My Skinny Garden

I Bought a 127 Year Old House

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 18:46:00 +0000

I think I looked at this house for the first time back in December 2015. As the seller led me on a story-filled tour I was struck by how comfortable I felt in this place. I'd looked at other properties but this was the only one where that I-could-totally-live-here feeling washed over me this way. Full disclosure, I looked at some absolute shit-holes so perhaps the bar was lower. Also if you talk to my good friend and real estate agent, April, she'll probably tell you I was out of my mind or that my mind was all over the place. I couldn't articulate what I was looking for so that she could narrow the choices for me. All I could say was I was looking for the perfect place. If that turned out to be a two-flat that needed gutting, or a condo, or a single family home, the answer was Yes. As long as it felt right.

But this house! This block! The history of its owners! I was smitten from day one. It needs a lot of work. A LOT! But it checked off some boxes. It has a proper dining room that is big enough for plenty of friends and family, and dare I say it finally I can throw that Big Night Timpano party. Hell yes! The outdoor space is perfect for me, room for a few raised beds, a shady area with a patio, a built-in gas grill and a huge garage. And guys, I've loved this block for years. I closed on May 26 but it still hasn't sank in that I own a house here.

I hear horror stories about renovations but it is something I have always wanted to do. I don't mean doing the work myself, I mean buying a place with potential, finally releasing all those pent-up ideas and transforming it into a personal sanctuary. I know living through it will be hell but I'm hoping to embrace the process and who knows, maybe I can work on transforming myself in parallel. God knows I need it.

Re-entry

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 00:17:00 +0000

I was sweating, on the verge of a panic attack when I pulled up. My car AC on full blast I wondered if I was making a big mistake. And then I saw those vibrant red geraniums in the window box. I later learned they'd just been planted earlier that morning, such a kind gesture. I'm not saying those red geraniums rid me of the scary feelings but they sure did make that final walk-through, easier.
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Oh hey, internets! I am sorry for making those pimento cheese sandwiches and then going away for over two years. If I'm being honest, I'm here, but I'm scared because my inner quitter, she's a force to be reckoned with. I haven't written anything since I published that pimento cheese blog post in April of 2014 and I haven't written anything of substance for years before that. Nobody said anything but I know you all noticed my lame writing, just enough to mentally check off that I-still-have-a-blog box.

Lots of things have happened over the past two years. I want to tell you about it, but you guys have to be patient with me. It's a lot of very hard and painful stuff and I'm still in the thick of it. But besides that I've got some exciting new projects on the horizon and the other day a feeling came over me and I was all what's this? Inspiration to...write?

So here I am. I make no promises about frequency of blog posts or even that I'll ever write another after this. But, gotta start somewhere! So here's one, and I'm hoping this inspiration will stick around. Writing on this little blog was therapeutic and very rewarding to me for a good long while and I could use some of that right now.

Super Easy Potluck Finger Sandwiches With Homemade Pimento Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 01:21:00 +0000

When it comes to potlucks I have two options in my wheelhouse. If it's a snacky type potluck I dump a bottle of cocktail sauce over a block of cream cheese and throw some Club Crackers on the side. For the super fancy potlucks with proper dishes I always bring mini pimento cheese sandwiches.

My friends love these and since several people have asked me for the recipe I thought I'd finally post it here along with a super easy way to make mini finger sandwiches.

I never appreciated pimento cheese growing up in the South but I found a great recipe one day when I was feeling nostalgic for food my grandmother loved. I have adapted this one of the years, varying the sharpness of the cheddars and what not depending on the mood I'm in. I love the smoky, mildly hot flavor of this pimento cheese. The pre packaged ones we always ate were very mayonnaisey, very fake/processed cheesy.

This stuff is great on mini sandwiches, proper sized sandwiches, as grilled cheese and even for topping on a burger.

I wash the pimento jars and reuse them for salad dressing when I pack my lunch.

This idea of super easy mini sandwiches was one a good friend told me about years ago. I believe she used the same concept for ham sandwiches.

I buy Hawaiian rolls but this would work well with any pull apart packaged rolls. King's Hawaiian has a buttery version of these that's really good with the pimento cheese. One of the really great things about the mini sandwich idea is that it's totally scalable.

When I'm potlucking with my group of friends I always buy the largest package so that everyone can take a good amount of these home for the next day. But I've made the smaller pack for road trips and parties where folks aren't hoping for leftovers.

Remove the entire thing of rolls from the package in one piece and place it on a cutting board.

Using a serrated knife, cut the entire package of rolls down the middle. Basically pretend like the entire package is one giant roll you're cutting in half to butter. Take the top off and put it to the side.

Evenly spread the pimento cheese on the bottom half. Make sure to go all the way to each edge so that no sandwich is skimpy on the cheese.

If you prefer a different type of mini sandwich just pretend you're making one giant whatever type of sandwich you want. I think this would be great with thinly sliced turkey and mayo. Or something involving barbecue!

Carefully place the top back on the sandwich, put the entire thing back in the original container then cut along the lines making the gigantic sandwich into amazing individual ones.

I usually place the bottom back into the container before I spread the pimento cheese on it because it's a little heavy and awkward to do afterwards. I got so caught up in taking the pictures that I forgot to do it this time.

Then these guys go right back in the bag they came in.

They are so easy to transport! I used to feel lame leaving them in the package like this but at Southern Brunch yesterday a friend told me that it's part of the charm. I'll take that!

This recipe is adapted from one that was uploaded to Food Buzz but they've changed that site now and I can no longer see the old recipes. I hate that I can't give credit to the original recipe because it's so awesome!

Gina's Pimento Cheese:

16 oz cheddar cheese (freshly grated cheddar is better but I use already grated to save time)
4 oz jar of pimentos including liquid
6 tbsp mayo (I never use the full 6. I add mayo until it is just smooth enough to spread without stealing the cheddar's thunder. Nobody wants a mayonnaise sandwich!)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp red pepper (do not be scared to use this amount of red pepper. I guess it's magic but in this dish it is somehow not spicy hot)
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp black pepper

In a mixing bowl, combine shredded cheddar cheese, pimentos including liquid, mayo and spices. Stir until everything is smooth and mixed. Let stand for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

I also usually throw in a pinch of cumin seed and sometimes a dash of smoked paprika. I encourage you to experiment with spices. It's hard to go wrong here.

It's really important to let this mixture sit at room temp for 30 minutes so the flavors marry. Also, please do not serve cheese cold! This can be refrigerated and used later but make sure to remove it from the fridge long enough knock the cold off. Cheese tastes so much better this way.

If anybody decides to try this please come back and let us know how you liked it!

Happy Potlucking!

Brass and Smoked Glass Console Table

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 18:57:00 +0000

I've been eyeing this console table at one of my favorite thrift stores for weeks. I can't decide if it just keeps being there because it's waiting for me to buy it or if it's just crazy ugly. Every week this table is like "I'm still here, Gina. You know you want me!"

As you may have noticed from my refreshed logo, Me and gold stuff are in love.

I'm thrilled that gaudy 70's and 80's stuff is back in decorating. I am mesmerized by this particular gold or brass or whatever it is. Shiny! And the shape of the table with its crisp, hard lines and sharp corners that are so much more awesome than rounded ones.

But wait! It gets better!

It doubles in size!

I've learned to really appreciate pieces like this that can be so normal sized on a daily basis yet spring into action providing tons of space for food or presents or somebodies drink. Our house is only around 1100 square feet, so yeah, more expandable tables!

My problem with this table is the smoked glass. I can't get beyond it! It takes this gaudy in an amazing way table to a retro in a bad way one. I don't even get smoked glass! To me it should be reserved for going to extreme measures to block out light, never on furniture. Ever.

Lately I've been doing a lot of self monitoring about what I bring into my house. I fall in love with so many pieces of furniture! But in our small space things just have to be well curated. I'm trying to come to terms with that.

I have a very strong preference for used or thrifted furniture. It is typically more affordable, greener, has more character and quite frankly I just don't see new stuff I like that much. But it sure does narrow the pool of options. And for me that lends itself to impulse buying furniture that I don't really love. Or sometimes really hate in the case of these hideous chairs that are now living at my mother-in-law's house, thank God. And the only thing I've noticed so far is that things I really love, I just love them and have to buy them immediately. Period. And things that I don't love end up being posted on twitter and instagram where I beg for people whose taste I appreciate to tell me what to do, then become frustrated because there is never, ever a consensus on stuff like this.

So, that I have blogged about this and bugged all my friends about it must mean this table is a no, right? Hilari Younger, a finalist on Design Star once said that she only has stuff in her house that she walks by and says "I love you, you're amazing". I have a feeling I would walk by this table and be like "I want to love you but I hate that gross smoked glass!"

Thoughts on the table? Am I making the right decision?

On Whether Or Not To Change My Blog Name

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 17:27:00 +0000

Does anybody even read this anymore?

You guys, I want really badly to change the name of my blog and I'm having a mini freak out about it. I asked Google what to do and was directed to a bunch of other blogs that said I should basically ask you. At first I was all PA LEEZEEE...NOBODY EVEN READS THAT ABANDONED BLOG ANYMORE! But then I realized there's one way to find out.

As evident by my lack of posting over the last couple of years I'm kind of over gardening. I can't decide if it's my lack of stickwithitness or if I've truly been defeated by the bindweed but it's just not that fun anymore. I still dabble but I no longer look forward to seed catalog season or winter sowing and my indoor seed starting equipment is covered in cob webs, literally.

But! If you follow me on twitter you know that I'm completely obsessed with furniture and decorating and food. I'm buying books like crazy, walls are literally being torn down in my house today! I want to write about THAT! But alas this is a garden blog.

I know I know..."but it's YOUR blog! Write about whatever you want!" But I kind of hate the name of my blog. And sure, I'm at liberty to write whatever I damn well please here but having the word Garden in my face compels me to at least TRY to find a garden connection. And I'm just tired of it.

If I do change the name I would likely try to migrate the content from here to the new digs but I would expand the content to include other hobbies I'm loving these days.

Does anybody have any advice?

Forest Park 2nd Annual Apple Pie Bake-Off Nov 3, 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 01:31:00 +0000

www.fpcommunitygarden.org

Get your tickets here

On Buying Ugly Chairs Then Wanting To Run Away From Home

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Sat, 04 May 2013 18:19:00 +0000

Please have a seat in the lobby and I'll be right with you. Oh wait, that's my living room!

Here's a design tip I learned today. If you are thinking of purchasing any piece of furniture and you find yourself sending urgent emails to decorators, posting pictures on social networks asking all your friends and family to please help you decide if you should buy it, you shouldn't buy it!

In these chairs' defense, they are in impeccable condition. The ad said they were high end chairs with high end fabric and I believe it. They seem brand new. But my God! Please send me back to earlier this morning when I saw them online and thought, hmmm...they remind me of a hotel room but then again I have no sense of style so I'm probably wrong. Or even send me back to the conversation we were having with the very lovely owners who said they used to be in the husband's office but nobody ever sat in them. I want a do-over!

This is the chair I was supposed to buy for my living room makeover. It's amazing, right? Like the designers said, it's got fantastic masculine lines, awesome nubby grey fabric and it swivels (required). But it's $900! And it would take weeks for it to arrive and I am impulsive and my family is coming over next weekend for Mother's Day and where would they sit! And on and on...

The craziest thing about it all is the way it's making me feel. I'm embarrassed that I don't have enough self control to think about a purchase for a little while, first. I feel bad that I had my husband go with me to sit in and subsequently buy these chairs then lug them home where they will sit, looking out of place, until I figure out what to do. I believe in thrifting and was so hoping to be able to decorate my living room without breaking the bank but this feels like shit. I am in an ugly chair vortex of self loathing!

White Thrift Store Sofa

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:17:00 +0000

Since I have nothing to say about gardening these days I thought I'd show you a picture of my new thrift store sofa.

$250 from Brown Elephant thrift store in Andersonville. I am so in love with it that it's actually embarrassing. It's old and white and long, 96 inches. 96! It was built in the 30's by a Chicago Furniture maker called Homer Brothers which was started in 1912 by 5 Russian immigrant brothers and closed sometime in the 90's. One day I'll tell you the story about how this sofa entered my life but today I am just thankful to have it. But I'm also kind of terrified of it.

I've never bought used furniture. And my God, the things that can happen on a sofa! Food and pets and body fluids and according to most people on the internets...BEDBUGS! My husband sat on it for about an hour last night while reading then sent me the following email this morning...

"I think that couch has bugs, or I'm allergic to it. I'm itching all over!"

Thankfully I found a great upholstery cleaner that was able to squeeze us in tomorrow morning so this baby will be getting a nice, hot bath.

Over the last couple of years I've become keenly aware of how much junk I've accumulated and how the furnishings in my house affect me on a day to day basis. It's not good. And just like I did with gardening when I first started, I'm consumed with it, reading everything I can get my hands on, shopping, losing sleep.

Decorating, well, designing just about anything, terrifies me. It is easy for me to look at pictures of completed rooms (or blogs or gardens) and decide if I like them or not but to deconstruct the process of putting it all together in a way that best utilizes available space, that looks pretty or cool or whatever, seems like a magic trick or one of those innate talents you're just born with. I have no idea if this is accurate or not. If you have any thoughts about this, please leave them in the comments below. I am curious to know how everyone out there feels about their interior surroundings, decorating and whether or not you think you're any good at it and if that even matters. How would you describe your style? Where do you buy your stuff? Is it typically new or used or hand-me-downs? Are you happy with it all or do you wish it looked different?

Learn To Take Better Pictures: I'm Taking a Photography e-Course!

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 01:30:00 +0000

Finally! Somebody has come up with the perfect way to teach me how to take great pictures!

I'm super excited that my friend Katie is conducting an online photography course she calls "Photo Mojo". The six week course will include easy to understand explanations of the settings on your camera, simple picture taking projects and a flickr group where we'll all upload our pictures so that Katie can make comments and recommendations on what were doing right as well as how we can improve our shots. I am so in love with this idea! I want to take great pictures but I don't want to go sit in some classroom where an instructor will try to cram way too much information into a few hours only to have me go home and forget it all. I love the idea of taking it slow, having a group of people just like me who want to learn to take better pictures. The bonding, the photography taking bliss, I can't wait!

When I was in my 20's I wanted to be a professional photographer. I remember buying my first real camera, a Minolta SLR. It was heavy, black, awesome. I loved the way it felt in my hands. I was fascinated by all the settings, the shutter speed, the F stops. I bought books to try to teach myself how to use it. Most of the pictures I took, sucked. But I shot a roll of infrared film once and although I have no idea where those pictures are today, there is an image of one of those photos, a willow tree, its droopy branches bleached white against a black sky that is burned in my memory.

In the end the Minolta frustrated the hell out of me and I gave up my photography career dreams. After that, I used whatever camera was easiest. Disposable cameras were my shit for a good long while! But then I started gardening and blogging and discovered all these amazing garden blogging photographers, their photos rich with color, impeccably composed. My photography passion came flooding back.

When I started this blog I shot nearly all my pictures with a 3 mega pixel point and shoot digital camera my husband gave me when digital cameras first came out. It worked just fine and I am still surprised by how decent some of those pictures turned out. But at some point I decided to get serious and bought a really nice Nikon DSLR. I read books, blogs, watched videos and I took a some pretty good photos with that camera. But each time I thought of going out to photograph something cool in my garden, I dreaded having to deal with the damned thing. It was a big production and most of my pictures were bad. Bad lighting, blurry, random other photo nightmares. Bad! I missed so many great shots because it took me entirely too long to figure out the right settings. My process was to make the settings something completely arbitrary, then adjust them until the pictures are not awful. In the end I shoved the fancy Nikon in its case and bought an updated point and shoot camera which I use most of the time, now. Hell, if I'm being honest, most of the time I use my iPhone camera!

To celebrate this inaugural photography e-course, Katie is giving away three free registrations for the class. I encourage you to head over to her website to enter the contest and/or to register for the course. See you in class!

Troy-Bilt Reel Mower Contest Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 04:29:00 +0000

Congrats to Annie in Austin who won the 18" Troy-Bilt Reel Mower and a selection of gardening tools. I hope you love it, Annie!

Giveaway: Troy-bilt Reel Mower and Hand Tools

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 15:36:00 +0000

You can't get more environmentally friendly than a reel mower when it comes to cutting grass, right?

This morning a person I'm connected with on Facebook posted that she was sure her neighbors were going to hate her because she was about to cut her grass at 8:00 am. I have a battery powered electric mower that's pretty darn quiet but my neighbor uses a reel mower which makes zero noise with zero emissions. I love these mowers for their retro look and earth friendliness so I'm super excited to be able to give one away this week. Being able to give readers a chance to get free gardening equipment is one of my favorite parts of my partnership with Troy-bilt.

This is an 18 inch reel mower with height adjustment and rear bagging donated by Troy-bilt. The contest winner will work directly with Troy-bilt to coordinate free shipping to your house. The contest winner will also receive three of Troy-bilt's new hand tools including a hand trowel, a weeding blade and professional bypass pruners.

To enter the contest, just leave a comment telling us why you need this mower and I'll select a winner at random after the contest closes on Friday July 13th at 5:00 pm CST.

Good luck!

edited to add the hand tools giveaway

Design Help Needed: Help me spice up this garage window!

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 03:27:00 +0000

Friends - I need your help to spice up this ugly ass window on the garage that is the backdrop of one of my gardens. This picture doesn't accurately reflect that the siding in this picture has a yellow tint to it.

I'd like to paint the window a bright, kind of crazy color that really draws attention. I hate the brown trim so I'd like to paint that, too. I am also open to painting the trellises which are on the sides and possibly adding shutters. On the other side of the garage there is a door that is currently white metal along with another window exactly like the one pictured here. I'm open to painting them, too, although they are only the backdrop to our small basketball court.

Suggestions I've gotten so far have been orange and/or teal. I like both these ideas.

If this was your garage and you wanted to make it as whimsical as possible without looking gross, what would you do? Please leave me a comment to let me know. I'm no good at this stuff but would love to complete it, this summer. Thank you in advance for all your awesome suggestions.

Gardening TV Shows: Dig In Chicago

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:46:00 +0000

If you follow me on twitter you probably know I listen to The Mike Nowak radio show every Sunday 9-11 on Chicago's Progressive Talk Radio. Well don't look now but he's started a gardening TV show! "Dig In Chicago" airs every Saturday morning at 10:00 on Comcast channel 102. I watched the first episode on my iPad this weekend and I'm hooked already.

At first I was skeptical. There aren't that many gardening TV shows out there and I have watched most of them, at least once. There's the big garden makeover ones which just piss me off because it's no fair I had to work so hard for my little garden and these people get a big fancy one for happening by some big box store at the right time. And there are others that are just too persnickety for me. I loved "The Manic Organic" which went off the air almost immediately upon my discovery of it. It seems like gardening shows with content useful for real gardeners never seem to survive. Maybe that's changing. I hope so.

I love Dig In Chicago. That's the bottom line. It is informative, has gardening information that is relevant for the time period in which it airs and it even has a short segment from a local restaurant on how to make a couple of garden related cocktails and an easy meal using stuff commonly grown in our edible Chicago gardens. The first episode featured a discussion about Lurie Garden which is apparently actually a rooftop garden sitting atop giant underground parking lots. As a Chicago gardener, I'm ashamed to admit that I did not realize this. I've read and seen photos of Lurie Garden, their "Salvia River", on all my favorite Chicagoland garden blogs but seeing this TV segment made me push visiting Lurie to the top of my list of gardening things to do this year.

Chicago has a vibrant gardening community that I think will love this show. Even if you're not in our area, you should check it out. The show airs Saturday mornings at 10:00 am on Comcast and you can watch the previous episodes here.

White Peony In Bloom

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:26:00 +0000

I love these big gaudy flowers.

Troy-Bilt Saturday 6, We're Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Mon, 14 May 2012 04:47:00 +0000

You know how I know I'm not a real journalist/salesman/marketing type person? Because I've been trying to think of the right way to write this post about how I'm partnering with Troy-Bilt again for the second year in a row and it's caused a war in my head.

On one side there's the voice saying to just announce it. Be positive, sterile. Something like "I've teamed up with Troy-Bilt again! I'm so excited to be able to review their awesome products, give some away, write some articles for them because, hey! I love to write about gardening!" On the other side there's what I really want to say about it. And the same ole question over whether I'm being too personal. If I write what I really want to, will Troy-Bilt be disappointed in me? What if my fellow bloggers call me an ass-kisser? A shill? But at the end of the day, when a blogger stops being authentic all in the name of product endorsements, it's over! Right?

Here's the truth. Last year I was so shocked (flattered) that Troy-Bilt asked me to become one of 6 bloggers in a new program they were trying that I couldn't stop questioning why they'd pick me, of all people. I know a lot of you thought the same thing, whether you said it or wrote it or not. It ended up being such a pleasant experience that I'd made up my mind when it was all over I would write an open letter to Troy-Bilt thanking them. One that would explain to all of you exactly why I loved working with them so much...after the contract expired and there was no incentive to continue writing about them. I wanted to be able to openly and honestly talk about how I'd long respected them like a lot of you because they were one of the first companies to ask garden bloggers for real, honest reviews of their products. But not that long after our contracts had expired, there they were again, asking our opinions on ideas about other programs they were considering for 2012. Then in a move that shocked the shit out of me, they asked us all back for a second year. Instead of indoctrinating a whole new set of garden bloggers, they were investing in the same 6 of us all over again. We talked about what worked and what didn't work and here we, back for season 2.

As a member of the Troy-Bilt Saturday 6 I'll review a few products here on my blog, give a few away, and write a couple of articles for their online newsletter, The Dirt. I am particularly looking forward to trying some of the newer products now available with rechargeable battery power. I encourage all of you to check out Troy-Bilt's new Facebook page where they are sharing good gardening info.

Troy-Bilt, one day I'll write that letter so everybody will know the real deal. In the meantime, I am honored and appreciative of the opportunity to work with you again and I'm looking forward to this new gardening season.

On my end, consider this the official disclosure that I am being compensated for honest reviews of their products. If I don't like them, I'll tell you so.

Highs and Lows of Life and Gardening

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:54:00 +0000

I read something the other day about how stupid it is to limit what you write about on your personal blog when your personal blog is in a niche, like say, gardening. I took this as a sign from the eGods that that I should just write. So many days go by that I have things to say but don't publish anything because the gardening angle isn't clear to me. Don't get me wrong, I can always find one but sometimes it's exhausting.

On the gardening front I have been plant sitting a flat of seedlings for a coworker. I'm freaking out about them because some of them are in serious need of thinning. I feel compelled to do it myself but if somebody thinned my seedlings I would not be happy. So, I'm just trying to keep them alive until they get picked up. Meanwhile, all my seedlings are dead. It is hard to believe that I spent more money on seeds than ever this year yet I am going to be buying all my plants for the garden.

Tomorrow is my father-in-law's birthday. I normally have plenty of tulips and daffodils blooming in the garden on his birthday but with everything so early this year, I was worried I wouldn't have anything to take to the cemetery. But I think I can pull together a nice albeit very different bouquet than the last couple of years. The pain's still there. We miss him terribly and need him now more than ever.

Earlier this morning a person in my husband's family died unexpectedly in his sleep. He was my age. I wish I could tell you about the sensitive details. They are in my head like a captured animal pacing around a cage desperate for a way out. How sad and devastating it is for our family. How the frantic phone call led us to believe it was a different person. It is hard to find the words to articulate the feeling of having fully processed that a person has passed away then discover they're alive. That it's really a whole other person. It is a roller coaster of highs and lows. The highs eclipsed by guilt and shame, the lows filled with sadness and devastation.

I planted salad greens, radishes and things of that nature. They are up and I am thankful for that.

One Seed Chicago: Voting Ends April 1st!

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 09:26:00 +0000

Vote for your favorite herb seed here! Voting ends April 1st.

Candidates:
Chamomile
Basil
Cilantro

I can't believe it's March 30th and I'm just now getting around to writing about one of my favorite annual gardening projects, One Seed Chicago.

One Seed Chicago is a program hosted by NeighborSpace, Chicago's land trust for community gardens. Mr Brown Thumb is the ambassador of the program. You may have seen him educating folks about the program at various gardening events around the city.

Each year three seeds are chosen and people in the Chicagoland area vote for the seed they'd like to grow. The winning seed is then mailed, for free, to everyone who voted. Not to brag, but the seed I voted for has won every year that I've participated. Last year was Swiss Chard.

This is such a fun little contest because spirited debates always break out, each gardener arguing, debating on behalf of their favorite seed candidate. In fact, an actual debate was held this year on Mike Novak's radio show. You can listen to the podcast here.

I was really excited to see that One Seed went herbal this year because I'd already made a commitment to grow and eat more fresh herbs, myself. When you think about it, herbs tend to really easy to grow in the home garden and I think they are so underutilized. We could all make a lot more delicious homemade dishes simply by using all the wonderful varieties of herbs available. I grow the basic herbs every year...a thousand varieties of basil etc. But this year after reading Gayla Trail's new book Easy Growing, about growing herbs and edible flowers, I'm inspired to try more new stuff.

As much as I would love to launch into a debate over why you should pick Cilantro over the Chamomile and Basil, there is already so much good information on the One Seed Chicago site about all the candidates. Please check them out. Personally, I am voting for Cilantro because it's an herb I have been trying to establish a relationship with for a while now. I have always been on one of the cilantro-tastes-like-soap people. But over the last year I've read so many good things about the healing properties of Cilantro. Supposedly it's like a blood cleanser and besides that, it is such a versatile herb used in so many different cuisines. But I wouldn't be disappointed if Chamomile won because, My God! Those cute flowers! And who doesn't need more basil?

The voting ends on April 1st so please hurry over to the One Seed Chicago and vote for the herb you'd like to grow. Regardless of which one wins, it's always fun to be growing the same exact seed as so many other gardeners around the Chicagoland area.

Sunday Gardening Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 18:25:00 +0000

Semi Dwarf Georgia Bell Peach Tree is confirmed dead. This little tree was one of the first things I planted in my garden. Clueless, I planted it close to my house where it grew taller than I expected. In 2010 when it was three years old and I spotted baby peaches for the first time I was in shock. People said I'd never get peaches from it. Not in our climate. Grace. Last year the baby peaches up and died one day when they were about the size of golf balls. And all the leaves fell off. In the fall I tried to trim it only to be informed by my neighbor that I'd merely "topped it" and likely killed it. Cause of death - unknown.

Bindweed is already coming up all over the garden. This is earlier than I remember ever seeing it. I am so not ready for this battle. Bindweed is the one thing in this world that makes me think of resorting to using chemicals in my garden.

I finally found the nerve to dig up some dandelion greens and I added them to this spicy Italian soup I like to make. I only added a little in case it's terrible. But I'm excited to be branching out.

I cleared out three of my six raised beds in my vegetable garden. If you knew my mental state right now you'd understand why this deserves to be here.

The two asparagus I planted last year are up. I traded Jessica some rhubarb for the asparagus. My rhubarb never came up. And far as I know, neither has Jessica's or Jennah's, who I also sent some to.

The strawberry invasion is worse than I could ever have imagined. They are completely covering the 2.5 foot space around the 4 x 8 foot raised bed they're in and have even spread into the adjacent perennial bed. Worse, I'm having a serious moral dilemma about whether to try to give these away or just start yanking them out. I'm all for sharing plants but I'm not thrilled about the work that goes into the finding of the people to come get them and the dealing with said people who will likely see my garden which is a shambles. I don't want to talk about it.

Grow These 3 Lettuces for Beauty and Deliciousness

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 13:36:00 +0000

When you walk by the lettuce isle at the grocery store it's a real snore-fest. Don't get me wrong, some upscale grocery stores have a few interesting varieties but lettuce is so easy to grow from seed and there are so many wonderful seed varieties available that I'm all about works-of-art salads now. Gorgeous varieties whose colors compliment each other like an expensive designer outfit. These three are my current favorites for a beautiful and delicious salad.

Romaine "Freckles" from Botanical Interests. I love this one for its flavor but also because the leaves are green with red flecks which is awesome. Like all salad greens, this one can be harvested early or allowed to grow larger. This variety tolerates heat well in my garden.
"Sea of Red" from Renee's Garden. This variety has deep red leaves, is heat tolerant and it's slightly stronger flavor adds interest to any salad.
Tango lettuce from Johnny's. This one is bright green, also heat tolerant and and in combination with the Freckles and Sea of Red, makes a salad masterpiece.

It probably sounds crazy but when I'm harvesting lettuce from my garden for a dinner salad, my mood, ...what I want the salad to look like, is a high priority. I start clipping leaves in color combinations that feel good, tweaking as I go until the bowl is full and I get that feeling of standing in front of a mirror staring at a reflection and thinking this outfit looks good. I feel good! The multi colored "Freckles" makes me think of a beautifully patterned skirt with so many subtle shades of green and red that I could stare at each leaf for hours just trying to identify them all. Tango is like a beautiful frilly pale shirt, simple but elegant the way it lays over the top of Freckles. Sea of Red, the shoes that add a punch of color.

Lettuce is probably the easiest thing to grow from seed. Just broadcast the seeds over soil then water and in a few days they should be sprouting.

Do you have a favorite combination of salad greens you like to grow? If so, I'd love it if you'd share it with us.

Chicago Flower and Garden Show: The Great Chicago Seed Swap

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 14:12:00 +0000

Today the Chicago Flower and Garden Show opens at Navy Pier. This year's theme is Hort Couture. Flowers meet fashion. Now this is a theme I can get behind!

There are a lot of things to see at this year's show, exhibits, presentations, awesome vendors like the succulent plant people. But the thing I'm most excited about is The Great Chicago Seed Swap.

The basic premise is that you get to take a pack of seeds for every pack you bring to swap. These can be seeds you've saved from heirlooms you've grown or extras you've ordered that you can't use. Please see Mr Brown Thumb's post about this event for the full swapping details.

I'll be volunteering at the seed swap so please stop by to say hello. And if you want some seeds but you don't have any to swap, Mr Brown Thumb has extras so please don't let that stop you from attending.

3:00 pm March 11, 2012

The Great Chicago Seed Swap

Chicago Flower and Garden Show

Outside the White House Let's Move garden

On Losing Passion. On Quitting. On Going Through the Motions

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:05:00 +0000

It's been nearly two months since my last post here. I've composed a lot of posts in my head but nothing makes it out of there. It's part laziness but some of it is the subject matter. Topics I'm passionate about like the short-lived partnership between the National Wildlife Federation and Scotts/Miracle Grow or the unfair public albeit sneaky attacks on a good friend in a new garden publication and then the promotion of said publication by other writers has been hard for me to digest. Writing about these things takes so much energy. Even though it usually helps me work through all the negative emotions around it, the process is a painful one and something I haven't been up for. Friends have lost lovers, modest farmers are trying their best to fight against a corporation big enough to buy us all, big enough to weasel their way into the government. I find it all incredibly depressing and when so many of these things are crammed into such a short span of time it starts to make the world seem real hopeless.

I'm mad at myself for giving up like this. I wish I could just write about the state of my garden every day, no matter what condition it's in. It seems so simple but I'm seeing it all through the filter of these bad things. I'd like to be like Nigel Slater who wrote about cooking each day for a year. It wasn't always fancy but he did it. There had to be times he was struggling. Days when he'd lost his passion, but somehow he and most of the rest of the world fight through it rather than crumbling beneath it all. There has to be a way to break this cycle. I'm sure you get sick of reading about it, and I get sick of experiencing it.

For the second year in a row my garden sits littered with last year's dead plants because I didn't take the time to clear it out at the end of the growing season. Every container on my patio is still there. Dead, frozen remnants of some kind of pepper whose name I cannot recall have fallen onto the patio.

Last year my garden was in the same shape around April when I took a road trip with some friends to Milwaukee to meet Gayla Trail. When she said in her lecture that leaving the dead plant material can actually help enrich the soil it was all I needed for the self-loathing to lift enough for me to get out there and get to work. I'm looking for that kind of inspiration right now.

Today I cleaned out my seed starting room in the basement. Somehow every year by this time that room looks just as bad as my dead garden does. I spent two hours vacuuming up spiders, spider webs, dirt, throwing away trash and putting things back in their place. The seed growing lights are still working. I'm thankful for that. And yesterday some seeds I'd ordered arrived in the mail. I can't say I'm excited about gardening right now. I'm just going through the motions and hoping the passion creeps back in sometime soon.

On Rescuing Orchids

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:21:00 +0000

I bought this sweet little miniature orchid at the Milwaukee Art Museum in the Spring when we went on a road trip to meet Gayla Trail and listen to a gardening lecture she was presenting at their show Art in Bloom. We're all so citified that I think we were a little worried about being trapped in the car for that long (nearly 2 hours!) so I conjured up some Southern survival principles and made us homemade pimento cheese sandwiches and other various snacks for the trip. Getting there was a lot of fun. We drove through torrential rains and got lost at least 10 times even though it's a straight shot from Chicago to Milwaukee. We ate so much on the drive that when we arrived and Gayla wanted to have lunch, we were all too full, but also too embarrassed to admit we'd eaten pimento cheese sandwiches all the way there.

While standing in line to get our books signed after the lecture we spotted these lovely little orchids. In truth, I think it was Mr. Brown Thumb who spotted them then seduced us all into buying one. Or rather, he bought one and we all copied him knowing if we didn't, he'd be bragging about his orchid all over social media while we sat bathed in regret that we didn't get one, too. That could have been me! That could have been my orchid!

Everyone was skeptical about buying them. Orchids bloom once then sit naked for a couple of years before blooming again. We've all killed at least one. We whined a lot but eventually we all (me, MBT, Jessica, Kim) bought one as a souvenir. Mine did great for a while, despite the neglect. It's in a perfect spot in the bathroom with lots of indirect light and close to the water for convenience. Still, I never remember to water it. And it's still in the same tiny pot it came in because I'm too afraid to repot it. Eventually a few months ago the main stem turned completely brown. I noticed some of the roots had shriveled up too. The only reason I didn't throw it out was because the leaves were still green. So I started trying to revive it, watering it once a week or so. To my surprise, some of the roots started to plump up.

I did a little research on the dead stem last night and it appears this is quite common and doesn't necessarily mean the whole plant is dead. Most articles I read recommended cutting the brown stem all the way to the base of the plant so that the plant can focus all its energy on regeneration. So that's what I've done. I have no idea if this little guy will make it but I'm going to try my best to revive him. I have the signed books from Gayla and the memories of the insightful discussions and laughs we had chatting during lunch and dinner but this is a living memory of that fun drive and meeting new friends so I'd like to save if I can. If you have any tips for rescuing orchids please pass them on. Otherwise, I'll keep you posted!

Strawberry Patches Are Overrated

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:24:00 +0000

I'm getting rid of my strawberry patch. Period.

When I expanded my garden a couple of years ago I devoted one of my four 4x8 foot beds to a strawberry patch. I dreamed of the endless pints of delicious strawberries my strawberry patch would produce. I scoffed at other gardeners who complained incessantly over how invasive the strawberries were. Stupid gardeners, I thought. Just put them in a raised bed!

I love the leaves of the strawberry plant. Deep green, like giant clovers except the leaves are veiny with pointed edges. I love how they turn red in the fall then shrivel up and die like there's no hope for next year. But alas every spring they return dutifully and multiply.

These plants are a pain in my ass. There is no better way to say it. They manipulate me into thinking I'll be in fresh organic strawberry heaven when the bed is a carpet of beautiful green strawberry plants. But they don't produce that much. And they attract all manner of birds and squirrels. A big percentage of the fruit I harvest has a bite taken out. Eventually I'll cover the bed with bird netting which protects the fruit but always ends up tangled with weeds and it makes harvesting strawberries dreadful. And the weeds! God! Weeding that strawberry bed is virtually impossible because the vines running along the dirt are so intertwined. They remind me of tangled cords behind a TV entertainment center or the wires on a giant computer server. Imagine trying to find a weed, green like the strawberry vines only more slender. The weeds, the strawberry vines, they are all tangled together like a woven basket. I grab hold of the base of a weed and yank it out but its bindweed, tightly wrapped around the strawberry vine. The bindweed breaks at the base leaving an inch sticking up from the dirt but the roots of some strawberry plants are yanked out, too. Causalities of war.

The worst part is that the strawberries are sour. I don't fertilize them or add compost to the bed, maybe that's why. I have no idea what variety I'm growing. I started out with a few plants from a friend and they have multiplied so much that they are now overcrowded in their 4x8 raised bed. Not only that, putting them in a raised bed does not contain them. They spill over the edges which does look pretty. It makes for great pictures, the dark foliage and bright red strawberries against the cedar wood. But as soon as they get long enough to touch the ground they root. And they seem to grow under the wood of the raised beds or under the ground, I have no idea how they escape. I gave away all the plants outside the bed this past summer, dug some up and planted them in pots. Still, by the end of the season they'd spread about 10 inches outside their bed. Strawberries without borders.

They've had their chance. In the Spring of 2012 when the plants come in, I'll dig them all up and give them away. There must be a better use for that bed. Maybe I'll grow more herbs or tomatoes. Good riddance, strawberry patch! Thanks for nothin.

Smoothie Recipe: Spinach Banana Date Coconut Water

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:36:00 +0000

This is my new favorite smoothie. I got the recipe from a raw vegan guy who makes YouTube videos on juicing and smoothies. I find him very entertaining and all of his juice and smoothie recipes I've tried have been good.

Recipe:

Water from one coconut (use the coconut meat too if you're not worried about the fat content)
1 banana
2-3 pitted dates (depending on how sweet you like it)
1-2 handfuls of spinach

Open the coconut and dump the water through a strainer into the blender to catch any woody particles that may have fallen in during the opening process. Add banana, dates, spinach and blend until smooth. Drink immediately.

If you can't find or don't want to deal with actual coconuts you can substitute store-bought coconut water. I was able to find young coconuts at Whole Foods but the process of opening them was pretty barbaric and messy.

On the suggestion of a Whole Foods employee I used a hammer. It worked, but with every crack of the hammer, the outer flesh of the coconut was flung onto the counter, backsplash, my face, my husbands face. I guess I need more practice.

Don't let the green scare you. It's really delicious.

Troy-Bilt Snow Thrower Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Gina) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:05:00 +0000

In honor of Chicago's first real stick-to-the-ground snow of 2011 and in general holiday merriment, I'm giving away a snow thrower courtesy of Troy-Bilt. This is the Troy-Bilt Storm 2410, a two-stage snow thrower with an electric push-button start. It will clear snow drifts up to 21 inches high at a width of 24 inches at a time.

I don't own this or any other snow thrower so I can't comment on its performance but I did find this cute video of a guy clearing his driveway using this model. It looks like it works well. But, now I can't get this song out of my head!

To enter the contest post your worst snow-shoveling experience and I'll pick a winner at random. The contest is open to people living in the contiguous United States only.

This contest will close on Friday December 16th at 7:00 pm CST. I will contact the winner directly so please make sure I have a way to reach you. If I cannot contact you within 24 hours I will select another winner. The snow thrower will be shipped to you directly from Troy-Bilt so you will need to share your address with them after I notify you that you have won.

Good Luck!

Update: Congrats Benjamin Vogt, winner of the Troy-Bilt Storm 2410 snow thrower! Check out Benjamin's blog The Deep Middle.