Hello friends
Wanted to check in to update you a bit - lots going on!
First off, we will not be at this Thursday evening Market Night in Redlands. Isaac, our oldest is graduating from REVHS, way to go Isaac!
When we return to market, lots of basil, lettuce and melons will be on hand [plus all the other glorious heirloom veggie & flower starts along with the best culinary herb plants around] although I will be taking some much needed time away from market to focus more on the nursery. Be sure to send me any questions you may have although our family is quite knowledgeable on all things garden related. Growing up with a plant fanatic as a mother is finally a benefit in their lives.
If you are unable to make it to this market, remember we are also at the Redlands Saturday morning farmers market and the Wednesday Courtyard Square Market in San Bernardino [9:30 - 1:00pm]
On July 22nd, look for RH to be at the Fontana Arts Festival 6pm- 10pm. We will be on site a bit earlier for set up as will other local farmers- you are welcome to come down a bit earlier if you would like. No Redlands market that evening. Come down and see us on Saturday morning!
As it now looks, all markets will end for us this year in October. You will still be able to find our plants on the cart at Olive Ave Market [thanks guys, for your rock solid support of local business!]
Be sure to join our mailing list since we are planning some great things this fall exclusively for those on our email list. One thing I will share is this idea. How would you like to visit the nursery, munch on some yummy foods prepared from the garden, get your hands a little dirty planting a container herb garden and sit for a spell in our garden? Sound good? Email us today, since we will keep this small and intimate.
Enjoy the day!
Carrie-Anne
Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
End of Spring in the Garden
Hi Everyone,
Well, here we are at the end of a long holiday weekend. I hope everyone got a chance to play in their garden - I know we did!
Look at the purple of Sicily cauliflower we planted in early spring. Isn't she lovely? We will be harvesting the remaining cauliflower plants this week as most have already flowered. I am sad to see her go but with the heat, it is time. In its place, we will be adding our heirloom purple bell peppers.
And with the heat, yep, it's tomato time! The heirloom cour di bue, black krim and cherokee
purple tomato plants are putting on lots of flowers and fruits. We added some more composed chicken manure to our garden. Be sure to feed your garden every six weeks throughout the summer as they need lots of food to keep them
growing healthy, strong and yields high. [Cherry Valley has great bagged compost, organic veggie food, organic potting soil just for veggies and flowers - thanks you guys for helping the valley grow for over 26 years!]
In place of broccoli and cauliflower, we put in lots of heirloom lettuce - rouge d'hiver, green and red salad bowl, may queen, freckles [yes, you can grow lettuce in summer - although shade cloth, an umbrella or even a linen sheet will be needed as the temperatures climb].
And what is this? For those of you who visited us early in the season, you may recognize this gem of a find - the heirloom cape gooseberry. Also referred to as a ground cherry, this amazing plant grows like a tomato or tomatillo plant. Each round, sour fruit is wrapped in a paper husk. We are looking forward to the pies and jams that our customers are planning on making with their gooseberries! We are sold out for the season [Thank you!] and will add a lot more to next springs plant list.
It's not too late for the amazing African blue basil! In fact, our mother plant is just now putting on some major growth [that means we are starting as many new plants as we possibly can!] Can you see all of the lavender /pink tips? With this perennial basil, it is a very good thing. The bees are so happy and oh, the plant smells and tastes so yummy. Look for it at market very soon [and in good quantity].
So, as the weekend comes to an end [and our spring gardens, for the most part], I stop to take in the beauty and look to the summer season with the great anticipation!
Enjoy the day!
Carrie-Anne
Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals
Well, here we are at the end of a long holiday weekend. I hope everyone got a chance to play in their garden - I know we did!
Look at the purple of Sicily cauliflower we planted in early spring. Isn't she lovely? We will be harvesting the remaining cauliflower plants this week as most have already flowered. I am sad to see her go but with the heat, it is time. In its place, we will be adding our heirloom purple bell peppers.
And with the heat, yep, it's tomato time! The heirloom cour di bue, black krim and cherokee
purple tomato plants are putting on lots of flowers and fruits. We added some more composed chicken manure to our garden. Be sure to feed your garden every six weeks throughout the summer as they need lots of food to keep them
growing healthy, strong and yields high. [Cherry Valley has great bagged compost, organic veggie food, organic potting soil just for veggies and flowers - thanks you guys for helping the valley grow for over 26 years!]
In place of broccoli and cauliflower, we put in lots of heirloom lettuce - rouge d'hiver, green and red salad bowl, may queen, freckles [yes, you can grow lettuce in summer - although shade cloth, an umbrella or even a linen sheet will be needed as the temperatures climb].
And what is this? For those of you who visited us early in the season, you may recognize this gem of a find - the heirloom cape gooseberry. Also referred to as a ground cherry, this amazing plant grows like a tomato or tomatillo plant. Each round, sour fruit is wrapped in a paper husk. We are looking forward to the pies and jams that our customers are planning on making with their gooseberries! We are sold out for the season [Thank you!] and will add a lot more to next springs plant list.
It's not too late for the amazing African blue basil! In fact, our mother plant is just now putting on some major growth [that means we are starting as many new plants as we possibly can!] Can you see all of the lavender /pink tips? With this perennial basil, it is a very good thing. The bees are so happy and oh, the plant smells and tastes so yummy. Look for it at market very soon [and in good quantity].
So, as the weekend comes to an end [and our spring gardens, for the most part], I stop to take in the beauty and look to the summer season with the great anticipation!
Enjoy the day!
Carrie-Anne
Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals
Friday, April 30, 2010
Think Outside of the Box
Last night at the farmers market, a lovely woman who had her eye on our new crop of red salad bowl lettuce asked me a question that gave me great pause.
While holding the deep crimson, burgundy colored collection of lettuce, she asked me "why does this cost so much?"
I stood there speechless.For those of you that know me, you know how rare it is for me to be without words. Working to collect my thoughts and respond without reacting to a question that not only took me off guard but also elicited a rush of righteous indignation, I smiled and stated that "this is our price point."
All night, I thought kept thinking of how I would have liked to respond, what I really would have liked to say. So today, I have decided to address our price point in this blog post- as a way of not only answering the original question but also of helping to educate and encourage our community to think outside of the box.
The price tag put on an item for sale has a great variety of components factored in. As a grower, even before we get to the seed, soil, water and fertilizers, there was the physical set up of the nursery. Early in 2009, we began building the racks that now hold our flats of plants. We paid the legal fees to become a state licensed nursery and a county certified grower. Next, we purchased certified naturally grown perennials that we then planted into our landscape and now use as mother plants [take cuttings from] in our nursery.
Then came the purchase of flats, containers, cell trays [to start anywhere from 72 to 341 plants at a time], tables to work from, row covers and hoops to help with germination and temperature regulation [no greenhouse yet], overhead irrigation, specialized misters [very young sprouts/plants have special needs] our soil medium [a professional plug and germination blend -not a potting soil and not even sold in our area - Thanks, Ag Supply of San Diego County for making our lives easier by now delivering to our door! - you guys rock!]
In winter, we began the process of seed sourcing - finding reputable sources of the finest quality, unique heirloom and or organic flower and vegetable seed. We take great pride using premium seed provided to us by family owned businesses and organizations dedicated to heirloom seed storage and biodiversity. We understand and honor the connection between the health of our local environment, our local habitats and ourselves as being intricately tied to the plants we as a community choose to put in the ground and in our bodies.
In late January, we began sowing many of the seeds which are now the plants you see at the markets. In early February, we began to take cuttings from our perennials - something we continue now on a weekly basis. Did you know it can take anywhere from 2-6 months before we are able to bring a plant to market based on rooting/germination time and the growth cycle of a plant?
A plant nursery is just that, we care for the daily needs of a living, breathing creation of nature that is completely dependent on us for its survival and well-being. Just like young children,these plants are 100% [minus the rain] dependent on the nurserymen and women who care for their every need. And just like children, is it really possible to ever account for all that we give to meet their needs and help grow healthy and strong?
Now that spring is in full swing, each day we enjoy being able to start new plants and watch how quickly they are growing. On an average day, we water twice, transplant starters that are well established and spend time removing spend leaves, unwanted pests, etc from our stock.
Weekly, we manually fertilize the heavy feeding plants a diluted omri approved chicken manure made as a tea [kind of yucky, but it works great!]. Through the irrigation, weekly we run a dilution of cold pressed sea kelp that has been sustainably harvested off the coast of California. When needed, we treat the nursery with omri approved insecticides/fungicides to keep pests and diseases at bay.
Then there is market. Beginning this week, we are at three markets weekly.This process consists of loading the wagon with tables, the tent, lights, cords, signage and of course the main event- the plants! That process alone takes a bit. I wander the nursery racks, hand selecting plants that are mature and healthy-making sure there is plenty of variety and at least a few new additions each week. Plants are then labeled [sometimes we need to write the variety on the back -especially true for lettuce, tomato and melons].
We are a family owned and run business. Completely. The nursery is our families backyard. The "help" you see at markets - it's our family. All of the marketing, displays, signs - yep, I do those with the help of Vista Print.
Perhaps when we look first look at a 4 inch vegetable starter, we can not see all that has been done to bring this product to market. I do get that. I also realize that over the past many years we have been conditioned to look first and foremost at an items price tag as the measure of value instead of what true value really is.
So let me ask you, when was the last time you purchased a garment directly from the person who made it - all the way from fabric selection to final alterations? Or purchased a chair directly from the carpenter themselves? When you meet your local growers, you are meeting the person who has tended that plant or yummy strawberry all the way from seedling to your garden and then table. When you meet us and purchase our products, you are not only helping to invest in the local environment, local businesses, local economies, and local communities - you are investing in the well-being and livelihoods of families, your own neighbors. Can we really put a price tag on that?
Enjoy the day! [and thank you for allowing me to say what I really wanted to say last night but didn't have spell-check and proof readers that brought me back from the longer rant-like version I originally drafted]
Carrie-Anne
Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals
While holding the deep crimson, burgundy colored collection of lettuce, she asked me "why does this cost so much?"
I stood there speechless.For those of you that know me, you know how rare it is for me to be without words. Working to collect my thoughts and respond without reacting to a question that not only took me off guard but also elicited a rush of righteous indignation, I smiled and stated that "this is our price point."
All night, I thought kept thinking of how I would have liked to respond, what I really would have liked to say. So today, I have decided to address our price point in this blog post- as a way of not only answering the original question but also of helping to educate and encourage our community to think outside of the box.
The price tag put on an item for sale has a great variety of components factored in. As a grower, even before we get to the seed, soil, water and fertilizers, there was the physical set up of the nursery. Early in 2009, we began building the racks that now hold our flats of plants. We paid the legal fees to become a state licensed nursery and a county certified grower. Next, we purchased certified naturally grown perennials that we then planted into our landscape and now use as mother plants [take cuttings from] in our nursery.
Then came the purchase of flats, containers, cell trays [to start anywhere from 72 to 341 plants at a time], tables to work from, row covers and hoops to help with germination and temperature regulation [no greenhouse yet], overhead irrigation, specialized misters [very young sprouts/plants have special needs] our soil medium [a professional plug and germination blend -not a potting soil and not even sold in our area - Thanks, Ag Supply of San Diego County for making our lives easier by now delivering to our door! - you guys rock!]
In winter, we began the process of seed sourcing - finding reputable sources of the finest quality, unique heirloom and or organic flower and vegetable seed. We take great pride using premium seed provided to us by family owned businesses and organizations dedicated to heirloom seed storage and biodiversity. We understand and honor the connection between the health of our local environment, our local habitats and ourselves as being intricately tied to the plants we as a community choose to put in the ground and in our bodies.
In late January, we began sowing many of the seeds which are now the plants you see at the markets. In early February, we began to take cuttings from our perennials - something we continue now on a weekly basis. Did you know it can take anywhere from 2-6 months before we are able to bring a plant to market based on rooting/germination time and the growth cycle of a plant?
A plant nursery is just that, we care for the daily needs of a living, breathing creation of nature that is completely dependent on us for its survival and well-being. Just like young children,these plants are 100% [minus the rain] dependent on the nurserymen and women who care for their every need. And just like children, is it really possible to ever account for all that we give to meet their needs and help grow healthy and strong?
Now that spring is in full swing, each day we enjoy being able to start new plants and watch how quickly they are growing. On an average day, we water twice, transplant starters that are well established and spend time removing spend leaves, unwanted pests, etc from our stock.
Weekly, we manually fertilize the heavy feeding plants a diluted omri approved chicken manure made as a tea [kind of yucky, but it works great!]. Through the irrigation, weekly we run a dilution of cold pressed sea kelp that has been sustainably harvested off the coast of California. When needed, we treat the nursery with omri approved insecticides/fungicides to keep pests and diseases at bay.
Then there is market. Beginning this week, we are at three markets weekly.This process consists of loading the wagon with tables, the tent, lights, cords, signage and of course the main event- the plants! That process alone takes a bit. I wander the nursery racks, hand selecting plants that are mature and healthy-making sure there is plenty of variety and at least a few new additions each week. Plants are then labeled [sometimes we need to write the variety on the back -especially true for lettuce, tomato and melons].
We are a family owned and run business. Completely. The nursery is our families backyard. The "help" you see at markets - it's our family. All of the marketing, displays, signs - yep, I do those with the help of Vista Print.
Perhaps when we look first look at a 4 inch vegetable starter, we can not see all that has been done to bring this product to market. I do get that. I also realize that over the past many years we have been conditioned to look first and foremost at an items price tag as the measure of value instead of what true value really is.
So let me ask you, when was the last time you purchased a garment directly from the person who made it - all the way from fabric selection to final alterations? Or purchased a chair directly from the carpenter themselves? When you meet your local growers, you are meeting the person who has tended that plant or yummy strawberry all the way from seedling to your garden and then table. When you meet us and purchase our products, you are not only helping to invest in the local environment, local businesses, local economies, and local communities - you are investing in the well-being and livelihoods of families, your own neighbors. Can we really put a price tag on that?
Enjoy the day! [and thank you for allowing me to say what I really wanted to say last night but didn't have spell-check and proof readers that brought me back from the longer rant-like version I originally drafted]
Carrie-Anne
Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tarragon
I wonder if Simon & Garfunkel had a clue that one single song verse would become a universal anthem for garden enthusiasts wanting to add herbs into their edible mix? Go ahead, sing along with me now, "parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme".
But what about all the others - delights like chervil, sorrel, curry plant & tarragon?
As the spring gardening season swings into full gear, I thought it might be handy to start profiling herbs and veggies - tips on growing and recipes that showcase their flavor, texture and amazing aromas.
Lets get started with tarragon.
But what about all the others - delights like chervil, sorrel, curry plant & tarragon?
As the spring gardening season swings into full gear, I thought it might be handy to start profiling herbs and veggies - tips on growing and recipes that showcase their flavor, texture and amazing aromas.
Lets get started with tarragon.
Most recognized is the French tarragon - an indispensable classic in French cuisine. Used most commonly to complement fish & shellfish, it is also used to season turkey, chicken, veal and eggs.
For me, less is more with this herb! Using too much can overpower a dish very rapidly. Funny how it is not one of the herbs used to create the glorious "Herbs de Provence" [more on that in a later post!]
While French tarragon is cold-hardy, drought tolerant perennial that can grow well in our hot summer temperatures. On the flip side, it is very susceptible to fungal disease [like rust] and for this reason, we grow the Spanish variety.
Tagetes lucida or Spanish Tarragon [sometimes referred to as Winter tarragon as well] is a deliciously deep green herb, blessed with an added layer of licorice-like sweetness [but not too much] which is a great mimic of the French variety. This herb has deep green aromatic leaves that turn a deep crimson color over the winter. In the fall, it blooms a brilliant display of bright, small, golden flowers.
It is a very easy herb to grow in either the ground or in a container. Bet you are wondering how the taste of the Spanish variety matchs up the the more famous French variety?
For many, the taste of fresh French tarragon is too strong on the tongue while the Spanish, because of its inherent earthy sweetness, is a little more pleasing. In cooked foods, the French does seem to stand up to longer periods of cooking [+1 hr] than the Spanish variety - so adding the Spanish near the end is recommended. When used in something like a potato salad, vinegar dressing or Bearnaise sauce, the Spanish adds a little more sweet, fruitiness while still adding the unique and distinct tarragon flavor. Perhaps the best of both worlds!
Ready for a recipe to try out tarragon for yourself? Here's one of my favorites I found in a Readers Digest publication - Tarragon Pumpkin Scones. They have absolutely no added sugar and thanks to the pumpkin are loaded with anti-oxidants and beta carotene - Yeah!
2 Cups self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons chilled butter - chopped into small cubes
2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 cup of mashed cooked pumpkin, chilled
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift the flour/salt into medium bowl - adding butter and working it in with finger-tips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
In seperate bowl, mix egg, cheese, pumpkin, milk and tarragon.
Using a wooden spoon, fold in the remaining ingredients until combined. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth.
Roll out the dough evenly to about 1 inch thick and cut out the scones using round cutter [or floured glass jar turned upside down].
Place the scones on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake 18-20 minutes. Cool and enjoy with a cup of warm tomato soup!
Enjoy the day and experimenting with tarragon.
Carrie-Anne
Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Rolling Hills at the Farmers Markets
About two weeks ago, the Redlands Saturday morning Farmers Market began its 2010 season and already, I can tell you it's gonna be a great one.
Returning for our second season, we are enjoying seeing neighbors we met last year and meeting new ones each week. What a complement this market is to the City of Redlands downtown, the Thursday Night market, and the overall atmosphere of our great city! [yes, I am bit partial - we live here, work here, all three of our children were born, educated and are growing up here - heck, our oldest is about to begin his college education right here at the University of Redlands this fall!]
In March, we began our presence at the Thursday Night Farmers Market at what most people refer to as "Market Night". Truth be told, I was not all that excited to be up past my 8:30 p.m. bedtime and downtown where it can be a little too loud and hectic for me [not to mention, cold,].
Having our oldest son Isaac with me has made all of the difference! He manages to park us, set up, tear down, keep track of what herbs and veggie starters are sold - plus he is really getting the hang of helping to answer questions and knows quite a bit about the plants and gardening here in the IE.
Yes, the market is sometimes very busy. I tell others that if I can do it, so can you! If all you are after is fresh foods, the certified section is between 6th and 7th street. We would love to see you! In just a few weeks time, we are saying "hello" to familiar faces each week. Just last week, a young friend from the Beaumont area stopped back in to let us know how great all of the plants he picked up several weeks ago are doing and picked up almost a whole flat to add to his garden [yes, we offer a killer special on a flat of plants to encourage you to plant a really great, abundant garden full of veggies and herbs!]
As to the Saturday morning market, you all have restored my faith that people eat both broccoli and kale. THANK YOU! Sorry Thursday night folks, more kale and broccoli plants have made their way into gardens in just 2 weeks by the early morning risers than all Thursday evenings combined! The challenge is ON!
Last Saturday, the second market of the season, we could see that people are getting their hands dirty and planting their home veggie gardens! Lettuce, beets, kale, tomato and oregano were the favorites as was the Ogen melons [if you have space, you must plant an heirloom melon this year! You will not be sorry!]
While I haven't quite adjusted to the pace of the spring season, with two markets per week and one more starting next month [Hey San Bernardino, here we come - Wednesday am 9:30 -1:00
Court Street Square at Court and E Streets. ] added to the full-time nursery growing operation which is in full swing - seeing all of you, my community at the markets does make it all worth while!
Thank you all for the kind and warm welcome you have given us! Thank you for valuing the work we do of naturally growing lots of yummy herbs and veggie starters for the gardens here in the Inland Empire. We are amazed to see how many more neighbors are choosing to purchase locally grown plants and produce.
On behalf of the vendors who come down each week to the local farmers markets, we thank you for your continued support !
Enjoy the day and see you at the Market!
Carrie-Anne
Simple made Extraordinary
These days, finding both the energy and creativity for dinnertime meals is a bit of a challenge although I am sure I am not alone on this one. So, when a delicious, easy and quick meal springs forth from the deep recesses of a very tired and packed mind, it must be shared!
We will call this one Spicy Italian Chicken with Pasta - original, I know!
Ingredients:
2 good sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts - pounded thin
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg - beaten [with about 1 teaspoons of water]
4-5 tablespoons of freshly harvested and chopped oregano leaves
olive oil
1 small white onion
4-6 chopped garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of crushed red peppers
1 large [16 oz] can of diced plum tomatoes
1 oz red wine
packaged pasta [we used spaghetti noodles]
Cover the bottom of a saucepan with olive oil, adding the chopped garlic, onion, 2 teaspoons of oregano and crushed red peppers. Saute mixture over low heat for 15 min or so. Stir occasionally.
Meantime, pound the chicken breasts thin by placing between waxed paper and using rolling pin to take out daily frustrations - flatten the chicken to 1/2 in or thinner by pounding it [hey, who said you can't sneak in a little therapy time while cooking?]
Combine the bread crumbs and 2-4 teaspoons of freshly chopped oregano in shallow baking dish.
Dip the flattened chicken breasts in the egg wash and then into coat with oregano/bread crumb mixture.
In a skillet, cover the bottom with olive oil and when warmed, brown the oregano breaded chicken breasts about 5-7 minutes on each side.
Back to the saucepan, add your canned diced tomatoes, red wine and season with salt. Cook 5 min or so and when chicken has been browned on both sides, cover them with your tomato sauce.
Cover chicken with lid and simmer for 10 min or so.
Serve on a bed of cooked pasta. A bit of Parmesan cheese finishes it off right!
Truth be told, I can not believe how good dinner was! The best part was that it fed all five of us last night and made for three lunches, today! Not too bad for a just before payday, cupboards are a little bare, Mom is dead tired [grumpy & hungry] family dinner!
Were you looking for a picture? What can I say, did the dishes and went off to sleep. Maybe next time.
Enjoy the day and this delicious recipe!
Carrie-Anne
Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals
We will call this one Spicy Italian Chicken with Pasta - original, I know!
Ingredients:
2 good sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts - pounded thin
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg - beaten [with about 1 teaspoons of water]
4-5 tablespoons of freshly harvested and chopped oregano leaves
olive oil
1 small white onion
4-6 chopped garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of crushed red peppers
1 large [16 oz] can of diced plum tomatoes
1 oz red wine
packaged pasta [we used spaghetti noodles]
Cover the bottom of a saucepan with olive oil, adding the chopped garlic, onion, 2 teaspoons of oregano and crushed red peppers. Saute mixture over low heat for 15 min or so. Stir occasionally.
Meantime, pound the chicken breasts thin by placing between waxed paper and using rolling pin to take out daily frustrations - flatten the chicken to 1/2 in or thinner by pounding it [hey, who said you can't sneak in a little therapy time while cooking?]
Combine the bread crumbs and 2-4 teaspoons of freshly chopped oregano in shallow baking dish.
Dip the flattened chicken breasts in the egg wash and then into coat with oregano/bread crumb mixture.
In a skillet, cover the bottom with olive oil and when warmed, brown the oregano breaded chicken breasts about 5-7 minutes on each side.
Back to the saucepan, add your canned diced tomatoes, red wine and season with salt. Cook 5 min or so and when chicken has been browned on both sides, cover them with your tomato sauce.
Cover chicken with lid and simmer for 10 min or so.
Serve on a bed of cooked pasta. A bit of Parmesan cheese finishes it off right!
Truth be told, I can not believe how good dinner was! The best part was that it fed all five of us last night and made for three lunches, today! Not too bad for a just before payday, cupboards are a little bare, Mom is dead tired [grumpy & hungry] family dinner!
Were you looking for a picture? What can I say, did the dishes and went off to sleep. Maybe next time.
Enjoy the day and this delicious recipe!
Carrie-Anne
Rolling Hills Herbs & Annuals
Friday, April 2, 2010
Edibles & Natives - Our Personal Story
You might think that because I am a grower by profession, my personal edible garden would be something straight out of Sunset Magazine or Better Homes and Gardens. Well, not quite.
Like most of us, setting aside the time to get into the garden can be a little challenging. Take last weekend for example. With my husband on board, we set out to plant our early Spring veggie garden. But instead, we found ourselves pulling weeds from other areas, transplanting plants that had been dwarfed by others, pruning, irrigating - all as we were trying to make our way to the garden patch to plant the "friends" we had personally grown and tended for months now!
As many of you know, we have a very large corner lot full of grass. When we moved in almost two years ago, we made the conscious decision to start eliminating lawn in favor of native and drought tolerant plants as well as plants that produce food. Hey, if you are going to pay for the water used to irrigate, you might as well get something tasty and be doing something good for the environment.
Immediately, we began our edible garden - in the front yard! [The back is for nursery growing]. We planted the orange, lemon, cherry, apple and two peach trees that we had containerized. We replaced lawn and ornamental with a mixed border of greens, herbs, edible annuals and perennials.
Connecting the edible side of our yard and the ornamental has been a process. We decided to utilize the sloped area that connects the two with a replica of a dry riverbed using a combination of lavender [which is edible and low water, once established] and native manzanita [which is great for slope stabilization]
Last fall, needing to get the manzanita and lavenders in this ground, we planted on this connecting slope while the grass was still in place. Although this is really not the best way to plant, I kind of like it. It allows something new go begin while the familiar stays in place - easing my eyes and our neighbors to what can quite often be a change that alters the landscape so severely, but in a good way!
Just last month, with the help of our friend Jorge, the grass surrounding our new plantings was finally removed. As I was trying to make my way past this area, on my way to plant our little gem lettuce, purple cauliflower, Calabrese broccoli and the first of our heirloom tomato plants, my husband got a little held up on the corner. I looked behind me and there he was laying down cardboard where the grass had been and covering it with fill dirt- a technique called lasagna layering - which I highly recommend for removing portions of lawn to create new beds. In short, the cardboard suffocates the grass, decomposes which encourages worm activity galore and you can have an instant new garden space in just a few hours!
We did make it to planting our garden that afternoon. We took out the beautiful mesclun, muzina and kale which we allowed to go to seed. We applied some of compost and pelleted chicken manure to the bed, digging it in about 2 inches. We added a few more lavender plants to the dry creek bed area, sweet lavender which looks like the English variety we all love but which actually does a bit better in our climate. We even added a gooseberry plant, tucked up near the top of the slope and then watered for a good long time using the "old fashioned" sprinkler we moved around several times.
I love to water this way, especially at the end of a good day in the garden. So, last weekend, I sat on the corner, under the giant sycamore on the portion of the lawn that is remaining and took in the view, my neighborhood and the garden itself.
Is our garden any closer to being one straight out of a magazine? I don't know, but it sure is working for us . The bonus, our neighbors don't seem to mind the missing grass and front yard full of vegetables.
This is good.
Enjoy the day!
Carrie-Anne
www.Rollinghillsherbs.com
Like most of us, setting aside the time to get into the garden can be a little challenging. Take last weekend for example. With my husband on board, we set out to plant our early Spring veggie garden. But instead, we found ourselves pulling weeds from other areas, transplanting plants that had been dwarfed by others, pruning, irrigating - all as we were trying to make our way to the garden patch to plant the "friends" we had personally grown and tended for months now!
As many of you know, we have a very large corner lot full of grass. When we moved in almost two years ago, we made the conscious decision to start eliminating lawn in favor of native and drought tolerant plants as well as plants that produce food. Hey, if you are going to pay for the water used to irrigate, you might as well get something tasty and be doing something good for the environment.
Immediately, we began our edible garden - in the front yard! [The back is for nursery growing]. We planted the orange, lemon, cherry, apple and two peach trees that we had containerized. We replaced lawn and ornamental with a mixed border of greens, herbs, edible annuals and perennials.
Connecting the edible side of our yard and the ornamental has been a process. We decided to utilize the sloped area that connects the two with a replica of a dry riverbed using a combination of lavender [which is edible and low water, once established] and native manzanita [which is great for slope stabilization]
Last fall, needing to get the manzanita and lavenders in this ground, we planted on this connecting slope while the grass was still in place. Although this is really not the best way to plant, I kind of like it. It allows something new go begin while the familiar stays in place - easing my eyes and our neighbors to what can quite often be a change that alters the landscape so severely, but in a good way!
Just last month, with the help of our friend Jorge, the grass surrounding our new plantings was finally removed. As I was trying to make my way past this area, on my way to plant our little gem lettuce, purple cauliflower, Calabrese broccoli and the first of our heirloom tomato plants, my husband got a little held up on the corner. I looked behind me and there he was laying down cardboard where the grass had been and covering it with fill dirt- a technique called lasagna layering - which I highly recommend for removing portions of lawn to create new beds. In short, the cardboard suffocates the grass, decomposes which encourages worm activity galore and you can have an instant new garden space in just a few hours!
We did make it to planting our garden that afternoon. We took out the beautiful mesclun, muzina and kale which we allowed to go to seed. We applied some of compost and pelleted chicken manure to the bed, digging it in about 2 inches. We added a few more lavender plants to the dry creek bed area, sweet lavender which looks like the English variety we all love but which actually does a bit better in our climate. We even added a gooseberry plant, tucked up near the top of the slope and then watered for a good long time using the "old fashioned" sprinkler we moved around several times.
I love to water this way, especially at the end of a good day in the garden. So, last weekend, I sat on the corner, under the giant sycamore on the portion of the lawn that is remaining and took in the view, my neighborhood and the garden itself.
Is our garden any closer to being one straight out of a magazine? I don't know, but it sure is working for us . The bonus, our neighbors don't seem to mind the missing grass and front yard full of vegetables.
This is good.
Enjoy the day!
Carrie-Anne
www.Rollinghillsherbs.com
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