Thanksgiving 2024

November often brings unpredictable weather and thus heralds the start of winter gardening.  I followed my advice this year and started cleaning garden beds during our gloriously sunny September afternoons.  I worked hard to pull out plants after collecting the seeds.  I sprinkled some for a winter crop and stashed some for spring, so I feel ahead.  I have the time to gather all my pumpkins and prepare them for carving and decorating without feeling rushed.

I specifically planted my pumpkins in mid-June to time my harvest closer to Thanksgiving.  While many carve Jack-o-Lanterns for Halloween décor, over the years, I've found that our October gets a bit hectic.  We seem to have more time for pumpkin crafts in November.  Having a week-long Thanksgiving break is pretty standard, so I like saving fun projects to keep my family engaged.  Now that my kids are teens, they have more dexterity and can carve more elaborate designs.  This year, I planted Atlantic Giant pumpkins so we could try the more intricate designs in the carving packets.  While we carve, it's been a tradition to save and roast the seed.  We each create a savory or sweet spice combo for the seeds and then judge which tastes the best.  Those seeds will stay on the table in bowls to snack on throughout the week.  After carving, we will place the pumpkins and other fall items on the porch for a festive display.  

I found this last project in a magazine back in 2015.  It has become a favorite because it always turns out famously whether you keep it simple or get involved.  Any size of pumpkin will work; pictured is a mid-sized Jarrah Dale and white Spooky.    

For this craft, you will need tacky glue spray or hot glue, succulents, moss, acorns, tiny bits of bark, pinecones, and whatever you think looks festive.  I even tucked in a squirrel from one of my fairy gardens. Get creative! A bonus activity is hiking after a rainy day and collecting items from the woods.  We have a fantastic selection of moss and lichen right at our doorsteps, but if you can't find any, Friedman's Home Improvement sells large bags of moss at a cheaper price than the craft store.  

For the assembly, choose the pumpkin you'd like to decorate.  Spray with tacky glue and stick the moss around the stem and top edge.  Press in various succulents, and arrange items like you would a flower bouquet.  If necessary, use a glue gun to attach anything still moving around.  Now, you have a gorgeous centerpiece for any table, and if you use mini pumpkins, they make cute placeholders for your holiday table. 

To keep them looking fresh, mist the top with a spray bottle every few days.  The pictured pumpkin lasted well into spring because I kept it hydrated.  If you end up doing this project or have other pumpkin crafts you like making, send me a photo.  I enjoy seeing other people's creativity and am always looking for new projects or ideas. 

All my best to you and your families this wonderful month of November.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

September 2024

“All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today” - Author Unknown

If you’re willing to pay attention and catch seed before it’s taken on the breeze, you’ll be rewarded with a thriving garden year after year.  

West County is notorious for its microclimates, but when you collect your seed, it’s already been acclimated to your specific garden, guaranteeing great success.  

September is the perfect month to begin selecting seeds from your star performers.  For greens, root veggies, brassicas, onions, and most flowers, leave a couple to produce seeds.  For some plants that you’re eating the seed (e.g., peas, beans, and corn), you’ll need to leave some on the plant to fully form and dry out to ensure the viability of the seed.

Lauren’s Purple Grape Poppy Heads

For flowers, choose a plant with large flowers and no abnormalities.  I adore Lauren’s Purple Grape Poppies (Papaver Somniferum), and it took only one seed packet to find myself ten years later with poppies still popping everywhere. I’ve nicknamed the seed heads nature's salt shaker because not only do they resemble one, but you can take one large seed head and lightly “salt” your soil, and you’ll be rewarded with gorgeous purple blooms in early spring.

Other suggestions for flowers that do well sown directly and compliment the vegetable garden are sweet peas, bachelor buttons, nasturtiums, strawflower, calendula, honeywort (a fave!), cosmos, marigolds, zinnias, and sunflowers.  In months past, I’ve discussed the many benefits of growing flowers amongst your veggies, so if you don’t have many flowers in your garden this year, definitely visit Harmony’s wall of seeds, or the Sebastopol Hardware Store, to add some diversity and attract more pollinators. 

Abalone Shells are great for drying seed

Now, to efficiently collect in the garden, I like to keep a stack of paper plates and a Sharpie handy.  As seeds or pods are ready to harvest, I grab a plate, label it, and place the seeds on it. I usually have multiple plates, so it’s easy to stack and carry inside to a cool location for further drying.  You can stack one plate on top of another to easily bring them indoors and ensure proper drying.   Any bit of moisture will cause the whole batch to rot, so make sure they are bone dry before placing them into any long-term storage container, such as a jar or a simple ziplock bag. 

Jars for of seed

To collect seeds inside the fruit, I use the same paper plate method, but I scoop the seeds as I’m preparing them for a meal. This works great for cucumbers, squash, etc., because you can taste the produce and ensure its deliciousness.   

I hope you will be inspired to save seeds from your garden this year.  If you’re new to it, you’ll likely find a lot of joy just figuring out where the seed will come from.  Flowers are especially clever at hiding their seed.  While, I haven’t grown everything from seed, I’ve come darn near close, so if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Happy Gardening!

August 2024

The garden is full of delight as warm weather continues and the plants become heavy with produce.  It can be challenging to keep up with harvesting, especially if you have a garden on the larger side. It’s a perfect time to start thinking of ways to preserve the veggies you cannot eat immediately.  I’m getting better at gauging how much my family consumes and what crops are more popular than others, but regardless, I still have an overflow of certain crops.  Here are some things I’ve learned and others I’ve gleaned from the community gardeners.  Instead of harvesting as needed,  I pick everything and store the extra in Ziploc bags in the fridge.  It works great for all greens, plus broccoli, cauliflower, beets, and carrots.  You will find that your freshly picked produce will last for more than double the time of anything from the grocery store.

For tomatoes, I have started freezing my overflow.  It’s satisfying to take them out in a few months and cook them down into a fast pizza or pasta sauce cause you can’t beat that garden tomato flavor in the middle of winter.  

Other ideas are to preserve or bottle your produce. One gardener told me he keeps his canner out during the entire season and cans every few days instead of waiting for two or three giant batches. He said it was far more manageable and less daunting. 

If you don’t want to get all the equipment for canning, you might try a more straightforward route with refrigerator pickling.  Years ago, a community gardener introduced me to this method, and the results were surprisingly tasty. You can get creative and experiment with different mixes of veggies for your pickle jar. There are endless ways to flavor the pickles, such as using herbs and making them sweet or spicy. The internet is chock-full of recipes, with some taking as little as 10 minutes. Check it out if you’re short on time and must preserve produce quickly.

The last option is the good old-fashioned trade or giving it away.  If you live in a neighborhood, try placing a basket out in your yard with a free sign and see how long it takes for produce to disappear.  Well…that is unless you put out zucchini.  Extras of those might just need to head straight to the compost to return as nutrients for next year’s garden.    

In the end, it’s always a good problem to have more than you can use. I hope your garden is thriving and you’re enjoying all the “fruits” of your labors.  If you have pictures of your garden that you’d like to share, email me to be featured in a future article.  This publication is about fostering community, and it’s always nice to see what you’re growing in beautiful West County.  Also, if you have missed previous articles, you’ll find a copy of them on my website under Garden News.  Happy Gardening!

July 2024

July is a magnificent time in the garden.  Abundant sunshine and consistent temperatures lead to thriving plants and overflowing harvest baskets.  In fact, you'll likely need multiple baskets from here on out to get all of your produce into the kitchen.  I love to grow flowers amongst my veggies, and I leave a few mason jars outside to put my bouquets in so they don't get crushed in my basket.  There is something satisfying about harvesting everything for a salad and a colorful bouquet for the table.

The to-do list is short this month, with the garden mainly requiring maintenance and keeping an eye out for pests and plants that might need extra nutrients.  They are working so hard on production, and it's a good idea to scratch in organic fertilizer or top dress with compost.  Warmer weather also significantly boosts the aphid population amongst brassicas, aka kale, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower plants.  For a true invasion, which seems to hit my garden without fail about this time every year, my best remedy is dusting them with food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE).  If you're just having a relatively minor insect problem, insecticidal soap or even dawn dish soap mixed with water can be quite effective in getting on top of the situation before it turns into an insect rave.

I find myself excited to be amid so much fresh produce, and while I'm enjoying the literal fruits of my labor, I'm also taking time to acknowledge the vital role my garden plays in my life and that of my family.  There is true magic happening out there every single second of every single day.  To some, that might sound cheesy, but to me, it's realizing we are a part of nature, and it never hurts to pause and be thankful for its consistency and constancy in our lives.  Not only does the garden provide fresh food, but it also directly affects our mood and well-being.  When was the last time you heard advice saying, if you're stressed and feeling disconnected, take time out of your busy day to hole up in a dark closet 20 stories up in a skyscraper; the effects will be transformational!! 

Instead, it's always to take the time and get out in nature.  Go for a walk on your lunch break, brighten your desk with fresh flowers, visit a local park, and take in the sights and sounds.  Well, West County might be the most glorious place to heed that advice.  Yes, July does become incredibly busy with tourists, and I get annoyed here and there with slow drivers, lots of traffic, etc.  But there is a reason everyone wants to invade our towns.  We truly have it all: hiking amongst the redwoods, recreation on the Russian River, a gorgeous coastline, excellent weather, and so much more.  I'm going to make an effort to slow down (I promise not on River Road) and soak up the beauty surrounding me.  After all, we are truly living in paradise.  Happy Gardening!

June 2024

Last month, we discussed sowing a batch of popping corn, and now it’s time to plant some pumpkins at their base. I start pumpkins around June because it’s just the right timing for them to cure on the vine and be ready for Halloween carving or a festive fall display.  

I typically sow seeds, but I also like to visit the local nursery, specifically Harmony Farms, because they always have strong starts and exciting varieties. Starting both starts and seeds also offsets the timing for harvest, so I don’t have 50 pumpkins ready all at once.  Take some time to think about what you will be using your pumpkins for and plant accordingly.  I love lining my entry steps with colorful and differently shaped varieties, but I plant only one vine for obscure types that I only want a few of.  Pumpkins are monoecious, meaning they have both male and female flowers on the same plant, and you will not need more than one of each variety for pollination.  It varies with each type, but you can typically count on at least 4-6 from each plant.  I put in at least three plants for a bigger harvest of the large and carving pumpkins.  If you’re planting from seed, sow at least two per hole just in case one doesn’t sprout. 

Cinderella’s Carriage on cardboard

Pumpkins require relatively little effort if you get them started off right.  Ensure they have a boost of organic fertilizer from the beginning and feed regularly throughout the season to maintain healthy vines and fruit. Provide plenty of room to spread out, and If you’re gardening in raised beds, situate them near the edge and let them flow out of the box.  As the fruit forms, I place a piece of cardboard underneath each one so it won’t get soft when it comes in contact with the dirt.  When the pumpkin is about the size of a cantaloupe, I turn them to rest on their bottoms to guarantee well-rounded growth that is perfect for decorative use and carving.  You’ll know when your pumpkin is ready to harvest, when they have reached full color, and the rind is hard.  Additionally, the stem should be dry and starting to crack. 

After picking your pumpkin from the vine, it’s ready to be placed in a cool environment and out of direct sunlight.   

I’ll leave you with some notable mentions for star performers that are both edible and festive: Jarrahdale (medium blue-green) and Connecticut Field or Spookie (perfect mid-sized carvers).  My all-time favorite mid-sized pumpkin is Cinderella’s Carriage because of its gorgeous red-orange color and the fact that it looks ready to pick up Cinderella for the ball. 

Pumpkin Lineup- Flat White Boer- Baby Boo- Cinderella- Spookie- Connecticut Field

Jack-Be-Little and Baby Boo (white) are cute 2-4 inch mini pumpkins that produce well.  I also like throwing in Turk’s Turban and Festival Acorn or other warty varieties for added interest in a display.  

There are many wonderful heirlooms out there, so definitely visit the seed section at Ace Hardware in Sebastopol or Harmony to find your new favorite.  Buckle up the gardening season is nearly in full swing. Happy gardening!

May 2024

With longer daylight hours and the sun shining steadily, May arrives with the beautiful scent of flowers upon the breeze.  The garden is alive with activity as we’ve all likely picked our first juicy strawberry, and slowly but surely, our harvest baskets are filling up.  As you finish planting your warm-weather veggies, I’d like to draw your attention to the somewhat forgotten crop of popping corn.  Often it doesn’t garner much attention because it’s not as popular as sweet corn, but what a novelty. 

Cultivating a successful crop of corn requires a basic understanding of how it grows.  The tassel on top releases the pollen that must be carried to the silk emerging from the developing ears, so planting in groupings or rows is essential for proper pollination.   Each strand of silk corresponds to the development of one kernel of corn, so you can see how much pollen has to blow over and down to ensure the development of each corn cob.  When you open an ear of corn and find sparse and underdeveloped kernels, you know it wasn’t adequately pollinated. 

Also, because wind carries the pollen, you need to plant in succession if you are growing multiple varieties of corn. Two weeks apart is sufficient timing so the tassels of one variety don’t pollinate the ears of another. I didn’t know this until one year I planted a multi-color and a cobalt blue variety, and when I opened the ears, the results were literally “mixed.”

My absolute favorite is an old Native American heirloom called Glass Gem. Each corncob reveals a different rainbow of colors, and I guarantee you’ll find yourself waiting in anticipation for the ears to mature. If there are kids in your life, you won’t be able to keep them from peeking. Helpful hint: corn is ready when the silk dries up and turns brown.  

The bonus to growing popping corn is its multiple uses.  I create a festive fall display with my pumpkins outside or on my Thanksgiving table.  When I take down the decor, I check to see if it’s sufficiently dried.  The kernels should easily fall off if you grasp a cob with two hands and twist.  If it’s not ready, let it dry out a little longer.  After shucking each cob, I place the kernels in a large jar with the lid off so all moisture can escape. Now you have a lovely jar of “gems” in your window, and when movie night comes around, it’s time to pop and enjoy. If you don’t have a popcorn maker,  simply look up the paper bag method for popping.  It’s a quick and healthy way to enjoy your popcorn.  

I’m telling you, there’s nothing like shucking the corn and finding the jewels hidden inside.  Each ear is an exciting little present, and I bet you’ll be saving space in your garden so you can grow it year after year.  Happy Gardening!!

April 2024

Tomato Line-up- Cherokee Purple, Kellogg’s and Mr. Stripey

Although warm days will arrive and often last for days, I try hard to exercise restraint on planting my tomatoes.  I’ve planted early more than once (mid-March!), and while they rarely die, much to my dismay, they just don’t thrive.  I tried denying it until one year when I experimented and planted a few plants at the beginning of April and the rest when our nighttime temps stayed consistently above 50 (usually around early May).   The first group grew little more than two inches and seemed stuck. The second group took off immediately after planting.   Planting too soon only increased my workload by trying to keep the plants happy and frost-free. Tomatoes thrive in daytime temperatures between 70-85, and to set fruit, they need to have nighttime temps 55+, so it’s best to wait. 

In the meantime, I’ll share some of my favorite tomato-growing tips and the varieties I can’t live without.  

Did you know tomatoes will grow roots on their stem if buried?  I learned this technique from a gardening book in my early twenties and have implemented it ever since.  I remove the leaves halfway up the stem when I plant my starts.  Next, I dig a hole, fill it with balanced organic fertilizer, and bury the plant up to the first set of leaves.  Before you know it, roots will start forming along the stem, providing more water and nutrient uptake, plus a sturdier bracing structure.  You can also apply this trick with all cucurbit family members: squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, melons, etc.  

Brandywine

Now, on to my favorite varieties.  I’m on the cooler side of West County, so I find cherry tomatoes grow better than sauce or beefsteak tomatoes because they need less time to ripen.  Keep in mind, if you’re in downtown Monte Rio, eastward, you’ll have no trouble receiving the heat required for larger fruit.  When picking varieties, I’ve narrowed them down to a group that creates a colorful mix and a balanced flavor profile.  In other words, they aren’t all sweet or all red. My favorite slicer combo is Mr. Stripey (tart/green stripes), Brandywine (sweet/pink), Cherokee Purple (purple/tangy), and Kellogg’s Breakfast (orange/sweet).

Sweetheart Cherry

I always return to the orange Sungold and SunSugar, the red Sweet 100, and Sweetheart Grape for my cherry tomatoes.  These sugary sweet varieties produce buckets of goodness and rarely get diseases. For tart varieties and the purples and yellows, novelties such as Brad’s Atomic Grape, Black Cherry, and Yellow Pear are a must-have.  

You’ll experience a rainbow on your plate when you slice up a mix of these varieties.  Toss them with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a favorite cheese, basil, and a hint of salt and pepper, and you’ll enjoy the pot of gold at the end of the tomato rainbow.  

If you have a favorite variety you can’t live without or growing tips, send me an email.  I don’t think I’ve ever met a gardener who didn’t enjoy a bit of friendly bragging about their tomatoes.  Happy Gardening!

March 2024

For me, March heralds the official start of Spring and the insatiable desire to plant anything and everything. Now is not the time to be fooled by warm spells because we could still experience a late frost. Patience is the key, and while I wait to plant warm-weather veggies, it's a good time to start thinking about my summer garden layout.

To maintain soil balance and dissuade pests from returning to the same location, it's a good idea to rotate your crops. Following companion planting suggestions is one way to help you get some ideas for mixing it up.

So, what is companion planting? It's where different plants are grown together to support each other's needs. I like to say it's the plant world's definition of "friends with benefits".

An excellent example is the "Three Sisters Planting," which was developed hundreds of years ago by the indigenous populations of America. They discovered that corn, pole beans, and squash were perfect companions because corn provided sturdy stalks for the beans to climb, the beans fixed nitrogen in the soil, and the squash acted as ground cover, suppressing weeds and retaining soil moisture.

Years ago, I found the book Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte, and I dove headlong into her insight and planting suggestions. By consciously grouping plants, my garden transformed into a healthy ecosystem. I didn't have the same pest troubles, and my plants thrived. One of my many discoveries involved the use of Borage. Growing up, I remember it from my mom's herb garden with its bright, shooting star-like flowers. It has been in nearly every garden I've grown, but not amongst my veggies. It took me years to realize the benefits of growing flowers, herbs, and veggies together. Now, I have dozens of borage plants all over my garden. It attracts both pollinators and insects that will prey on common garden pests. Combined with its ability to readily self-sow, you can see why it's a must-have in any garden. Paired with strawberries, it improves the soil's minerals, boosting the berries' flavor. 

Another great companion to nearly everything is onions. They don't require much room, and their smell is a natural pest and bird deterrent. Kale and broccoli, with their shallow roots, work well amongst potatoes; calendula's sticky stems help keep aphids off brassicas; nasturtiums attract hummingbirds and act as a ground cover, and the list goes on. Once you "dig in" to the world of companion planting, you'll find many helpful combinations to help you maintain a more balanced garden. While learning helpful combos, I printed and laminated a companion planting chart and placed it in my garden with my tools. When planting, I'd reference them, and soon I learned what worked and didn't work well together. Often, there is conflicting advice, so go with your instincts and experiment to find what works in your garden. Let me know if you happen upon a new combo that your garden can't live without. 

Happy Gardening!

February 2024

February stirs a bit of excitement as we inch closer and closer to spring.  Still, it's unpredictable as the weather during February can be quite different from year to year.  Often, it arrives warm but leads us into March with frosty mornings.  In 2016, I went on vacation and returned to my magnolia and nectarine trees in full bloom not even two weeks into February.  Then 2019 rolled around, and we experienced heavy rains and massive flooding. 

Stop here and take a moment to recall what your garden was like in February last year.  What do you remember about the weather? 

Does anyone remember that many parts of Sonoma County experienced snow towards the end of the month? And the fruit trees didn't blossom until early March? Everything was very late last year.

10 Year Perpetual Garden Diary

I wouldn’t remember too much of this if I didn’t keep a record because recalling specific monthly information can be spotty at best.  Here’s a wonderful way to assist your memory and provide an efficient method to record the goings on in your garden.

My husband gifted me "A Gardener's Journal" for Christmas one year.  It's a 10-year perpetual diary that has become my most relied-on tool for gardening.  Each daily entry contains an area for recording the weather and a few lines to jot down anything essential for that day.  The book also includes a perennial inventory, dot paper for mapping a garden, multiple pages of helpful practices, a tree inventory list, and much more.  When I buy a new tree or perennial, I can easily add the name and variety to my list and forget about keeping track of a plant tag.  Previously, I consulted a random drawer filled with all my tags, and it was hard to locate anything.  Talk about inefficient. 

Some months, I write more than others, but if you get even half the month down, you'll be well on your way to creating a personal almanac.  As you start recording and as the years build, patterns will start to emerge. For instance, I now know the minute I spot a flash of pink quince blossoms, spring is right around the corner.  From there, the dominoes fall one by one, starting with the apricot tree, followed by the nectarines and peaches, and before long, I'll be sowing the multiple seed packets now arriving in my mailbox.

To purchase a journal, head over to www.leevalley.com and type "A Gardener's Journal" in the search line. While you wait for it to arrive, keep your eyes out for those glorious signs of life.  This month always provides a few glimpses of spring, even if we're experiencing frosty mornings. I love the anticipation of what's to come: longer days, seed sowing, plants emerging, and more fresh items for picking and eating.

Happy Gardening!

January 2024

Welcome to 2024! I hope everyone had a joyous holiday season, and that your excitement is growing as anticipate everything the new year and gardening season has to offer. While January often brings unpredictable gardening weather, one guarantee is a slew of seed catalogs arriving in my mailbox.  I love browsing through the pages on rainy days and circling everything I hope to plant.  If you’re new to gardening, seed catalogs are also an excellent source of knowledge.  In my early 20s, when I was planting my first patio garden, it helped me learn plant names and families, the history of particular varieties, growing tips, and much more.  Over the years, I’ve received dozens of catalogs, but my two favorites are Baker Creek Seeds and Territorial Seed Co. 

If you were lucky enough before the pandemic to attend the Heirloom Festival at the Santa Rosa Fairgrounds, then you are well acquainted with Baker Creek.  They hosted this fabulous event and also have a small seed store in Petaluma with a selection of their most popular varieties.  While their catalog costs $10, it’s more than just a catalog; it’s a gorgeous publication of fruits and veggies that will inspire you throughout the year.  I keep mine on the coffee table and have even caught my kids picking it up occasionally.  If that’s not a selling point, I don’t know what is! If you are new to this company, check out their website at www.rareseeds.com and treat yourself in 2024 with a catalog.

Territorial Seed is another excellent company I’ve been buying from for over 15 years.  Like Baker Creek, they trial their seeds, so what makes it to the catalog has been tested for various characteristics such as disease resistance, seasonal performance, fruit production, etc.

Now, if you took my advice in the fall, it’s time to consult the notes you made on what to plant.  Trust yourself and follow your advice.  My notes strictly instruct me not to grow more than five lemon cucumber plants.  Last year, my first crop failed, so I bought a seed packet, and because I desperately wanted a crisp cucumber, I completely overdid it and sowed the whole pack.  Before I knew it, I had so many bright yellow balls hanging from my hog-wire trellises that they started resembling string lights all tangled together.  Towards the end of the season, even the bunnies and chickens started turning their noses up at them. 

By mid-January, start formulating a list of what you want to purchase and place the order by the end of the month.  Some companies quickly run out of the newer and often limited stock varieties. 

If you are new to seed, I encourage you to try some this year.  I can’t squeeze all my tips and tricks into these short articles, so if you want more info, please reach out through my community garden email: russianrivergardens@gmail.com.  The best part of owning the gardens is discussing gardening with various people, and I am always excited to receive questions.  Happy gardening!