Time to Reap What You Sowed

This is the best time of the gardening season. Plants have matured and are now giving back after the many hours of nurturing. Early lettuce, radishes and herbs are appreciated at the beginning of the season, but there is nothing like the mid-summer's bounty of beans, cucumbers and squashes. And, those first few pickings are so exciting. In a few weeks I know I may have to force myself to make one more trip to the garden to pick tomatoes before they fall off the vine and zucchinis before they turn into giants, but now everything is still new and immensely appreciated.

Chocolate Lavender Brownies

Lavender is a wonderful herb with its purple flowers and calming scent. Of course it can be dried and made into soaps and sachets, but it it can also be used in cooking and baking. These brownies are rich and fudge-like with just a hint of lavender flavor. Use a spice or coffee grinder to mix the buds with the sugar.

1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender buds ground with 3 T sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 to 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon espresso or instant coffee powder
1 1/2 cups butter softened
4 eggs 
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup walnuts 
Sift dry ingredients; melt butter and cool then add sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl. Slowly add dry ingredients, then stir in nuts. Bake 13" x 9" greased pan and bake at 325 degrees about 45 minutes. Toothpick inserted in center should come out mostly clean. Cool before cutting.
 

Garden Flowers

Whether you plant them yourself or let them grow freely from the wild, flowers in the garden serve many purposes - first they help attract pollinators and other beneficial insects. I find that in the early summer it is especially important to attract bees and butterflies to the garden while the planted crops are still small. That way, when they start to bloom there will already be plenty of pollinators buzzing around. Second, flowers in and around your garden will also attract beneficial insects that will prey on pests that can be damaging to your plants, such as aphids and leaf beetles. And, most importantly, they are worthwhile just because they are beautiful. Flowers that bloom at different times throughout the growing season add interest to the garden through their color, different shapes and their overall beauty.

Sometimes I have a hard time thinning out the wild flowers - this may crowd out planted crops, but by mid-summer there is never a shortage of blooms to put in a vase for the kitchen table

A couple additional ways to encourage beneficial insects is by planting herbs and letting some of your plants go to seed. Mustard results in a blanket of yellow flowers and my radish plants that flower instead of producing a bulb have a mix of pink and white flowers. By planting herbs you not only have an abundance of flowers, but you also have plants that can be appreciated all year long by adding fresh flavor to your cooking in the summer and when dried can be appreciated into the following season.

Bumble bee on scallion

Many herbs are perennials so their care is minimal.  All you need to do is keep them trimmed and divide them periodically.  Staples in my garden include scallions, sage, oregano, thyme and lavender.

A Friend or Foe?

My husband snapped this photo the other day in our backyard. For most backyard gardeners, this is probably not a welcome sight. However, this summer is the first time we have ever seen a rabbit in our yard and it is only one of a handful of sightings that I have seen since moving to New Hampshire in 1984.Growing up in Michigan there were always rabbits running around the neighborhood, so it was very strange to me that when we moved to New Hampshire, they were so rarely seen.

I do not know what kind of rabbit this is, but it would be nice if it were a cottontail. The New England cottontail has been listed as endangered in New Hampshire since 2008. I have read that the more common rabbit to be seen in the state is the Eastern Cottontail (probably what I saw so frequently in Michigan), a species introduced at the beginning of last century for  hunting. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), before the 1950s, the New England Cottontail was the more abundant species in New England. After that time, the Eastern Cottontail become more dominant, most likely since it was able to better adapt to the changing developed landscape. It is slightly larger and has larger eyes so it is better able to detect predators. The New England cottontail is smaller and needs to quickly access cover when sensing danger. It also often has black on the outside of the ears and a white spot on the forehead (both in the photo above). I checked the NH Fish and Game website and discovered that we live in one of the few geographic areas of the state where they are known to still exist.  Therefore, even if this little guy enjoys snacking on my garden, I welcome his presence in our yard.  Even if he is the more common Eastern Cottontail it is still a unique occurrence in our yard. 

For further information, including how you can make your property more hospitable for cottontails and other species that thrive in thickets and in low brush areas go to newenglandcottontail.org.

Strawberry Plant Fungus - Red Stele

I have grown strawberries for years and although I have never had a stellar crop, the plants always survived and seemed healthy. Unfortunately, last summer I noticed that my plants were dying one by one.  I didn't think much of it at first, but by the end of the season, my entire patch was almost completed destroyed. A little research revealed that the plants were most likely impacted by Red Stele disease from the soil-borne fungus Phytophthora fragariae. The disease is typically introduced by infected plants. To refresh my plot, I had bought some new plants the prior year. I suspect that this is when the disease started. The oospores reside in the roots of infected plants. The oospores form small zoospores, which travel in well saturated soil  and then infect other plants. The poorly drained soil of my strawberry patch was a prime environment for the fungus to spread. I now know to only by plants from a reputable source and to look for varieties that are resistant to the disease. If I do decide to purchase plants next year, I will be planting them in a separate, dryer garden area since the disease can remain in the soil for several years, waiting to infect new plants.

Plants after succumbing to red stele

It's Berry Picking Time

Strawberry season is almost over, but July brings many more berry picking opportunities. We were fortunate to have built on a lot that already had many high and low blueberry bushes. It is easy to go out in the morning and then have fresh berries to put on cereal, in pancakes or just place in a bowl for snacking. I don't mind sharing them with the birds, so we don't use nets. Up until a couple years ago, we also had many blackberry bushes. I am not sure what changed, but now we only have black raspberries in their place. I actually prefer the later, but do miss the size of the blackberries.

Black raspberries waiting to be picked

There is never a shortage of recipes for baked goods that include berries. These blueberry muffins can also be made with your berry of choice. Marmalade in the center keeps them moist. These were made with peach preserves.

Blueberry Marmalade Muffins

2 cups flour (1/4 cup whole wheat)

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk or 1 cup buttermilk

6 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup berries

marmalade of choice

Sift dry ingredients in large bowl. Whisk egg, milk and melted butter together. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until mixed. Fold in berries. Fill greased muffin tins half way then add a teaspoon (for small muffins,) or a tablespoon, (for large muffins,) of marmalade. Add the remaining batter on top. Bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sugar.  

Keeping a Garden Safe

No matter where your garden is located, unless it is on a deck or in a greenhouse, you will be presented with the challenge of how to keep your vegetables or flowers safe from other creatures who may think that all your hard earned efforts are for their sole enjoyment. Here are a few photos of fencing options to detract deer observed in and around our neighborhood.

String tied around stakes with orange ribbon for visibility and aluminum pie plates to make noise when the blow in the wind.

CDs are hung from poles and illuminated with small solar lights. Fishing wire is strung low to discourage entry into this garden.

Keeping with the entertainment theme, VHS tape is strung several times around the perimeter of this garden.

A traditional wooden fence is attractive, but can be costly.

This year, I have tried the VHS tape approach which has provided some disincentive to the deer although the past couple weeks have seen the tape broken a couple times. In additional to a physical barrier, it is also helpful to use scented repellants, as long as you reapply frequently and mix it up occasionally.  Some examples are urine (all types) sprinkled around, not on plants;  eggs blended with water or milk sprayed on the plants; Milorganite fertilizer hung on posts around the garden; and traditional store bought "Deer-off".

One thing is certain though, deer become accustomed to any deterrent, so unless you have an electric or six-foot fence you will most likely find yourself sharing your garden with uninvited guests. As long as things are growing well, the plants can recover from periodic nibbling.

Hiking the Long Trail

Last year, my college son and I set a goal that we would hike the entire length of the Long Trail (in sections). I love to hike and have completed the 48 - four thousand footers in New Hampshire and Vermont, and am working on completing that list in Maine. Although I admire true long distance thru-hikers, like those that complete the entire length of the 2,181 mile Appalachian Trail (AT) in one trip, I know that it is not something that I could realistically accomplish. However, at just over 270 miles, the Long Trail seems like an achievable goal for me, that is, if done in sections. This past weekend, we hiked ten miles in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom from Hazen's Notch to Eden Crossing. One of my favorite parts of hiking is seeing the variety of plants that grow during different seasons and at different elevations. They thrive without fertilizer or chemicals of any kind. So many different types of plants just naturally grow together - none taking over the other, but instead co-existing and even benefiting by what the other plants can offer (e.g. shade, nutrients, etc.). I was surprised and disturbed when we came across some Giant Hogwood near a stream. This plant is unmistakable as an invasive due to its large size.It looks like giant Queen Anne's Lace. I had never seen this plant before and knew nothing about it until researching afterwards. I am glad I did not touch it as it is extremely toxic. Its sap can cause serious skin damage when exposed to the sun and can lead to blindness if it gets in your eyes. Wikipedia provides a good overview Heracleum mantegazzianum. In a nut-shell stay clear and report it to your state or local environmental agency.

I am a slow hiker partly because of the frequent stops I make to take snapshots. I encourage you to to share or confirm the identity of any of these plants. 

a. Shamrock shaped plant with white and pink flowers

b. Star flower?

c. Very common shade-loving plant

d. Yellow Clintonia?

e. Sun-loving plant between rocks

f. Ferns and moss

g. Diversity in nature

h. A fritillary enjoying a rest