by Briscoe White | Oct 5, 2009 | Gardening |
Copperhead Snake
At The Grower’s Exchange, we like to peacefully share our space with the critters that live around us. We pride ourselves on using natural methods of growing that also encourage the growth of allies in the fight against pests: tree frogs, toads, skinks, black snakes and lizards. We use methods that don’t bother these guys, they in turn feast on pests that get in our way, and it all works pretty well.
Our “open door policy” does occasionally invite a few unwelcomed visitors; last week, this copperhead came calling, and got far too close for comfort. This has been the summer for copperheads – our neighbors have all had them, and one even got “snake bit” and is still suffering. Not life threatening, but pretty darn close. It’s been the talk of the county. And, while away at the Independent Garden Center convention in Chicago, my 15-year-old texted me a picture of a really large copperhead – you have to get pretty close to get a clear picture with a cell phone. Of all the things you worry about when you are away from your teenagers, copperheads were not on my list. Besides that, he’s a bit like his dear old dad, and I knew he’d be way too close for my comfort!
Well, back to the Unwelcomed Visitor. As much as we love nature and want to work in harmony with all the creatures around us, this guy had to go. There are two types of personalities on staff – “terrified of snakes” and “snake handlers.” I fit the last category and I simply escorted my visitor to the door, so to speak. He was deposited at a remote location on the farm, about 500 acres from the greenhouse!
by Briscoe White | Sep 29, 2009 | Growing |
Gardening is a never-ending series of cycles. We garden by season, and change our practices of sowing, tending and harvesting to match nature’s time clock. Gardening gets complicated as we expand the list of plants we wish to grow; annuals, perennials, herbs and veggies all have seasonal lifecycles the gardener tries to satisfy.
One of the least complicated, instantly gratifying, and fleeting gardens is a patch of fall greens. Now is the time to plant salad and greens for fall and winter. Growing up, “eat your greens” was Mom’s nightly advice each winter. I can remember driving to the opening of the first real supermarket in town; it was “international” and had all kinds of exotic food not on our regular menu. Pizza, Asian foods, Mexican food, things not available in the Mom and Pop groceries; I wonder how many foresaw these exotics as America’s staple foods in years to come?
Anyway, growing up, we ate food produced regionally and fresh veggies in winter just didn’t exist. Greens were all there were for fresh vegetables, so they had to be eaten. Mom said so!
It is funny how one mellows with time, and now I not only eat my greens, I love them! Stir-fried with garlic, they are delicious. There are all kinds of fall greens to choose from: lettuces, kale, and collards are some of the more common ones. But with lettuce, there are many choices, such as leaf lettuce and head lettuce. With leaf lettuce your can choose red or green leaf; Oakleaf or Romaine. Additionally, Asian greens open a whole world of fine dining: pak choi, asian spinach and many others offer many tastes and textures. For those with more space, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts love fall’s cool temperatures. For the more experienced, leeks, onions, and garlic can all be grown in small spaces.
A fall garden is easy to grow and takes little space. In a few short weeks, sown seeds become ready-to-harvest food, one last little push at the end of the growing season! Winter always shuts this garden down! But a few, like the kale, will remain standing for harvest well into winter. I do not understand why anyone with a little space doesn’t grow a fall salad patch. If anyone is interested, please drop me a line.
by Briscoe White | Sep 25, 2009 | Exploring, Miscellaneous |
Gomphrena
These days, we need value – if I am going to spend my hard-earned money on a plant, I better get a good return – none of these fancy, fickle plants that may or may not like my yard. None of those pedigree plants with hard-to-pronounce names that no-one knows. No sir… give me a tried and true workhorse that won’t break the bank!
And, don’t talk to me about annuals not being worth it – dying at the end of the season. Having to be replanted every year. I am all about annuals. They’re easy to grow, reasonably priced and talk about performance. They will bloom profusely from the time I plant in April (here in Zone 7) and I’ll have blooms until frost, which means I’ll be looking at flowers sometimes after Thanksgiving. That’s eight full months, folks!
My current favorite annual, which I am staring at as I write, is Gomprena. If you’ve never grown it, grow it. I planted one 4.5″ pot in April, and I now have a huge mound of purple blooms that I’ve been enjoying all summer and fall. Great cut flowers, great dried flowers, prolific in the garden and fills a space like no one’s business, colorful and a butterfly magnet. A solid but carefree beauty that I’ll keep planting each spring… and so should you!
