Tag: spring (Page 11 of 13)

Happy Easter and spring and birthday and stuff and yeah.

April 25, 2011 / Lindsey / 6 Comments

yeah happy whatever.

Happy Easter! Did everyone have a good one? I had a birthday…and Easter happened…and I was sick through all of it! Way sick, since last Wednesday, when I hobbled into the doctor’s office and the nurses hooked me up with a couple hearty liters of IV fluid. Seems that it was back-to-back flu and another viral issue on top of that. My body just decided to fall apart there for a few days. But yesterday was a peaceful day in its own way. From bed, I enjoyed seeing out the window to the cloudy day outside, and later in the day, hearing rain falling on the roof. My dad remembers that I was born on a cold, rainy day, which is maybe why I love that weather so much.

In the morning, F and I stood by the window and watched the little kids doing their Easter egg hunt across the street at the church. And a couple times throughout the day I looked down and saw kids in the backseats of cars passing below, with their Easter baskets and stuffed bunnies. Sweet little scenes.

And a birthday package o’ goodies arrived from my aunt! It really cheered me up. Check it out: an intriguing tote bag handmade in the Amazon (love!!) and Divine chocolate-covered salted fudge — OMG!! — and a couple United Plant Savers herbal newsletters. Thanks Kate!!! ♥

Sick Easter-Birthday bedside cheer

I’m still sick, and three times a day, my antiviral makes me sicker. But I sure am thankful this week for: PRETZELS! POPSICLES! PERRIER!

I’ll be back to writing here hopefully soon. Talk to you then!

Petals on the Sidewalk, (c) The Herbangardener

(Random!) I love petals on the sidewalk!

Vegetable Crop Lists: When to Plant What

April 17, 2011 / Lindsey / 6 Comments

In this post about how to plan your vegetable garden, I talked about Spring Veggies, Spring “Carryover” veggies, and Summer veggies. A couple days ago, I got an email from Val, who asks: “…Would you mind posting a list or resource for what you define as spring, spring carry-over, and summer vegetables?? THANKS!!”

Sure, Val! Great idea. Since I don’t know of a resource for this info, I’ll post my own list.

I garden in Zone 5/6, in Colorado. Our growing season is about 110 days…our last average Spring frost is mid-May, and our first average Autumn frost is early October. So this list won’t apply to you lucky folks who garden year-round in mild climates. (Don’t know your zone? Enter your zip code at the Arbor Day Hardiness Zone Lookup.)

The following list is based upon my personal experience in my own garden, where I grow almost everything from seeds sown directly into the garden (except tomatoes & peppers, which I start indoors a month or two ahead of time). Often there is overlap between Spring and Summer gardens, but it works out OK because the mature Spring stuff will protect and shade the Summer seedlings for a while. By the time the Summer stuff is up and running, the Spring stuff has been pulled out.

Also, you’ll notice that some veggies are flexible and can be included in more than one category.

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Spring Veggies – Plant in early Spring (usually two months before the last frost…March 15 for me), and harvest before the intense heat of Summer (usually up to a month after the last frost…late June for me). Spring veggies are pretty much in-n-out before the main Summer season.

Arugula/Rocket

Beets/Beetroot

Broad Beans/Fava Beans

Broccoli

Broccoli Raab/Rapini

Collards (can also be a carryover veggie, where you leave it in all Summer)

Green Onions/Scallions (can also be a carryover veggie, where you leave it in all Summer)

Kale (can also be a carryover veggie, where you leave it in all Summer)

Lettuce

Peas

Radishes

Spinach

Swiss Chard/Silverbeet (can also be a carryover veggie, where you leave it in all Summer)

Turnips

Spring Carryover Veggies – Plant in early Spring (usually two months before the last frost…March 15 for me), and leave in the garden all Summer long.

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Cilantro

Collards

Dill

Garlic

Green Onions/Scallions

Kale

Onions

Parsley

Potatoes (planted a month before last frost — mid-April in my garden)

Swiss Chard/Silverbeet

Turnips

Summer Veggies – Plant only after the last Spring frost (late May for my Zone 5/6 garden). Leave in the garden all Summer long.

Basil

Beans, all types

Brussels Sprouts (harvest after frost in fall & winter)

Carrots

Celery (probably will want to use seedlings, since starting from seed can be difficult)

Cilantro

Corn

Cucumbers

Dill

Eggplant/Aubergine

Gourds

Melons

Malabar Spinach (Basella rubra)

New Zealand Spinach (Tetagonia)

Okra

Peppers/Capsicum

Pumpkins

Rutabagas

Squash, summer & winter

Soybeans

Tomatoes

Tomatillos

Turnips

Watermelon

Zucchini/Courgette

How To Make Candied Violets

April 11, 2011 / Lindsey / 3 Comments

Here’s an old fashioned spring project to do! Preserve those ephemeral little violet flowers for use as a garnish (on a coconut cake for Easter would be nice…) or for a lovely treat at any time of year — violets have a wonderful taste and will keep for months once they’ve been candied!

The process is simple, and not too time consuming. You can make this a more delicate project by painting eggwhite onto each flower with a paintbrush, and then dusting with fine sugar, but I think I’d only want to dedicate that kind of time if I were making these for a really special occasion!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Freshly picked violet flowers & leaves (having them very fresh will make the project go faster and prevent frustration!*)

Egg white (not beaten or frothed) (use eggs you trust since it’s raw)

Ordinary white granulated sugar (not powdered sugar)

Here’s what you do:

The flowers should be dry. No need to wash/dry them first — just pick them on a dry day and go for it. Dip each flower into the eggwhite. Give the flower a firm shake to get rid of any excess eggwhite. Hold it over a dish filled with sugar, and spoon the sugar over the flower until all surfaces are coated. Let the flowers dry on wax paper, parchment paper, or on a bed of sugar. (A plain baking sheet works too, but the eggwhite sticks, so you’ll have to carefully loosen the flowers with a metal spatula after they’re mostly dry.)

*The most important thing is to have fresh flowers (and leaves if you’re using them). Don’t pick the flowers, put them in a zip-top bag in the fridge for a few days, and then do the project; the flowers will have lost too much moisture and when you dip them in eggwhite, they’ll collapse. See photo below! Very fresh flowers will hold their shape even after being dipped in eggwhite.

How to Make Candied Violets, (c) The Herbangardener

Both have been dipped in eggwhite -- the flower on the left was in plastic in the fridge for a couple days, while the one on the right is fresh from the yard. Fresh is best!

That’s it! When they’re thoroughly dry (give them about 24 hours), store them in an airtight container. Room temperature is OK.

Making Time for the Outdoors, Every Day

March 28, 2011 / Lindsey / 0 Comments

Today was a lost day, as some just turn out to be! I did almost nothing! But each and every day, I make sure to get out for a walk. It’s a wonder what a brisk walk outdoors can do — feeling the chilly breeze across your face, squinting into the sun, and hearing robins singing in stereo from trees all around you…all while breathing deeply and moving your body.

Today was chilly and refreshing. I walked to a favorite destination, with a bag over my shoulder filled with hot tea in a thermos, mittens, and my camera…

Tea in a thermos, (c) The Herbangardener

Tea + Nature = Happy!

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Look what else I saw!

Spring Cleaning!

March 24, 2011 / Lindsey / 3 Comments

I’ve been a very busy bee! Spring hit me all of a sudden this week, and I’ve been cleaning up, clearing out, sprucing up, paring down, and tackling projects I’ve been putting off for months. Monday I scrubbed the bathroom head to toe, even going so far as to use a toothbrush and Q-tips as cleaning tools. Yeah — mega! And ohh it’s so gloriously clean now!

Here’s a sample of what else I’ve been doing. The tea cupboard needed emergency help, so I transferred most of my herbs out of unruly bags and into clearly labeled canning jars. Didn’t take long, and it’s so much better in there now!