urban Gardener: July 2012

If you are wondering

Considering That Less Than 6 % of the food we consume is grown on Vancouver Island means that we are neither “food secure” nor “food sustainable”. Alarmingly, that number has steadily declined in past years and leaves our island communities vulnerable to food shortages, if there is ever an interruption in the food delivery system. This column is designed to encourage people who have never gardened to begin their first steps in growing a few herbs and vegetables in small spaces. As our understanding of food production deepens it will hopefully lead to a social and environmental awareness of the need to support local food producers and to purchase what we eat close to home.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T GROW FOOD?

Who Says You Can’t grow food on a north facing balcony? City staffer, Diana Bell has defied the naysayers by producing a wonderful array of veggies grown in pots on her South Dogwood Street condo. Her eclectic array of containers includes Tyee spinach, Bright Lights swiss chard, Butter Crunch lettuce, and Red Leaf romaine. Her herb pots produce spearmint and chives. Cages are used to support zucchinis, cucumbers and Sweet 100 tomatoes. At the peak of daylight hours her balcony only gets reflected light and direct sun around the side of the building from about 6pm until sunset. Diana says the tomatoes which normally ripen in 60 days take double that time before harvesting. “The taste is incredible despite the long wait”, exclaims this enthusiastic gardener. She also grows edible violas. “They look so beautiful scattered amongst the greens and they really perk up a plain garden salad”, she adds.

Being Inspired By Directions On Cooking Dandelions in a local cookbook I headed out along a canyon trail in search of fresh leaves and buds. They aren’t hard to find, just make sure they are growing well back from the trail or roadside to avoid contamination from vehicle fumes. The directions for cooking these tasty leaves can be found on Page 31 of the Quadra Island Cookery ll book. The recipe is so basic, just a bit of oil or butter in the pan, grilled onions and a pinch of salt and a squirt of lemon juice. Just a simple idea but this dish is brimming with nutritive value.

The Earth Day Film Presentation at the Tidemark Theatre was so inspiring that it has caused me to take revolutionary action regarding my reliance on my humble Honda CRV. I won a bus pass door prize to be used during the month of May. Someone nearby remarked “You could give the pass away to someone who really needs it”. “Well wait a moment,” I thought to myself, “maybe it’s really me who needs to change my driving habits. Well you can see where this discussion was headed. Listening to the film presenters profound change of life style as they reevaluated their wastefulness motivated me to take a personal “No Driving” pledge for the month of May. As I have a midmonth appointment in Victoria I will exempt myself for that one trip but other than that I’ll be either cycling of taking the bus to town. As two fill ups with gas in a month cost between $100 - 130 the earth will not only be benefiting by my lighter footprint but so will my wallet.

WHAT COULD BE NICER

“What Could Be nicer than fresh spinach, lettuce and greens early in the spring?” That line caught my attention as I perused the latest edition of the local garden club newsletter. Sally Watson, a dynamic member of that growing organization, is reminding us all to start planting our spring vegetables patch. She goes on to say, “This is the time of year that gardeners get restless and the easiest “fix” is to have something growing on a window sill in our houses ready to go outdoors when the soil warms to the correct temperature for the vegetables in question.” That is 10 degrees for the early starters. Sally goes on to explain that “experienced island gardeners will tell you that it simply isn’t worth putting vegetable plants or seeds out in the garden too early - nothing will happen until that rush of warm spring air arrives to warm the soil and start everything growing. This does not preclude starting things off indoors so that you are well ahead when the warmth arrives. As the days get longer this gets easier and easier”.

Sally tells us that she already has a pot of garlic 9 inches high in her kitchen window growing great guns and her spouse, Malcolm, has small cauliflower and broccoli plants “resting” in the greenhouse waiting for the warmth to arrive, as well as lettuces in the cold frame and onions in the garden that have overwintered and will take off early.

One of the great benefits of belonging to our garden club is that those of us who are eager to learn more about the secrets of growing food benefit by listening to “the masters” and then sharing what we learn with others. I am experimenting, for the first time, with overwintering vegetables. The onions and garlic which were planted in the late summer are thriving despite snow and lashing rain. The broad beans, planted in October have really taken a beating due to some severe wind and snow storms. The plants are almost two feet tall and are tied to sturdy stakes. After a severe temperature drop they wilt totally yet once the air warms they rally once more. I am looking forward to the beans ripening in late spring as they are rich in nutrients and will make an interesting substitute for the tinned garbanzos used in my family’s favourite hummus recipe. A slow walk around the mucky garden after each storm is a great way of cheering oneself up and sustaining that important sense of anticipation.

Did you know?

… if you google Campbell River on your computer the arrow that pops up shows the entrance to town is located at 14th Ave. Now picture a first time visitor to Campbell River heading north on the Inland Island Hwy., then turning right at 14th and driving past the Eagles Hall. Then the route takes them along an industrial strip leading to the Maple St. left turn bend. No wonder the hapless driver ends up in Campbellton asking for directions! The recently formed Campbellton First committee has identified its initial outdoor task is to clear garbage, groom sidewalks and improve landscapes. A Campbellton First Clean-up is being held on Saturday, March 31. The energetic new committee welcomes volunteers from all points of town to join in the effort. Watch The Mirror for further information on the clean up.

… it is probably the furthest thing from your mind in the middle to this hot spell but it’s now time to prepare the soil for your winter garden. If you want to eat fresh, organic, local food all year round for the price of a few seed packets then check out West Coast Seeds Winter Gardening Guide. So far the booklets are available at Campbell River Garden Centre. It advises, for example, sowing arugula from June to the end of August for harvest in fall and through winter into spring. Carrot seeds can go in the ground the first two weeks of August for winter harvests. Other winter vegetables include beets, Brussels sprouuts, kale, lettuce, parsnips, spinach, Swiss chard and turnips. When choosing seeds for winter gardening check the package as it should indicate whether it is a hardy, winter variety. You might have to experiment the first year but that’s part of the fun in learning about your garden’s potential.

… garlic, chives, cilantro, fennel leaf, parsley, sorrel, bay leaf, chervil, rosemary, sage, thyme and winter savoury are available year-round. Harvest them fresh or dry them out in a warm room and grind them up in with a mortar and pestle or processor. They make much appreciated gifts for friends and of course for use in your own kitchen.

… it is possible to raise worms in a small container or tote box on your back deck. My experiment is turning out well and all I did was fill the tub full of soil, spade in a handful of red wiggler worms given to me by a friend, and enough water to keep the soil lightly moist. Feeding the soil with finely chopped left over vegetable peelings, the worms receive a steady supply of food which they convert into nutrient-rich castings. Two or three pounds of green kitchen refuse including tea bags and coffee grinds a week is all that’s needed to keep them happy. To create the perfect environment I really need to find a tote with air holes and a spigot to drain off excess water. The compost they create is considered “black gold” as the castings are far more beneficial to plants than any man-made fertilizer, according to a website called WormWatcher.

… there is always something new to learn when setting up a food garden and my friend Lance Klassen recently revealed an amazingly easy method of seed-starting for transfer into pots. Lay your various seeds on a damp tea towel. Sprinkle the seeds loosely and cover with a second damp towel. Leave them on the kitchen counter or somewhere indoors. For the next three days make sure the towels stay damp. By the fourth day the seeds should have sprouted. At that point you can very gently transfer each seed that has produced a strong root into small containers full of potting soil. I tried this successfully with 12 different seeds and five days later I now have trays of happy seedlings arrayed on the window sills and peeping out of their pots. This method sure beats sprinkling the soil with seeds and then having to thin out the weaklings once they have struggled up through the earth.

... that those tough little veggies like arugula, chard and kale which survived the winter can be tenderized successfully by placing them in the freezer for 30-40 min. and then quickly steamed or stir fried. It is a year since this column was first published. Those of you looking for guidance on how to start a veggie garden in small spaces just Google Campbell River Urban Gardener and my blog will pop up to display all the archived columns.

... that I have a cooking technique for turning sprouts into a culinary triumph. Prepare to be amazed! You may be able to convince your entire family to munch a few sprouts after trying out this idea. Heat up your frying pan and melt a large dollop of butter in the pan. Add half a teaspoon of brown sugar. Cut the sprouts in half, lengthwise. Arrange them face down in the pan and cover with a pyrex see-through lid if possible. Don't add water. Cook them at medium heat for about five minutes. You'll know they are ready if the sprouts turn intensely bright green and can be pierced with a fork. Remove immediately and serve with a smile. The U.S. President said publicly that he hates sprouts. I think I will send this recipe to Michelle. It may change the course of history.

... that fresh cilantro can be frozen in the same way that you have learned to freeze parsley. Place in a plastic bag, unwashed, and snip or slice off whatever you need and then return it to the freezer. It keeps its intense flavour despite being frozen and sure beats finding a half decayed bag of your favourite kitchen herb decomposing at the back of the veggie container.

... that stinging nettles make fabulous fertilizer juice? Well, that’s so, according to a local friend who told me to cut down the huge stinging nettle growing at the back of the property and chop it up into small pieces. Then I am to place the pieces in a bucket and cover with water. After about six weeks, according to my advisor, it will turn into a dark green slurry. Then it’s time to strain it and place in a lidded container. I can then add a few tablespoonsful to a watering can and it makes an outstanding liquid fertilizer.

... that there is a technique for harvesting veggies called Cut & Come Again so that the plants can continually reproduce. In fact there are two systems. Either take a pair of scissors and clip off the top of the plants...like giving the plants a hair cut...or the other choice is to clip only the outer largest leaves from the plants. Whichever way you choose is provides you with an endless supply, especially with spidly plants like chives, mizumi, arugula and lettuce. It takes a leap of faith to shave off alll those leaves but it works. The next crop will bounce up in a couple of weeks. Basil needs a different approach. Pick from the top of the plant down to the next set of leaves. That's where the growth is renewed.

... that you can keep a pot of fragrant basil on your kitchen window sill and, even if you continuously clip leaf clusters from the top of the branches, the plant will produce new leaves within a week. I’ve been doing this for ages and it still amazes me. I can purchase a sturdy looking little basil plant for $3 at the grocery store, even in the dead of winter, and it will keep producing for months on end. Eventually the plant will exhaust itself and need to be replaced. But, in the mean time there is a supply of one of the most favored herbs. In the summer it thrives when planted out doors in a very hot spot, tucked in under the spreading leaves of a large tomato plant. Try a thickly sliced home grown beefsteak tomato, sprinkled with shredded basil leaves and a teaspoon of organic olive oil. It’s a humbling experience. One should only consume such an offering on bended knees…with your head bowed.

... food grown on Vancouver Island has steadily declined and is currently less than 6%!! So when you sow a few seeds and start your very own food garden you are taking the first steps in making us and our children “Food Secure” in our beautiful island home. You will hear more and more about the issues of food sustainability. It means eating close to home and supporting farm markets and local producers in the mid-North Island.

... that you can enjoy your home grown parsley all year round by filling a small plastic bag full of fresh green leaves and storing them in the freezer. When you need a sprinkling of parsley to top up an omelet or a fresh salad, grab your kitchen scissors and slice off some frozen parsley.You'll be surprised to discover that it still retains that lovely pungent smell of fresh cut parsley.

urban Gardener

Urban Gardener

If you are wondering

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Sunday, July 22, 2012

WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T GROW FOOD?

WHAT COULD BE NICER

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Did you know?