I Was Thinking..

Gardening Is Not A Rational Act

This a quote from Margaret Atwood, and so true sometimes.  I seriously think I lost every bit of rational sense I had when I decided to take on the lofty goal of planting over 60 different vegetables and herbs this year.  But it won’t be as tough as it sounds.  More like tons of fun and really exciting!!  And I sincerely think it should be enough to qualify me for my Master Gardener’s certification…framed in platinum and hung on my wall by the members of the board themselves. :) 

All kidding aside, I am fortunate to live somewhere that is nothing short of a gardener’s dream! I have a ton of large raised garden beds, two greenhouses, a smaller fenced off garden and more gardening tools and supplies than I know what to do with.  I’m also lucky that I pretty much have the freedom to grow whatever I want.  I was asked by my boss to grow a few things but ended up volunteering to grow her a whole produce market. Leave it to me. :)

So, what’s going in the garden this year?  Grab a cup of tea or a glass of wine and take a seat.  Here’s the lovely list…

Tomatoes- 7 types: San Marzano, Big Boy, Early Treat, Steak Sandwich Hybrid, Castoluto Genovese, Red Pear, Principe Borghese

Peppers- 6 types: Cayenne, Jalapeno, Poinsetta, Rosso Dolce Da Appendere, Giallo D’Asti, Sweet Red Bell

Eggplant- 4 types: Violetta Lunga, Tonda Bianca Sfumata di Rosa, Black Beauty, and Japanese

Corn- 2 types:  Silver Queen and Honey n Cream

Cucumber- Sweet Burpless Hybrid

Summer Squash- Pic-n-Pic hybrid (Crookneck)

Zucchini- Fordhook

Winter Squash- 6 types: mixed variety including Butternut, Spaghetti, Pumpkin, and a few others

Cauliflower-Cauliflower of Jesi

Broccoli-Broccoli of Calabria

Brussel Sprouts- Mezzo Nano

Lettuce-2 types: Red and Green Romaine Blend and Butterhead

Radishes- 2 types: Cherry Belle and Raxe

Beets- 2 types: Detroit Dark Red and Chioggia

Turnips- 2 types: Hakurei and Tokyo Cross.  And I’m also considering the heirloom type Gilfeather.

Carrots- 3 types:  Nelson (a Nantes hybrid), Short ‘n Sweet, and a mixed heirloom blend of orange, purple, yellow and white carrots (from my favorite Italian seed supplier at growitalian.com).

Potatoes- 3 types: Caribe, Desiree, and Norgold Russet

Swiss Chard- Bieta Da Costa- another colored variety of an heirloom nature from growitalian.com

Kale-  Red Russian

Arugula

Cantaloupe- Honey Rock

Watermelon- Allsweet

Blueberries- Northland

Endive- Pancalieri a Costa Bianca

Beans-  6 types:  Trionfo Violetta, Kentucky Blue, Fordhook 242 (lima), King of the Garden, Supermarconi, and Santa Anna

Peas- Super Sugar Snap

Onions- 2 types:  Vidalia and Texas Grano

Garlic

Okra- Clemson Spineless

And, if that isn’t enough, here’s the herbs that are going to eventually season the sauces and grace the dishes in the kitchen this year..

Basil- 5 types: Being the HUGE Basil-loving fan that I am I can’t just stop at Classic.  So in addition, there is Fine Nano Compatto a Palla (Mouse Ears), Lettuce Leaf, Bolloso Napoletano, and Red Rubin.

Other herbs are.. Parsley, Fennel, Cilantro, Chives, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, Marjoram, Dill, Chamomile, Mint,

When all is said and done, I may never want to garden again in my life..but I highly doubt it.  Gardening is such a part of me and is truly one of my greatest loves.  There’s just something about it that I can’t quite put my finger on.  I guess it’s something you have to experience for yourself.  But the fact that I can take a tiny seed, mix it with dirt and water and give it a lot of love and care, and it eventually gives me food for many months..it’s like a little miracle that I helped along.  And that’s not even the best part.  When you garden you’re afforded so much time to yourself, to think about things.  You learn so many virtues like patience, love, understanding, humility, and perseverance.  It’s an experience like none other.  If you’ve never been into gardening and you get the chance to try it out, go for it.  Start small..or go big.  It’s your decision.  Just remember it’s all a learning process and things might die on you and go wrong in the beginning, but it will get better.  I promise.

If people only knew what my first garden was like!  It makes me laugh to think about it.  It looked horrible, but I did get some great tomatoes the first time around..as well as many lessons learned!  Speaking of lessons learned, I was walking from the barn to the house the other evening and I saw about 10 deer walking around up ahead of me.  Then it happened..  They took one look in my direction and they were off…leaping over the surrounding 5ft fence and into the garden!!  And if you know nothing about deer, know this- they like to chew and eat everything in a garden!  Yep, it’s time.  Time to go visit the local vineyards and stock up on the vino. :)  I forsee a lot of “bambi in the garden” research in my near future and a long gardening season ahead..but that’s another post I’ll save for later.  Cheers!!

And with that said, here’s a few quotes I found in a gardening book that I just absolutely love!  They are so true.  And if you like history, gardening and reading like I do, you should check out Andrea Wulf’s book “Founding Gardeners”.  It’s an amazing book about our founding president’s love and passion for gardening and agriculture. Great read.  Happy Gardening! :)

xo Net

“When I go into the garden with a spade, and dig a bed, I feel such an exhilaration and health that I discover that I have been defrauding myself all this time in letting others do for me what I should have done with my own hands.”  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

“How deeply seated in the human heart is the liking for gardens and gardening.” ~Alexander Smith

“If you’ve never experienced the joy of accomplishing more than you can imagine, plant a garden.” ~Robert Brault

“I do some of my best thinking while pulling weeds.”  ~Martha Smith

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.“  ~Marcus Tullius Cicero

“But if each man could have his own house, a large garden to cultivate and healthy surroundings - then, I thought, there will be for them a better opportunity of a happy family life.“  ~George Cadbury

“I have never heard so many good ideas, day after day, as when I worked in the garden.” ~John Erskine

“Many things are grown in the garden that were never sown there.” ~Robert Brault

“Remember that children, marriages, and flower gardens reflect the kind of care they get.“  ~H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“I loved to get all dusty and ride horses and plant potatoes and cotton.” ~Dorothy Malone

“God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done.”  ~Author Unknown

“God Almighty first planted a garden. And indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures.“  ~Francis Bacon

  

Home Is Where You Hang Your Heart..or Park Your Tractor: 18 Lessons Learned on the Farm Thus Far

Life on a farm is pretty much everything I thought it would be..and then some.   The number of farming books I’ve now amassed is slowly closing in on the number of gardening books I’ve collected over the past few years.  With that said, I’ve had more fun and been happier in the past two months than is probably legally possible.  The only thing I can think to equate the experience to is that it’s gotta be as close to heaven as I’ll probably get on earth.  With all that being said, here’s a few lessons I’ve learned courtesy of Jesse, the farm manager, and time spent living and working at the farm. Enjoy! :)

1. Weaning a Calf- Oliver, the resident bull calf, is now being weaned from his mama, Clover.  And he’s letting everyone within a 5 mile radius know about it!  He’s mooing at all hours of the day and night.  Given my love for all things cows, I don’t so much mind it, but I’m sure the neighbors have had it up to their eyeballs with Oliver’s moonlight serenades.  Today I had to collect hair samples from him to get him processed and ready for breeding.  Unfortunately it required that I awkwardly straddle a cow chute, which of course led to a few laughs from Jesse and his friend who were helping out.  But all-in-all it was much easier than I thought it would be.  Now, the whole weaning and upcoming halter training processes..those are a different story.

2.  Farm Land- Taxes on farm land are a LOT less than taxes on your yard..and if you lose money on your farm land for the year and don’t show a profit with what you produce, you can write it off (duly noted for future reference :)

3.  Gardening- There is nothing better, in the opinion of a gardener, than having a greenhouse.  I could write about my love for my new little greenhouse for hours.  Suffice it to say though, that gone are the days of growing baby plants in the house under a grow lamp and cranking up the heat on cold nights.  I love the little guys when they start growing, and they’re like my babies, but given the option, a greenhouse it is!!!

4. Pigs- I am now completely sold on the connection between pigs and people who eat like them.  Never in my life have I seen an animal eat so sloppily and with such grand ambition as pigs do.  Don’t get me wrong, they are the cutest little things, but they seriously act like they haven’t eaten in months, every time you feed them..and even after they’ve been grazing on grass all day!!  It’s crazy to watch, but no thank you.  Even if starved for a month of Sundays, I’ll keep my composure and act like a lady, no matter how long it’s been since I’ve had my last good plate of linguine and meatballs.

5. Cooking- Speaking of linguine and meatballs, I did make my first batch of meatballs with ground beef and eggs straight from the farm! I also added my own dried Italian herbs from my garden last year. Talk about a cool experience!  I was given some ground beef from a steer that had been raised on the farm here and then I added some fresh eggs from the little clucksters out in the hen house.  And I can’t lie..they were the best meatballs I’ve cooked to date.  And after I sent him home with a big container full of my yummy tomato sauce and meatballs, the farm manager completely agreed- they were the best he’d ever had. :) 

6.  Grocery Shopping- While Harris Teeter and Whole Foods are great, there is nothing better than traveling along beautiful countryside to different farms and vineyards to stock up on chicken, beef, wine, cheese, and whatever else the local places are willing to raise, grow and sell.  Unfortunately they don’t take coupons, but I’m willing to sacrifice a few bucks once in awhile in exchange for a pretty drive and some great tasting eats!

7.  Farm Supply Stores- Shopping at malls and designer stores is always fun and puts a smile on any girl’s face, but when you live on a farm, Southern States, Tractor Supply and any local saddlery and feed store quickly become your new best friend.

8.  You know you’re settling into the country and farm way of life when… you pass someone’s field and think to yourself, “They seriously need to take a bush hog to their property.”  My words exactly as I was passing some pretty land that was in desperate need of some upkeep.  When I realized what I had said, I just shook my head.  So it goes… :)

9.  Skunks and snakes- This is where farm life and I part ways.  Need I really expound on either of these two creatures?  Two things I have learned about snakes though- a)they like to eat eggs in the hen house and b) where there’s a frog, there’s a snake.  First of all, can I just say, that the moment I see a snake when I open the boxes in the hen house is the last moment the hen house sees me.  And at the rate eggs are collected around here with 14 hens, not seeing the hen house for awhile will be quite ok.  Secondly, I now have a new found aversion to frogs..but if it means not seeing a snake that’s fine by me!

10.  Stink bugs- I would really like to find the exact boundary line in Virginia, from Chesapeake to Charlottesville, for stink bugs vs. no stink bugs.  They are everywhere here.  I had never seen one before, back home..but here, they’re just a part of everyday life.  It’s crazy.  I’m seriously determined to find that boundary line though…someway, somehow. 

11.  Chickens- If you’ve got the land, they’ve got the time.  And they will gladly use that time to lay eggs for you all day long.  Everyone should raise chickens if they can!  They are the easiest and funnest things to take care of.  They eat normal chicken feed but they’ll also eat anything you throw down your kitchen sink, minus onions and garlic, which leaves the eggs tasting like, well..onions and garlic.  Honestly though, chickens are a great farm animal.  My first few days here I learned how to hypnotize a chicken.  Not sure when such a trick will ever come in handy, but now I know!  And if you have kids, they’re a great way to wear them out.  Chasing chickens should be a sport!  Also, when I say that 14 hens will lay you some eggs, I’m not kidding.  I currently have 6 cartons of fresh eggs stuffed in the refrigerator.  Frittatas anyone?  

12.  Fencing- I’m seriously in love with the gorgeous split rail fencing that lines the fields and flows with the hillside along the roads.  It gets me every time I see it and I have to have a quiet moment to myself.  It’s love.

13.  Dutch Doors- Yet another farm fashion I’m completely crazy about.  I’d be happy if all the doors on my house one day are dutch doors. :)

14.  Felling, Bucking and Splitting- Basically, it’s what happens when you want the trees that are currently standing on your property to magically appear as logs in your fireplace on a cold winter night. This is also where a farm manager comes in mighty handy. 

15.  Meat Animals-  If you’re going to raise them, DON’T name them and DON’T get attached..it makes it easier to part.  Given the fact that they will one day be gracing somebody’s plate as a delicately grilled NY strip, or perfectly placed between a slice of tomato and a hamburger bun, it’s best not to get too personal with them.  As I say this, I have to honestly admit that I’ve given it a lot of thought and I’m still torn as to whether or not I could really raise a meat animal.  But like a lot of things, you really don’t know until you try.  So I guess therein lies my answer. :)

16.  DC-  As in Washington DC and Old Towne!  Anybody who knows me knows how much I love farms and my mountains, but every now and then a weekend in the city for some shopping, dining and nightlife is a necessity.  Lucky for me, I Love DC and it’s just a quick two hour trip that I will gladly make at anytime.  Goodbye farm boots, hello pretty heels.. :)

17.  The 5 Second Rule-  On a farm, there is no such thing as the 5 Second Rule.  The likelihood of walking around outside and not stepping in some type of animal manure is slim to none.  The likelihood that you’re going to track some leftover remnants of said manure into the house is about 100%, resulting in the lack of even a 2 Second Rule.  So to all those who feel compelled to pick up that yummy piece of chocolate donut that fell on the kitchen floor in a farm house..enjoy at your own risk!

18.  John Deere vs. New Holland- They’re both great tractors.  Word on the dirt road is though that John Deere is more about the name while New Holland bought out Ford tractors..so, the farm has a New Holland.  And I’m determined to learn how to operate it.  The farm manager doesn’t know how to operate a camera phone, but let me tell you..if he gives me a lesson on the tractor, he’s getting a lesson in mobile photography..asap.                                                                

Honestly, I really am in love with where I live and what I do.  To put it bluntly, I feel like a housewife in a mansion on a farm.  And you can call me crazy, but it’s kind of like a dream come true. :)  My work days are never dull and they feel more like play time than work time.  And real play time includes visiting with the animals, hiking, playing on the river, horseback riding, apple picking, wine tastings, touring vineyards, gardens and historical places, dinners at really great restaurants, and going to UVA games.  There’s no shortage of beautiful views of the mountains, sunrises and sunsets.  Star-gazing still takes my breath away every night.  Peaceful moments are an everyday occurrence that I hope I never take for granted.  And when all is said and done, and I lay my head on my pillow at night, I’m happy about the day I’ve had, glad to be falling asleep, and excited to know that when I get up, bright and early in the morning, I get to do it all over again.  My heart is so blessed, so happy and so at home living on a farm in my favorite place.  It is heaven on earth. :) 

xo, Net