Full Circle

Now that the worst of the summer's heat is behind us and the cool temperatures are with us once again, there's time to squeeze in one more round of lettuce before Old Man Winter makes outdoor gardening impossible in this neck of the woods.

Laugh A Little

Nice try, but that's still no excuse for not starting a garden.

Fun Facts

Community gardens are trending all across America, but do you know which locations have the most community gardens per capita? Here are the top ten.

Rank	State	Gardens	Population	People/Gardens
1	North Dakota	31	723,393	23,335
2	Nebraska	55	1,868,516	33,973
3	Iowa	87	3,090,416	35,522
4	Alaska	20	735,132	36,757
5	D. C.	15	646,449	43,097
6	South Dakota	16	844,877	52,805
7	Montana	18	1,015,165	56,398
8	Vermont	11	626,630	56,966
9	Louisiana	56	4,625,470	82,598
10	Mississippi	36	2,991,207	83,089

Sumptuous And Simple Summer Vegetable Recipe

When the tomatoes and summer squash are producing faster than you seem to be able to keep up with, it pays to have a simple recipe or two handy to use the abundance that Mother Nature has given you. Here is one of my favorites.

Summer Vegetable Medley

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb. yellow summer squash, sliced
• 1 large or two medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 bunch of green onions, sliced
• 1 large bell or 3 to 4 regular sized banana peppers, seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 tsp salt or 1 tsp non-salt seasoning mix
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp black pepper 

Heat oil in large skillet. Saute squash for a couple of minutes then add the pepper chunks. After a couple of minutes more add the green onions. When the other vegetables are tender, add  the sugar, salt/non-salt seasoning, pepper and tomato wedges and stir well. Lower the heat and cover the skillet. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes more  stirring occasionally. Season to taste and then serve. This is great over white rice!

The Curious Case Of John Chapman

This orchard is located only a half an hour away.

John Chapman (September 26, 1774 – March 18, 1845), more popularly known as  Johnny Appleseed, was an American pioneer nurseryman who lived a nomadic lifestyle; traveling the U.S. barefoot and introducing apple trees to large areas of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, as well as the northern counties of present-day West Virginia. His activities touched the lives of many people and he became a legend for doing so. Upon his death, he was laid to rest in the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana where a festival is held in his honor every year.

Baby It's Cole Inside

It doesn't take much cabbage to make a tasty coleslaw. And it can be as simple or as complex as you like. It can be spicy or plain. It can be sweet or savory. It can be coarse or fine. It can be... Well, you get the idea. And before I forget, when it's made from cabbage fresh from the garden, that just adds another dimension of taste that simply can't be duplicated by what you'll find in your local store. May I suggest that you try your slaw over a BBQ  pulled pork or BBQ shredded chicken sandwich? The taste and texture will up your sandwich game.

Hints Of Color

Tall or short

Great or small

Container plants

Color our fall

Herbs For The Catch Of The Day

National Hunting and Fishing Day is celebrated on the fourth Saturday of every September. And while I've never been a fan of gunpowder and loud noises, I have had the pleasure of enjoying the relaxing activity of fishing. And as it turns out, there are several herbs that are relatively easy to grow in the garden that greatly enhance the flavor of fish.

• As many of you may have already guessed, basil is at the top of the list. I have found that lemon basil pairs well with many different types of fish and I've even used it to enhance the flavor of my crock pot fish chowder.
• Chives are another herb that add a nice accent to fish dishes whether they are sprinkled on top after the fish is done or cooked along with it.
• Rosemary is a wonderful herb for fish whether it's fresh or dried. But be aware that fresh rosemary has stronger citrus notes than its dry form.
• Sage also goes well with fish. However, its use requires care and a light hand as its intensity increases with cooking or if it is frozen before being used in dishes.
• And although many Americans don't grow it, French tarragon, which is well suited for even a windowsill garden, adds a light, delicate flavor to fish dishes. 

So there you have it, a short list of flavor enhancers for your next fish dish. Give them each a try and see which one(s) suit your fancy.

Equinox Spectacular

On a pyramid constructed over 1000 years ago in the ancient Mayan city of Chichén Itza, at the precise time of the spring and fall  equinoxes, the sun casts its rays on the balustrade of one of  four 91 step staircases, and highlights a 120 foot feathered serpent that seems to be moving or slithering its way down the steps. 

This spectacular event is brought to you by a group of people who were allegedly unsophisticated savages that had to be cleared away in order for progress and civilization to spring forth in the Americas.

Stocking Up

On this date in 1938 patent #2,130,948 was granted for the material known as nylon. The success of this synthetic fiber led to a severe reduction in the demand for silk stockings, a ton of money for its creator, DuPont and the creation of the colloquial term nylons. But did you know that in addition to adorning the legs of millions of women past and present, nylons have a use in the garden? 

When growing melons or heavy winter squash vertically, nylons can supply much needed support(no pun intended) to make sure that your crop doesn't come crashing to the ground. And finding used nylons isn't a problem at all in most households. So give your vertical gardening efforts a lift and help delay the journey of a used item to the refuse bin.

Round 2?

It looks as though my container butterbush squash plant is trying to produce a second crop. Unfortunately, the traditional first frost date in this area is less that a month away. I don't think these squash will mature before then, but I'll hope for the best.

Some Things To Do In The Vegetable Garden In September

• Keep harvesting crops. If you have a glut of fruit and veggies try freezing, drying, freeze drying, pickling, and storing so that you can enjoy them later on. 
• Pull or cut off the foliage of main crop potatoes at ground level 3 weeks before lifting them to prevent blight spores infecting the tubers as you lift them. This will also help to firm the skins of the potatoes. 
• Spread newly dug potatoes out to dry for a few hours before storing them in in a cool, dry,  dark place. Paper or hessian sacks are best for this as they will allow the crop to breathe while it is in storage. Only store undamaged, disease free potatoes - one rotten tuber can ruin your whole crop!
• It will help your pumpkins ripen in time for Halloween if you remove any leaves which shadow the fruits.
• Place pumpkins and squash on a piece of slate or wood to raise them off wet soil and prevent rotting.
• Start the autumn cleanup. Remove any old crops that have finished and clear away weeds to leave your plot clean and tidy for the winter.
• Make cuttings from herbs so you can start them rooting in water and pot them up later for overwintering on your window sills.
• The end of this month is the perfect time to start planting garlic bulbs for next year's crop.
• Start planting autumn onion sets.

It's Been A Marinara Kind Of Day

Canned Happiness

More Marinara

It's been a good year for container Roma tomatoes and it looks to be a good year for marinara sauce.

Just Hanging Around

Less than 10% of the plastic thrown away in the U.S. each year is recycled. Before you toss out that plastic beverage container, you might consider letting it hang around for a while, literally, as a home for some of your herbs like this lemon basil plant. The people of the Earth and the Earth itself will thank you.

Countdown To Equinox

The harvest grows
But the days grow shorter
The pumpkins glow
As the sun slides lower
Too soon our garden revels will end
And Persephone into the Underworld will descend
And months we'll wait to sow again
To touch the face of our verdant friend

Keeping Mosquitos At Bay

If you have no idea what yellow fever is, you can thank Dr. Walter Reed who was born 166 years ago on this day and discovered in 1901 that this deadly disease was carried by mosquitoes. As a result of his work and the brave volunteers who worked with him, what had been a scourge for generations was eliminated. And if you'd like to keep mosquitoes away from your house and the area around it, Mother Nature has provided a variety of plants which mosquitoes don't like that can easily be grown in containers or in the ground.

Rosemary, basil and lavender all have scents that keep mosquitoes away. And even catnip can be an effective deterrent. Although since it is a mint, it might be best to grow it only in a container since it can be very invasive.

Belated Melons

I planted my melons a little later than normal this year and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there will be enough sunshine and warm weather to help them mature before the first frost, which usually hits this area around the 15th of next month.

Pasta From The Garden

The first season I grew spaghetti squash, I didn't know quite what to do with it. I found a couple of recipes online, but they were nothing to stand up and shout about. But a couple of years ago I found a recipe so tasty and simple I couldn't believe it.

 

Crock Pot Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 medium to large spaghetti squash, washed(size the squash to your crock-pot's shape and capacity)
• 1 jar of spaghetti sauce(24 - 28 oz or more) of your preferred flavor
• 3 cups of frozen meatballs

Instructions

1. Cut the spaghetti squash in half around the middle. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and membranes. Place cut sides down in a large crock pot sprayed with non-stick cooking oil.(If your pot isn't wide or tall enough for the arrangement you see in the photo, try cutting the squash lengthwise and laying the halves side by side on top of the meatballs.)
2. Pour the spaghetti sauce around the sides of the squash and then place your meat balls around the sides as well.
3. Cook on low for 5-6 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. When a fork easily goes through the skin of the squash, it is done.
4. Use tongs to carefully remove the squash from the crock pot. Use a fork to scrape out all of the 'spaghetti' then discard the shell.
5. Serve with the sauce and meatballs from the crock pot. Enjoy!
6. An extra added bonus of this dish is that it's guilt free. The 'pasta' is low calorie and much healthier for you than regular pasta!

Happiness In A Jar

Money can't buy happiness but it can buy the means to preserve your harvest into the dead of winter by canning. Whether it's marinara sauce, pickled summer squash, green tomato relish or something more exotic. You can smile your way through the roughest of snow days when you have some of the summer sunshine available to you in a glass jar. So don't be afraid to try your hand at putting away some joy that's been canned.

The Green Gourmet

The days are growing shorter and cooler here and it's obvious that some of my tomatoes won't ripen before the first frost arrives. There's no need to panic, however. There are any number of tasty dishes that can be created using green tomatoes. Here is a simple, delicious recipe that uses them.

Curried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients

2 tbsps butter or olive oil
2 tbsps minced onion
1 tsp curry powder
2 cups green tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper or non-salt seasoning

Melt butter/heat oil, then add onion and cook slowly until translucent. Add curry powder and tomatoes and cook until heated thoroughly. Season to taste.

This dish is really good by itself when spooned over rice or as a side for meat or poultry.

Roma Tomato Heaven

These fresh, ripe Roma tomatoes are headed to the wonderful place that all good Roma tomatoes go, Marinara sauce!

To Boldly Grow Where Others Have Grown Before

If you wish to live long and prosper, consider these five health benefits of gardening that can help you reach those goals.

1. Exposure to vitamin D 

Vitamin D increases your calcium levels, which benefits your bones and immune system. A 2014 Italian study, published on the National Institutes of Health website, found that exposure to sunlight helped older adults achieve adequate serum vitamin D levels. So outdoor activities like gardening are a perfect way to get your sunshine while pursuing a fun hobby. (But don’t forget the sunscreen to protect your skin, and sunglasses for your eyes.)

 

2. Decreased dementia risk 

A 2006 study found that gardening could lower risk of dementia by 36 percent. Researchers tracked more than 2,800 people over the age of 60 for 16 years and concluded that physical activity, particularly gardening, could reduce the incidence of dementia in future years.

3. Mood-boosting benefits

A study in the Netherlands, cited by CNN, suggests that gardening fights stress even better than other hobbies. Participants completed a stressful task and were then told to read inside or go outdoors and garden for 30 minutes. The gardening group reported better moods afterward, and their blood tests showed lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

4. Enjoyable aerobic exercise

Gardening is a great form of aerobic exercise; plus, you might become so engrossed in your work that you don’t even realize you’re breaking a sweat. Pulling weeds, reaching for various plants and tools, and twisting and bending as you plant will work new muscles in your body and help with strength, stamina, and flexibility.

5. Helps combat loneliness

Community gardens can be a fun way to engage with others while providing benefits to neighborhoods. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, community gardens are "collaborative projects on shared open spaces where participants join together in the maintenance and products of the garden, including healthful and affordable fresh fruits and vegetables."

Community Gardens On The Rise

All over the U.S. people are converting unused urban spaces into gardens of all kinds. In doing so, they not only eliminate what were once eyesores, but also create opportunities to educate, delight and feed themselves and others in their communities. If you want to participate in the greening of America, you won't have to look very far. And if your search leads to the discovery that no one is doing this in your area, you'll have the perfect chance to establish one yourself. Go Gaia! Go Green!

Macadamia Maniac

It's September 4th and you know what that means? It's National Macadamia Nut Day in the U.S.! We all have our great, green gardening fantasies and one of mine is to have a grove of macadamia nut trees growing nearby. But alas, it can only remain a dream here in zone 5.  Still one can dream can't one?

A Garden Thought

Make Food Insecurity A Thing Of The Past

As gardeners we shouldn't hesitate to share some of our bounty with those who are in need. And what better time to do that than now, on National Food Bank Day? So grow a row for someone you don't know and contribute to the effort to eliminate food insecurity from the U.S. forever. You'll be glad you did.