Project 1 continued...

Project 1 Refresher: Neighborhood Walk: Find out what's in season, what's in bloom and what is ready to be harvested.  For vegetables, this information is found most readily at farmers' markets, grocery stores and community gardens.  I did some exploring and researching and here is what I have found:


The Veggies:

Peas

This picture illustrates the end of the pea season.  Peas do best when grown in cool weather.  They can be sown in very early spring and are usually harvested in early summer.  A second harvest is possible in the fall but since the seeds like it cool and the plants can't handle frost, the window for a productive crop is narrow.  The good news is that in a small urban garden, plants such as peas, which thrive when grown on vertical structures, are priceless in the urban gardener's attempt to maximize a small space.

Winter Squash

Squash comes from the genus Cucubita and is made up of both summer and winter varieties. It is native to the Americas and does well in most regions across the U.S.  The varieties are named for the season in which they are harvested.  Squash  come in many colors and sizes, anything along the green to orange spectrum.  Both summer and winter squash seeds are sown in the early spring.  Summer squash is harvested when its name dictates (in the summer).  Winter squash is left to grow and develop a hearty rind with which it can withstand the elements in early fall.  Once it is harvested, winter squash may also be stored longer due to its protective rind (which explains why the pumpkins in your seasonal front step decorations can last so long!).

Beets

Beets are a biennial member of the Beta vulgaris genus.  Biennial means that they have two season each year.  They can be planted in early spring and harvested in early summer and then planted again in early fall to be harvested in the early winter (before the first frost).  You can also continuously sow seeds for the duration of the two seasons and some beets will be productive.  Beets can be stored in the ground up until the first frost so you can just run outside and pluck a beet for dinner as needed! 

Golden Turnip

Turnips are a member of the Brassica family which includes cabbages and broccoli among many other plants. Turnips can be harvested in the spring and fall with a break for the hottest part of the summer (similar to beets). For a late spring harvest, turnips must be planted as soon as the chance for frost is over. However, turnips are more commonly planted in late summer for an autumn harvest.

Swiss Chard

Chard is another member of the Beta vulgaris genus.  Its roots run very deep so make sure your soil is cultivated down to the appropriate depth.  Chard can be sown in early spring and will be productive through the following early winter (if the right precautions are taken like setting up protective frames or adding mulch around the plant).  To harvest Swiss chard, pull the off the outer leaves from each plant.  This will encourage the inner leaves to grow larger and then be harvested and so on. 

Parsnips

I have a feeling we will only see more of parsnips as winter approaches.  It is one of the few plants that can be stored over winter in the ground and whose flavor actually improves with the cold.  It is a root vegetable and its season is long so parsnips should be sown in very early spring.  It can be harvested whenever you feel like eating it through the winter (as long as the ground is not frozen).  Then, once spring begins, dig them all up before they begin to sprout again.

Project 1 "Getting to Know the Natives"

Project 1: Neighborhood Walk

Objective: Find out what is in season (what's blooming) and what needs to be cut down (harvested)
This will be split into two categories a) perennials/annuals (i.e. plants to look at) and b)vegetables and herbs (i.e. plants to eat).  So, for the land-challenged, here are some good places to find plants:

a) Perennials and Annuals:                                            
Neighborhood                                            
Public Gardens (botanical and arboretums)    
Public Parks and Campuses                          
Community Gardens                                      

b)Veggies and Herbs:
Farmers' Markets
Grocery Stores (what's cheap right now?)
Neighborhood
Community Gardens

Pick 3-5 of each group (a and b) that strike your fancy then research them.
I will be primarily using The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Plant and Flowers, DK Publishing, New York: 2002; Rodale's Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, Rodale Press, Pennsylvania: 1978 and Flora's Gardening Cards, Globe Book Publishing Pty Ltd, Australia: 2006.  Identifying plants can be tricky and looking up images online can help but always refer to a legitimate book like an encyclopedia to check your findings.

Keys to Success: Start small.  Each plant has a specific trail of significant names (genus, species, forma, cultivar) and as the plants become more familiar these names will undoubtedly become more important to the urban gardener but for now, the sweet and simple knowledge of a plant's group (genus) will suffice.

Perennials:

Nandina domestica

Nandina is one of the shrubs that fades into the background in summer and then comes alive in the fall.  It is a semi-evergreen and in the fall its leaves are everything from bright green to purple to red.  In the summer there are small white flowers and in the fall you can see small berries beginning to appear on some of the plants I've seen.

 

Sempervivum

Sempervivum (meaning always living in Latin) is a rock plant (as you can see).  It spreads along and is nicknamed "Hen and Chicks" because the smaller rossettes look like baby chicks following around the big hens.  It is an evergreen plant which grows flowers in the summer--you can see what's left of the flower in the picture above.  To remove these you just cut them off at the base. 

Euphorbia

Euphorbias are easier to distinguish from one another when they are blooming.  In this plant you can see the new growth coming through at the base of the plant.  When there is substantial new growth like this you can cut back the larger tops to the new growth but at this late October date, its best to leave it--frost could come at any time and harm a plant which is made more delicate by pruning.  When you do prune this plant, beware of the milky substance that lives in the stem--it will irritate your skin and eyes.

Callicarpa (Beauty Berry)

Beauty Berry is another shrub you could walk by all summer and not notice, then suddenly a small tree filled with shiny purple berries appears and it only gets more vibrant as the winter season sets in.  The leaves (when they're in season) are pale green and there are small light purple flowers in the summer.

The walk around the neighborhood was productive but will work best if it's done a few times a month.  Being able to recognize what plants do well in your neighborhood will help you understand your climate and what plants you may want to use some day when you finally get a small plot in the city!

Next time: The Veggies

My First Post

The Joyful Discovery: plants are my new passion.  They are beautiful and delicious and the whole process of being able to control and encourage nature is fascinating.  I dream of twelve acres to my name with a sweet little house and fields of flowers and veggies and trees....

alas, The Reality Check:  I live in a tiny apartment, in the basement of a house, with no plot of land in a large city and have no plans to leave this hallowed urban life yet. 

So, how do I learn about urban gardening?  Many books in the store and library are targeted towards readers who seem to be born with green thumbs.  There is lingo used and plants referenced that discourage me as I frantically skim, trying to read a bit of everything and find my way in to this exclusive gardening club.  I've heard that experimentation with plants is the way to learn and there are community garden patches but each comes with its own waiting list and I am an impatient and impulsive learner so I must begin today.

Thus, The Plan: I will prepare assignments and attempt to learn about urban gardening beginning with what interests me most (rather than tackling the topic from A-Z).  I will get to know plants through the resources at hand, e.g. public spaces, farmers' market, and checking out community gardens and I will begin to collect a book list and work through it--providing reviews and highlighting what I have learned.