J. Mack of Olympia, Washington asks:

“I have a question on growing winter vegetables. All of the web sites I have looked at don’t mention squash and yet I have planted a package of winter squash in my greenhouse, hoping to grow it this winter. Will it survive the winter if I put it out in the garden?”

Thanks for this great question. The name winter squash is pretty confusing when you come to find out that winter squash actually grows at the same time as summer squash. And, winter squash is usually harvested at the same time as (or just a little later than) summer squash.

I like to think of winter squash as a more hardy-to-store squash than summer squash. You can harvest an acorn squash or a butternut and stick it in a dark drawer for weeks without having it go bad. If you tried to do this with a yellow crookneck or a zuccini, you’d have a slimy, smelly mush pile in the drawer.

To know when to harvest the winter squash, you want to feel the skin to see if it has toughened up a bit. Try thumping a pumpkin for a hollow sound to be sure it is ripened. Some people like to leave them in the garden until after the first frost. I don’t know that this really helps “finish” the fruits, but it sure is fun if you have a big pumpkin patch, and you want to watch out for The Great Pumpkin.

Since you have a greenhouse, you could try to keep the winter squash vines going. This would require running heat and summer-simulation lighting in the greenhouse, which is no small task in the long, cold nights of Pacific Northwest winters.

That being said, if the vines are growing now & the plants are starting to put on flowers and fruit, you could try to get a crop out them. There’s time left yet in our short summer growing season.

Thanks again for writing in & good luck!

Okay, we’ve all seen the “Kill Your TV” bumperstickers, right? Well, what about shooting your lawnmower when it doesn’t start? I just read that someone did just that.

My solution? Rather than kill the mower, why not get rid of the grass instead? That would save you in “lawn rage”, effort, chemicals, water, and so much more!

(Okay, so all joking aside, I am averse to lawn, but I get it — some people really love it and really need it. But, if it sends you to the other side of sanity, is the grass really greener over there?)

Recently my pre-teen niece came to visit. She’s always been a picky eater, and as she approaches her teen years she’s at least tasting some new things. She never likes the new things, but at least she’s giving into my pleas to, “Come on…just one little bite. You don’t have to eat it if you don’t like it.” Rather than continuing to be frustrated with her phoo-phoo’ing of all the amazing flavors of the culinary world, I’ve started taking a different perspective of her situation.

As a kid I was willing to eat just about anything. That’s probably why I ballooned into a chubby teen when puberty hit. There were a few things I never enjoyed –okra, brussel sprouts, and beets come to mind. So, unlike my niece, I didn’t have much food discovery left to me when I grew up. I’d already experienced so many of the foods out there. And, as a foodie, I crave finding new tastes.

I was thrilled about eight years ago when I tasted a beet that I actually kind of liked. I’d always thought they tasted like sweet dirt, and, well, I guess I still think that. But, my adult pallet now craves that flavor! I’ve even had a few pickled okra in my adult years that don’t totally gross me out. The brussel sprouts, well, as much as those cute little buttery bundles look good, they just don’t work for me. So, sadly, my “to be discovered” list is still quite small.

Yes, I recognize that there are loads of foods around the world I’ve never tried. I’m not about to go dig up grubs in the garden just to see what those taste like, and I try to eat locally, so I’m not going to import a lot of crazy fruit from south america just to make my tongue happy. So, back to my diverse, but pretty regular diet. (Anyone else get sick of their own cooking now & again?)

Last weekend I was visiting our local farmer’s market and stopped at an herb booth. The vendor was offering herbal sodas and herbal teas. I ordered a nettle tea that looked and tasted like swamp water, but I know the stuff is amazing for me, and it was pretty refreshing. She also had a fresh, leafy green for sale on her table.

“What’s this?” I asked.

Turns out it was sorrel. She had me tear a piece off to taste. Wow! What a tangy, lemony plant. Now, its not a “sweet lemon” like lemon grass, lemon balm or lemon verbena. Its more of a “tangy-tart lemon” like the “lemon weed clover” I used to munch on as a kid in northern California. (Sorry folks, don’t know the name of the lemon weed.)

I ended up plunking down $4 for a small bunch of sorrel. She told me that its incredibly easy to grow, and it comes back after being cut to the ground. So, I knew getting a few plants was likely to be my next step. I certainly wasn’t going to pay that kind of price for a vegetable I could grow & likely couldn’t kill.

Sorrel is a member of the Rumex genus. If you’re familiar with Dock weed, you’ll quickly realize why she said cutting the plant to the ground won’t kill it. These suckers are tough! It’s important to tip out flowers to keep the sorrel from bolting and going to seed. And, leaves can be harvested, as needed throughout the season.

Today, I spent $3.49 on a 4″ pot containing 3 sorrel plants. The Herbfarm Cookbook indicates that 3 plants are sufficient for the average kitchen. Now I just need to find the right spot for them in my garden.

If you’re wondering what I did with the cut sorrel I bought at the farmer’s market, well I experimented. I tore up a few leaves into green salad and enjoyed the raw tanginess. I sauted several and cooked them into a tart with gruyere cheese, carmelized Walla-Walla spring onions, and fresh morel mushrooms. And, I used the last bit tossed with new potatoes roasted in foil on the grill. All were amazing!

If you haven’t enjoyed sorrel, consider grabbing a bunch at your farmer’s market. And, if you’ve got a picky eater at home, rather than get upset at what they’re missing, be envious of all the great opportunities coming to their tongue in the future!

And, if you’re just getting into gardening with herbs, read more about them in my earlier post, Herbs in the Garden — Some Thoughts.

L. Young of Schaumburg, IL asks,

“Hello, I live in zone 5 and I was looking for some plants that would survive under a pine tree. I tried hosta\’s but they died. Do you have any suggestions? Thank You”

 I think your best bet in finding a solution is to contact a garden coach or a nursery near you for assistance. Since so many things can affect a planting, beyond just being under a pine tree, it is important to evaluate many aspects of your environment to make good choices. For instance, I wonder why the hostas died. Is there actually a lot of sun exposure under the pine tree? Did you water the hostas? Were they planted properly? Do you have the right soil nutrients to support hostas? Did you over or under fertilize them? And so forth….And, finally, it might be worth asking if this is a large tree? Often it is best to leave the root zones under large trees alone and not do a lot of planting under them.

There are several plants that do well in dry shade, which is what I’m assuming you’re dealing with. But, do keep in mind that any plant that is labelled “drought tolerant” or “tolerates dryness” may require several seasons of consistent watering in order for them to become established. After they become established, tapering off watering allows them to then acclimate to their dry environment.

One plant I love for dry shade that may perform in your area is Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’. Not only does this herbaceous perennial offer beautiful, broad, heart shaped leaves, but it also has brilliant silvery tones that brighten up dark areas. (See the middle plant in the photo) And, it blooms blue like a forget-me-not but without the “stickery” seeds. It will tolerate some sun with sufficient water. And, it will need to be watered regularly until it is established.

Thanks for writing in and good luck!

A friend just turned me on to a new proposal by the EPA to ban water features, or at least that’s how the headline came through on the blurb she sent me. As it turns out (or maybe I should say, “as it appears to me”), the EPA is proposing that ornamental water features will be disallowed under the EPA’s new “Water Sense”  designation program. This program provides standards for new home builders to meet. I’d liken it to the green building program standards. What the EPA is saying is that “…these water features serve no functional or practical purpose, their water use is not considered efficient.” (section 4.1.4).

My personal response is that water features provide purpose. They provide a noise break in city areas where traffic noise is bothersome. They provide meditation points in the garden. In my own garden, my small, potted water feature provides a source of fresh, recirculating water for birds, bees and other insects that visit it daily. As well, it provides habitat for water plants. It does help us refocus our “sound attention” away from overhead airplane traffic and the buzz of nearby busy streets. IMHO: these are both functional and practical purposes. Plus, the water feature itself holds less than a bathtub full of water that recirculates, so very little water is used. And, as I’ve already pointed out, the water provides habitat and a watering source for wildlife. My aesthetic enjoyment of it is just one of its many positives.

Various organizations such as the International Professional Pond Contractors Association, I believe, are asking for revisions to the designation program to clarify that some systems be allowed under the program.

If you would like to share your thoughts with the EPA on this new standard, comments are being accepted until July 21, 2008.

More information on this proposal and links to comment are available at:

• http://www.landscapeonline.com/research/article/10863 
• http://www.epa.gov/watersense/specs/homes.htm

W. Maalouf of Marshall, VA asks:

“We have a two year old fruit cherry tree orchard. I had business out of the country, so asked my 19 year son to be sure to spray the trees when I was gone because there were worms and the start of the Japanese Beatles. Anyway..I just got home and found out he sprayed Bonide Fruit Tree Spray straight without ANY dilution!!! The leaves of course are all brown now! Some still have a few green leaves and there are no sign of any bugs…but I am wondering if they are history or if we should try to do something to help the matter. Please advise ASAP! One day maybe he will actually read the directions! Thanks for your help….. ”

 Well, the first thing I’d say is SCARY!

Bonide is a full-spectrum spray that attacks multiple “problems”, some of which you didn’t have. And, it doesn’t attack some of the things that you do mention having.  So, if you were worried about “beatles and worms”, it may have been better to choose a method that would eradicate only those types of pests rather than something that also attacks fungus, scale, mites and other diseases. Even without doing the proper dilution, this product contained poisons that really weren’t necessary. 

As I understand it, Bonide contains Captan, Sevin, Malathion and Methoxychlor. Here’s the label so you can read more yourself. Notice that it isn’t even used to control worms (by which I assume you mean caterpillers). Sevin kills bees, so you may have killed off your pollenation population. As well, it would have killed off any parasitic wasps that may have been living in your garden. These are natural predators to caterpillers, and it takes them much longer to repopulate than it does for caterpillers to repopulate, so your ecosystem may be out of balance now. You have also applied a product that kills mites. It is quite likely that your miticide also kills all spiders. Spiders are natural predators to Japanese Bettles. Again, the natural balance is put out of whack by this type of product. And, dare I remind  you of the malathion scares and what this product does to humans?

 Japanese Beetles are something I don’t deal with in Seattle. But, by doing a bit of reading, I learned that pheremone traps do exist for these buggers. This might be a better option next time. As well, for caterpillers, products like Bt might work for you. Bt is a bacterium that attacks only the caterpillers.

Since your son didn’t dilute the product and apply it according to manufacturer’s directions, anything in the product may have caused the dieback that you’ve seen. What killed the leaves on the trees may be just the “spreader-sticker” that adheres the product to the leaves. This could have suffocated the leaves. But, truly, I’m not sure what portion of the product attacked the plants themselves. Fortunately, this product doesn’t contain an herbicide. I suggest you contact the Bonide corporation to find out what happened.

Personally, I prefer to avoid this kind of product altogether and try to rebuild your natural ecosystem. You’ve applied organophosphates and organocholorides to your edible garden. I suggest you and your son take some time to really understand not only how to properly apply these in the future but what it really means to put them into your garden. My hope is that by having the opportunity to learn more, you will choose to take more eco-friendly steps to manage your orchard in the future.

 Good luck & thanks for writing in!

The holes have started appearing on my just-budding purple brussel sprouts and my cabbage. The green loopers are starting to emerge. I’ve seen their white fluffy butterfly parents flitting about the garden; they’re out there every year and near possible to chase away. I cheer when a sparrow snatches one in mid-flight or the cat smacks one to the ground. Still, it only takes a couple of eggs and successful hatches to decimate a brassica plant (cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, broccoli and such). And, the hatch is on in my garden.

Yesterday I pinched three green worms and fed their carcassas back to the garden. I’ve got to be vigilant and suggest you be as well. Look for any black spots on the plants or chew holes or green worms. If you see any, seek out more worms and kill them. In just a few hours, it seems, one worm can destroy an entire plant. And, just because you get a few worms one day doesn’t mean you’ve gotten the entire hatch. More are likely on the way.

And what part of the plant do they prefer? Well, the tender new growth of course. Would you expect anything less from a garden pest? They’ll chomp the buds off a brussel sprout and the young heads off a cabbage faster than you’d believe.

Handpicking is my preferred method. I don’t have an enormous vegie garden, so this is possible for me. If you’d like to read more about these pests, read more at Organic Gardening Magazine .

Be vigilant and save your food! (And, yes, they’ll eat more than just your brassicas)

Garden Tenders is a fun community of blogging gardeners that I found about a year ago. It’s a great place to show off your own garden and chat with fellow gardeners about their spaces. It seems the largest population of members lives in Canada, but that is changing.

Garden Tenders has just opened up their Summer Gardening Awards for entries. And, any gardener can enter the two categories — Edible Beauty and Indoors Outdoors. Take a moment to check it out and enter your gardens. You might just find mine entered…though that would mean finding the time to get out of the garden and into the computershere.

Good luck!

I’ve had an ongoing problem over the last couple of years with aphids eating the tender summer growth on my Acer triflorum. Summer growth is the second surge that the tree puts on, and each year the aphids have distorted the leaves and made the last new growth of the season look pretty sad. The tree survives the infestation just fine, but it is unsightly. Plus, as the tree has gotten taller & taller, its become near impossible for me to spray the aphids to disrupt them. So, I’ve been left wondering how to get rid of the aphids organically and easily.

Well, it seems the answer is to invite in the hummingbirds! I have several that visit my garden daily throughout the year. IIn addition to having a wide assortment of spring and summer nectar producers, I’ve installed plants that flower into the late fall and others that bloom through the winter. So, the hummers love this garden. And, I’m being repaid not just with their buzzing, chirping and shining wonder, but by their carniverous habits as well.

Yesterday, I was standing under the Acer and heard a hummingbird swoop-buzz my way. It started popping its head from branch to branch in the aphid-infested top branches of the tree. I wondered at first if the tree was blooming late. Then I realized it was picking aphids off the leaves and tender branches. Clearly, a little protein must help power up these birds that are so well known as nectar feeders. I’m not sure that they’ll completely clean up the problem, but they’ve found it and recognize it as a safe source for grabbing little meaty snacks — after which they can hit foxglove, salvia, phygelius, fuchsia, petunia, mimulus, scented geranium, heliotrope, and so many other sweet nectar-filled summer flowers. And, they can (and do) grab a flowing drink now & again from my patio water feature. Truly, the garden is their unlimited smorgasborg.

Usually I see the tents much earlier in the season, but then again a lot of things usually happen earlier in the season than has happened this year. Today I saw my first tent caterpiller tent. They were engulfing tiny apples on a nearby apple espalier. Hmmm…I don’t think I’ve seen them tent around actual fruit in the past. And, the tent wasn’t large. I wonder if they’ve suffered as much as the rest of us in this long, cold spring?

Any other sitings around here? Bueller?