I rarely clean up my garden in the fall. I wait until spring when the ground is softer and my motivation is stronger. Leaving plants up also makes for natural bird feeders throughout the winter and ads winter interest.
But, next spring I want to hit the ground running and it was an awesome fall day (especially for NOVEMBER!!), so I got to work. I stripped my garden of all but a few well placed sunflowers. I left all the echinacea because they look really neat in the snow. I trimmed back many of my plants even though they may have been still somewhat green. I trimmed the dead lily stalks leaving just a few inches to let me know where they were come next spring. I pruned my pear and a few of the shrubs. I even got rid of a very ugly hosta that I have been meaning to dispose of for quite some time. I figured that would give me some fresh space in the spring to plant something that I really enjoyed.
And I even planted garlic for the very first time. I am not too concerned about how late in the season it is. Real winter comes late in this area. Besides, the garlic cost me all of $1.50!
I tried my best to get rid of as much Creeping Charlie as I could. It really got out of hand during the month that I have been tied up redoing my bathroom floor. It usually takes me a few weekends in the spring to get it back under control. But there is supposed to be good weather all week, so maybe I'll still have a few more chances to get at it.
I'm still waiting for the last of the bulbs that I ordered. They ran out of some of them -- so I will only have about 30 to plant when they do arrive. I hope they come soon or I will have to store them in the refrigerator over the winter!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Monday, November 05, 2007
Awesome Apple Pie!
Regulars of The Obsessive Gardener know that winter means FOOD SEASON! And I am going to start out this food season with probably the best recipe I ever created!
I work with a guy that has an orchard. Along with all the experimental trees he grows (like sweet cherries, peaches, pears) he also has a ton of apple trees. At harvest time he started bringing in bags and bags of apples for us and hinting how he would really like us to bake him a home-made apple pie from some of these apples.
Well three weeks and no takers. So when he started to bring me my favorite apples -- Honey Crisp -- I decided that I should probably oblige him with a pie.
I really can't remember the last time that I baked an apple pie. It could have been last Thanksgiving, but in any case, none could have been as good as the one that this one that I created for him!!
As usual, I made this recipe up as I went along.
Crust:
1-1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup COLD butter
1/4-1/2 tsp salt (I use sea salt, cause I love it)
2-4 TBS ICE COLD water
a little bit of brown sugar (please use the C&H pure brown sugar, not the colored, flavored white sugar that a lot of companies try to pass off as brown sugar)
The important thing about pastry is that everything should be cold and you DO NOT want to over-work the dough. The way that pastry gets light and flaky is through the expansion of the little bits of fat in the dough while it's baking. If all the fat is mixed in too well, it does not do the job. No tiny air pockets mean dense, tough pastry.
So with that in mind, you really should mix this by hand with a pastry blender. A fork will also work, but I find that they dig into my hand. OR, you could just mix it with your hands. This technique can work well as long as you work fast, because the heat from your hands will start to melt the butter.
Mix the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Break or chop the cold butter into bits into the mix. You want the dough to form fairly uniform crumbly bits. Then add just enough ICE COLD water to hold the dough together.
Now most people will roll it at this point. Any of you who have followed my recipe posts know that I like to cook and bake simple. All I do with this dough is push it into the pie plate to form a crust. There will be some left over dough. Hang on to that.
With my crust, I put the lump of left over pastry in the middle, threw plastic wrap over the whole thing and stuck it in the refrigerator while I prepared the rest of the pie. I actually had the crust in the fridge over night as I only had enough time to make the crust that night. I have heard that you should let the pastry "rest", so maybe this helped too.
The Filling:
4-6 apples-- cut, cored and peeled
1/2 cup brown sugar (remember -- C&H!)
1-2 tsp sea salt
1-3 TBS ground cinnamon
1-3 TBS ground ginger (depends on how much zip you want in the pie.)
a couple dashes (or more!) of Captain's spice rum
I used a variety of apples in the same pie since my coworker had given me so many different kinds. I think I mainly used Connelly Red and Honey Crisp.
To prepare the apples, I first cut the apples into slices, kind of like you'd do for pizza. Then I made "V" shapped cuts in the center of each slice to remove the core. Then I cut the peels off. I have found that this is the fastest, easiest way to prepare apples for me; you do what you want.
Mix all the filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Now would be a good time to turn the oven on as you want the oven to be HOT when you start baking. 325-350F
Topping:
Left over pastry
flour
a couple handfuls of quick oats
1/2 - 1 cup brown sugar (you know the drill)
1/2 tsp of sea salt
2-4 TBS ground cinnamon
1-2 TBS ground ginger
1-2 TBS COLD butter (optional, but the topping will be more dry)
Put the pastry in a mixing bowl. (If you did not have left over pastry, you will need to mix some flour, butter and water to get a gob of "pastry").
With your hands, mix in everything but the flour. You want this topping to form a fairly uniformly crumbly mix. If the mix is just too moist, add a little bit of flour at a time until it looks right.
Assembly:
crust -> filling -> topping
Simple, right?
Bake for about 30-50 minutes depending on your oven, the moisture content of the pastry, the moisture content of the apples, altitude, etc.
You want to bake this until the crust is golden brown.
Serve fresh and warm with whipped cream.
It made me like pie again. I will never eat any other apple pie again! It simply MUST be THIS pie!!
I work with a guy that has an orchard. Along with all the experimental trees he grows (like sweet cherries, peaches, pears) he also has a ton of apple trees. At harvest time he started bringing in bags and bags of apples for us and hinting how he would really like us to bake him a home-made apple pie from some of these apples.
Well three weeks and no takers. So when he started to bring me my favorite apples -- Honey Crisp -- I decided that I should probably oblige him with a pie.
I really can't remember the last time that I baked an apple pie. It could have been last Thanksgiving, but in any case, none could have been as good as the one that this one that I created for him!!
As usual, I made this recipe up as I went along.
Crust:
1-1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup COLD butter
1/4-1/2 tsp salt (I use sea salt, cause I love it)
2-4 TBS ICE COLD water
a little bit of brown sugar (please use the C&H pure brown sugar, not the colored, flavored white sugar that a lot of companies try to pass off as brown sugar)
The important thing about pastry is that everything should be cold and you DO NOT want to over-work the dough. The way that pastry gets light and flaky is through the expansion of the little bits of fat in the dough while it's baking. If all the fat is mixed in too well, it does not do the job. No tiny air pockets mean dense, tough pastry.
So with that in mind, you really should mix this by hand with a pastry blender. A fork will also work, but I find that they dig into my hand. OR, you could just mix it with your hands. This technique can work well as long as you work fast, because the heat from your hands will start to melt the butter.
Mix the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Break or chop the cold butter into bits into the mix. You want the dough to form fairly uniform crumbly bits. Then add just enough ICE COLD water to hold the dough together.
Now most people will roll it at this point. Any of you who have followed my recipe posts know that I like to cook and bake simple. All I do with this dough is push it into the pie plate to form a crust. There will be some left over dough. Hang on to that.With my crust, I put the lump of left over pastry in the middle, threw plastic wrap over the whole thing and stuck it in the refrigerator while I prepared the rest of the pie. I actually had the crust in the fridge over night as I only had enough time to make the crust that night. I have heard that you should let the pastry "rest", so maybe this helped too.
The Filling:
4-6 apples-- cut, cored and peeled
1/2 cup brown sugar (remember -- C&H!)
1-2 tsp sea salt
1-3 TBS ground cinnamon
1-3 TBS ground ginger (depends on how much zip you want in the pie.)
a couple dashes (or more!) of Captain's spice rum
I used a variety of apples in the same pie since my coworker had given me so many different kinds. I think I mainly used Connelly Red and Honey Crisp.
To prepare the apples, I first cut the apples into slices, kind of like you'd do for pizza. Then I made "V" shapped cuts in the center of each slice to remove the core. Then I cut the peels off. I have found that this is the fastest, easiest way to prepare apples for me; you do what you want.
Mix all the filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside.Now would be a good time to turn the oven on as you want the oven to be HOT when you start baking. 325-350F
Topping:
Left over pastry
flour
a couple handfuls of quick oats
1/2 - 1 cup brown sugar (you know the drill)
1/2 tsp of sea salt
2-4 TBS ground cinnamon
1-2 TBS ground ginger
1-2 TBS COLD butter (optional, but the topping will be more dry)
Put the pastry in a mixing bowl. (If you did not have left over pastry, you will need to mix some flour, butter and water to get a gob of "pastry").
With your hands, mix in everything but the flour. You want this topping to form a fairly uniformly crumbly mix. If the mix is just too moist, add a little bit of flour at a time until it looks right.
Assembly:crust -> filling -> topping
Simple, right?
Bake for about 30-50 minutes depending on your oven, the moisture content of the pastry, the moisture content of the apples, altitude, etc.
You want to bake this until the crust is golden brown.Serve fresh and warm with whipped cream.
It made me like pie again. I will never eat any other apple pie again! It simply MUST be THIS pie!!
Friday, November 02, 2007
Squirreling Bulbs
I had gotten most of my bulbs planted two weeks ago until all I really had left was a mixed bag. I wasn't looking forward to trying to find homes for all 50 of these, so I came up with a brilliant plan.
I handed a trowel, a container of bone meal, and the bag of tulips to my son. I then told him to go out into the garden and pretend that he was a squirrel burying food for the winter. I explained that the bulbs needed to go into a hole at least 6" deep and that the bone meal needed to be worked into the bottom of the hole - but he had full control over where they were planted.
He gave me a strange look and asked, "Are you sure? You don't care where they go?"
I said, "In nature they pop up where they want so why not in my garden? It will be my springtime surprise!"
He got them all planted and was very happy to do it. He said he would even "squirrel" bulbs for me next year if I wanted.
Actually...
He might be doing it sooner.
I just bought almost 50 more bulbs from Brecks!
9 TULIP BLUE HERON
8 PARADISE ISLAND TULIP
14 TULIP SPRING GREEN
9 INDIAN SUMMER TULIP
9 TULIP WORLD EXPRESSION
OK. I am seriously thinking that I either need professional help
-OR-
I need to be locked in the closet for a good month!
I think I've crossed that line from "Obsessive" to "Compulsive" Gardener!!
I handed a trowel, a container of bone meal, and the bag of tulips to my son. I then told him to go out into the garden and pretend that he was a squirrel burying food for the winter. I explained that the bulbs needed to go into a hole at least 6" deep and that the bone meal needed to be worked into the bottom of the hole - but he had full control over where they were planted.
He gave me a strange look and asked, "Are you sure? You don't care where they go?"
I said, "In nature they pop up where they want so why not in my garden? It will be my springtime surprise!"
He got them all planted and was very happy to do it. He said he would even "squirrel" bulbs for me next year if I wanted.
Actually...
He might be doing it sooner.
I just bought almost 50 more bulbs from Brecks!
9 TULIP BLUE HERON
8 PARADISE ISLAND TULIP
14 TULIP SPRING GREEN
9 INDIAN SUMMER TULIP
9 TULIP WORLD EXPRESSION
OK. I am seriously thinking that I either need professional help
-OR-
I need to be locked in the closet for a good month!
I think I've crossed that line from "Obsessive" to "Compulsive" Gardener!!
Sunday, October 14, 2007
"Stop Me! I Have a Problem!"
I yelled to my husband as I stood there in Menards with my arms and cart loaded with various boxes and bags of bulbs, yet still trying to grab more from the shelves. "Help me! I'm addicted to bulbs!"
He managed to help me put almost ten packs back on the shelves, but I still went home with 300 bulbs! And I still had about 100 that I bought from a garden center the previous weekend, and I have more coming in the mail!!
As I laid the haul onto the living room floor, I began to wonder how I would ever get that many bulbs planted before winter. Saturday was optimal for planting, so I ditched my plans for tearing out our bathroom flooring (to finally put in tile that we had drove over 200 miles south to purchase about 5 years ago), and I began weeding and planting.
By the end of the day, I had an aching back, my garden about 3/4 weeded, and all but about 70 of the bulbs planted. I am planning on finishing planting once it stops raining.
We are going to have a very beautiful spring!
He managed to help me put almost ten packs back on the shelves, but I still went home with 300 bulbs! And I still had about 100 that I bought from a garden center the previous weekend, and I have more coming in the mail!!
As I laid the haul onto the living room floor, I began to wonder how I would ever get that many bulbs planted before winter. Saturday was optimal for planting, so I ditched my plans for tearing out our bathroom flooring (to finally put in tile that we had drove over 200 miles south to purchase about 5 years ago), and I began weeding and planting.
By the end of the day, I had an aching back, my garden about 3/4 weeded, and all but about 70 of the bulbs planted. I am planning on finishing planting once it stops raining.
We are going to have a very beautiful spring!
Monday, October 01, 2007
It's Alive!
My computer is alive and kicking! A friend of ours came over Friday and helped get the ball rolling with his Linux Live CD (KNOPPIX). Prior to this CD I was unable to get it to recognize the CD drive or the external hard drive that I was using for back-ups. And the horror I faced when I realized that the last back up I could find was from 2005!!!
But all is well. My husband painstakingly downloaded all my files and applications onto a back-up drive. Then he began the repair process. My computer is now in pre-meltdown condition. And I am so grateful to the both of them!
Everyone should make friends with a computer geek. Actually, two wouldn't hurt!
This week I will get to posting some of those pictures that I have been waiting to get to, so bear with me!
But all is well. My husband painstakingly downloaded all my files and applications onto a back-up drive. Then he began the repair process. My computer is now in pre-meltdown condition. And I am so grateful to the both of them!
Everyone should make friends with a computer geek. Actually, two wouldn't hurt!
This week I will get to posting some of those pictures that I have been waiting to get to, so bear with me!
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Computer Down!
My computer went kaplooey, and all my garden photos were on it! I'm pretty sure that I should be able to retrieve them, but right now, I can't get to them to do any decent garden posts.
I haven't been getting much gardening done lately anyway. I have been traveling. I spent one weekend in Grand Marais, MN. It is a fantastic place to explore and eat out! We save tons of money camping instead of staying at a hotel, so we have plenty of money to splurge at gourmet restaurants. Plus, we do so much walking/hiking during the day that we easily burn off all those extra calories!
Last weekend we went to my brother's and then my sister's. It had been a while since I had seen them. When I showed up at my brother's he was finishing up some new landscaping around his house. When he moved to the house, the shrub beds were weedy and over-grown. He has done a wonderful job of turning all that around. He's even put in a flower bed with a few native species. Good for him!
When I got to my sister's she told me that when they re-did the road next to her property, they made it so that all the water drained onto her property! It gets really soggy in the spring and every time it rains. So, she asked me if I would help her design a rain garden. Of course!! So, I will be taking off one weekend this fall to go back to her house to start her garden. I knew the day would come when my yard would become too small to hold me!
And this has really got me thinking...
I have been approached by many people over the years for garden advice/help. Especially recently, even strangers have come up to me in my yard to ask if I am a professional garden designer and ask me if I have thought about doing it for other people. Maybe I should! I think that I could probably afford some time to do a couple each season. I really am going to think about it because it would mean that I could try out even more of the ideas that are swimming in my head!
I haven't been getting much gardening done lately anyway. I have been traveling. I spent one weekend in Grand Marais, MN. It is a fantastic place to explore and eat out! We save tons of money camping instead of staying at a hotel, so we have plenty of money to splurge at gourmet restaurants. Plus, we do so much walking/hiking during the day that we easily burn off all those extra calories!
Last weekend we went to my brother's and then my sister's. It had been a while since I had seen them. When I showed up at my brother's he was finishing up some new landscaping around his house. When he moved to the house, the shrub beds were weedy and over-grown. He has done a wonderful job of turning all that around. He's even put in a flower bed with a few native species. Good for him!
When I got to my sister's she told me that when they re-did the road next to her property, they made it so that all the water drained onto her property! It gets really soggy in the spring and every time it rains. So, she asked me if I would help her design a rain garden. Of course!! So, I will be taking off one weekend this fall to go back to her house to start her garden. I knew the day would come when my yard would become too small to hold me!
And this has really got me thinking...
I have been approached by many people over the years for garden advice/help. Especially recently, even strangers have come up to me in my yard to ask if I am a professional garden designer and ask me if I have thought about doing it for other people. Maybe I should! I think that I could probably afford some time to do a couple each season. I really am going to think about it because it would mean that I could try out even more of the ideas that are swimming in my head!
Monday, August 20, 2007
It's Finally Happening
I like my garden this year. I have done a lot of good moving around and everything has really been coming together.
The gazebo area is coming along nicely. We leveled out all the feet and made planting beds at the base of each leg. In five of these we planted the clematis we bought earlier this year. The clematis are doing really well so far. I can't wait to see them next year!
I had one Stargazer lily in my garden. It looked very lonely all by itself, so I bought a bag of them this spring and planted them. Now it is a much happier looking area. And they smell nice!
I have been trying out different ideas for all that brick that I got last year and I have been really liking this use. I need something to hold the berm back, and it really looks snazzy.
And when it all comes together, it's a beautiful thing.
The gazebo area is coming along nicely. We leveled out all the feet and made planting beds at the base of each leg. In five of these we planted the clematis we bought earlier this year. The clematis are doing really well so far. I can't wait to see them next year!
I had one Stargazer lily in my garden. It looked very lonely all by itself, so I bought a bag of them this spring and planted them. Now it is a much happier looking area. And they smell nice!
I have been trying out different ideas for all that brick that I got last year and I have been really liking this use. I need something to hold the berm back, and it really looks snazzy.
And when it all comes together, it's a beautiful thing.Sunday, July 29, 2007
Pears O' Plenty
I work with a guy that owns an orchard with a variety of fruits: apples, cherries, plums, and pears, just to name a few. He has had his pear trees for five years and they have yet to produce. The "Luscious" pear tree pictured here has been at our house two years, was transplanted this spring to make room for the rain garden, and it has no partner tree; yet it is covered in pears. I have actually already taken off over two dozen pears just to keep this tree from over working itself and there are still this many pears left! We had gotten four pears from this tree last year and they were the best pears that I have ever eaten. I can't wait until these ripen.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Beauty and the Beast
I love my gas plant. I got it a couple of years ago and have been so smitten with the citrusy smell of the foliage, the compact and neat form of the plant, as well as the beautiful, long-lasting flower display starting sometime around Memorial Day as most of my tulips are fading away.And I have been reading many posts from other gardeners who have discovered this most awesome plant. Many may even know why it is called a gas plant. The plant emits a flammable vapor; which on calm days, it is said, can actually be lit. It burns a beautiful blue and doesn't hurt the plant. I've never tried it myself, but I believe it.
Now, you may be thinking, "A plant that theoretically could burst into flames? Sign me up!"
But I have a warning for all you gardeners who, like me, have fallen in love with the beautiful gas plant. Bursting into flames isn't the only trick this plant has up it's sleeve.
I found out the hard way that if it can't get you with actual fire, it will attack you with a chemical that is photo sensitive and will actually cause your skin to burn and blister if exposed to sunlight after contact.
This has happened to me two years in a row! Last year when it happened I didn't realize what the blisters and dark markings were actually from. I thought maybe poison ivy, but it wasn't spreading as it notoriously does, and it really didn't itch that much unless I was out in the sun or the area got heated somehow.
The blisters lasted for about a month and the dark marks lasted for a few months. I was actually beginning to think that they might be permanent!
Over the winter, I read a few articles about gas plants to see how to propagate them. That was when I discovered that brushing against their foliage could cause skin irritation. They really didn't get into details about how bad it would irritate your skin, though. I have a few plants in my garden that give me a minor rash that lasts a couple of days if I have too much contact with them - no biggie, right? So, when I was pulling weeds around my gas plant a week ago and got scratched by it, I thought no biggie.
Boy was I wrong! In a couple of days, I had the same welts, blisters and dark markings that I had been plagued with most of last summer! I had even washed my arms after the scratching and that didn't seem to have done much to stop it.On the up side, it doesn't seem to spread (although I am still careful of cross contamination) and calamine does seem to help. Also, although I need to research this a little more, it seems that the volatile chemicals appear with the seed heads. I have touched and brushed up against this plant many times every spring and during flowering and never a reaction. The reaction I got last year was at approximately the same time in June that I got it this year.
I am keeping my plant and haven't completely scrapped the idea of getting a few more (even though my husband is urging me to stay away from them). They are a great plant, I just have to be aware to beware not to be fooled by its beauty; this is one beast of a plant!
an additional article with similar experience Added 05/30/2009
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