Living in Season

There are actually a few plants I won't start this year...

Even though I'm having way too much fun perusing seed catalogs, and making numerous lists of "must-haves" for this year's garden, there are a few plants I'm opting to buy. After talking to Marcia Bundi, one of my favorite people, at Bundi Greenhouses here in Great Falls, I've decided I can take artichoke and godetia off my seed starting list. Marcia is a walking botanical encyclopedia, and thankfully fellow plant geek, so she offers some of the varieties typically not found in this neck of the prairie.

I've grown godetia (in the clarkia family) for well over ten years, and can never understand why it hasn't taken off for traditional annual gardeners. Every time I've had it visitors  "ooh and aah" over it with its brilliantly colored and delicate blossoms resembling azaleas. It grows 12 to 14 inches tall, and when planted in mass provides a great focal point. It's only drawback is its lack of fragrance, but the eye-catching qualities outweigh that single flaw.

The other variety I'll buy from Marcia is the annual artichoke. Anything I can dip in butter is a good thing, so growing our own artichokes is a treat. There are varieties now that will produce in their first year, but they typically should be started in February for this area. Since I'm a little busy with gestation, I'm glad Marcia is growing them. Plus, I really only need a couple of plants not the two dozen I would end up with despite my best intentions to "thin." This year I'll try a couple in the garden, plus keep at least one in the greenhouse to see how what it does in a more temperate environment.

Spoiled Rotten

I know I've been whining a considerable amount during this pregnancy, but one thing I can never say is there was no one to help me. The outpouring of support from Grant and friends has been tremendous. Grant is picking up the slack in the house... he even cleaned the top of the fridge this evening! ( I told a rather tall friend of mine that I don't see it, so I don't feel inclined to clean it. She replied she can see on the top of theirs, but still doesn't feel compelled to wipe it off. Ha!) He's been wonderful about keeping up with dishes, vacuuming and folding laundry. I could not do it without him since the smallest effort triggers contractions, which the Dr. wishes to minimize as much as possible.

We also have friends - a couple I met when I did my first story on fiber for the Great Falls Tribune - who are cooking twice a week for us. Daryl kept offering to do things, and I would decline. She finally put her foot down and said she would cook dinner twice a week. I gave up the argument (partly because she's a fabulous cook, and partly because I am pretty beat by evening). So Grant picks up dinner from their place on Wed. and Fridays, and it usually is more than enough for leftovers the following days). And Karen, my former editor friend, also made dinner for us on several occasions... even when she was nursing a post-surgery foot. If nothing else, it's wonderful to sample other people's dishes!

Then there's Grandma Elsie, who was Grant's mother's best friend, who comes up once a week to play with Samuel giving me some time to catch up on work (which thankfully, often means sitting in bed with the laptop). Since I'm limited on what I can do with Samuel it means so much to have her up to take him outside on nice days, or just chase him around the house. He loves it.  She has the biggest heart, and I know is there for whatever we need.

To top it off, there are a slew of folks from church who've offered to watch Sam, bring up food, grab groceries. It's been a tremendous blessing. The hardest part for me is accepting this outpouring. I truly don't like being on this end of things, but I am enormously grateful there are so many people who care.

The Girls are Looking Good

We're back in a more typical winter weather pattern, but last weekend was a brief taste of spring. Grant took advantage of the moderate temperatures to take a peek in the hives. Thankfully, he reports the hives are looking strong overall. Whew!

The queens should start laying shortly. They typically begin in February when the days are growing longer. They start out slowly now, but by spring a good queen will lay 1500 eggs per day. It won't be long until spring is here, and the girls can get back to work.

Planning for Potatoes

I'm still refining what I need to plant this spring to produce enough of the vegetables we eat a lot, as well as expanding the daily menu. One crop I need to increase are potatoes. Granted, they're fairly cheap in the grocery store, but the difference in flavor is night and day. Plus, potatoes are in my blood.

For years my dad had the "Hinman Potato Planter" that was patented in the early part of the 20th century stored in the barn. I'm not sure exactly how it worked, but it always struck me that potatoes were obviously an important part of the farmily farm's history.

Personally, i'm a big fan of potatoes. (Who of German or Hungarian heritage isn't?) Last year I planted French fingerlings, Viking and Yukon Gold. I don't think I'll do Viking again since the red streaks within the flesh translate into pink mashed potatoes. The taste is the same, but the color doesn't quite work.

Yukon Gold are must-haves, and I enjoyed the fingerlings. I'm also going to order Katahdins from Pinetree in Maine. It's a white potato that tastes great and keeps well. We always grew those at Dad's, and they typically did very well. Same with Kennebecs. I think they might be on the list, as well.

Last year I planted 20 hills. This year I would like one-hundred. We ran out by December, and I'd like to be able to store them through most of the winter. The less I have to buy at the store, the better.

River City Harvest

Slowly, but surely, we're plugging away to make community gardens a reality in Great Falls. I called in to Wade at the county extension office the other day to chat with him and Deb, who has taken on the mountain of paperwork involved in acquiring the non-profit status, and our efforts look promising.

We had a couple of disappointments earlier in the process because land that was offered ended up either not working out, or no longer being available. But there are a couple of pieces that will make a great beginning if everything works out with the various entities. Hopefully we'll know for certain within a few weeks so we can start working as soon as the weather breaks in the spring.

It's our goal to provide gardens for families to grow their own produce throughout the season to mitigate grocery costs and provide nutritious fresh vegetables. With fresh veg prices going through the roof, this will hopefully be a big help to local families. Education is going to be an important part of this program, too. I'm excited about teaching newbies how to play in the dirt. We also intend to set aside plots to grow specifically for charitable organizations such as the food bank and Meals on Wheels. I interviewed the gal who runs the Meals on Wheels program, and she said her elderly folks really appreciate the fresh veg, especially when they know it's locally grown. If such a small thing can bring joy to these folks, I think it's a very worthwhile effort. And, as throughout the country, our food banks are struggling to keep up with demand so if we can help out at all, it's a worthwhile endeavor.

There are so many good things to do when it comes to involving the community and gardening - hopefully our early struggles will smooth out so we can get to the business of gardening and feeding those who need it.

Stop and Eat the Landscape

During my many years of designing other peoples' landscapes I never thought much about the usefulness of what we were using. Instead I was more concerned about what would actually grow in the oftentimes challenging conditions and would look good in the process.

Now I'm focusing on what will work, look good and produce tasty fruit or berries. When we bought this place, shade was at a minimum. There is a sad little apple tree at the front of the house, a lonely Russian olive up front and two Siberian pea along the side of the house. That's it. Not much to mitigate the scorching southern and western exposures.

Because we want the best of both worlds, trees and shrubs that will shield us from the wind and sun plus produce something edible, we opted for a few more apple trees up front. Planted in a group they'll eventually provide a nice shady spot to play. Linden (basswood) trees were put in along the western side of the house to create good shade areas, as well as providing a valuable nectar source for the bees.

In the garden, I planted the native golden currants to provide a living windbreak along the northern side. Despite being nipped by our -8 record temperature in April last year, they grew over a foot and should provide delicious berries this season.

This year I'm adding elderberries to the mix as a hedgerow along the eastern side of the yard. After a few seasons they'll hopefully provide enough berries to make yummy pies and jams. I used to harvest them during the late summer when I was growing up in Ohio, but don't see them out here as much. I'd also like to add at least one crapabble tree - probably a Whitney - so I can make crabapple jelly and other preserves.

We also need more shrubs along the perimeter of the property to break up the howling winds that tear through here, but it will come eventually. I would like to use more currant bushes, American plums, elderberries and chokecherries. Not only will these options provide plenty of fruit for us, but it will give the birds places to hide and snack.

Be Still My Heart

It isn't often that Grant surprises me, but he came up with a good one last night. He brought over the laptop, and showed me the choice in greenhouses he's been researching to give me. Wow! The man knows the way to my heart is through the garden. I asked him what prompted this action, and he told me it was just to do something nice for me. Do I have the best husband, or what?

Last year I muddled through by playing "musical plants" moving flats from window to window, then finally moving them to the cold frame and low hoops. This worked okay, except when we had -8 on April 21. Thankfully, I pulled the plants inside, but it was still awkward having fifteen flats scattered in the kitchen and dining room. I was planning to do the same this year, although with every intention (whether grounded in reality or not) to decrease the number of plants. Now it appears I won't have to.

After looking into many models, Grant's leaning towards a 6 x 8 Rion Silverline because it appears to be one of the most durable and efficient. A key consideration is the wind. In the past, I could tack together greenhouse plastic over lumber and make do for the season. The wind up here would tear it to shreds in very short order. The Rion is made of polycarbonate panels with a sliding door, an important feature if I don't want it in the neighbor's yard, and roof vents.

Heating it is a concern of mine since my former method of using propane on the Mr. Heaters will most likely be cost prohibitive anymore. When I had my two greenhouses in Coram, and started six to seven thousand seedlings for my place, Shady Side Herb Farm, I heated both of them with the propane because it cost six dollars to fill a twenty gallon propane tank. That's certainly not the case anymore.

Grant uses solar panels on several of the receiving stations he has set up in out of the way places for his rainbow and brown trout tracking study, and he says it would be easy enough to hook up a solar panel to run a small heater and fan on a thermostat that will activate at a set high temperature. The beauty of living here on the east side of the mountains is we actually have enough sun to make it work. It would be hit and miss in the Flathead Valley. I'm delighted to be able to utilize solar energy. It's fascinated me for a long time.

The nice thing about Grant taking the initiative on this is it will be done right. Being the hooshel gardener, I will scab together whatever it takes to make it work. But he's planning on pouring a concrete slab in order to bolt the greenhouse firmly to the ground, and it will look great by the time he's done.

Because I will undoubtedly go overboard on seed starting again this year - I already have four varieties of tomatoes and don't know where I'm going to plant them all yet - I might have to take the excess (after giving plants to friends, of course) to the Farmer's Market. Grant can sell any honey he still has, and I can peddle plants. It's shaping up to be a good year in the garden already.

Photo from www.littlegreenhouse.com

Planting for the Bees

Another winter storm hit us yesterday. I woke up to a fairly light snow - no big deal - but by early morning it morphed into a full-fledged blizzard with winds coming straight out of the north. The temperature dropped forty-degrees during the day. I have no idea how much snow actually fell, but I do know a lot found it's way into our attic again through the roof vent. Any opening is fair game to this nasty stuff.

Of course, this makes me wonder how the bees are doing with yet another go' round of brutal conditions. Grant shoveled the hive entrances free a few days ago to allow them to vent, as well as fly out if necessary. There were a surprising number that came out even though the temps were only in the thirties. He also said one cluster was fairly close to the snow-shut entrance. Thankfully, it does have strong insulating qualities; I just hope they moved to the middle after he took away their blanket.

Quite a few friends in town have major difficulties with pollination this year. Silvia was tremendously frustrated with her lack of zucchini. It would begin to set, then die off the vine. I'm trying to talk Grant into taking over a hive, even if it's a nuke, to help them with their orchard and garden. I can definitely see a call for "urban apiarists" in the near future when people pay beekeepers to bring out hives for a certain amount of time to ensure adequate pollination to home gardens.

One thing gardeners can do is incorporate the flowers bees love directly in their veg garden. Diversity is a good thing, and this is no exception. I talked to a couple at the end of the season who have their veg and flower beds mixed in with one another, and he said they had no issues with a lack of bees. On the contrary, he had to warn folks who don't like bees to watch certain parts of the garden.

Even though we have a hive or two nearby - whether our own or our neighbor's - I'm planning to plant more flowers to encourage the bees to visit. Perovskia, also known as Russian Sage, is a fantastically hardy plant (even in this area) that bees adore. I planted one last year, but it was quickly overwhelmed by the indeterminate "Chocolate Cherry" tomatoes. This year I'll bring it out on its own.

Oregano is another bee favorite. When I used to harvest cart loads of oregano for drying, it was common to have bees touching my hands and landing on my arms as I cut down their buffet. The only time I was ever stung was when I squeezed on between my fingers. They don't like that so much.

I'm debating whether to plant borage. It makes terrific bee food, but is terribly invasive. One plant quickly turns to one-hundred and so on. The flowers make a delightful addition to salads with a mild cucumber flavor and gorgeous blue color, but the plant can be a battle.

This is the same with chives, although they are easier to control. I think Silvia gave me some seed, so I'll have to have at least a few plants. I'll have to keep close tabs on the flowers to leave them long enough for the bees to enjoy, but cut them back before they reseed absolutely everywhere.

The thing I like about the bees utilizing the garden, besides efficient pollination, is the honey has a much better flavor, in my opinion. The very light alfalfa honey is the "preferred" product according to the National Honey Board, but for those of us who enjoy honey for a more unique taste, the home garden honey is a delicious manifestation of a successful summer.  

Gardening Mission Statement

Helen Yoest of Gardening with Confidence (www.gardensgardens.wordpress.com) wrote an entry on creating a gardening name and mission statement, and invited other gardeners to do the same. I think this is a lovely idea. She's right, it does help you focus and elevates your garden's status beyond a ho-hum project. These outdoor projects are important parts of our lives, and deserve a little recognition.

I've been mulling over a suitable name all afternoon. The one that keeps coming back to me is "The Hooshel Garden." "Hooshel" is a family term - I actually don't know if it truly exists - that is a hybrid of a German/Hungarian word meaning someone who accomplishes a lot in a short amount of time, but is far from a perfectionist (to put it nicely). For example, if you have a thousand seedings to transplant in a few hours. Give me a call. It'll be done. It won't be pretty, but it'll be done. (And they will grow, BTW!)

In my own gardening, I'm not afraid of giving something a try without having to research every angle. I'll read up on a technique, and give it a go using my own terms. People think gardening takes so much time and effort, but I'm here to prove it doesn't. Instead of carefully seeding beds, I toss and thin. Seedlings are planted as fast as possible (partly to prevent the poor dears from being blown to deaqth in the wind). Weeding is done in a whirlwind, as well as harvesting. I love what I do, and enjoy cramming as much as I can into each period of time, particularly when half of the time is guiding Sam to weed the weeds and not the beans. This may not sound very fulfilling to those who enjoy leisure time in the beds, but constant motion is relaxing to me. Progress is pleasing.

A few of my garden goals include finding better ways to grow things in our challenging climate. Coming from Ohio to Montana (albeit nearly 20 years ago) was a huge learning curve in and of itself, but moving from the temperate west side of the mountains to the more extreme conditions on the east side has given me a brand new twist on the process. Not only do I have to deal with long, cold springs and sudden, freezing autumns, there are high winds, little moisture, alkaline soil and water, hot summers and cold, desiccating winters. The Hooshel Garden is the place to work out these issues the best way I can so I can share this knowledge with others.

Teaching is another key element to my gardening madness. I love it when I can help someone else grow their own food or flowers. Years ago, I thought it was a tremendous victory when I talked a friend into leaving the ruler in the drawer. Yes, it says to plant the petunias 8 to 10 inches apart, but in my opinion, it's more of a guide than a rule. I'm really looking forward to helping our community garden participants find their way through their first season. I believe by demonstrating that you don't have to sweat all these details that it gives those who are intimidated by gardening confidence to continue. The Hooshel Garden is a place I can test these varieties and techniques before sharing them with others.

Most importantly, though, I want to teach our sons how to care for the garden and themselves. Knowing how to grow your own food is a lifelong lesson that will serve them and their families. Yes, gardening with Sam takes more time, something difficult for a hooshel. But it's worth it to watch him enjoy shoveling in the soil, giving me a handful of tags he's collected (it's always more exciting when you have to wait for the squash to produce before you know what you have), or peeling and eating ground cherries. My greatest hope is he... and his little brother yet to arrive...love playing in the dirt as much as I do.

As for a mission statement...

The Hooshel Garden is a bountiful example of how successes and failures are all part of the learning process, a relaxed environment where food and advice are plentiful, and a hands-on project where the next generation learns to love every aspect of it.

Creature of Habit

Looking for a little excitement on the first day of the New Year? Well, you can keep walking past the Grisak residence. Outside of the mandatory pork and sauerkraut (tradition from the Midwestern/German heritage) we do stimulating activities such as home repair, cleaning and organizing.

Grant started off the morning by building a couple of shelves in the bathroom so the towels can be stored in there instead of the bedroom closet. It helps open up space, but I still hate to have to climb on the toilet to reach them. Being a towering 5-feet tall has its disadvantages at times.

Now he's working on reworking the vent pipe on the furnace because it's been dripping on the unit, and actually corroding some of the sheet metal. He scratches his head on how some things were built in this house, but thankfully can correct many of the problems. We had to have the sensory board replaced earlier this week, and the technician pointed out that the dripping water wasn't right. I just hope Grant returns from Home Depot soon because it's starting to get cold in here.

I cleaned the fridge. I need to keep on top of things in case I end up going to the hospital early.  I don't want someone feeding Sam something that's been in there too long. I may have been a bit draconian on what I tossed, but I figure it's better to be safe than sorry if I'm not here to make the call.

My next projects include pulling all of the files for our personal and business expenses, and box them for storage. I also have to file the stacks of notes I took for the 140 or so articles I wrote this year. Although I might not need the information right away, I've found it's handy to be able to look up past interviews down the road. You never know!

Finally, I'll change out my day planner, and see if I can't glean phone numbers from last year to jot down in the new book. I use my day planner as a notepad for everything, and can never put the prior year's book very far into storage. It needs to be close at hand for at least a year.

As for resolutions... I really don't make them as much as I set goals. I sat down a week or so ago for the annual meeting of Endless Endeavors, Inc. Since I'm a sub-S corporation I have to hold an annual meeting, but being the only officer it usually means reviewing last year and setting the agenda for the next. No Roberts Rules here!

Other than a business outline, I'm pretty much taking life on a day to day basis. There are too many unknowns to hold onto hard and fast rules. I know how I'd like things to go, but the reality of the situation doesn't always conform. Who knows what this new baby will be like. Maybe he'll sleep. Maybe he'll be like Sam and torture me for over a year. I'll let you know in another six months. Until then, Happy New Year to everyone!