Spring has come to the coast, and the planting is in full swing. Yes, I’m barefoot and dirty once more, just the way I like it. We’ve opened up our own small indoor garden shop, so I work there six days a week, but I still find time to work in my garden. We’ve harvested all our spring greens and cleaned out the vegetable garden. We have one 4×8 bed planted with tomatoes, another with peppers and tomatillos. We have a third cleared and ready for squash plants. The rains have stopped, so we can till the larger bed. The fig tree is loaded down with developing figs. The old grape vines along the fence that I’ve been working to reclaim have leafed out beautifully. The blackberries are covered with flowers. We have also begun my favorite chore: weeding the flower beds (insert sarcasm here). Yes, spring is in full swing.
Our babies are growing.
We’re going to experiment with a few things this year. First, we’re going to try more container gardening to increase our gardening space and to gain better control of the growing environment for those crops. We’ve planted our cherry and currant tomatoes in barrels, and are going to transplant our mouse melons into hanging pots. We’re going to try alpine strawberries in hanging pots, as well. We also have a raised table/bed for summer greens. Hopefully, this will allow us to extend our growing season for salad ingredients. I am planning to start growing our own sprouts on the kitchen counter for salads and stir-fries, and hopefully, we will get an area set up in the laundry room to grow oyster mushrooms.
One experiment that we will be implementing this year is a three-sisters garden. Native American tribes grew what is known as the three sisters: maize, beans and squash. These were their three main crops, and they are the ultimate in companion planting. Corn provides support for the beans. Squash provides shade and protection for the soil and roots. Beans fix nitrogen and make it more available for corn and squash. If you want to add a fourth sister, grow some sunflowers to distract hungry birds from the corn. We will plant the corn first to give it the chance to grow tall. Two to three weeks later, we will plant the beans. Once those germinate, we will plant the squash. I like this planting for several reasons. First, my passion is ethnobotany, so I always like recreating the old ways in my gardens. Second, it will maximize space. By planting the three together, I only need one bed instead of three. Third, by using the squash with their large leaves as a ground cover, I can improve moisture retention in the soil and (hopefully) decrease weeds, both of which are huge issues in our area where drought prevails during the summer and weeds never truly die.
Layout courtesy of http://www.nativeseeds.org/learn/nss-blog/415-3sisters
Melissa Kruse-Peeples, NS/S Education Coordinator, published May 27, 2016
We already use companion planting in our gardens, as well as crop rotation to maximize yields. I’ve been researching Native American agricultural practices in a bid to become more sustainable. I’ve also been researching plants that are native to my area to use for food, medicine, or ornamentals. Using more native plants in our gardening is beneficial in so many ways. By growing plants that are native to your area, you reduce the need for supplemental irrigation and fertilizing. These plants are already adapted to grow in that area. They also benefit by growing in an area inhabited by not only their natural pollinators, but their natural predators, as well. This insures pollination, but also insures that they will not become too invasive. Not only that, but by looking at your native crops, you may find some new garden favorites. We discovered loquats growing here, and now during harvest season, we plan to fill a few buckets for making pies, jams, and jellies. We even planted some in our yard. My recipe for loquat jelly is below.
Loquats make a pretty golden jelly.
Yes, spring is here, the hens are laying again, the ducklings are growing quickly, and we eagerly await the arrival of our honeybees. Planting season has begun, my roses and daffodils are in full bloom, and I’m loving every minute spent outside barefoot and dirty.
Loquat Jelly
Loquats are naturally high in pectin and sugar, so no extra pectin is needed.
Makes 4-5 half pints
Ingredients:
• Approximately 4 dozen loquats, still hard with the pits and blossom ends removed
• 4 cups sugar
Directions:
1. Put the loquats in a large saucepan and barely cover with water. Boil until fruit is soft, stirring to prevent scorching. Once fruit is soft, strain everything through a double layer of cheesecloth or damp jelly bag. Do not squeeze or press or jelly will become cloudy.
2. Sterilize jelly jars.
3. Cook juice down until thick. Measure juice into saucepan and add sugar, 1 cup juice-1 cup sugar. Boil over high heat, stirring constantly, until jelly sheets from a metal spoon. Skim foam off quickly, and then pour into jelly jars leaving ¼” headspace.
4. Process jars in boiling water for 5 minutes.
