rooting plants in water

this is the time in my garden when some things begin to peter out and gaps and holes begin to appear in planters, window boxes and pots.

a simple way to increase your plant collection at no cost is to root your own plants. coleus, mint, basil, lavender, wandering jew, begonias, geraniums, sweet potato vine as well as many houseplants such as african violets, ivy, spider plant, philodendron and creeping fig all root well in water.

most plants that can successfully produce roots in water have thick, succulent leaves and stems. don't let the above list deter you from trying others though!

below is a simple guide to rooting your plants.

 ::water the plant thoroughly a day or two before taking cuttings so it is not under drought stress.

::take cuttings from a healthy, vigorous and disease-free plant.

::cut 3 to 6 inch sections of stem that each contain a growing tip, if possible, off the parent plant. make a clean, angled cut just above a leaf node.

 ::trim off any leaves on the lowest one-third of the cutting, keeping at least two leaves on each cutting.

 ::place the cuttings in a water-filled jar so that the leafless portion of the stem is submerged and the remaining leaves are out of the water and hanging over or resting on the lip of the jar.

::set the jar with cuttings and water somewhere that gets partial sun, like a windowsill.

::check the cuttings regularly. add more water to replace any that evaporates and replace water that becomes cloudy.

::if roots turn brown and mushy with rot, discard the cuttings and water, clean the jar and start over with fresh cuttings.

::once several roots have appeared and grown a few inches long, the cuttings are ready to be gently planted in moist potting soil.

 happy rooting!!

the august harvest

Recently harvested: basil, shallots, broccoli, heirloom tomatoes, green onions, chamomile.

 I thought it would be fun today to share some different ways that we've been preparing produce in our kitchen this summer.

Zucchini: We have a go-to zucchini pancake recipe that we love, and to that we've been adding corn kernels from 2 ears of corn. Make a big batch as these freeze well.

Basil: To top the zucchini pancakes, we made a simple basil oil. It's just basil and olive oil whizzed in the blender with salt and pepper to taste. I think this would also be lovely on sourdough toast.

We added basil to our latest batch of kombucha, and the results were truly delicious. I hope to try a batch with chamomile next.

Blackberries: This year I've been really into making infused fruit vinegars. Just remember to use vinegar that has at least 5% acidity.

Chard: My new favorite way to prepare chard involves removing the rib (and chopping it into small pieces) and then steaming or boiling both the rib and the leaf. This should be a quick process--only a few minutes. Then add it to a skillet with olive oil, garlic, chopped Kalamata olives, and diced banana peppers and heat until everything is warm. Serve topped with a very small amount of feta cheese.


What are some of your favorite, simple recipes for the summer produce you've been harvesting?

my new garden companion

I have no  acceptable excuse for my absence here other than it's been so darn hot and I haven't had much gusto to do much of anything in the garden and oh yes we got a puppy!!

Luckily though the garden still grows without my help and we have had plenty of rain to keep it going. Thankfully the weather broke last week and has been quite pleasant allowing me and Harry (our new pup) to get out there.

It's been so nice to have a companion in the garden who follows me around and keeps me company as I weed and harvest. He absolutely loves cucumbers!

The garden is showing signs of late summer and even peeks of early fall with it's Black-Eyed Susans and Joe-Pye Weed in full bloom. The Crape Myrtle's bark is beginning to shed  and I have seen a few Aster and Toad Lily buds beginning to form.

I hope to sow some fall greens in the next week or two, dry a whole lot of mint and get a spring bulb order in. All with Harry's help of course.

hand pollination update

 A while back I talked about how I was hand pollinating my melons for the first time this year, since they are growing in a hoop house. With quite a bit of fruit growing now, I thought I'd report back. Pollination has been pretty successful.

This melon is the largest of them (and seems quite large for this variety's average size!), and was the first one I pollinated. I started out pollinating with a little piece of jute, but found that a small watercolor paintbrush really made the job easier. I picked up a little bundle of watercolor brushes for less than a dollar at the thrift store.

I count 4 or 5 melons that I know for sure I pollinated myself, but I have also had more help than I expected, so I've gotten lazier about doing it myself.

I spotted a honey bee in the hoop house one day, and there have been a number of mason bees as well. It's definitely not buzzing with bees in there, but apparently there are enough, because there are quite a few fruits on the vines.

And speaking of mason bees, the houses we put up have some residents. Within a week, 6 holes filled up in the first house. We were able to watch some of the action even. The second house, which we put up a little later, has one hole occupied. It's pretty late in the season, so this might be it, but it was great to see them go to use so quickly. Next year they will have an earlier start.

Did anyone try making their own mason bee house? 

a little bit wild

My garden is pretty different than my vision for it was early this spring, and from any previous year. It has taken me a while, but I am finally fully appreciating and enjoying it for what it has become. Instead of seeming haphazard and messy, it now seems full, textural, thriving and beautiful.

This year I have acted more on cues from my plants than from a preplanned idea. I have worked in defense from pests, and in response to things that might not have worked out as planned. As a result I feel like my garden is really thriving, more than ever! I've even been able to grow broccoli for the first time (not been easy here) and I have made it through a number of problems that came up this year.

When my kale started to suffer from root maggots, for example, I experimented with home remedies (I talked about one of those remedies here) and I quickly started to interplant with onions, arugula, rocket and nasturtium. I let calendula grow where ever it had self sown last year.

 When much of my first planting of carrots didn't come through, I re-planted in and amongst other plants that were already getting established. In the light shade of these other plants, germination was quick and easy, and I didn't have to water the "carrot bed" 3 times a day. 

The mix of flowering herbs and greens has added a lot of beauty to the veg patch. I didn't have to plant any calendula this year, yet there is an abundance. I have many volunteer ground cherry, fennel, chamomile, bean plants and more. I plan to let some of my arugula go to seed right in place this year, as I am loving the ease of this kind of self-planting, and the fun of the unexpected.

Though my studies haven't been super in-depth or intensive, my long time interests in permaculture, companion planting and high density gardening have no doubt had their inputs. It's been fun to see new ways of doing things take shape, and I am already feeling excited for next year, with my new knowledge and experience.

a favorite recipe: herbed summer squash & potato torte

lets talk about a recipe that's worth heating up the kitchen even in the heat of the summer. i am almost always against turning on the oven in the summer. it makes for a hot house & a cranky family. of course, i needed something that would make a fine meal from all of those potatoes, red onions & summer squash we harvested from the garden. this recipe came into my life just in time.

meet the herbed summer squash & potato torte. 

that smitten kitchen lady knows how to make magic happen with a handful of vegetables. i found this recipe on her blog & with a handful of adaptations, i was able to craft up a delicious meal with simple ingredients from my pantry. 

i want to give this lady full credit for her recipe, but i would love to share my version with the ingredients we already had on hand. 

instead of crooked neck squash, i used patty pan squash. it was a wonderful use of an otherwise forgotten vegetable. i also added a handful of red onion, some sprigs of oregano & a couple of snips of lemon thyme. i am always trying to sneak in a few fresh herbs & the extra bit of seasoning really added to the dish. finally, i substituted the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour & parmesan for mozzarella. i baked it all in a 9x13 cake dish & it made for a lovely dinner. 

i would love to hear some of your favorite summer recipes with fresh ingredients from the garden!

- natalie 

An English Pea Supper Galette

Earlier in the year I mentioned that we bought a new variety of English peas for our garden. I'm happy to report that Laxton's Progress No. 9  is quite lovely. The plants are low to the ground and don't require staking, and they are big producers for such little plants. We are just harvesting the last of them.

Tonight, we planned a pea-inspired supper. It's a summer galette filled with spring onions, English peas, broccoli (Fiesta is the variety that I'm loyal to), and some leftover Sunday bacon.

I just knew I had to share this recipe with all of you.

Summer Galette with Peas and Broccoli

For the crust:

1 cup of AP flour
1/4 cup of rye flour
Stick of butter
1/2 tsp salt
Ice water

Combine flours and salt. Cut in butter. Mix in ice water by hand until the dough comes together. Chill in the fridge while you work on the filling.

For the vegetable filling:
2 spring onions, chopped (green and white parts)
1 medium head of broccoli chopped (including stem)
1 cup of English peas *
1 garlic scape, minced
3 pieces of cooked Sunday bacon torn into small bits (optional)

For the cheese mixture:
2/3 cup of cream cheese
3 TB prepared mustard
Sriracha to taste

Saute onions, garlic scape and broccoli in oil or butter until softened. Add English peas and cook for a few minutes more.

Roll out dough and spoon the vegetables into the center. Top with the bacon bits. Dollop the cheese and mustard mixture on top.

Bake in a 375 oven for 35-40 minutes.

**With all of your leftover pea pods, be sure to make a vegetable stock. We made one tonight with pea pods, 4-5 spring onions, sprouting garlic from last season, fresh herbs (oregano, parsley), and sea salt.