Keeping it Simple and Easy

Bill!!!

Well, My Gardening Friends, another year is upon us! 

Having just finished up some last minute nursery orders for spring I am enthused about some of the new plants coming out this year.  Many are low maintenance, compact plants-- some are even fruits-- that can be used either in containers or small garden areas.  These fruit varieties of blueberries, raspberries, & small fruit trees offer high yield and their compact habit will allow gardeners to work them into finished landscapes.  

Gardening in containers has been a growing trend over the last few years—containers are popular because they are easy to maintain and can fit into tight areas.  Last year we planted quite a few containers with mixed vegetables and herbs to show people what they could do in their yards or patios.  We plan to do more this year and will possibly add some fruits to the AS&L Container Garden as well!

A Maine Standard: Blueberry

This time of year is the time I like to plan for some projects for the coming season; whether it involves renovating a particular garden, moving plants that have become to large, or focusing on areas that have become tricky because of water issues or maintenance.  I have one spot that I have been thinking about for a few years and NOT tackled it (short of putting down landscape cloth to suppress the weeds until I can REALLY deal with it).  This area has sandy, verrrry well drained soil with a lot of sun and wind exposure, AND a lot of snow which falls from a steep roof in the winter.  So you can see why I have procrastinated so long about this spot!!   Ideally, I want plants that will tolerate these conditions as well as naturalize the area to help keep the weeds at bay and to stabilize the soil.

Recently we had the annual MELNA trade show in Augusta.  One of the key-note speakers was talking about some of the plants that I think would fit the bill for me.  In particular Grow Low Sumac “Tiger Eyes” that has lovely yellow foliage.  I will also use Spirea Sorbifolia, it has large, beautiful, billowy white blossoms and nice fall foliage.  Both of these are forgiving and can be cut back if they are damaged by snow; they also naturalize well.

Black Chokeberry

There are many other overlooked and quite nice plants that are drought tolerant and “low” (NOT NO) maintenance.  Such as, Paniculata Hydrangea which has varieties that grow large, others that grow small, and many in between!  They also now come in many colors often changing color both with the blossoms and the foliage throughout the summer and fall.

It is also good to consider plants that offer fruit and seeds for wildlife.  It’s a “win win” situation;  birds and wildlife enjoy the plants and we, in turn enjoy watching the birds and wildlife right in the garden! Aronia (chokeberry), Ilex (winterberry), myrica (bayberry),sambucus (elderberry) are just a few fabulous plants for a wildlife garden!  

Just remember that even those challenging spots in the garden there are plants that will not only survive but thrive there.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you visit your local nursery, we’re here to help.  Remember we love to talk plants!

And, don’t forget to take the time to smell the roses—there’s beauty and peace there if we simply open our eyes and minds to it! 

Buffman and Gram's Veggies for Vitality: Bell Peppers

As many of you know Allen, Sterling & Lothrop's fourth generation has been getting more and more involved in the business.  You may have met Jenn's (AS&L's seed room manager) daughter Nadia running the front with her grandmother, Shirley, or  you may have had one of Shawn's boys help you with a Christmas tree.

This year Buffman (Shawn's middle son) has joined forces with his grandmother, Shirley, to bring you their thoughts on the healthiest vegetable's you can grow.  They consulted Shirley's vast knowledge of gardening and nutrition and www.whfoods.com

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Bell peppers have a wonderful combination tangy taste, and crunchy texture. There is far less than 1 gram of total fat in a cup of sliced bell peppers. Choose peppers with deep vivid colors, taut skin, and free of soft spots. The stems should be green and fresh looking. Unwashed sweet peppers stored in a refrigerator can keep for approximately 7-10 days. Bell peppers are sensitive to moisture loss.

 

Bell peppers are not the  easiest veg to grow in Maine, but if you start the seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before putting out in the garden and make sure  that night time temps don't get down below 55F--you should be fine.  The Ace Hybrid is a great choice for areas with short  growing season. 

 

Before cutting the pepper for cooking, wash it under cold running water. Use a paring knife to cut around the stem, and then slowly remove it. Cut the pepper in half lengthwise, and then clean the seeds out, and then you can start cutting it how you want.

 

Try this delicious Ratatouille which uses roasted red bell peppers from ReginaSpices

 

• 1 Medium Eggplant 
• 2 Zucchini 
• 2 Red Bell Peppers
• 2 Onions
• 2-3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
• 1 lb Tomato (fresh or canned) 
• 3 Tbl Capers (optional)  
• ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2-3 tsp Herbes de Provence  
• 1 tsp salt

Slice eggplant (peeled and cut into rounds and then into strips) and zucchini (cut into rounds), salt and let stand to drain (in a colander) for about 30 mins.
Roast the red bell peppers (475-500° for 30 mins or until skins are charred and wrinkled-be sure to turn at least once). Peel and slice the peppers into thin strips about ¼" wide.
Thinly slice the onions.
Put the olive oil in a Dutch Oven, add the onions, peppers, garlic, salt and Herbes de Provence.  Over medium-low heat, gently cook the vegetables. Once the onions are soft and nearly clear (not browned) add the eggplant and zucchini.  Stir and cook for a few minutes then add the tomatoes.Reduce heat to low and allow the mixture to cook for about 1 hour or until the eggplants are fully cooked. 
Add capers.
Serve with nice crusty bread, rice or pasta.  

 

Buffman and Gram's Vegetables for Vitaliy: Winter Squash

As many of you know Allen, Sterling & Lothrop's fourth generation has been getting more and more involved in the business.  You may have met Jenn's (AS&L's seed room manager) daughter Nadia running the front with her grandmother, Shirley, or  you may have had one of Shawn's boys help you with a Christmas tree.

This year Buffman (Shawn's middle son) has joined forces with his grandmother, Shirley, to bring you their thoughts on the healthiest vegetable's you can grow.  They consulted Shirley's vast knowledge of gardening and nutrition and www.whfoods.com.
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Winter squash is  good source of antioxidants. One of the benefits of winter squash is its ability to regulate blood pressure and aid in the prevention of type 2 diabetes.

Winter squash is easy to grow--you just need some room for the vines to grow. Gram likes to plant squash in hills--she plants about 8 seeds per hill leaving about 4' between each hill. When the plants reach 2" high she thins out all but the three most vigorous looking plants (per hill). 

Winter squash can easily rot if its damaged, so it’s important to carefully inspect it before purchase and to use care when harvesting fresh winter squash. The best fruits are firm, and heavy. Winter squash has a much longer storage life than summer squash. Depending on the variety, winter squash can be kept for between one week, to 6 months.

The easiest way to cook butternut squash is to cut in half  (along the length) and bake it face down in a baking dish with a little water.  Once it's cooked you can easily scoop out the flesh and use it in your favorite recipe.  

 

This is one of Jess's favorite recipes (from her mother--but, we're not sure where she got it from, maybe the food network)

 

Roasted Butternut and Garlic Soup:

• butternut squash--about 2 pounds
• 3 T olive oil
• I head of garlic--whole, unpeeled
• 2 1/2 C chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1Cup Hot Water

Preheat oven to 350

• Slice squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds.  Rub the cut side with olive oil & place it slice side down in a glass baking dish.  Sprinkle garlic cloves around the squash then add the water.  Bake for 1 -1.5 hours or until the squash is very soft.  When its cooked remove from the oven and let it cool enough to handle.
• Scoop the squash pulp into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade.  Squeeze the garlic cloves into the food processor. 
• Process for about 30 seconds until it's very smooth.  Add the stock, a half cup at a time, pulsing between additions.  Add salt and pepper.
• Reheat if needed and adjust seasoning.  

 

 

Buffman and Gram's Vegetables for Vitality: Garlic

As many of you know Allen, Sterling & Lothrop's fourth generation has been getting more and more involved in the business.  You may have met Jenn's (AS&L's seed room manager) daughter Nadia running the front with her grandmother, Shirley, or  you may have had one of Shawn's boys help you with a Christmas tree.

This year Buffman (Shawn's middle son) has joined forces with his grandmother, Shirley, to bring you their thoughts on the healthiest vegetable's you can grow.  They consulted Shirley's vast knowledge of gardening and nutrition and www.whfoods.com.
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You can increase the health benefits of garlic by letting it sit after you have chopped, or ground it. Garlic can support healthy blood pressure. Garlic has been found, repeatedly, to lower the risk of colorectal and renal cancer. The allyl sulfides found in garlic may play a key role in its cancer-prevention benefits.

For maximum flavor, always purchase the freshest garlic. Avoid garlic that is shriveled, and moldy. Store fresh garlic in a loosely covered container in a cool dark place, this will help maintain maximum freshness.

When preparing to cook, separate individual cloves and peel the cloves with a knife. Research has shown that microwaving garlic in uncrushed form will deactivate its enzymes.

Bill's Favorite Plants in His Garden

Late summer & early fall are two of my favorite times in the garden.  Plants have reached their full size and are blooming abundantly with bright, rich colors.  I, also, enjoy watching all the beneficial insects collecting the pollen (bees, butterflies, wasps, and, one of my favorites-- hummingbird moths). 

My friends Jessica and Stephen, from AS&L, came to the farm the other evening, at dusk to take some photos of some of my favorite plants.  I’ve been wanting to show what fully established plants will look like in your gardens—adding form, texture and color with blossoms and foliage. 

Over the past few years my gardens have evolved becoming more simplified. I have a very busy schedule during the growing season, and I realized that I would be better served by low maintenance plants, and plants that require less water once they are established (like hosta, sedum, paniculata hydrangeas, etc.)  I have several varieties of hosta and sedum because they look great even when they are not in bloom with foliage and texture—they also work very well together.  My, all time, favorite (and AS&L hosta enthusiast, Shorty’s favorite) is Paradigm.  Paradigm is sun tolerant and slug resistant and has amazing chartreuse foliage.  But I must say I don’t think there is any hosta or sedum that I do not like.

I, also, really enjoy the paniculata hydrangeas in my garden because they start off white and change color throughout the season eventually turning a deep burgundy in the fall.  One of the advantages of living on a large farm with open fields is the beautiful sunsets and I love to plant tall plants in the foreground between the finished landscape and the fields—i.e. Plume Poppy, Iron Weed, Joe Pye Weed,  Cup Plant, Globe Thistle etc.  Another plus of living on a large property is having gardens like the one in the front of the house that I let go natural, I call it the “wild” garden; it has a beautiful backdrop of forsythia, hydrangea and spirea, in front it’s planted with black-eyed susan, daisies, lupine, liatris, etc.  I let these perennials seed themselves and do what they want to do –it is very low maintenance and these plants do very well along the roadside.

When planting a garden I like to incorporate trees & shrubs for form, structure and vertical interest.  I really enjoy watching trees as they mature and take on their adult canopy.  Most trees require little maintenance and add, so much, interest all year long.  I like to say when you plant a tree you’re planting for posterity …for your grandchildren to enjoy!  Keeping with the simplicity theme I like to incorporate evergreens for texture and winter interest, they are your true ‘anchors’ in the winter garden. 

Containers are a great addition to any landscape they add  color to a dead spot and interest to an area you cannot plant in the ground.  I will oftentimes move my containers as the season progresses to give a little ‘pop’ where it’s needed.  I, also, like to use a combination of perennials and shrubs in my containers.  I, eventually, transplant containerized perennials and shrubs into the garden, or I give them to a gardening friend if I don’t have the room or the perfect spot.  This allows me to enjoy plants I may not be able to get to survive in my yard.  As the saying goes, folks, “take time to smell the roses”…enjoy your gardens at different times of the season and at different times of the day.  There is beauty there—we just need to open our eyes to it!! 

 

 

Buffman and Gram's Vegetables for Vitality: Tomatoes

As many of you know Allen, Sterling & Lothrop's fourth generation has been getting more and more involved in the business.  You may have met Jenn's (AS&L's seed room manager) daughter Nadia running the front with her grandmother, Shirley, or  you may have had one of Shawn's boys help you with a Christmas tree.

This year Buffman (Shawn's middle son) has joined forces with his grandmother, Shirley, to bring you their thoughts on the healthiest vegetable's you can grow.  They consulted Shirley's vast knowledge of gardening and nutrition and www.whfoods.com

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Tomatoes provide an excellent amount of vitamin C and beta- carotene. Tomatoes have been shown to provide anti-cancer benefits. Prostate cancer is by far the best researched type of cancer in relation to tomato intake. Tomatoes can definitely help lower the risk of prostate cancer in men. Diets containing tomatoes have also been linked to a few studies with reduced risk of obesity.
Start tomato seeds indoors or in a cold frame 5-7 weeks before you plan to put them into your garden.  When transplanting tomato seedlings into the garden be sure all danger of frost has past (tomatoes so best when day time temps are not less than 70F) and that the seedlings have at least four true leaves.  Give tomato plant plenty of sun, well drained soil and room to grow (30" between plants).  Many tomatoes require support, you can use a cage, or stakes or try the basket weave method as demonstrated by UMaine Cooperative Extension:

Choose tomatoes with rich colors. Deep reds are the best choices. They shouldn’t have a puffy appearance. When you buy canned tomatoes it’s a wise decision to buy with labels from the United States, some foreign countries don’t have strict standard on lead content in containers. When cooking, it is better to not use aluminum cookware since the high acid content of the tomatoes may interact with the cookware.

Buffman and Gram's Vegetables for Vitality: Lima Beans

As many of you know Allen, Sterling & Lothrop's fourth generation has been getting more and more involved in the business.  You may have met Jenn's (AS&L's seed room manager) daughter Nadia running the front with her grandmother, Shirley, or  you may have had one of Shawn's boys help you with a Christmas tree.

This year Buffman (Shawn's middle son) has joined forces with his grandmother, Shirley, to bring you their thoughts on the healthiest vegetable's you can grow.  They consulted Shirley's vast knowledge of gardening and nutrition and   www.whfoods.com
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Lima Beans can prevent blood sugar levels from rising. When you combine lima beans with grain such as rice it can provide virtually fat free high quality protein.

Lima beans grow vigorously in any worked soil. Lima beans are slow to bear. Bush lima beans bear sooner than pole, but pole limas bear for a longer period of time.

Lima beans can be harvested and shelled like English (Garden) peas. Before washing lima beans, lay them out on a surface to check for small stones or damaged beans. Rinse the beans under cool running water. To shorten the cooking period and make it so you can digest them better, soak them first.

Try making a simple succotash-- by mixing equal parts of cooked fresh (or frozen corn) and cooked lima beans-- add butter and salt and pepper to taste.