ready to Grow!

We've had soooo much rain!  I was beginning to worry about being able to till the garden spot.  Although the soil has been amended, it can still hold plenty of moisture for a very long time.  While this is good for growing, it's not so good when it's time to till.  I checked a couple of spots with a shovel late Saturday afternoon and, unbelievably, it was a go!  Grabbing a rake to go along with the shovel, I raced to clear leftover debris while Mark fired up the John Deere.  Just as it began to rain AGAIN, the first turn of the garden spot was done.  That's what I call teamwork!


Mark finishing the tilling on the old John Deere

 



I had used newspaper and mulch to suppress weed growth between the rows.  It now serves its second purpose of continuing to contribute to the amendment of the soil.  Prior to planting we will likely add a bit of sand and some compost and till that in as well.
I've already started plotting out what will go where.  Rotation of crop types in a garden is important.  With simple rotation, you can manage disease control, insect infestations, and soil nutrient balance.  A quick Internet search can provide all you want to know, from the simplest to the most elaborate plan.

It seems around greenhouses and gardens, you can never have too many wheelbarrows.  Case in point, both my 'good' wheelbarrows were full and I had to grab an old one that belonged to my Dad.  I'm really not sure how old this one was, but it soon showed its age...and croaked...right in the middle of a relatively light task. 

Needless to say, that puppy won't roll!  We haven't decided yet if we will try to resurrect it or just use it as a planter of sorts.  It has seen plenty of action over many years and even has a piece of sheet metal in the bottom from a previous repair.  Perhaps it's just time to give it a place of honor and let it literally 'push up daisies'!

More exciting things to come...Stay 'Down To Earth'!

Just Say NO to GMO's

Soapbox time...
I am truly appalled with questionable science being railroaded through the system.  Biology aside, common sense should tell you that genetically altering crops that are eventually either digested directly by us or digested by animals then eaten by us cannot be a good thing.  Our bodies recognize 'normal' food.  What happens when our bodies are confronted with a Frankenfood to digest?  I say no one knows.
Bills have passed and signatures have dried, but don't stop raising a ruckus about our right to safe, normal food and the right to know what we are eating.  Do your research, read both sides, learn exactly what is done to create GMO's.  Learn as much as you can to avoid these foods and do what you can to select non-GMO food. 
I fear that it is too late - but please keep fighting the good fight.

"There's a Change in the Weather, There's a Change in Me"

It has been quite some time since I've made any blog posts, mostly because I was too involved in other things.  Much has changed since the last post and it will be a different story going forward.

In a nutshell, I am no longer affiliated with Possum Creek Herb Farm as of mid-July, 2012.  Now it is back to my own shingle of Down To Earth.  The logo has been slightly revamped, but the vision remains the same.  Here is the bolder, fresher logo:

 

On labels and such, I am using just the 'Down To Earth' portion, because it can stand on its own and takes up less space.  The whole shebang goes on signs and banners.

I took a well-deserved breather to collect my thoughts, evaluate ideas, formulate some new products and tweak existing products, as well as design some t-shirts and other gift ideas.  Those will be featured in future blogs.

 

During this time, I spent over a month caring for an ailing family dog (Barney), who recovered only to die unexpectedly right after the first of the year from a completely unrelated issue.  We love our critters...they are like members of our family, so this was particularly devastating to both my husband and me.  Barney was our little clown and provided years of companionship and joy to us.  While time heals, it is very slow going.  There still isn't a day that passes where we can't help but get a bit misty-eyed thinking about our little buddy.

This picture gives a small peek into his personality and spirit.  He lived to play ball and play with "Mr. Fox" (his favorite toy).

 

As it is said, life goes on and time waits for no one.  I hope to be adding regular additions to the blog, displaying my new creations and documenting adventures as I resurrect the business that I left idle for far too long.

Until then, hug your critters, keep diggin' in the dirt and stay Down To Earth!

Pat