How Does My Garden Grow?

This week my garden grows in bags. :)

In case you missed it, this cool gardening tactic has been making the rounds on Facebook lately. Bag gardening isn't new - just do a Google search and you'll yield thousands of results. However, the blog post that has been referenced on FB presents the idea in what I think is a better way. It brings the height of the garden up to waist level (for me, anyway) and out of the reach of the voracious bunnies that live in my neighborhood.

So here, in pictures, is my adventure in bag gardening. Easy to do - took me one shopping trip and about a half hour to plant. I'll post updates as the bags grow (or don't!). And please, send us pics if you do this too. I'd love to see your results.

- Alex

Shopping list:

2 wooden sawhorses (Home Depot) - $19 ea - reusable for many jobs

1 piece of cow fencing - cut to 3' widths (Farm & Fleet) - $20 for eight finished cuts

4 one cubic foot bags of garden soil (Home Depot) - $5 ea

Seeds for shallow rooted plants (herbs, greens, etc)

You'll also need a utility knife or some other sharp knife or scissors.

This is what cow-fencing looks like.

Two sawhorses, one cut of cow-fencing, holds four bags of soil.

Poke holes in the bottom of the bags for drainage.

Cut open the top of the bag, leaving about a 2"-4" border.

Like this. Leave the "flaps".

Loosen the soil.

Remove and retain the top layer of soil (you'll reuse this).

Shallow-rooted seeds.

Sow the seeds per the package instructions.

Use the removed soil to cover the seeds.
Roll the flap up and tuck them in the sides. This provides stability.
I used the seed packets to mark my plantings.

My finished bag garden!

Fingers crossed, I should have a fabulous garden of greens for my summer eating!

Dirty Hands

Saturday, May 25 2013 was a cold, cold day in Madison. But I'd set my mind to buying plants and putting them in the garden. I simply couldn't wait any longer.

So... there I am, at 7:45 a.m., trudging around the farmer's market, freezing and loading up on tender little bundles of future food. A small fortune later and I had cucumbers, tomatoes, arugula, basil, thyme, parsley, rosemary, eggplant, ground cherries, spinach, lettuce, and swiss chard. Oh... and a huge bunch of jonquil bulbs that the woman sold me for a dollar. Of course, once I got home, I felt compelled to get everything into the dirt.

Eggplant and ground cherries in pots. Note how good my willows look!

Arugula, finally not wilting.

Tomatoes, looking good.

The cold was pretty brutal and my new plants didn't take to it very well. They stayed sort of wilty and sad looking for a couple of days. But this morning, with the onset of warmer weather, everyone has perked up. I've already lost one cucumber (it just never took) and two basil plants. I think the basil got chewed or stepped on by the baby rabbit that lives in my neighbor's yard.

My new favorite basil - Pistou. It's a tiny-leaved, globe that's great in pots.

This is the second year that I'm trying to grow greens in a pot. Last year's attempt was mixed. The chard did fairly well (except for getting some pest called a "leaf borer") but my lettuce never really took off. I think I crowded the plants so, this year, I'm going to seriously thin them out after they've established a bit. Fingers crossed.

The other addition to my garden on Saturday was a "As Seen On TV" Pocket Hose. Yes... I couldn't resist. I've been eying on the late-night infomercials for a while and then, the other day, I walked in to Walgreens and there it was - in all its glory.

AWESOME!

You may have previously read of my love of all things "As Seen On TV". I make no secret of my obsession. And, once again, the product has lived up to the hype. I'll never own a regular garden hose again. :)  Plus, I get the added bonus of being able to say inappropriate things to visiting friends like, "Would you like to see my hose grow?" (Yes... I'm really a 12-year-old boy trapped in this grown-up woman's body).

Best products, ever.

Here it is at 50' long. Seriously - it reaches my entire back yard.

 The gardening has started in earnest. I guess summer really is planning to arrive this year.

- Alex

Garden Dinner

Over the weekend, the record-high temperatures finally broke and Wisconsin returned to relatively normal weather for July - with the obvious exception of still having no rain. To give you some sense of how bad the drought has been, the average rainfall in Wisconsin in the month of June is 4.5". This year, the month of June brought us 0.3" of rain. My water bill is going to be astronomical.

Okay...maybe it's not THIS bad but...

I don't usually water the grass because, to my mind, the water is better spent keeping my vegetables and flowers alive. However, last week I heard that, if the grass didn't get some water in the next week or so, it wouldn't bounce back this year. So, I broke down and watered it a couple of times. You know what bounced back? The freakin' weeds.

Regardless, I've managed to keep my garden alive - albeit a bit distressed. The leaves on the tomato plants are kind of curled up, but the plants are making fruit. The cucumbers are still hanging in there, as are the zucchini and eggplant. The arugula suffered a bit from the heat and constant watering and kept trying to bolt to seed. And, sadly, I think I've lost my peas. They're really dry and all the flowers have gone brown. Which brings me to the point of today's post.... eating from your garden.

Even though the peas may not come back, I was able to get one meal's worth of peas from the plant - and boy were they good. In fact, last night the bulk of my dinner came from my garden! It was satisfying to walk outside, cut what I needed and then cook it. This was the menu:

Tilapia served with two types of pesto
Green bean, yellow beans, and peas
Sauteed chard with white beans

The basil and arugula for the sauces were from the garden, as were all the vegetables save for the white beans. A few of the cooking ingredients, like garlic scapes, garlic, and onion, came from my CSA (community supported agriculture) box so everything was organic and super-fresh. It really was a treat.

So, for today, I thought I'd share a few of the recipes from last night's dinner. I hope you enjoy them!

- Alex

Arugula and Garlic Scape Pesto

Arugula is my favorite leafy green

• Rinse about two cups of tightly-packed arugula leaves, removing any very thick stems.
• Dice approximately 1/4 cup of garlic scapes, discarding the flower.
• Place arugula, scapes, 2 tablespoons of pine nuts, 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, and 1/8 cup of olive oil in a blender. Blend until smooth, adding more oil as necessary to get a good consistency.
• Adjust the seasonings, adding more cheese, pine nuts, and salt to taste.

A word of warning - arugula can be VERY peppery and this sauce will pack a serious kick. More cheese helps tone this down a bit but don't let the cheese overpower the arugula and scapes.

Garlic scapes! Yum.

Traditional Basil Pesto

• Rinse about two cups of tightly-packed sweet basil leaves, removing any very thick stems.
• Dice one or two cloves of garlic - enough to provide you with approximately one tablespoon of garlic or more, depending on how much you like garlic.
• Place basil, garlic, 2 tablespoons of pine nuts, 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, and 1/8 cup of olive oil in a blender. Blend until smooth, adding more oil as necessary to get a good consistency.
• Adjust the seasonings, adding more cheese, pine nuts, and salt to taste.

Traditional pesto is amazing on meats, pasta, and even as a sandwich spread. One of my favorite things to make is a "Caprese" sandwich. Slather some bread (preferably something with a good crunchy crust) with pesto. Top with sliced tomatoes and mozzerella cheese. This sandwich is great cold or grilled.

Sauteed Chard with White Beans


1 large bunch of chard (Swiss, rainbow, or a variety)
1 clove of garlic, sliced thin
1/4 cup diced (or thinly sliced) onion
A pinch of crushed red pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 or 3 Tablespoons of water
One can of cannellini beans (I prefer the Progresso brand)

• Rinse the chard, removing the toughest part of the stalks. Coarse chop
• Heat a deep saucepan on medium heat, add olive oil and onion - cooking until onion is translucent.
• Add garlic and crushed pepper and cook approximately one minute.
• Add the chard and stir well to coat with the oil and seasonings. Cover and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook for about five minutes then add a little water to keep the chard from sticking to the bottom of the pan and stir. Cover again and continue to cook until the chard is cooked through.
• Add cannellini beans, stir well, and heat through.

Cold Treats

The heat of the summer can really kill an appetite. As a result, finding the right thing to eat for dinner is often a real chore.

In today's post, I share a few of my favorite summer-time recipes that are quick to make, don't heat up the kitchen too badly (or at all), and are great on a hot day.

Whatever you decide to eat, the best dessert is ice cream! I'm a huge fan of Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream from Ohio. She just published a cookbook of her most popular flavors - in case you're feeling ambitious and want to make your own. Stay cool!


 - Alex




Cold Cucumber Soup

When your cucumber vines are overflowing, this versatile and easy soup is a great way to use them up. Get creative and experiment with the ingredients to get the flavor profile you prefer. I've provided some suggested options below.

recipe serves 4

2 medium to large cucumbers - peeled, seeded, and course-chopped
2 cups of plain yogurt
Mint or dill - depending on which flavor you prefer
optional - 1/2 cup of either buttermilk or sour cream depending on which flavor you prefer
optional - scallions, chives, or sweet onion (finely chopped) - reserve a bit for garnish
Salt and pepper

Put the chopped cucumbers and the mint or dill (and scallions/chives/onion if you're using that) in a blender and puree. In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt, buttermilk or sour cream (if using either), and the salt and pepper. Mix well. Fold in the cucumber puree being careful not to overwork the mixture. Chill for about an hour. Serve cold with some chives/scallions/diced onion or a  mint/dill sprig as a garnish. Pairs nicely with a heavier salad, like potato or macaroni.

Cold Tuna Salad

An extremely simple, cold version of a tuna-noodle casserole, the minimal ingredient list belies the wonder of this salad. It's just right when you want something that fills you up but doesn't compete with the summer heat. You'll find yourself eating this over and over again.

recipe serves a lot

1 large can of white (albacore) tuna packed in water
1 box of elbow noodles
1 medium to large red onion (vidalia will work as well) diced finely
Mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
(optional: some fresh, uncooked sweet peas are a nice addition if you have them)

Cook the box of macaroni until al dente (usually about 15 minutes - follow the box directions). Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Let the macaroni stand in the colander for a minute to drain off as much water as possible. Transfer macaroni to a bowl. Drain the tuna and stir into the macaroni. Stir in the chopped red onion. Add mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste. Serve right away. After storing leftovers in the refrigerator, you may find that you need to refresh the dish with a little more mayonnaise before serving.


Caprese Salad

I love going to the Farmers' Market and getting the really interesting heirloom tomatoes. And, my favorite thing to do with them is make Caprese Salad. Everyone's seen a traditional Caprese - slices of tomato with a bit of mozzarella and basil on top - but I like mine to be more of a meal.

recipe serves 6

2-3 cups of large-diced tomatoes (use any fleshy variety, including cherry tomatoes!)
1 cup of medium diced fresh mozzarella cheese (you can also use those little marble-sized balls and not even cut them up)
10 leaves of basil - chiffonaded (rolled up and cut into very thin strips)
A large bunch of arugula
Olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Whisk together the olive oil and vinegar. Set aside. Mix the tomatoes, cheese, and basil together. Cover with the dressing. Serve the tomato mixture on top of a bed of arugula. 

Bloody Battles

Grape tomatoes - bought already fruiting

Bloody Battle No. 1 - The Battle of the Cold.

It's finally garden season in Wisconsin. Granted, heartier stock than I got their gardens in ages ago and are probably thinking, "WTH, girl?". But I'm the definition of a fair-weather gardener. I, quite literally, will not work in the garden if the weather is bad - or even questionable. So, as you all know, Mother Nature has been weirdly unpredictable here for the last couple of months which has severely effected my digging in the dirt.

Bloody Battle No. 2 - The Seige at Market

Saturday morning, I hauled my butt out of bed at an ungodly 6a.m. and went to the Farmer's Market. My intention was to just to get the plants I needed to finish up the food garden. I managed to come home with most of what I needed and a bunch of stuff I didn't. My bag contained:

• A grape tomato plant
• A Mr. Stripey tomato plant
• Three Heritage Cherokee Purple tomato plant (because they only came in packs of three)
• A bunch of little cucumber sprout, of which I used 6 or so and gave the rest to my neighbor
• A bunch of sugar snap peas, most of which I used
• Four Swiss chard plants
• Four fennel plant (the kind with the bulbs)
• A new oregano plant, since mine died over the winter
• A rosemary plant
• An Italian parsley plant

As if that weren't enough, I still needed arugula because I couldn't find it at the market. At the greenhouse I found one, solitary pot of the peppery leaf (with four plants in it) and - my favorite find of the year - Malabar climbing spinach. I know... I'd never heard of it either. But the idea that I could have spinach all year long and that it would grow UP instead of out?? Heaven, baby!

I also bought some new tomato stakes that are supposed to be the bomb. It's just a spiral piece of coated metal and you train the tomato's main stalk up the middle of it. I bought the 7 foot Gardman's brand. We'll see if it works. I despise tomato cages. 

The spinach is against the fence

Fortunately, the weather was glorious on Sunday - sunny, low 70's, no humidity - so I got a solid three hours in the garden and everything's in the ground.

Making the most of small spaces

Bloody Battle No. 3 - The Colonization of the Patio Strip

Mine is an urban garden, taking up little strips of earth wherever I can wedge something in. As a result I tend to plant things pretty densely and deal with culling the plants later. I tried pot gardening a few times but never had much luck and I seem to get quite a bit out of my tiny plots of land. The concept of "square foot gardening" is great when you have a tiny area to work with. While I don't specifically follow it, I think that it's a good starting point for people with limited space. I'm also fond of the concept of "vertical gardening" where you plant things in such a way as to make them grow "up." My favorite example of this is the potato cage. I haven't built one yet but might now that the bulk of the gardening is done.

Bloody Battle No. 4 - The Battle of the Bunnies: The Final Stand

Another plight of the urban garden are urban rabbits. My neighbor encourages them. This year, I bought some deer and rabbit repellent. We'll see if it works. My dogs keep trying to eat it because it's made with garlic and spoiled eggs or something disgusting like that. All I can say is that, if the little bast*rds eat my cool new spinach, I'm coming after them with a rake.

Not actual rabbit

The war is won. With the plants in the ground and the work shifting from "planting" to "tending", I finally feel like summer is here. Unfortunately, with my late start, I'll probably be eating from my garden a little later this year. There are a lot worse things to worry about, I suppose - like, who's going to pull all the weeds that pop up.

- Alex (aka Ms McGregor)