Archive for the ‘Food for Thought’ Category

Turf: Don’t Tread on Me

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

Recently, I enjoyed a few days in Victoria, BC with my husband. On a foggy morning we hopped on the Victoria Clipper and cruised northward to quaint Victoria for a few days of R&R. Sorry, no reports of Grey or Killer Whales or even snowy mountain views from the ship — it was just to socked in. Still, the boat trip wasn’t the big draw for us. The beautiful gardens of Victoria were.

Fake Turf - no mow, no water, but still no way!

Fake Turf - no mow, no water, but still no way!

We had planned a trip out to Butchart Gardens. I mean what horty gal goes to Victoria without visiting the famed gardens? Otherwise, our trip had very little structure. So, after dropping our bags at the hotel and grabbing lunch in the harbor area, we started a walking tour toward Government House gardens. On the way, I spotted my first in a series of lawns that left me wondering, “what’s the point”?

This first “lawn” forms the central put-put golf course for some homeowner near Craigdarroch Castle. As a weedless space, shining in the sun and perfectly quaffed, it caught my eye. But, upon closer inspection, I realized it was fake! Fieldturf, Astroturf, faker-grass? Call it what you will, I’m not impressed. Sure, it doesn’t need water, requires no mowing and looks nearly perfect at all times (if you like that kind of look). But does that mean it looks good or is healthy for the planet? It’s made out of manufactured materials, and I’m guessing it isn’t something you recycle. So what happens to this stuff when the sun and time finally wear it down? Off to the landfill?

Do you push the mower up or race it down the hill?

Do you push the mower up or race it down the hill?

We took a peek at the castle from the outside. It was lovely, but I had no interest in waiting in a line to pay a fee to tour a hot castle that day. Instead, we looked around the grounds where I found another “why lawn?” moment. The grounds are perfect for adding extensive gardens, but instead they’re filled with lawn. And, in this case it was the real thing, and to their credit, it was being left to go dormant in the summer. But, it’s still mowed regularly, and who in their right mind wants to mow on a slope like the ones in their terraced areas seen here?

So onward, to Government House. Here’s where I can take a break from my grumbles and say this was the best garden of our entire tour. Not only was it free (though we did make a donation), but its realistic. Yes, they do spray the rose gardens, but their IPM advisory notices are clearly posted for all to see. Their lawns are steppable and filled with clover. Plus, there’s a native Quercus garryana meadow functioning as a preserve for these lovely trees.

Butchart Turf Rules: Don't Tread on Me

Butchart Turf Rules: Don't Tread on Me

The next day we made our trek to Butchart. I hadn’t been in many years, and the last time I went I hadn’t had nearly the horticultural training I’ve had at this point in my life. As in the past, it was simply overwhelming. The work that went into defining this space years ago is stunning. The work that goes into maintaining it today is simply outrageous — and I don’t know if I mean that in a complimentary way. Sure, it must provide employment for a lot of gardeners. We saw several of them spending hours simply deadheading annuals that barely needed deadheading. We also met a very helpful lawn maintenance guy who helped us get a reservation at the tea house. But, I’m not sure what the point of all that lawn really is, and there’s a lot of it!

When I visited Butchart several years ago, we were invited to sit on the grass and relax. On this visit, lawn was blocked off with signs and chains asking people to stay off of it. They claim it is maintained organically and even gave me the rundown on how they sand it and use “organic” fertilizers on it a couple times a year. But all day long, reel mowers were driving all over the lawn, and I only saw two children escape the masses and go running into the fields of green. So why do it?

Butchart does offer concerts, at which time visitors may tread on the turf. And, apparently, there are picnic events when patrons may sit on the grass. But otherwise, the message was: “Stay off the grass”. And, since it is a show garden destination, that grass stays as green as can be — happily watered and trimmed to perfection. Frankly, between the technicolor annual patches and their energy-sucking cousin lawn, I was disappointed with the current management of Butchart.

Lovely Moss, but not for your toes

Lovely Moss, but not for your toes

Here’s why: Lawn, especially lawn that you can’t walk or sit on, and annuals take a lot of water and other energy inputs. Historically, the family that developed Butchart grew food on site. So, I have a hard time understanding why at least a part of this huge space isn’t dedicated to food growing. Not only would it be in tune with the current locavore movement and provide educational spaces for patrons, but it would provide fresh, local foods for the fantastic chef to draw from.

If anyone has the answer, I welcome your comment.

After all that ranting, I will add that there was one garden in Butchart that I adored. And it’s turf is a turf I can get behind – rolling lawns of moss. Guess where they used it? Yep – in the Japanese Garden. This garden was stunning in its simplicity. The paths were tactile — so much so, I slipped off my sandals and massaged my tired toes walking over the embedded, polished stones. I would have loved taking a soft, spongy stroll through the mossy turf, but alas, once again, the message was “stay on the path and don’t tread on me”.

Now that I’ve gotten that rant out of my system, I hope to catch you up on some of the other cool garden-y things we enjoyed in Victoria – like the amazing children’s water play garden featuring a watering can the size of a townhouse!

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Visualize Tolerance – Do the Eyes Have it?

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
A lovely garden scene marred by floating row cover

A lovely garden scene marred by floating row cover

Everyone has their tolerance level. Whether we’re talking how many weeds you’ll put up with in the garden or how many colors you’ll allow in your palette, there’s a level for everyone.

Today as I was working in my garden, I breathed a sigh of relief as I cleared away some of the ugliness I tolerate in the garden. And, I cheered for some of the beautiful results produced as a result of my tolerance for ugliness.  I present these photos for your consideration. Tell me, what would you tolerate?

First, consider growing in a broccoli in a garden visited throughout the growing season by brassica pest known as cabbage moth (really a butterfly). To protect it, I choose to cover it with floating row cover. This cover makes it impossible for the adult butterflies to lay their eggs on my delicious broccoli, which their caterpillar generation munches voraciously. The row cover interrupts the beauty of the overall garden design. But…

…a peek under the hood reveals big, delicious broccoli without caterpillar damage…no pesticide required! Dinner anyone?

A peek under the row cover reveals bountiful, pest-free broccoli

A peek under the row cover reveals bountiful, pest-free broccoli

After taking a peek at my drool-worthy broccoli, I decided to explore a few other eyesores in the garden. Having just passed solstice, we’re already on the slow march to winter. Shorter days are already happening. Cool season crops are under scrutiny for harvest. Warm season crops are beginning to make headway. It’s sometimes a juggle to stay on top of it all.

I decided today’s 75F weather was enough inspiration to dismantle the hoop houses around this year’s 3-Sister’s+ garden. I add the “+” because this bed not only contains the corn, squash and bean components of a 3-Sister’s garden, but it also has chard, lettuce, sunflowers, onions and marigolds. One area is also a bit overrun with lime thyme, but the bees love it. Once they flock to that favored flower, they’re likely to take a peek at the other flowers nearby — like the squash and beans! (more…)

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Roadside Horticultural Distractions

Monday, April 5th, 2010

One of the first things out of the mouth of my Lake Washington Technical College horticulture instructor’s, Don Marshall’s, mouth was something akin to: I’m going to create driving hazards out of all of you.

What he meant was, he was going to introduce us to seeing the landscape differently. He was going to teach us to gawk at things we might never have noticed before. He was going to change the way we see the world. And, he did — at least about changing the way we look at plants and nature. (I like to think I haven’t become a worse driver than I was before I went to school, but the stop sign I ran the other day may beg to differ.)

Morel Popping Up in the Garden In Spring. Note: Always ID Mushrooms with a Pro Before Sampling!

Morel Popping Up in the Garden In Spring. Note: Always ID Mushrooms with a Pro Before Sampling!

When I’m driving these days, I notice more of what’s happening on the landscape. When the Cottonwood flies, which it will soon, I know what it is and begin hunting for morels in the garden and on job sites. When I’m a passenger and find myself antsy on road trips, I breathe deeply and remember to watch carefully as the landscape whizzes by. More often than not, I’m rewarded at these times by the sighting of a hawk or eagle hunting from a lonely power line out in the middle of nowhere or a rabbit racing for its hole trying to escape a bird of prey. I’ve learned to slow down and really see what’s around me.

Today, as I sat frustrated at my desk, drowning in the business of doing business and the yucky news that just kept coming my way today, I saw a usual neighborhood suspect walking her beagle puppy by my garden. “How cute,” I thought as I saw the puppy darting about at the end of his lead. Truly, he is an adorable dog with “trouble” written all over his multi-colored coat.

Then, I noticed the woman at the dog-less end of the leash was snapping photos of many elements in my garden. “How flattering,” I thought, remembering the child I saw admiring the same tulips with her mother on the way to the local daycare.

The Rewards of Growing Food in a Parking Strip, despite Puppies!

The Rewards of Growing Food in a Parking Strip, despite Puppies!

Then, I saw disaster coming on fast. Distracted by the beauty of the garden and more focused on capturing her pretty pictures than watching her crazed puppy, dog-mommy ignored the tug of the puppy. She didn’t see it happen. I began banging on my upstairs window as the puppy skirted my wire fence, scrambling into my blood-meal amended, parking strip veggie beds. The puppy was tangled. It was curious. It ready to dig into the blood-meal-scented soil.

Hearing my window rapping, dog-mommy looked up from her camera. The dog began to dig — deeper now. The leash tug quickly took priority over the sound of my knuckles banging on the window glass. Dog-mommy saw her baby inside the wire fence, in the area marked “Carrots” (where the carrots have thus far failed to germinate; re-seeding is in order here). And, she began to tug, yank, pull on the puppy. All the while, she carefully protected her camera — quite likely filled with unparalleled photos of my lovely, if random, tulips. Yet, the living, innocent little puppy she gladly yanked out of the garden by the neck; it would have been quite simple to pick him up out of the bed. But, she was distracted & probably a little embarrassed, too.

The dog seems to have survived the tug-o-war. The carrots, well, they really weren’t happening anyway. And, fortunately, no puppy fertilizer was left behind. I suppose that’s the price I have to pay for creating horticultural distractions for everyone to enjoy and for growing front yard food — right in the parking strip where any puppy may wander. Let’s just hope nobody drives over it while staring at the nearby tree-tops!

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Another Reason to Love a Sunflower

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

This just in: Ethanol may soon be derived from sunflowers.

Sunny Sunflower

Sunny Sunflower

Okay, “soon” may be hopeful, but the idea is out there, and it’s pretty exciting for a number of reasons — not the least of which is envisioning a field of sunflowers replacing dirty oil pumping stations around the world.

So let’s see…instead of growing more and more corn, which depletes the soil (among other things), for fuel, farmers may be planting field-after-field with bright, sunshiny sunflowers to produce energy. The plants are pest and drought-resistant — aka less pesticide use and less water required. The big, fat flowers are favorites of bees, which need a much help as they can get these days. And, really, sunflowers grow just about anywhere there’s sun. So no war required?

Where today’s VW Beetle drivers are popping flowers in a tiny vase on the dashboard, tomorrow’s drivers may be popping flower (derivatives) into the tank! Once again, yay for flowers!

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Considering the Omnivores of the Plant World

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

The headline “Killer Petunias and Murderous Potatoes Revealed” caught my attention this morning.

Carion-scented Dracunculus

Carion-scented Dracunculus

I’m a sucker for stories about plants that eat animals. Heck, I’m a sucker for raising plants that eat animals — like my Sun Dew that is both beautiful and attracts and digests my kitchen fruit fly populations. I’ve even added a small Cobra Lily to help the Sun Dew in its pest-munching endeavors. So, today’s headline suggesting fragrant petunias and delicious potatoes might be meat eaters made me look.

Sure, I’d already heard about giant pitcher plants eating rodents. And, I’ve seen the flies pile up in the base of my summer water feature Sarracenias. And, there’s no keeping the carrion-loving insects from the stink of my beautiful Dracunculus when its in its full, odoriferous glory. But, although I have noticed the stickiness of a petunia’s petal, I have yet to see it devouring a bee. And, I have to wonder, if a potato eats meat, what does that mean to the vegetarian who eats the potato later?

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