Prepping and Planting the Fall Garden.

A few days ago, some of my friends and I were chatting about gardens. (Shocking, I know.) Specifically, I mentioned that I need to clean up the summer garden and prepare it for fall crops.

It's a painful process for me.

I hate tearing out any plant that's still producing, even if emotionally I'm so, so ready to get rid of the uglies and plant perky, happy seedlings. As vile as the vines look, I'm not ready to give up fresh tomatoes. I've pulled a lot of vines, but there are still a few that I'm pampering, hoping to enjoy bruschetta through the fall.

 

So, instead of ripping out all of the summer plants in August, I prepare for the fall garden by starting seedlings in the greenhouse. Yes, it's probably less time consuming to direct sow lettuce, but by planting seeds in biodegradable pots, I'm extending the summer garden as long as possible while getting a head start on growing produce.

If you're starting seedlings for your garden, you might want to refer to this chart that I put together last fall. It's my cheat sheet that shows when you should plant seeds for your fall garden, depending on your first expected frost date (which you can find here.) It also gives you hints about depth for planting, how long until germination, and when you can expect to harvest your crops. Some seeds, like radishes and carrots, really do need to be direct sowed, though. Still, that's OK—radishes grow quickly and are typically ready to harvest in 28 days. Carrots can remain in the garden throughout most of the winter (mulched with straw in cold climates), harvesting as you need them. In fact, the cooler soil can make the carrots taste sweeter.

Before any plants enter the fall garden, all of the summer debris needs to be cleared—particularly any diseased plant material. A fresh layer of compost will be added to the beds and mixed in well, and I'll do a soil test to check pH and determine any nutrients that are missing for the fall crops.

But the best part of planning the fall garden? Why, selecting what you're going to grow, of course! My friends asked what I planned to grow this fall, but at the time I hadn't selected the varieties. Now, though, the seeds have arrived and are anxiously awaiting their new home! Everything I've ordered is heirloom and organic, and some of the varieties are just ridiculously beautiful. Here's what's going in the fall garden:

Heirloom lettuce

Forellenschluss (My favorite—I love its beautiful speckling, plus it's crispy and delicious.)

Grandpa Admire's (Another favorite that's on Slow Food USA's Ark of Taste.)

Merveille des Quatre Saisons (I just love saying the name in my high school French accent.)

Big Boston

Flame

May Queen

Petite Rouge

Red Romaine

Rouge d'Hiver

Rubin

Chadwick's Rodan

Spinach

Merlo Nero

Bloomsdale Long Standing

Red Malabar (which isn't spinach, really...but it's a beautiful vining green with red stems, so I'm excited to add it to the garden.)

Chinese Greens

Ching Chang Bok Choy

Chinese Pak Choy

Broccoli

Romanesco Italia

Cauliflower

Violetta Italia

Snowball Self-Blanching

Cabbage

Cour di Bue

Tete Noire

Swiss Chard

Five Color Silverbeet

Kale

Lacinato

Red Russian

Chinese White Flowered

Peas
Blue Podded Blauwschokkers

Golden Sweet Snow

Sugar Ann Snap

Radishes

Early Scarlet Globe

French Breakfast

Purple Plum

Pink Beauty

Beets (I'm embarrassed to say—I've never grown beets. Can't wait to try these!)

Chioggia

Gourmet Blend

Leeks

Bleu de Solaise

Scotland

Carrots

Parisienne

St. Valery

Amarillo

Cosmic Purple

I'll also grow some Brussels sprouts for Peter, but I'll most likely buy transplants for those. For whatever reason, I have a tough time getting them started from seed, and I have a source locally where I can get organic Brussels sprouts plants.

Oddly absent from our southern garden—collards. I know, I know—how can I be a southern gardener without collards? For whatever reason, we just don't eat collards. Maybe it's my Yankee upbringing coming out. Can anyone give me a good endorsement for collards and why I should try them?

I haven't ordered my garlic and shallots yet—and I need to do that soon. Many varieties of garlic sell out early, so that's definitely on my to-do list. Usually, I dedicate one raised bed to garlic and plant about five varieties. We use a lot of garlic!

Besides planting the beds in the large kitchen garden, I'm starting seedlings for the potager, as well as for some containers. I'm also planning to incorporate some fall edibles into the front gardens. Personally, I've never liked ornamental cabbages, but I find edible combinations, like kale and violas, or the rainbow colors of Swiss chard alone, really beautiful. We'll see how it turns out! I'll keep you posted.

I also need to check my mini hoops from last year to make certain the plastic isn't torn. In our zone 7b garden, these little low tunnels (which cost a whopping $10 for materials) provide enough protection from the cold to keep most of our crops producing throughout the winter. I also cover the potager with plastic when we have a freeze warning, but I already know I need to replace that plastic cover. The fencing gouged big holes in the plastic due to the weight of rain on the cover. (Note to self: remove the plastic before a rain!)

With a little preplanning and preparation, we'll be enjoying lovely harvests from the garden all winter. 

Have you planned your fall garden? What are you most looking forward to growing in the cool weather?

Hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday weekend!

XOXO ~

Julie

Hug a Bee! Protect Our Pollinators.

Who said summer is stress-free and relaxing? Good grief, we've been on the go more in the past three weeks of summer vacation than during the school year! Last week, I tallied 159.3 miles driven in ONE DAY, taking the kids to zoo camp and horseback riding lessons. 

Thank goodness I drive a Prius.

Still, I've felt a little stressed this summer for another reason, and it has nothing to do with spending hours in a car.

Our garden is curiously bare.

The pollinators are missing.

 

Granted, I've seen a few. But in our organic garden, we normally find dozens of caterpillars, happily munching on fennel, dill, and parsley. We watch hummingbirds chase one another around the lantana and the feeders. Butterfly photos crowd my camera, as I try to capture just one. more. shot.

And the bees? Normally, I'm making certain my Epi-pen is within easy grasp.

But this year, the garden is disturbingly quiet.

We've always planted for the pollinators. Whether it's including host plants for larva, like fennel and parsley, or ensuring we have many blooming nectar sources, pollinators typically party in our gardens.

We don't spray--not even organic pesticides, as we know those "safe" sprays can also kill beneficial insects.

Sadly, though, we can't control our neighbors' actions. 

Of course, we worry about colony collapse disorder, but did you hear about the travesty in Oregon, with pesticides killing more than 25,000 bumblebees? Even if we practice organic growing and invite pollinators to our gardens, a mass destruction of pollinators by one irresponsible landscaping company dramatically impacts the ecosystem.

And then, on the heels of the Oregon disaster, 37 million honeybees died in Elmwood, Ontario. The cause? Experts point to insecticides called neonicotinoids, used in planting corn and other crops, as the likely culprit.

It's heartbreaking. Obviously, our garden is not alone in pollinator decline.

Have you seen the photos from Whole Foods Market making the rounds on Facebook? Without pollinators, our selections for dinner look rather bleak.

Ironically, this spring I added two small pollinator gardens near our large kitchen garden, hoping to showcase the importance of planting for pollinators. Granted, I installed the gardens quickly prior to the CFSA Farm Tour so that we could jump-start conversations about the need to protect pollinators. (We already have many host plants in the herb garden and forest surrounding the raised beds.)

It worked well--at least, in launching conversations. But to my dismay, many of the host plants remain pristine, while in previous years we joked about the decimated dill and holey parsley. We WANT these plants to look ratty and tattered, because it means that lovely little caterpillars are getting the nutrition they need to become beautiful butterflies.

Bees and butterflies aren't alone in needing protection. Pesticides affect birds, too, killing off their food sources and impacting their health. Other pollinators, like bats, are succumbing to disease. White-Nose Syndrome, a fungal disease, is responsible for killing millions of bats. While bats are known to eat mosquitoes, we often overlook their contribution to agriculture. Not only do they feast on crop-damaging caterpillars, but they also pollinate certain plants, like agaves. Along with the disease, pesticides also contribute to population decline.

With the bleak news, what can we do to protect our pollinators?

Plant a pollinator garden--You Can Grow That!

First, though, take a pledge to eliminate pesticides in your garden--and encourage your neighbors and homeowners' associations to ban pesticides, too. Honestly? Even "natural" pesticides wreck havoc on beneficial insects. Hand picking pests is much healthier for the environment than spraying poison.

Next, familiarize yourself with the species that live in your area and plant larval host plants, as well as nectar sources, suitable for those pollinators. You can find a list of butterflies in your area by entering your zip code here.

When planning your pollinator garden, choose a variety of plant materials that will provide nectar sources throughout the season. Mix early blooming, mid- and late-blooming annuals and perennials to ensure an adequate supply of food and energy for the pollinators. 

Water, too, is important for attracting pollinators. Birds, bees, and butterflies all benefit from water sources in your garden, from a bird bath or pond to a shallow dish of water. Also necessary is shelter for pollinators. Add a bat box to your garden. Plant trees to encourage nesting. Learn the pollinator species common to your area, and encourage them to make your garden their home.

For instance, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies reside in my area in South Carolina. When planning our pollinator garden, I looked here to find their host plants, as well as their favorite nectar sources. The caterpillars consume leaves on many of the trees in our forest, such as wild cherry, sweetbay, tulip tree, birch, ash, cottonwood, and willow. For this butterfly, I didn't need to add a host plant, as we already have numerous trees on our property to provide food for the caterpillars. However, I did add some nectar sources. While they enjoy lilac, the bloom time is short in SC, so I added milkweed and Joe-Pye weed to the mix.

Additionally, some plants attract more than one type of pollinator. Passion flower, for instance, serves as a host plant for gulf fritillary caterpillars, while attracting hummingbirds and butterflies with its stunning purple flower for nectar.

Also in my area, black swallowtails use dill as a host plant, with caterpillars consuming the herb. Dill is another good dual purpose plant in a pollinator garden, though, because its flowers also attract lady bugs, predatory and parasitic wasps.

For a list of perennials and annuals to plant in your pollinator garden, check here. 

Planning and planting a pollinator garden is a perfect family activity. Many of the plants are easily grown from seed, such as zinnias and sunflowers, and the garden provides an excellent learning opportunity to teach our next generation of gardeners the importance of growing sustainably to protect our pollinators. There are many stories to tell and lessons to learn in growing a pollinator garden.

Besides, who doesn't get a thrill when Ms. Monarch pays a visit?

I know I do!

Here's hoping that perhaps our lack of pollinator activity is due to our very wet spring--crossing fingers and toes that with a little more sunshine, we'll find a pollinator party in the gardens.

XOXO ~

Julie

You Can Grow That! is hosted on the 4th of each month, with garden writers sharing the joys of growing gardens.

Shared with From the Farm Blog Hop and The Backyard Farming Connection.

The Unexpected Visitor.

It's 9:45 a.m.. Guess who is still in her pajamas?

I'm not sick. I'm not taking a mental health day. And I've even entertained a visitor  this morning. I've been too busy to shower.

You see, I've spent the last two hours watching a hummingbird. 

Inside. 

With gorgeous, fall-like temperatures this morning, I left the balcony door wide open to air out the house. And, as you know if you visit here often, our just-filled hummingbird feeders draw a lot of visitors.

One of our guests took an unfortunate detour.

Reading important news at my desk, as I do every morning as soon as the kids head to school, I heard an odd sound from the living room. My first thought was: “Bad dog!” It sounded like something being shredded. I ran in the living room, looking for Chloe who, while extremely finicky about eating her dog food, will sneak people food at any opportunity. (Usually Sophie is blamed, but she just eats everything shamelessly. Chloe is sly.)

I didn't notice that both pups hadn't moved from their beds. In the office.

Then, I looked up.

When we renovated the house last year, skylights seemed like a great idea.

Today, I cursed them.

Normally, if a bird flies into a house, the easiest way to remove it is to open a door or window, make the rest of the house dark, and let it naturally fly toward the light.

Of course, that's not possible when you have windows on the ceiling that don't open.

I thought about closing the shades on the skylights, but because the shades close via remote control—and the hummingbird used the channel as a perch—I feared injuring the bird or trapping it under the shade.

Plan B.

In a burst of creativity, I went outside (yes, in my PJs), grabbed a hummingbird feeder, came inside, and attached it to the handle of a broom. I stood on the couch, holding the broom/feeder over my head, waiting for the hummingbird to land on the feeder. It was, after all, becoming exhausted.

And then I spilled sugar water all over the couch, the floor, the coffee table...and me.

Note to self: couch cushions are not very stable.

Plan C.

Now, instead of the couch, I climbed a step stool and held the broom/feeder concoction. And spilled more sugar water.

Still, the hummingbird ignored it.

Plan D.

So, deciding the broom/feeder combination might be stressing out the poor bird instead of helping, I tried a more natural approach.

I cut two long branches of lantana, tied them to the broom handle, and held it up to the skylight.

I mean, seriously—those birds can't get enough of the lantana outside the office window. Surely, the hummingbird would land on a branch to drink some nectar—it was really getting tired now.

(Can you envision it? Me. The top step of the ladder. Pajamas. A broom disguised as a lantana bush. I'm grateful no one was home to take a picture.)

The lantana truly was inspired, don't you think? The bird obviously didn't appreciate my creative genius. It continued to whack its tiny body into the glass.

Plan E.

Kids' fishing net.

Thankfully, the handle on the net was too short, even with standing on the top step of the ladder. I'm glad, too, because I'm afraid the net might have damaged the hummingbird's wings.

Plan F.

Call Peter.

Argh. I hate when I can't solve something like a hummingbird trapped in the house by myself! Still, Peter is about seven inches taller than me, and I worried that the bird wouldn't make it much longer if it didn't get out. I left the room, hoping it might fly lower without me near, and waited for Peter to come home from work. (Thankfully, the company is ten minutes away.)

Of course, I couldn't stand it.

I peaked in the living room—and there it was, flying just above the picture on the wall. Then it perched on the frame. YES! I tried to sneak up on it, thinking to catch it in my hands—and then it zipped past my head, into the kitchen, where it promptly flew into the wall and fell onto the bench.

Oh no.

But when I looked closer, it was alive. Exhausted, but breathing.

I opened all of the kitchen windows, but then thought—if I catch it and release it from the kitchen, which is very high off the ground—the bird might not be able to fly. So, in my infinite wisdom, I decided to get the hummingbird feeder, put it on the balcony, catch the bird and place it on the feeder.

Of course, while I thought all of this, the hummingbird recovered from its bang into the wall, flew over my head...and behind the refrigerator.

Sometimes, it doesn't pay to think.

Fortunately, Peter walked in five minutes later.

I was afraid what we'd find behind the refrigerator. 

And there sat the hummingbird, covered in dust bunnies. (You're judging my housekeeping skills now, aren't you?!)

Peter carried the little fuss-budget to the balcony. It sat for a moment on his hand, and he tried to move it to the feeder.

Instead, without so much as a peep, it took off and flew to a high branch in the tree.

(Blurred by my excitement...)

 

We put the feeder back in its place, closed the balcony door, and waited to see if the hummingbird would venture down for a drink.

No luck. Yet.

So, that's how I've spent my morning. I think it's now time for me to take a shower, get dressed, and perhaps try to get a few things done.

Like mopping up the sugar water on the living room floor.

After that, I might just hang out on the couch and spy on hummingbirds.

Note to self: always close the balcony door.

Cheers!

Julie

On Stephen King...and Hummingbirds.

Many years ago, when I read the book, On Writing by the master of the macabre, Stephen King, one of his recommendations stuck:

“...put your desk in the corner, and every time you sit down there to write, remind yourself why it isn't in the middle of the room. Life isn't a support-system for art. It's the other way around.”

Now, granted, King went through some tough times. During his days of addiction, his grand desk lorded over a spacious, sun-lit room, where he “...sat behind that desk either drunk or wrecked out of my mind, like a ship's captain in charge of a voyage to nowhere.” After he got sober, he traded his desk for one half its size—and moved it to the corner.

My desk is tucked in the corner. And although I'm neither a world famous author nor a recovering addict, the corner desk works. Otherwise, I'd spend most of my time gazing out the window.

Of course, a window overlooking a garden actually benefits a garden writer. Because you never know what might inspire the next story, post, or article:

Yesterday, after several months of neglect, I finally cleaned and filled the hummingbird feeders. I hadn't worried much about the birds during the summer, because our garden is filled with nectar-rich plants that provide sustenance for the hummingbirds. Still, as the days become a bit shorter and many of the plants drop their blooms, I decided to add the feeders back to the garden to give the hummingbirds an additional source of food.

The result? A hummingbird fiesta.

Our garden is typically filled with hummingbirds. Trees and bushes provide shelter and places to nest, while the perennials and annuals offer nectar sources. The feeders, though, provide an extra source of nourishment for the hummingbirds—plus, they give us strategic viewpoints for the tiny creatures, which can be challenging to spot among the trees and lantana.

 

Clemson University's Cooperative Extension offers excellent information on developing hummingbird habitats. Some of the plants recommended for food sources include lantana, morning glory, honeysuckle, petunia, snapdragon, butterfly weed, bee balm, Indian paintbrush, and hollyhock. We've also found that trumpet creeper, hibiscus, and red columbine attract hummingbirds in our gardens.

In fact, hummingbirds tend to favor red flowers, although they are also attracted to orange and pink blooms. However, red food dye added to prepared hummingbird food isn't necessary.

You don't need to purchase hummingbird food at the store. It's very simple and inexpensive to make at home. Because I never remember the exact ratio for making hummingbird food, I thought I'd share it with you. (Maybe by writing the formula, I'll finally remember the ratio without looking it up!)

(Do you see its tongue?)

To prepare homemade hummingbird food, use a 4-1 ratio: 4 cups of water, 1 cup white sugar. Boil the water, adding the sugar and stirring until it completely dissolves. (Boiling also helps retard the growth of microorganisms.) Wait until the mixture cools, and fill clean feeders.

NOTE: Never use honey, brown sugar, or artificial sweeteners. These ingredients can harm the birds.

Place the feeders at least six feet apart in the garden. Shade helps slow the fermentation of the nectar.

Clean and refill the feeder at least once a week, more often in hot weather. Mold in the feeders can make hummingbirds ill. 

You'll find many gorgeous, artsy glass and metal hummingbird feeders. While I used to purchase the expensive feeders, I found that either the perch wasn't appropriately sized for the hummingbird, the feeder was impossible to clean, or it only lasted one season. Instead, we've been using the non-artsy-but-practical cheap plastic feeders found at the non-artsy-but-practical big box stores. 

The birds don't seem to mind.

Did you know that a praying mantis can kill a hummingbird? At first, I thought the praying mantis hung around to harvest insects near the feeder. But then, it seemed a little...aggressive. A quick Google search, and I found that hummingbirds are prey for the praying mantis.

Eek. Thankfully, there were no casualties.

In retrospect, I need to move a few of the feeders. Those sweet, adorable, itty-bitty birds are viciously territorial, and they expend enormous energy chasing their competition away from the feeders.

One feeder is almost empty. And my neck is getting stiff.

Because although my desk is in the corner, the window is to my left...

...I've been spying on hummingbirds all morning.

Stephen King would not be amused. (Unless I wrote a graphic account of the evil praying mantis capturing and torturing an innocent hummingbird...)

Nope.

Cheers!

Julie

La Bella Luna

Saturday night, as we were heading out to have dinner with my sisters and nieces, something caught my eye...

Dangling from a small branch...

...a just-hatched Luna moth.

We've seen several Luna moths (Actias Luna) in our area, particularly by our back porch door, as they are attracted to light. However, we've never encountered one drying its wings, preparing for its first flight. 




Each pale green wing sports a translucent eyespot. You can see the spots on the bottom wings faintly through the unfurled top wings.

Adult Luna moths fly at night. Mating occurs after midnight, and egg laying begins that evening. Females lay eggs on host plant leaves, and the caterpillars emerge in a week, feasting on a variety of leaves: white birch, persimmon, sweet gum, hickories, walnuts, and sumacs.

Our home is tucked into a forest, surrounded by white birch, hickories, and sweet gum.

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate sweet gums? I've been known to roll down the driveway and land on my rear due to the carpet of sweet gum balls. I suppose now that I know itty bitty baby Luna moth caterpillars are eating the leaves, I might curse our sweet gum trees a bit less.

Adult Luna moths don't feed--they don't even have mouths. For their short lives, their only job is to reproduce.

And, after about a week of hard work, the adult Luna moth dies.

But what a way to go...

The adults may live for only a week, but we Southerners are fortunate. Our warm climate allows for two to three broods of Luna moths from March through September. Any caterpillars hatched now will most likely feed and then spin a cocoon, where they will remain until spring.

 

Although we were running late for dinner, we all took turns photographing our rare visitor: Kristen with my old phone, Mikey with his Nintendo ds, Peter with his phone, and, of course, me...who hasn't mastered the macro lense yet. It's on my to-do list.

Here's hoping for lots of Luna moth sex in our yard this week. 

I'll be glad to feed those babies plenty of sweet gum leaves!

Cheers!

XO ~

Julie