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| a dose of water. |
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| radishes. |
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| mesculin mix. |
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| coming up in rows. |
The cold crop test community garden is doing very well. We hope to have enough growth between now and major frost to have a decent harvest! Yum!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
10/10/10
Last Sunday, 10/10/10, was a Global Work Day, organized by 350.org. The idea was for people to come together and work to fight climate change in their own communities and show others (including politicians and the media) that the people are ready, willing, and able to act in response to environmental crisis even if public policy is not yet on the same page. Ky and I used the day to start a community vegetable garden and bring to fruition our plans to use our gardening talents to teach others how to grow food in their neighborhoods. Urban greening and urban farming will become increasingly important as our climate becomes more erratic and as the struggle to curb greenhouse gases continues. In Philadelphia where food access and storm-water flow is a major issue, turning abandoned lots, roofs, and non-permeable spaces to green spaces will have a great ripple effect. We can't wait to have another global work day. Until then, we'll make it our everyday!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Dear Gardeners and weed-eating hobbyists,
It's fall in our book! Let the great un-leafing begin! We are in midst of change, hurricanes, and indecisive weather mixtures. What better to quiet the mind then a bit of food security. Something magic happens when you put your fingers into the soil, plant a seed, watch it grow, and eat of it's gifts. The magic could be the soil itself that releases “happy” microbes, or in the realization that you aided life along, or in the sensory pleasure of seeing, feeling, and tasting food you had a hand in all along the way.
Did you know you can plant veggies in the fall?!? “Oh but I’m too busy,” you say, “I have projects out the wazoo and can't possibly spend the time it would take to build a veggie garden.” Well the over-scheduled shall have there seeds and eat them too! Here comes permaculture to the rescue! Ditch your idea of white picket fences, tidy little rows, and labor intensive late nights: Permaculture (smart and lazy gardening) suggests to cast the seeds rather than plant them, to mix various veggies together (tall skinny ones with broad fat ones ie: carrots and cabbage), now that's using your “head."
We admit, it is too late in the fall for some choice items but anything that matures in 40 days or less will leave you with plenty for your plate. There is still time for Radishes, Lettuces, Kales, and Mustard Greens (especially if you harvest the lettuce like spring mix and the others you let winter over.)
Cool-season Crops:
All of the vegetables below are suitable for fall gardens. Some, like beets and carrots, may need to be harvested when very small (but still tasty). When shopping for seeds, select the earliest-maturing varieties available.
Did you know you can plant veggies in the fall?!? “Oh but I’m too busy,” you say, “I have projects out the wazoo and can't possibly spend the time it would take to build a veggie garden.” Well the over-scheduled shall have there seeds and eat them too! Here comes permaculture to the rescue! Ditch your idea of white picket fences, tidy little rows, and labor intensive late nights: Permaculture (smart and lazy gardening) suggests to cast the seeds rather than plant them, to mix various veggies together (tall skinny ones with broad fat ones ie: carrots and cabbage), now that's using your “head."
We admit, it is too late in the fall for some choice items but anything that matures in 40 days or less will leave you with plenty for your plate. There is still time for Radishes, Lettuces, Kales, and Mustard Greens (especially if you harvest the lettuce like spring mix and the others you let winter over.)
Cool-season Crops:
All of the vegetables below are suitable for fall gardens. Some, like beets and carrots, may need to be harvested when very small (but still tasty). When shopping for seeds, select the earliest-maturing varieties available.
Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Collards, Green Onions, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Leaf Lettuce and assorted greens, Mustard, Peas, Radishes, Rutabagas, Spinach, Swiss Chard, and Turnips.
Some vegetables will even survive a frost (if somewhat protected) are Kale and Collards, often surviving unprotected.
Much like Spring, Fall is the season of life getting busy, of Winter prep, of new growth, and of surprise!
To cut or not to cut? That is the question. Sometimes it's good to cut early to avoid mildews, molds, and other fungal spores that can hole up for winter and infect the new spring growth. In doing so, you also avoid many of the pests that hibernate on dead foliage. If you cut early enough in the summer or fall you can sometimes get a second bloom or fresh new growth, as is the case with day lilies and other fan-favorites. So why not just cut it all down? Because, there are several wonderful critters that use the fall foliage to chow down or hole up.
Monarch caterpillars (a sight of yellow black and white stripes) gnaw milkweed (also known as butterfly weed or asclepias), to a nubbin leaving it bedraggled looking but well worth the tattered appearance. For soon, they leave to take shelter in tall grasses and the plant makes a come back. Tall grasses become a veritable monarch high rise, housing tons of monarchs. So don't get too hasty about cutting your ornamental grasses, they just may be protecting gold encrusted chrysalises.
The gold finch is another welcome freeloader. To tempt this well dressed feathered -friend just leave your unsightly extinguished Rudbekia (aka black eyed susans) and Echinacea (aka cone flowers) standing, dead-heads and all. Sure, they look spent but the finches are looking to fatten up for the winter and are on a seed bing. So live and let live.
Some vegetables will even survive a frost (if somewhat protected) are Kale and Collards, often surviving unprotected.
Much like Spring, Fall is the season of life getting busy, of Winter prep, of new growth, and of surprise!
To cut or not to cut? That is the question. Sometimes it's good to cut early to avoid mildews, molds, and other fungal spores that can hole up for winter and infect the new spring growth. In doing so, you also avoid many of the pests that hibernate on dead foliage. If you cut early enough in the summer or fall you can sometimes get a second bloom or fresh new growth, as is the case with day lilies and other fan-favorites. So why not just cut it all down? Because, there are several wonderful critters that use the fall foliage to chow down or hole up.
Monarch caterpillars (a sight of yellow black and white stripes) gnaw milkweed (also known as butterfly weed or asclepias), to a nubbin leaving it bedraggled looking but well worth the tattered appearance. For soon, they leave to take shelter in tall grasses and the plant makes a come back. Tall grasses become a veritable monarch high rise, housing tons of monarchs. So don't get too hasty about cutting your ornamental grasses, they just may be protecting gold encrusted chrysalises.
The gold finch is another welcome freeloader. To tempt this well dressed feathered -friend just leave your unsightly extinguished Rudbekia (aka black eyed susans) and Echinacea (aka cone flowers) standing, dead-heads and all. Sure, they look spent but the finches are looking to fatten up for the winter and are on a seed bing. So live and let live.
Speaking of life, we at Kylin Arts have had quite an exciting fall so far:
Ky got married, Karen changed her name to Eero, Eero built us a new website and also entered a gulf oil spill inspired painting into the All Hands On Deck show at Chapterhouse Cafe.
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| If it was my home, Digital ©2010 |
We would also like to announce our new Fall pricing promotion: 10% off services for the month of October! Please feel free to contact us with your projects, edible garden questions, and winterization concerns!
Warmly,
KY and EERO!
email: info@kylin-arts.com
phone: 267.570.7682
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Eat your weeds!
You can snack on your garden even if you didn't plant a vegetable garden, you have no fruit trees, and you accidentally let you potted herbs go the way of the Dodo.
Its time to graze in your lawn. No, I am not advising you become a sheep but rather to weed and snack at the same time! Yes there are loads of edible weeds that are more nutritious than your grocery store lettuce, they add new exciting flavors to your plate and you make your lawn and garden happy too.
So here is the skinny on the all you can eat buffet awaiting you out your back door:
Purslane : (portulaca oleracea)
A juicy succulent loaded with vitamins and minerals. It has a slightly sour and salty taste and is eaten throughout much of Europe, Asia and Mexico. The stems, leaves and flower buds are all edible. Purslane can be used fresh stir-fried, or put in soups or stews. It contains more Omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid in particular) than any other leafy vegetable plant. It also contains large amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, and some vitamin B and carotenoids), as well as dietary minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron.
*Do not eat very much if you are prone to kidney stones.
Lemon clover/ wood sorrel: (Oxalis stricta) A clover with a lemony kick! This is amazing in salads or as a topping (like you would use cilantro) it adds a zing to any dish. You can eat the leaves, pods and stems raw as a thirst quencher (but not the root). Or you can brew it into a drink much like lemonade. *Lemon clover is very high in vitamin C.
Lambsquarter: (Chenopodium album) PHOTOS
Lamb's quarters is a close cousin to spinach, but much more nutritious.It is one of nature’s nutritional powerhouses. It has a mild flavor not unlike spinach. In fact it is a relative of Swiss chard, and beets. This is one of my personal favorites "chomp, chomp, chomp".
Plantain: (Plantago)
Plantain is used for an insane amount of medicinal remedies. The leaves are an excellent source of fiber. They can be eaten raw, especially the young ones (the others are a bit tough) or you can cook them. Rich in vitamin B1, removing them from your lawn and putting them into your tummy improves both.
There are loads of other edibles in your yard for more info, but remember...before you go grazing, make sure that you can clearly identify and differentiate edible plants from non-edible plants. There are many resources out there, for more info go here.
Now what? What to do around the yard in late summer:
Prune Prune Prune! Deep summer is the time to make your cut backs and shape up. It is the perfect time to give your woody plants some structural beauty. The reason the summer is ideal to do heavy pruning is three fold.
1) It cuts down on the amount of water the plant needs in the driest part of the year.
2) It is early enough for the plant to put out new growth and have it harden off before the first frost.
3) It is early enough to avoid cutting off the buds of early bloomers (like azaleas, magnolias, and forsythia) which form their buds in the fall and over winter them till spring.
What's new with us?
We had a spring that exploded with color and clients (as evidenced by this being our first news letter of the year). We had more work to do then we ever expected and want to thank everyone that welcomed us into their garden or passed on a good word for us. We have also added a talented, fun, super hardworking artist to our team, Erin Obrochta. Check out her website! (for more images click on main menu and search her name) All three of us have been pruning, planting, designing, installing, weeding, and working our way across Pennsylvania. If you (or someone you know) would like a couple of artist gardeners to help you with your green spaces we would love to dig in your dirt, put in your paths, or maybe..just maybe nibble on your weeds.
Warmly,
Ky and Eero
Its time to graze in your lawn. No, I am not advising you become a sheep but rather to weed and snack at the same time! Yes there are loads of edible weeds that are more nutritious than your grocery store lettuce, they add new exciting flavors to your plate and you make your lawn and garden happy too.
So here is the skinny on the all you can eat buffet awaiting you out your back door:
Purslane : (portulaca oleracea)
A juicy succulent loaded with vitamins and minerals. It has a slightly sour and salty taste and is eaten throughout much of Europe, Asia and Mexico. The stems, leaves and flower buds are all edible. Purslane can be used fresh stir-fried, or put in soups or stews. It contains more Omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid in particular) than any other leafy vegetable plant. It also contains large amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, and some vitamin B and carotenoids), as well as dietary minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron.
*Do not eat very much if you are prone to kidney stones.
Lemon clover/ wood sorrel: (Oxalis stricta) A clover with a lemony kick! This is amazing in salads or as a topping (like you would use cilantro) it adds a zing to any dish. You can eat the leaves, pods and stems raw as a thirst quencher (but not the root). Or you can brew it into a drink much like lemonade. *Lemon clover is very high in vitamin C.
Lambsquarter: (Chenopodium album) PHOTOS
Lamb's quarters is a close cousin to spinach, but much more nutritious.It is one of nature’s nutritional powerhouses. It has a mild flavor not unlike spinach. In fact it is a relative of Swiss chard, and beets. This is one of my personal favorites "chomp, chomp, chomp".
Plantain: (Plantago)
Plantain is used for an insane amount of medicinal remedies. The leaves are an excellent source of fiber. They can be eaten raw, especially the young ones (the others are a bit tough) or you can cook them. Rich in vitamin B1, removing them from your lawn and putting them into your tummy improves both.
There are loads of other edibles in your yard for more info, but remember...before you go grazing, make sure that you can clearly identify and differentiate edible plants from non-edible plants. There are many resources out there, for more info go here.
Now what? What to do around the yard in late summer:
Prune Prune Prune! Deep summer is the time to make your cut backs and shape up. It is the perfect time to give your woody plants some structural beauty. The reason the summer is ideal to do heavy pruning is three fold.
1) It cuts down on the amount of water the plant needs in the driest part of the year.
2) It is early enough for the plant to put out new growth and have it harden off before the first frost.
3) It is early enough to avoid cutting off the buds of early bloomers (like azaleas, magnolias, and forsythia) which form their buds in the fall and over winter them till spring.
What's new with us?
We had a spring that exploded with color and clients (as evidenced by this being our first news letter of the year). We had more work to do then we ever expected and want to thank everyone that welcomed us into their garden or passed on a good word for us. We have also added a talented, fun, super hardworking artist to our team, Erin Obrochta. Check out her website! (for more images click on main menu and search her name) All three of us have been pruning, planting, designing, installing, weeding, and working our way across Pennsylvania. If you (or someone you know) would like a couple of artist gardeners to help you with your green spaces we would love to dig in your dirt, put in your paths, or maybe..just maybe nibble on your weeds.
Warmly,
Ky and Eero
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