The zucchini is coming …every day …two and three at a time! And I only planted one plant!

Here are a few ways we’ve been creatively using up these profusely growing vegetables (wonder if I can make a bio fuel out of them!):

Zucchini Parmesan: Use your favorite eggplant Parmesan recipe but substitute zucchini for eggplant. We made it the other night and it was an instant favorite.

Freeze it: My mom grates her zucchini now, and then freezes two cups in a freezer bag for use later on. Most zucchini recipes call for 2 cups. Freeze it now and make some tasty bread later.

Sauté it with some onions and teriyaki sauce.

Make zucchini pancakes – use your favorite potato pancake recipe but substitute the z for the p!

Don’t feel like cooking? Make zucchini people out of it. Fun for the kids, allow them to decorate the zucchini with yarn for hair, other vegetables for eyes…use your imagination. Then grate it up for some zucchini bread.

What is your favorite way to use up this vegetable?? Anyone have any good ides for yellow squash? That’s next on my list of what “not” to plant next year!

Thanks! Happy gardening and cooking!

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zucchini, squash, summer garden, zucchini uses

by sduncan
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Deer are very pretty to watch – from afar that is!! Where I live they are everywhere including my garden. They eat almost everything and without any mercy. In fact they recently grazed on some flowers I planted, and I wished them INDIGESTION.

Keeping deer out of the garden is a big job. I have sprinkled cayenne pepper on my flowers and plants, but once it rains, you have to reapply.

Some say human hair clippings work. I haven’t tried that though – have you?

I’ve also hear that strong scented plants tend to NOT appeal to a deer’s appetite. I have some blue salvia planted and so far they’ve stayed away.

Some plants are that supposed to be deer resistant, and I’ve had some luck with include:

• Ferns
• Salvia
• Geraniums
• Columbine
• Lilly of the Valley
• Tiger Lily
• Snapdragon
• Bleeding Heart

My mom who owns a plant farm with my dad, gave me this recipe for deer repellent. You need to make it in gallon size bucket and then apply with a spray bottle. She’s had some success, but as with the pepper, you need to reapply after soaking rains.

Here’s the recipe:
Deer Repellant

To 1 gallon of water add:
½ cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp. cooking oil
1 tbsp lemon dish detergent

Optional: Few drops of hot sauce or rosemary oil

Mix together and apply to plants.

If this doesn’t work a deer fence may be the answer.

Do you have a good deer repellent? If so share it with us here by leaving a comment.

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deer repellant, deer, garden hints, deer proof

by sduncan
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The gardening season is just about here. I’m getting ready to plant our vegetable garden which has done very well in years past, but it has also been known to be very productive in weeds (if only we could eat them)! This year I’m going to try to stay ahead of the game.

Anyway, as I map out the garden this season, I started thinking about what our most favorite vegetable is to grow. While I love the fresh taste of tomatoes, they are not my favorite plants in the garden. The plants usually need some type of staking or else the tomatoes grow on the ground and get rotten before you pick them, so they’re good and will be a part of the garden, but they’re not my favorite.

Cucumbers are up there - we love to eat them and usually, if the summer weather doesn’t get too hot or dry, we can get a great harvest of fresh, tasty cucumbers.

But I think at our house the favorite vegetable to grow has to be zucchini, and it’s not because we love to eat zucchini bread. Over the past few years, we have grown some of the biggest, baddest zucchinis we’ve ever seen! Some are the size of small baseball bats! I’m not joking! We’ve gone away for a few days and come back to GIANT green zucchinis in our garden. I must admit these giants usually end up in the compost, but they are great for some laughs (and sometimes we even use them as bats with soft balls!).

What’s your favorite veggie to grow?
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by sduncan
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1. Harvest your vegetable plants often. The more you pick tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash, the more they’ll grow.
2. Place freshly picked, green tomatoes in a brown paper bag to ripen. (Contrary to what many people believe, its temperature, not sunshine, that makes tomatoes turn red).
3. Animal pests don’t like strong-smelling plants. Surround your garden with marigolds, zinnias, or wormwood. Sneaky yet easy: To keep small animals out of your garden, cut an old hose in three-foot lengths. Place the pieces around your garden. These fake snakes will scare away small animals.
4. Plant dill near tomato plants to prevent tomato worms. It works.
5. Start seeds in eggshell halves. It’s economical and earth-friendly. Fill shell 3/4ths of the way to top with planting soil and seed, then store in egg cartons. This will keep the shell safe and allow you to easily carry the seedlings to sunnier locations or out to the garden. When ready to plant, leave the seedling in the shell. The roots will break through and the decomposed shell will act as a fertilizer.
6. When choosing annuals, bigger isn’t always better. When shopping at your local greenhouse, choose the plant that is well proportioned, not the tall one that has become root bound. Watch out for signs of insects or diseases.
7. Sprinkling the lawn out of habit is wasting a natural resource and money, too. A healthy lawn will signal it’s thirsty when walking on it makes footprints.
8. Some vegetable gardeners use newspapers as a mulch when cold weather threatens. This practice is ecologically good but don’t use the colored sheets. They contain harmful chemicals.
9. Position garden stakes so the wind blows plants toward the supports, not away from them.
10. To catch slugs, put a dish of beer in the garden at night. They will desert the plants and drown in the brew.

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Farmers’ Almanac top ten, Farmers’ Almanac gardening advice, gardening hints, top ten gardening tips,

by sduncan
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Learn What Johnny’s Selected Seeds Recommends:

By Guest Blogger: Joann Matuzas, from Johnny’s Selected Seeds

Peas and fava beans are the first seeds planted in my garden when the soil is workable. Both seeds thrive in cold, damp weather. When I moved to Maine an old-time farmer told me you “plant your peas and pay your taxes on the same day.” It has worked for me for the last five years.

The key to growing strong bean and pea plants is to use inoculant at planting time. Inoculant is a beneficial bacteria that helps the roots bind nitrogen resulting in stronger plants with higher yields. It is easy to use and inexpensive. I put the inoculant in a zip lock bag and then roll the peas or beans in it as I am planting.

I like to trellis my peas to conserve space, make picking easier and to add a vertical element of interest to the garden. I found a great trellis design in Eliot Coleman’s “Four Season Harvest” book. You take two 8 foot 2″ x2″ posts (or 3 for a longer trellis) and sharpen them to a point at one end and drive them about 1 1/2 feet into the ground 5 feet apart. Thread the trellis down the two (or three) posts and then thread the trellis through a crossbar that is secured on top of the uprights. By the Fourth of July you will be harvesting peas.

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by sduncan
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Spring is here! Gardening season is fast approaching. For many of us in northern sections of the country, warmer seasons also mean fresher vegetables and fruits. Growing your own vegetables and/or buying them locally are great ways to eat healthier and live more green.

Coming soon to farmersalmanac.com will be ideas on how you can grow your own vegetables even if you don’t have much of a backyard. If growing them isn’t in your plans, what about checking out a CSA – community supported agriculture plot.

A CSA is usually a local farm that offers “shares” from its garden. You purchase a share which means you help cover the costs of farm operation, and in return you are able to share in the farm’s harvest. There is an upfront cost to this but the rewards are fresh, organic foods that are healthier are locally grown.

Spring and summer are great seasons for being outdoors. Why not make this season the one you try to get in tune with nature by growing flowers, vegetables, or herbs. Start small and see how well it goes. It’s exciting and rewarding to grow your own “ingredients.” You may also have a new found respect for farmers.

Happy Spring.

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spring gardening, think locally, grow your own

by sduncan
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Rhubarb is the old faithful of any garden. As sure as yellow dandelions show their faces in the spring, unfurling rhubarb leaves herald a season of new growth.

Rhubarb thrives wherever the average temperature doesn’t hover above 90ºF for very long. It actually prefers a cool season and freezing winters which nurture the ruby red color of its stalks. Rhubarb has been known to take over and may bear profusely throughout the season.

Generations before us used rhubarb traditionally as a spring tonic. Today our appreciation for rhubarb goes far beyond the medicinal. While the stalks have a sour taste, you can combine them with a variety of ingredients to make tempting dishes. Try substituting rhubarb, either raw or cooked, or as strained juice, in recipes where you’d use other sour foods such as lemons, vinegar, and sour cream. Try using rhubarb in your chutney recipe. When stewed it has a similar texture to applesauce and can be added to your favorite applesauce cake. A favorite is rhubarb strawberry pie.

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rhubarb, spring gardening, spring tonic

by sduncan
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I have spent considerable time working around my house and cottage getting gardens ready for summer warmth. I am reminded of a frequent question about getting rid of those nasty weeds that seem to grow regardless of the weather.

One way to reduce the survival rate of weeds in a new bed is to lay down two or more thickness of heavy cardboard, or 10 - 20 sheets of newspapers. Next pile organic matter on the paper. Put the coarsest matter at the bottom. For the top few inches, use compost mixed with topsoil. In weedy areas, the deeper the bed, the better. You can then plant in the bed. The paper will stop most of the weeds from emerging through the bed. Those that make it will be weak.

There are meshes sold in farm stores and other folks use a heavy duty plastic. Newspapers seem to be the mort natural and will do the trick.

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by pgeiger
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I recently planted several trees and thought it might be a good time of the year to pass along pointers about how to plant and keep your trees healthy. First and foremost you need to make sure that your tree has enough water. Once a week, the tree needs deep root watering. If rain is sparse as it has been in the Southeast, be sure to use your hose to water the tree and try to reach the entire root area. Another good tip is to give the roots air, water and open space by keeping foot and other types of traffic off the soil above the roots. Too much traffic will collapse the open spaces in the soil and block good flow of air and water.

New trees do well with mulch. Place a three-inch layer of wood chips over the planting site. This will help prevent weeds from invading the soil and will eliminate the need to mow closely to the new tree. A new trees bark should be protected. If you scrape or cut the trees bark, it opens the trunk to insects.

Finally, remember to keep the soil clean around the tree. Some weed killers and excess fertilizer can harm tree roots.

Let the water flow. Good luck.

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by pgeiger
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Slugs are among the most damaging critters to gardens and plant life. This time of the year, I field many questions about how to eliminate this problem. Quite frankly, they are among the ugliest critter put on the earth. Ugly and damaging to plants, so what to do??

A frequent question is how to get rid of slugs and snails from flowers and gardens. Handpicking slugs and snails is an effective natural control, but it has to be done in the morning hours. As the sun rises, the pests retreat into holes under cool debris, and can be impossible to find. When handpicked they can be dropped into a bucket of brine (ocean water) or salt water.

Saucers of beer are also effective traps - they just love this stuff, are attracted and “drown.” Copper strips cause a slight electric shock, which deters slugs and snails from crossing the strips. Copper wire from a hobby shops less expensive tan the gold strips sold in garden centers and perform just as well. Be sure to keep copper barriers away from plant stems.

Diatomaceous earth (diatomite), available in farm supply centers and garden stores, is a natural powder made from the disintegrated shells of one-celled organisms called diatoms. Snails and slugs cannot cross the microscopically sharp edges of this material. Sprinkling thin lines of diatomite around plants and beds protects plants, but needs to be replaced as the lines get washed away.

Slugs love moisture in the ground. So if you can eliminate some of the humidity, they will not be particularly happy with you and go bother your neighbor instead. Good luck.

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by pgeiger
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