Moving a Garden

I have been so busy outside, working in the garden I didn't find any time sharing on the blog.

Seems the summer went faster by then I wanted and even I worked so much outside I never managed to get control of my weed situation and I didn't get as many plants moved into the new garden area, I am working on, as I wanted.
All of a sudden our rainy season has started, it is getting cool and it is dark early making it difficult to get things done outside.
This year the summer vegetable garden was not very successful, I never had that bad of an harvest since I started gardening and I have been gardening for a long time now. Almost all the summer vegetables barely made enough to feed us over the summer, I am thankful that we at least got enough to  have some for dinner but I wished I could have filled my freezer also. I never seen so few Zucchinis and cucumbers, there wasn't even enough to pass on to friends as usually. At least I finally got some Tomatoes and even managed to put up a few tubs of tomato-sauce in the freezer for winter.
I did have a few success stories though.
For the first time in my gardening life I got the Radicchio to head up. Yeah!
Usually I got it to grow a bit and then it just shot up and flowered. This year I have beautiful, big heads out there waiting for me. I harvested a variety of red, green and Savoy cabbage, which grew beautiful and have some more growing. I accidentally must have let a stalk celery seed out last year and it started growing in my path ways, but that celery which was a Heirloom Red Stalk Celery is growing beautifully and unlike the year I intentionally seeded it, it is not hollow this year. I also planted a few new varieties, two of those varieties also are growing nicely, while the other two are having hollow stems. I read that some varieties are more prone to hollow stems and so I probably will next year only grow the ones which didn't have this problem of hollow stems. I have some Brussels Sprout out there which look like they are making little sprouts in the leaf axles and the Cauliflower is starting to head up. So not all is bad. And now it got cooler I again have my endive, corn salad, lettuce and varieties of greens like Kale, Arugula, Broccoli Rape and Mustard Greens coming. It is only good that eating greens is highly recommended for your health, because we have been eating a lot of greens this year.

If you remember I am making a new garden area in the second lot we have next to the house, which will be our future garden in a few years when we built a smaller house there.

 The area I planted in spring is growing nicely, the Chinese Apricot tree grew so much and filled out I crossing my fingers for some Apricots next year. Just a few please!

I didn't get as much moved from my old garden into the second new garden area as I planned and I didn't get the low area ready to be planted but even so it is slowly looking like a garden. A few weeks ago, as the season started changing and the sun was going down so much earlier, our old coffee drinking spot in the garden started getting to shady in the afternoon and it was too cool to sit so I made a nice little spot in the new garden.

Flattened out an area just big enough for the bench and table, terraced the hill behind it with old concrete and rocks found in the garden and started filling it with plants.

 I got a a variety of bulbs, different varieties of Tulips, under other Lily Tulips, Parrot Tulip a few Darwin and a low growing species Tulip,  also some fragrant Narcissus varieties and winter crocus, fragrant day lilies, Oriental lilies and a neat looking yellow Peony.

I want this area to be a fragrant garden so I can sit there, having my afternoon coffee and be surrounded by good smells, So I have been digging up some of  my fragrant shrubs, the ones which aren't too big yet and easy to move and planted them.

Unfortunately many of my shrubs are too big and instead trying to chance it killing them by transplanting I tried over the summer to take cuttings and root them. I never rooted shrubs before and was pleasantly surprised that so many rooted out. So by next year, I might be able to transplant my fragrant shrubs if they are big enough to plant out.
I did manage to move my Fringe tree and a lemony flavored cypress which I just planted last year.

 I always wanted one of these small, fragrant trees, which are native to the Southern US, are hard to find out here and I wasn't going to leave it behind in my old garden. So even I didn't get everything in the ground as planned and will have to wait until next spring. It is shaping up nicely.

 By next year it should be a nice place to sit and enjoy my afternoon coffee.
And for gardeners, there is always another year, another season.

Seed Saving - Tomatoes

Generally seeds saved from open-pollinated or heirloom Tomato varieties breed true to type. Which means you get the same variety from the seed as the one you collected from. But although Tomato flowers are usually self-pollinated, occasionally they may be cross pollinated by insects about 2% of the time. If you want to prevent cross pollination completely 100% you should keep the different varieties about 10' apart. Flowers of older varieties, like some Heirloom Tomatoes, are said to often have longer styles then more modern cultivars. Because it protrudes more it is more accessible to bees and other insects so these varieties have a higher chance of getting cross pollinated.

                                         
But what is a typical backyard gardener to do, most of us don't have the garden space to isolate our Tomatoes for 10 feet apart? You could plant either tall barrier plants between the Tomato plants or put another pollen producing crop between the different varieties. Or you just do it as I do, chance it.
After all it is only a small chance of cross pollination and who knows maybe you get a cool, new tomato variety out of the deal.
For seed saving, pick the best looking fruits, from your healthiest looking, best producing plants, when they are fully ripe. It is a good idea to save seeds from several fruits to maintain a larger gene pool. No need to waste a tomato just for saving seeds. When you are ready to process a tomato for eating or cooking, just scratch some of the seed containing pulp into a small glass jar (old jam jars work really great), I usually add just a splash of water and then let it ferment at room temperature.

 Don't put it in an especially warm place. At 80° F the fermentation takes about 2 days, at 70° F about 3 days. If you leave the seeds in the pulp for a longer period you get a better control of bacterial canker, which is a seed borne disease, but you should not let them ferment longer then 5 days or they might start to sprout. Stir the mixture each day and when it's ready, carefully pour most of the liquid with the pulp out, without loosing your seeds. You might have to keep adding water frequently to free the seeds from the pulp. Just add some more water, swirl, pour and do it until the water looks almost clean and there is no more pulp. Now you can strain it all over in a sieve, maybe rinse them some more and drop the seeds into a paper towel. Fold it over and let them dry for 3 to 7 days. After they are dry you can put the seeds in small zip lock bags or jars.

If you are saving seeds of many different cultivars it is advisable to label your jars with the name of the varieties you have. It is easy to get mixed up. Since I ferment several batches, after I am drying the first batch I put the jar with the label with the next batch on top of the corresponding Tomato variety drying in the paper towel.

Plum Cobbler recipe - in English and German

I love anything made with Italian Prune Plums or Zwetschgen as we call them in Germany. I look forward to September every year when they are in Season. I actually really enjoy not to have everything available all year round. I like to eat with the seasons. It is not just much more flavor full when it finally comes around it also makes you really appreciate the food and the seasons.

             Here is the Fruit Cobbler recipe made with Plums

Comments: This can be made with any fruit really, with denser Fruit like Apple, Plums...etc. I put the fruit in the baking dish and bake it for 20-30minutes before I add the cobbler mix on top and then bake it some more to finish. But most fruit you just add to baking dish, add the cobbler dough on top and then bake.

Recipe By     :Isabell Norman
Serving Size  : 6     Preparation Time: 0:15 min. Baking time: 0:20 and 0:30 min.                  
 Ingredients:
24                 Plums, pitted - Zwetschgen, entkernt, -- or more if you like
2   Tbsp        sugar-Zucker, I used Rapadura Sugar from Rapunzel  --
                    (this can be reduced or omitted if you wish)
1   tl              fresh Orange peel, grated - Orangenschale, gerieben
2   tbsp         Butter cut into small flakes- flockig geschnitten                  
For Dough - Teig
125  g           Flour, I used 1/2 white whole wheat  and whole wheat -
                     1/2 Weisses Vollweizen und  1/2 Vollkornmehl
1   Tsp           baking powder - Backpulver
2  Tbsp          Sugar - Zucker, Rapadura Sugar
50   g             Butter cut into small pieces - Butter, kleingeschnitten
1                    egg, lightly beaten - Ei, leicht geschlagen
2-3  Tbsp       Milk - Milch
1   Tbsp         Turbinado sugar - grober Brauner Zucker

Use a 1 1/2 liter baking dish, I use my Anchor Ware glass containers, I think it's 2 liter
-Du brauchst eine 1-1/2 liter grosse Auflaufform. Ich benutze meine Anchor Ware glass container in
denen man auch backen kann ungefaehr 2 liter Groesse.

Grease your baking form with some butter, pit the plums and cut them open flat and layer them upright into the pan
-Auflaufform mit etwas Butter einfetten, Plaumen entsteinen und wie bei Zwetschgenkuchen in die Form einlegen.

If you like it a bit sweeter now sprinkle the 2 tablespoon Sugar or as much you like over the plum, then also the Orange peel and add little butterflakes all over the plums
-Jetzt kann der Zucker nach belieben ueber die Plaumen gestreut werden, die Orangenschale darueber gestreut und die Butter in Floeckchen auf diePflaumen gesetzt

Preheat Oven to 350° F  or if convection to 325° F and put the baking form with the plums inside while it preheats. Let it bake for 20 minutes
-Ofen zu 180° C vorheizen, oder bei Convection Ofen auf 170° C und die Auflaufform mit den Pflaumen in den Ofen tun waehrend der Ofen vorheizt. Backe die Pflaumen vor, fuer ungefaehr 20 minuten.

In the meantime measure your flour, baking powder, sugar and mix altogether in a mixing bowl. Add the Butter pieces and work the butter with your fingers in until it looks like fine Bread crumbs.
-In der Zwischenzeit wiege das Mehl, Backpulver, Zucker ab und misch es miteinander in einer Ruehrschuessel. Gebe die Butterstueckchen dazu und arbeite die Butter mit den Fingern ein bis es wie feine Brotkruemel aussieht.

Make a indention in the flour mix and with a knife, mix in the lightly beaten egg and just enough milk so it makes a soft dough.
-In die Mitte der Mehlmischung eine Mulde druecken. Mit einem Messer das leicht geschlagene Ei und soviel Milch einruehren, dass eine weiche Masse entsteht.

Spread the dough in spoonfuls all over the Plums, until it is all  covered. Then sprinkle the Turbinado sugar all over it and put back in Oven. Bake for 30 more minutes or until it is golden brown and baked through.
-Teig loeffelweise auf der Oberflaeche verteilen, bis sie vollstaendig bedeckt ist. Mit dem Turbinado Zucker bestreuen und zurueck in den Backofen geben. 30 Minuten mehr backen bis alles gold braun gebacken ist und durchgebacken ist. Mit staebchenprobe testen.

Best served while still warm. You can serve whipped cream, Vanilla ice cream or Egg cream with it. I just like it as is
-Am besten serviert wenn es noch warm ist. Man kann den Cobbler mit Schlagsahne, Vanilleeis oder Eiercreme servieren. Ich mag es einfach nur so, pur.

Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)----------------------------------------------
Calories: 345 Calories   From Fat: 112   Total Fat: 12.7g   Cholesterol: 63.8mg   Sodium: 80.4mg   Potassium: 546.1mg
Carbohydrates: 57g   Fiber: 6.3g   Sugar: 37.7g   Protein: 6g

Cooking Tip: This is really very versatile. Use any fruit you like, mix the fruit. Use different spicing, flavorings. Cinnamon is good in it, or Coriander, Cardamom, Lemon, Vanilla. Just experiment. Don't reduce the sugar or butter in the dough or it will not come out properly, But you always can reduce the sugar, butter or even omit them on the fruit if you like less sugar. Most fruits are sweet enough you don't need it.
-Das ist ein sehr leicht veraenderbares Rezept. Benutze was immer eine Frucht du hast, mische verschiedene Fruechte miteinander. Benutze andere Gewuerze, Aromas. Zimt ist sehr gut, oder Koriander, Kardamom,Zitrone, Vanille. Experiment damit. Tu nicht den Zucker oder die Butter imTeig verringern oder es wird nicht richtig herauskommen. Aber du kannst immer den Zucker, die Butter auf der Frucht verringern oder sogar weglassen. Die meisten Fruechte sind suess genug, dass man es nicht braucht.

Enjoy!

disclaimer: Not to be shared with the Dervaes Family of Path to Freedom Website. Thank You