So I am sick and tired of Lettuce recalls. That’s how this whole thing got started. Remember earlier this year? The great Romaine recall? Well, welcome to modern agriculture. This is what happens when you have centrally located super-farms busy mass producing all manner of agricultural products, sharing water sources with other farms. Gut bacteria from animal waste gets into the water supply. That water gets spread around….and poof. E.coli is added to your nice healthy salad. Now I am not slamming modern agriculture. It does much good and this is an unfortunate by-product. But we can do better.
Well, after weeks jonesing for salad (worse because we couldn’t get any romaine and my local Panera stopped selling salads), I said enough is enough. I am a horticulturalist and avid gardener. I have grow lights, trays, starter packs, potting mix and lettuce seeds. So why am I not growing my own? Well, I am now.
That’s right, in the bowels of winter, in my not so well heated basement, I started some lettuce seeds. My intent is to grow my own lettuce pretty much year round. I do not have a greenhouse or sun room. So I will have to make do as things progress. I started the new category that you find this post in, and that is where I will post periodic lettuce updates so you can see my success and hopefully very few failures.
Salanova Red Butter Lettuce
So after just a about a week ad a half, I had some respectable lettuce seedlings. I let them go for a few more weeks until I could transplant them into pots. Here they will stay. I made sure to plant them far enough below the rim, so I could cut them just above the crown. That is far off, but this “cut and come again” method will allow me to keep harvesting them for quite a while. When the nights get warmer in early May, I will move them outside. Lettuce is pretty cold-hardy. So a late freeze doesn’t scare me too much.
If this works I will keep it going, starting new seedlings, the transplanting into pots. The benefit of pots is I can move them to shadier areas in the high heat of summer to reduce bolting.
Dragoon Romaine
All in all, I am excited at the prospect of nearly year round fresh lettuce. Obviously to get any quantity, I will have to expat the operation. But right now I am happy with the 9 plants I have and if I rotate what I cut , water and fertilize wisely, I should get fairly regular and consistent harvests.
Well, that’s it for right now. I will post another Lettuce update in a few weeks. These pictures are over a week old, and the plants are now starting to flourish so the ext update should show quite a bit more development. In the mean time, keep finding ways to be green. And to those of you who have subscribed since my past post, thank you. As time allows I will come check out your content and return the favor.
I have spent a lot of years in retail nurseries, big box Home Improvement stores and as a business owner helping people design gardens and landscaping. All manner of people have come to me seeking various levels of help and guidance. Nervous new homeowners, people disgusted with what they currently have at their house, amateur gardening “masters” who want me to buy off on their ideas, the list goes on.
There are tons of reasons why someone seeks out help with landscape and garden design. Many of us will go it alone when it comes to decorating the inside of the house. But that line stops at the front door. For many people. the great outdoors is a mystery best left to those cargo-short, floppy hat wearing individuals at your local nursery. Strutting around, pruners holstered on their hip like some strange modern version of a cowboy, or cowgirl (I never wore the floppy hat..). Chances are, since you are reading this, that you have sought out design help, or are contemplating doing so. So what I intend to do is give you some advice that can make this visit seem less humbling, much more productive for all involved, and help you realize your vision.
Do Your Homework
I can’t stress this enough. I am not saying go out and become a Master Gardener before you embark on this process, but do some homework. New homeowners especially need to realize that time is on your side, and not rush the process. It’s not like a couch that you can just return. Once stuff is in the ground, you own it. But where to start?
Start by learning about your area. Walk around your neighborhood and other neighborhoods. Different neighborhoods were generally built up at different times, so the landscaping preferences of the designers will be obvious. In my neighborhood, almost everyone has Honey Locust trees, and some type of evergreen foundation planting. Not so across town where the houses are packed in tighter and thick privacy hedges are in style. Chances are good that somewhere in your area is a public garden, park, or arboreum. Here you can find typical specimen trees for your area, see plant combinations and start to get a feel for what you like and don’t like.
There are a ton of other good resources: such as the library; the garden section at a bookstore; the internet, or even just wandering around your local garden center. After all, questions are free. Check social media as well for local garden groups. Many will tell you where to go to see good stuff and some do periodic garden tours or walks. What you want to do is fill your head up with potential ideas. Take and save pictures of things you like, especially if you don’t know what they are. It will pay dividends later on.
Try and Be Unique
Your house is a reflection of your personality. The outside is no different. If you want to have what everyone else in the neighborhood has, there is nothing wrong with that. What has been done up and down your street has been proven to work, and is always a safe choice. If that is what you want, there is no point in seeing a designer. Just go out, buy what your neighbors have, plant it like they did, and celebrate your victory. This is the first question you have to answer. Do I want something unique? I bet you want something unique.
Next, consider the outside of your house, just as you would the inside. By that I mean, don’t just see it as one giant area, but rather different sections that should be considered separately in terms of function. Just like rooms in a house have different purposes. The professor who taught our initial Landscape Design Class hammered that into us. I will use my house as an example. I have a big front yard. It’s the showpiece. Large expanse of grass, ornamental plants, not a lot happens there except lawn mowing and raking. My southern side yard is the vegetable garden area. Fenced in area with a compost area, raised beds and an area where stuff is stored. It has a character all it’s own.
The backyard is more functional and built for socializing, with the deck and lower patio area. A large grassy area for dogs and humans to run around. The beginnings of a rose garden along the garage. And a big saucer Magnolia with a 20 foot tall cedar hedge ensure a little privacy. Each area has it’s own distinct character because each area has it’s own purpose. So consider what your needs are and use that as a starting point. This does not mean that your property has to have 3 or more distinctly different themes. You can still have one contiguous theme even though you have a play area, a Japanese garden and a traditional cottage garden around your front porch. Once you know what each area will be used for it helps a lot with plant selection, placement of hardscapes such as walkways, patios, decks and arbors and you will end up with areas that are built for use. You bought the land along with the house, might as well get some mileage out of it.
Now You Are Ready
Why did I ask you to go through all that? Simple. A designer is not a mind-reader. Don’t expect that because they have education and experience, that telepathy is included. They will have a ton of questions. If they don’t, be wary. If you walk in the door with at least a working knowledge of what you like or don’t like in terms of colors, textures, what the purpose of each area is, and maybe even a few plants that you saw and really liked, you will be far ahead and more likely to get something you really love with a lot less hassle.
Bring pictures of your house or the area in question. It helps a designer to know what parts of the house or property you like and those you want out of sight, out of mind. You might have a huge bay window in the front you want to frame, or maybe that spigot around the front corner you wish to conceal. You will also know by now if you prefer evergreens to deciduous shrubs.
Those initial likes and dislikes, goals and purposes you give to the designer are what they use to give you a preliminary drawing. The more you can articulate, the better off you will be. The designer is going to begin with the end in mind. It’s what we do. We are putting together a puzzle with all the pieces you are giving us. But it’s a puzzle with multiple possible outcomes. Some other relevant things to consider that you need to communicate are; how much work you are willing to put into this when it comes to maintenance; do you have kids, if so what ages; any outdoor pets? And last, for all you northern folk, anywhere you intend to shovel, blow or plow snow, and any walkways that you salt regularly, speak up! You don’t want to wait until the following spring to discover all the grass and expensive perennials along your front walk are dead from salt. Or in the teeth of winter you discover that all that snow along the garage could be easily blown aside, if only those huge shrubs weren’t planted there. Begin with the end in mind.
Be On The Same Page And Stick To The Plan
This part applies to all you couples. This whole learning process needs to happen together. You don’t want to find yourself having an argument in public in front of a complete stranger, because you want that country cottage looking she-shed, but your partner wants a water garden in the same spot. Discuss everything beforehand this way you are both aligned. The whole process of learning and planning needs to be a group activity. Otherwise you like it, he hates it and that’s a recipe for disaster.
A savvy and opportunistic designer, especially if commissions are involved, is still a salesperson. Their job is to sell you a lot of material. Stick to the plan when you go in. Don’t let them sell you stuff you aren’t crazy about. You will have no way of knowing if the designer is really that in love with Dwarf Korean Lilac and wants to share that love with you, or the nursery manager accidentally over-ordered and they are trying to unload it. Stick to what you like, be aligned, and don’t go rogue on each other. Don’t be afraid to say “NO” if you don’t like a recommendation.
So there are my tips to help you succeed. This is not the “be all and end all” list by any stretch of the imagination. But I have seen all of it happen. These tips can hopefully help you get exactly what you want and have a green space that you want to spend time in; one that people stop to look at when they walk by. I want you to go in there and make the designer sell you your own idea, tempered with their professional knowledge of design and plant materials. And I want everyone involved in the process to come away happy.
Winter is here! No this is not a wink to all you Game of Thrones fans, rather the reality of the situation here in upstate New York. We had snow on the ground from Thanksgiving right up to before Christmas, then it warmed just enough to melt the beautiful holiday carpet and reveal all the dead brown grass, dirt, and dormant stuff just to remind us how dismal that season can be here. Personally, I think its a conspiracy enacted to show the neighbors how lazy I am, by exposing all the leaves I didn’t rake up. Either way, there will be no meaningful outdoor activity here until at least the beginning of April. One hundred days of “what to do now”?.
So what can I do? In order to not remain a tortured green soul, pacing endlessly while looking at the weather, trying to determine if this will be an early spring, cursing with each scoop of the snow shovel….you get the picture. I have to do something all winter. As it turns out, there is always a lot to do. And we as people who appreciate the time we spend outdoors, can spend this time wisely to help ensure next seasons success. So with all the time on my hands, here is what I am planning to do with all this winter down time.
Plan, Plan, Plan
Now is the time to be deliberate, while I have the luxury of easily changing my mind. So rather than rip something out and start over in the limited time we have in our growing season, I intend to plan very deliberately. Measure twice, cut once if you know what I mean. Planning stuff now will help keep me focused and ensure all the little projects I want to do don’t become huge time and money wasting boondoggles. Not every little thing mind you, just the bigger stuff. Usually the expensive or meaningful stuff.
First and foremost, I need to map out what I want to accomplish next year. Last year I intended to do way too much, and as a result I accomplished very little. My vegetable gardening efforts sucked up a lot of free time which meant other stuff didn’t get done. Also, the front of the house needs some help in the landscaping department. We bought this house in the summer of 2016. It was sound, but neglected in many ways. The landscaping being one of them. So I ripped out everything in front of the house except a Japanese Maple and a mature Blue Star Juniper. I installed a foundation planting of some variegated red-twig dogwoods, but it still needs a lot more. I also removed a very large Burning Bush Euonymus right next to the driveway because it blocked the view and was right where i need to push snow. Nice plant and very large, but bad location. So I have another empty bed. So right now at a minimum:
map out a lower-maintenance vegetable garden in my existing beds
design the beds in the front of the house, keeping the dogwoods and using the Japanese maple and juniper as specimen plants
design the bed by the driveway
That’s enough to keep my brain going for a while.
I get to buy stuff!
Mid winter is when I do my seed shopping. Last year my wife was distressed at the amount of packages that showed up from Greenhouse Mega-store and Johnny’s Selected Seeds. I set up a growing area in the basement, hung grow lights, and germinated a ton of plants for the garden. This year, I just needs some seeds and some more seed starter mix. My vegetable garden plan will tell me what I need to buy. How much planning can a veggie garden take? Tons if you want continuous crops. This year I plan to scale it back a lot, but I still want to keep harvesting stuff as the season goes.
I have a pretty good stash of seeds leftover from last year. I also discovered a local company, Fruition Seeds, that sells regionally adapted cultivars of some pretty interesting stuff. northern hardy peanuts….need I say more. So I may be picking a few choice selections from them as well. I try to grow at least a few exotic items each year. So after planning will come shopping.
Indoor Growing Area
Last winter, I set up a space in my basement to germinate seedlings for transfer into the garden in May. I had a few accordion-style door panels laying around and some sawhorses. Combine that with a trip to Home Depot for light fixtures and grow bulbs, and an online order for trays and cells and I was off and running. I had corn, beans, peppers, tomatoes, chard, zucchini and a host of others ready by the time May rolled around. But that was it. Everything sat idle after that.
Until the Great Romaine Recall of 2018. After weeks of jonesing for a proper salad ( I prefer romaine over iceberg), an idea struck. Why am I not growing my own?
So two weeks ago I dusted everything off and today I have little romaine seedlings. Emboldened by my success, I now intend to turn my temporary setup into something a little more permanent, organized and productive. I need some shelving, heat mats, a new timer and a proper potting bench instead of the cabinet that was left in the basement when we bought the house. That will be the subject of another post I think.
My friend Herb
I love to cook. But I am forever buying fresh herbs during the winter. I intend to start a few inside so I will have the more frequently used ones around when I need them Plus, herbs are generally attractive looking houseplants. Currently I am attempting to root some Italian parsley. I will add basil, oregano, cilantro, dill and rosemary and that should keep me busy for a while.
I still intend to grow more outside, such as: lemon thyme, mint, and sage. I like to keep mine in pots when possible because herbs can really run away from you and take over an area if you don’t keep on them.
Learn
Winter is the best time to learn. I will spend a lot of time reading blogs, magazines, books, and watching YouTube videos. There is so much more material available now with the internet, that even a novice gardener or landscaper can really get an education just with online resources. And if a class here or there at the extension service pops up, I may just do that too. Just like plants never really stop growing, you never really stop learning.
All this learning helps not only kill time and improve my craft, but it helps foster new ideas. New design ideas, plant combinations, growing tips, technical knowledge, you name it I will try and stuff it in the old brain and see what comes out the other side.
Well, It think that’s enough for now. That should keep me sane in the coming months. I am starting to get catalogs in the mail already, and some raised eyebrow looks from the wife. Keep yourselves busy and the winter will fly by. If you are one of those people fortunate enough to have year round growing conditions, well….I am just jealous.
Previously, I was just posting about random stuff, trying to have a purpose….and it just wasn’t doing it for me. I like to write. But, I like to write most about things I am passionate about. That was the driving force for the re-purposing. The whole time I was blogging before, it felt too much like work. Like I had to keep doing it, but I could never truly answer the “why?”.
Now I feel I can.
I have always had an interest in the outdoors, gardening, landscaping, and horticulture in general. I went to college and studied Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design. I spent tens of thousands of hours working in Garden Centers, home improvement garden departments, nurseries, commercial landscaping, and consulting. At one point, I even found time to have my own landscaping business. Even after all that, there is still a enough I don’t know to fill a set of encyclopedias. The green world is vast, and even a lifetime spent in it, only shows you a very narrow piece.
Here is my space to share my piece with you, and hopefully you will share a little of yours. Bringing the green world into our lives makes us happier, healthier, more self-sustaining, and builds a better word for the rest of us. A greener world is a better world by far, and no one could really challenge that statement. Don’t think this means I am advocating for getting rid of cars or plowing under civilization only to return the modern world to pasture. But I feel we can integrate the green world into our little corners of civilization and sort of “take the edge off”, if you will.
I plan on covering a range of topics, from product reviews and gardening tips, to more educational stuff like soil science, design elements, site selection, common landscaping problems, and sharing my landscaping and gardening trials and tribulations. In return, I would love it if people would comment and share their experience, advice, etc. With my education and experience, I am still by no means an expert compared to some. Everyone should bear in mind that I live in upstate NY. So my preferences and experience are based around being in USDA zone 5/6.
Even though we are staring winter in the face here, there is still much to do and even more we can talk about. All winter long we wait for spring, then when it comes we never seem to be fully prepared! But we love it all any way. So welcome. Pull up a seat
Green Eden Gardening 