The Sweet Life Garden part 2

Here's the followup to yesterday's post highlighting our visit to gardener Jill's Sweet Life Garden.
Jill uses healthy gardening methods like composting, companion planting and avoids using chemicals on her plants or the pests who might visit. Her garden is proof that you don't need to buy Miracle Grow to create a stunning green space.

Jill is a proficient gardener and homemaker. For those of you who think a garden takes too much time, be encouraged. Jill says she usually only spends about an hour a day in the garden when it's not peach season. Along with the plants I've shared these last two days, Jill also grows blackberries, blueberries, several other varieties of trees and more. She offers eggs at her farmstand as well as delicious preserves. And the peaches, which were the original inspiration for our visit? Sweet, flavorful and luscious! If you'd like to know more about this garden, please visit Jill's blog.

Today we'll look at some of the more creative garden ideas Jill employs. The effect is a very romantic, cottage style garden.

Who knew celery could be so pretty?

I love how Jill manages to tuck so many trees into her space and still grow things underneath them.
Here is an apricot tree planted with catnip, society garlic and other whimsical looking plants.

Apricot tree

Jill has many trees around the property - including two shading the chicken coop, a must in the scorching Arizona summer. One of Jill's gardening tips is that she keeps them trimmed fairly low. She suggests letting them grow no higher than what you can reach from a ladder. After all, you want to be able to reach the fruit you're growing.

Here's another great idea. Jill is training her apples (she has both Fiji and Anna) into an apple hedge growing on the pool fence. How creative!

Tomatoes, my favorite.

See this fountain? Those aren't just flowers growing underneath.

Alyssum (pest repellant), melons and some kind of pretty purple stalk. 

 

A closer look at the society garlic.

Let's finish with just one of the many gorgeous rose bushes Jill tends.

If you just can't get enough of this garden, don't fret. It's featured, along with several others, in the Arcadia Garden Tour which happens twice a year. You missed the spring tour but it's not too late for fall. Check out Jill's blog and stay tuned for news from the beautiful Sweet Life Garden. Thanks again for the tour, Jill!

The Sweet Life Garden part 1

The beautiful weather these past few months has lured my girls and me out into nature lately. And, last week, we had the opportunity to check out a garden I've been admiring online for a while. We learned via Facebook that the peaches at the Sweet Life Garden were ready to pick and would only be available a few more days. So, Tuesday morning, we headed over as early as I could bundle the girls into the car (hint: not before 9!) and headed to Arcadia. I just had to share with you some of the sights we enjoyed. Today's post will be some of the more traditional aspects of her garden and tomorrow, I'll show you some of the more creative things she's done in her garden.

Organic Mama will be regularly featuring some of the amazing gardens around the Phoenix area. Hopefully, it will encourage those of you who are new to gardening to jump in and get started. Don't worry if your garden area isn't as large as Jill's. Check out some of the creative ways she tucks plants into different spaces and go for it! For more on Jill's garden, check out her blog.

What a magical entrance to the garden!

Photo Credit: Daughter No 1

First, meet Jill, the lovely lady behind this garden. She and I posed so my five year old could practive her budding photography skills. She did ok, didn't she? You can see some of Jill's handiwork - peaches hanging from the tree above us. Yum. They were delicious.

Of course the first thing my girls noticed was the hen house. Though my older daughter was a little uncertain about these creatures, my youngest (who's two) couldn't get enough of them. She talked to them like they'd been buds forever and informed Jill, "I think they like me!" Imagine her thrill when Jill actually let her go inside to collect eggs! 

She is, I might add, very efficient at egg gathering, if just a tad inclined to toss the eggs into the basket. Oops!

Aren't they pretty? So colorful!

This guy was sure I was there to feed him.

The trumpet vine climbing this date palm tree is truly breathtaking in person.

I had to give you a closer look at these gorgeous flowers! Now to figure out where I can add a trumpet vine in one of my growing spaces. I have a couple of palms. Hmmm...

She has the traditional raised beds. See anything you recognize? She has tomatoes, onions, peppers and more. Notice she plants nasturtiums and marigolds with her veggies. Not only do they add color, they are great for discouraging pests.

Recognize this plant? See the tell-tale white flowers and brilliant red color peeping through those pretty rounded leaves? You're right. They're strawberries. This bed was an incredible sight. Real strawberries from the garden are nothing like what we buy at the supermarket. They are bright, sweet, usually a bit smaller and smell divine. Jill's strawberry bed reminded me of my Grandma Verna's strawberries. They were always such a treat!

Ok, that's all for today. More coming tomorrow!

Easy Plants for the Newbie Arizona Gardener

So, a few weeks ago, I talked about how gardening might just improve your sex life. If you missed that post, read it here. Today, I'd like to introduce you to some of my garden friends who just LOVE growing in the Arizona climate. Want to try your hand at edible/herbal gardening in AZ but don't know where to start? Here are some beautiful and fairly easy options for the newbie gardener.

Before you start, you two basic things to create a successful garden - good soil and regular water.

These plants all enjoy fairly fertile, well drained soil. Since Arizona soil is largely hard rock clay, I add compost and sometimes a little sand if the soil isn't draining well. You may have to wet your soil down to add these other components. When you're finished, the dirt should look rich, dark and fairly crumbly. These plants will grow well in the ground or in a pot. But if you plant in pots, don't use anything smaller than a 5 gallon pot. In the summer, plant roots will steam in anything smaller.

As for water, if you want to have healthy plants, it's better to water deeply (soak rather than sprinkle!) and infrequently (every 2-3 days) to develop a strong root system. I actually plant my plants in little ditches so I fill them with water and the water soaks about 6-8 inches down. While it seems like a lot of water at the time, since you water less frequently, it's a more water conservative option.

Ok, now that you know how to successfully prep for these garden stars, let me introduce them!

Aloe Vera
There are a couple hundred varieties of Aloe Vera. Aloe is an absolute essential in sunny Arizona. There is no substitute for it when dealing with a sunburn. Those bottles of gel in the store are not as effective. When I was growing up at my parents' house, my mom devoted a flower bed lucious green variety of aloe. The leaves were bright green with pretty white spots and they produced a flowering stalk every year. If I, or one of my sisters, managed to get a sunburn, we simply smoothed this on the burn and it minimized the damage considerably. I have also read that some people use it as a sunburn preventative.

While some people use aloe internally as a laxative or for other ailments, our family primarily uses it topically for sunburns or in lotion making. It is wise to consult an herbalist when considering using aloe internally. Pregnant women should not use aloe internally.

Aloe reproduces by means of a little shoot that creates another plant. If you don't want the shooters, give them away as gifts!

Mint
Spearmint, peppermint, applemint, chocolate mint! There are a ton of mint varieties. Mint is colorful and delicious in tea or salads and creates a bright spot in any garden. It is cooling for feverish babies and energizing for those who are a bit tired. This is a great plant for beginning gardeners because it's a weed and will survive almost any abuse and return year after year. I, myself, have left my mint to die by not watering it many times but it just keeps on going! Though, a friend swears she has killed 3 mint plants. I think this is more of a unique accomplishment than a typical mint experience.

Mint is one of those plants that reproduces pretty fast. Unless you have time to keep in check, plant it in a pot. On the other hand, if you have an area you need to cover, mint will take it over.

Rosemary
What a lovely smell this plant has! It loves the hot weather and is seriously hardy. I have always loved rosemary because when I was a young, romantic girl (as opposed to a grown, romantic girl), I remember reading a story about a young hero giving his lover rosemary so she would remember him as he embarked on an epic journey. Of course, as an adult, I have also learned to love rosemary for the fragrant flavor she adds to savory and sweet recipes. One of my family's favorites recipes is a rosemary shortbread I make on rare occasions - mostly because I want to eat the whole pan! Mmmm....

Full sun is just fine for this mediterranean herb.

Thyme
Like rosemary, thyme is a hardy friend in an Arizona garden. Also a mediterranean herb, the hot climate agrees with it. However, thyme does seem to appreciate a little afternoon shade in the summer. One of my thyme plants is in a pot so I just move it when the temperatures rise.

I recently planted some creeping thyme and I'm really pleased with how beautiful it looks. I am hoping to do a project on my patio soon which involves planting it in between paving stones. I'll post it when I find it.

Lavender
Not only does lavender produce lovely blooms, it smells amazing in the garden all year 'round. I have this planted on my back patio and in my front flowerbed. I love how its gentle fragrance just wafts through the air as I'm watering it. It's surprisingly hardy as well. The back porch version gets full sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon and it is just thriving.

The best thing about these plants is that they are also great companion plants for the veggies you're wanting to grow in the garden. These herbs all repel pests and seem fairly resistant to disease so you may find you success with these plants that you haven't previously enjoyed.

Another plus is that you don't need a big plant to start. Just buy a small plant from a nursery - or better yet scavenge from a friend's garden and get going! If you do go to a nursery, try a locally owned one like Baker's, The Style Nursery or Whitfill. They will know more about Arizona gardening than big box store employees and you'll feel good that you've supported your local economy.
Ok - Get out in that garden!!

Hey Sexy, Leave the Gloves ON...

So, you thought this was going to be a post about sex, huh? You should know me well enough by now to know I don't kiss and tell! But, don't be too disappointed yet. The habits I'm suggesting might just help you in that department - if in a roundabout way. Haha!!

This IS kind of a dirty post about something I think everyone should be doing - outdoors. And it's actually about sticking your hands - in the dirt - and trying to pull forth food or beauty. I have a few reasons for feeling this way. Here they are.

Gardening will relax you and bring life into perspective.
If there's one thing I've learned from parenting preschoolers, it's that they behave best when they spend lots of time out of doors daily. Not only does this get them away from the TV and produce a happier playing experience, they eat whatever I serve without complaint ('cause, as my oldest claims, they're "starving") and they sleep restfully.

Guess what? This goes for adults too! There is something magical about sticking bare toes in the dirt and taking deep breaths of that fresh outdoor scent as you gently tuck dirt around a new plant or pull weeds so another can grow. Suddenly, whatever is stressing you out won't seem so bad. When you come inside, you'll feel relaxed, re-focused and tired in the best way. If you have such a brown thumb that you kill everything you touch, just get a shovel and dig in the dirt like a kid. If you listen hard, you just might hear a plant calling your name and promising to grow for you.

Gardening can save you money and reduce garbage waste if you do it right. Veggie scraps from kitchen cuttings, dead leaves and branches, egg shells and banana peels make free compost/natural fertilizer and minimize garbage waste. All that yucky decaying matter turns into rich, fertile soil capable of creating the best veggies you've ever tasted. When you find success at gardening - even if it's just one crop - you can save the money you would have spent on buying that product in the store. And, you can produce it organically! My grandmother and other moms I know will affirm they wouldn't have been able to feed their families nearly so healthily without gardening.

Gardening will allow you to eat organically on a budget and help your kids to like strong food. Growing your own food will allow you to avoid all those nasty chemicals on conventionally grown foods without breaking the bank. And, I can guarantee your kid will be a lot more interested in eating her vegetables if she grew them herself!

Gardening will help YOU love real food! Instead of produce that wasn't picked ripe, was transported in cold (almost frozen) storage and therefore lacks the flavor it's supposed to have, you'll eat the tastiest version of whatever you grow!. No wonder it's so hard to love veggies when we're eating tomatoes that taste flat and flavorless or strawberries that don't smell sweet or strawberry-ish! Eating fresh stuff from your own garden will turn you into a true foodie.

Gardening will bring your family together over the dinner table. Although you can make a very quick meal from the garden, it's one that will require a little chopping and thought. Enjoy a refreshing drink and conversation with your lover or kids while you're chopping away! You'll be surprised at the conversations you've been missing.

Gardening can help you get into shape. Fresh air, aerobic exercise and real food is a recipe for a strong body! Unhealthy processed foods lose their appeal once you've tasted real food flavored with fresh herbs. 

And the point we've all been waiting for...Gardening just might get you some. Ever heard the phrase, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach?" That goes both ways, baby! Who doesn't think a strong and relaxed urban farmer with a slightly sweaty, rosy glow is sexy? What man doesn't think the aroma of good food is the best perfume? Duh.

To your newly fresh, confident demeanor, add the sensually delicious aroma of a fresh tomato and basil salad straight from the garden and you may find you've found an irresistible aphrodisiac!

Here's to love and gardening!

Garden update, March 2011

Can you believe it's already MARCH?!! I'm not sure where the last three months have gone but it's time to get moving on the garden. Thankfully, we can grow food all year long here in AZ, but there are a few things I really want to get in this month.

We started with my front flower bed this weekend. I worked on it before Christmas but left it in lasagna mode. I added lots of layers of dirt/straw/manure etc. to build up the dirt into something that would feed my plants! Check out how that process works here.  It hasn't been very pretty because I've been a little busy lately. Here's how it looked.

Little flower seedlings were popping up despite my neglecting it.

But - when my girls and I went out and turned over a few handfuls of dirt, look what we found!

Wormies! As my youngest would say.

My girls were very excited by this development. Not only did we find the few in my hand, we found over 30 worms in only 2 or 3 shovels full of dirt. (Thank you crazy rainy season!) The girls know that worms in the dirt are a sign of living soil because worms aerate the soil and leave special "fertilizer" that provide nutrients for our little garden. My oldest, who is super girlie, consented to touch one.  My two year old has no fear of "wormies" and wanted to hold one. She did pretty well and was very gentle.

She only smushed one.

It was an accident.

She was deeply concerned about it.

- For a two year old. -

We gently placed it back in the dirt and covered it.

Oops.

We also put a few plants in the dirt. Of course, we choose to do it right before the rain started and the temps dropped. So, we'll see if these guys survive. Thankfully, nature is forgiving...

The front plants are Calendula and the back one is Borage.

Stay tuned! Updates on my other garden and plants to go in this time of year - to come soon

Fall 2010 Garden #2

Summers in Arizona can be truly miserable. It's a scorching, painful but brief interval in a place where we enjoy gorgeous weather the rest of the year. But taking tiny people out in the middle of the town is probably ill advised if you want to avoid their getting heat exhaustion or a bad sunburn! On summer mornings, I get up as early as reasonably possible to go hiking or walking - usually around 5 - and spend only small amounts of time outdoors the rest of the day.

Consequently, when the weather begins to change during our version of "fall," I find myself loath to come inside at all. I wake up a little later, go on my walk or hike, come home to make the kids breakfast and then go back outside as soon as possible. My favorite thing to do is let the kids play outside while I stick my hands in the dirt and try to grow things.

Thus, I've been creating gardens wherever anyone will let me plant!   The latest garden is at my sister-in-law's  house. Here is what we're doing there...

Her back yard has an existing raised bed - part of which is part of the structural support for the tall wall behind her house. As you can see, her kiddos have been putting it to good use.

But, she wanted to plant something delicious there so we got to work. Because the dirt serves dual purposes of food growing and structural support, we decided to use the front half of the bed for gardening but leave the back undisturbed.

This existing flower bed was definitely more work - even with lasagna gardening because we didn't want it to be any taller than it already is - at 3.5 feet. So, rather than building up, we started digging. And - WOW - what hard work!! Unfortunately, this bed had not only been covered with "ornamental rock" - (GRRRR!! I hate that stuff!!!) - it was comprised of very hard clay soil filled with even more rocks.

Good thing I had my sifter with me. My father-in-law made this for me from some wire and wood. It does a great job of sifting out most big rocks so we can still use the native dirt (with amendment of course).

Even with the sifter, there were tiny rocks left. I'm not worried about them because we layered that garden with great stuff - just like my original garden. See the process here.

After about 6 hours of serious work (longer than it would have been if we hadn't been chasing two toddlers around the yard!), we finally finished the bed and planted seeds. And our lovely new gardener chose to plant lettuce, carrots, broccoli and spinach. We added some bachelor buttons for color and to attract good insects.

Now my sil just has to find time to water 5 minutes a day till the seeds come in and we'll install a drip system. Bet her boys will love eating carrots from their own garden!

Our Fall 2010 Garden

Several years back, my mother-in-law (God bless her, sweet woman!) agreed to let me build a garden box in her back yard so we could do something fun together that we both enjoyed. We forged ahead, filled the boxes with compost and started planting. Our first gardening venture went great and we enjoyed a good harvest of plants and flowers.

Then...dum, dum, dum... I got pregnant. Everything I loved about gardening turned to dust...really...because I let most of it die. The smell of my favorite herbs - rosemary, basil, thyme etc. - made me want to turn and run the other way. Thankfully, the herbs grew - though unloved at the time. Though I've been gardening on a smaller scale since then, I was using most of my nurturing energy on babies.

Well, my break has lasted long enough. I'm ready to be back in the garden, breathing in the fresh clean air, feeling the dirt between my fingers and longing to eat something I've grown. Alas, our garden space looked a bit different...

 I have to give my mil credit for planting flowers

and tomatoes in it, especially when she was just as busy as me - 

babysitting grandkids!

I  needed help cleaning out those boxes  - SOOO - when I saw this fellow hanging around, I roped him doing into some work!

In the past, we filled our gardens with compost - which can be expensive to buy and takes time to make yourself. This year, we decided to try "lasagna gardening" instead and it's proven to be so much easier.

Here's how it works. Instead of going through the process of buying or making compost, you just create layers of compost ingredients. These layers break down over time and create super rich garden soil. It's the perfect lazy gardener's garden! You don't have to wait for the layers to disintegrate - you can plant immediately. And - no digging required. (Um, unless you let your previous garden go to seed. Whoops!) Just lay down some paper and start this process anywhere in your yard.

This is what we did. After digging the giant weeds out of the garden, we put down a layer of cardboard and some layers of newspaper & hosed them till wet.

Then, We layered straw, compost (already in the raised beds), manure (from my friend who has goats), dried leaves and pine needles until the boxes were filled again.

Finally - the fun part! We planted seeds - chard, broccoli, carrots, kale, radish, spinach, chamomile, catnip, bachelor buttons etc. - and a whole bed dedicated to onions and leeks. (Onions are an obsession of mine!!) We threw a thin layer of straw over the top of the beds to help the soil retain moisture (spongy). The seeds need to stay moist for the next few weeks till they all germinate.

We have already seen a few tiny little plants coming up but I'll post pics as they get bigger!

These are some other things you can use in a lasagna bed - pretty much anything you can compost goes in there.
Peat moss
Manure
Dried leaves
Fruit and veggie scraps (I like to chop these up or blend them so they break down faster)
Vegetation scraps from around the yard
Coffee grounds
Shredded newspaper

And - to answer the questions some of you are asking about what to plant...

These are the things that can be planted in Arizona right now.
Beets
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Carrots
Chard
Collard greens
Lettuce
Leeks
Kale
Endive
Garlic
Onions (YES!)
Parsnips
Peas
Radishes
Spinach
Turnips
Beets

Here's a link to a great calendar by the U of A on gardening in the low desert.

Any of you planting a garden? What plants are you putting in? I love to get comments from you!

My Summer Harvest

Some of you know I decided to grow a watermelon vine on my back patio this summer - right next to the mixed summer squash. Somehow I missed the memo that the vines would encompass my entire backyard (I have a townhouse!).

The summer squash vine grew over into our neighbor's yard - who is a really great sport. We kept finding these on our back wall.

 They are some kind of summer squash and tasted kind of like spaghetti squash.

Here's the watermelon that survived (sort of).

 This thing was SO heavy!! This heirloom variety, Moon & Stars, 

will grow to between 25 and 40 lbs. 

It is also beautiful with white and yellow "stars" on a field of green.

I also grew chard all summer (so yummy!) and easy stuff like mint. It was just so hot this summer I couldn't bring myself to do much in the garden. Watermelon lessons: They need lots of room (either a 15'X15' patch or a fence where you can train them and remember to support the fruit) and good fertilizer (like fish emulsion) every few weeks. Ripeness: watch for the yellow patch on the bottom and don't wait for the little stem to turn brown (this advice was everywhere on the internet and in my books). This one never did - after months (!) - and it cracked in the last big storm, rendering it inedible. According to advice my farm girl mom gave me years ago, the huge yellow spot it had means it would have had great flavor and sugar content. Of course, I didn't see it because I was waiting for the stem to turn brown. Oh well.

Now the weather is great and I'm off to help put in a garden this morning. This week, I'll post pics of my large raised garden and the one I've been working on with my sister-in-law. Hopefully they'll inspire you to grow your own!

Five for Friday

Five for Friday

1. "Hey mom, remember that ring you told me I couldn't have at the store last week?", she said. Then, my nearly four year old showed me a little plastic ring - which we'd not purchased.
"Uh-huuuh." Didn't see that one coming. We talked about how taking things that are not ours is wrong and how it negatively affects the person from whom we steal. Then, we got into the car, drove to the store (a small resale shop here in town) and talked to the owner. Thankfully, she's the mother of small children too - and was very gracious. My small one broke down a little but she returned the treasured ring and hopefully learned an important lesson.

2. After a few months of looking for the perfect table to fit in our small space, I FINALLY found one in our budget at a second hand store. It's high quality - solidly built, the style I wanted and has cool built in extensions. I love finding the perfect deal, at the right price! Here's the table.

3. I received a special shipment from one of my favorite companies this week, Mountain Rose Herbs. After doing a little research on different lotions and all the yucky chemicals that are in most of them, I looked for natural alternatives. Unfortunately, a lot of those are pretty expensive or they aren't as natural as they claim. So, I started making my own. It's cost effective, really easy and takes about 15 minutes, less than a trip to the store. I enjoy it so much that I do it for fun now. I bought some tea to drink while I'm at it.

4. My girls and I have been growing a little garden in large pots and in the flowerbeds on our small patio and it's doing great. So far, we have carrots, spearmint, peppermint, chard, spinach, catnip (great for teething babies!), lavender, aloe vera, St. John's Wort, garlic, moon and stars watermelon (heirloom), summer squash and tomatoes. The girls are learning about the importance of taking care of the earth that feeds them and they're actually eating their greens - since they grew them. Pretty cool. We'll see how our garden does in the summer when things get hot.

5. We're clearing more "stuff" out of our house. Our small space is so easily overrun by the things we accumulate - even when we are careful. It's so easy to hold on to stuff - "just in case" we need it someday. My husband and I have made a commitment to keep selling and giving away unused things that someone else might truly need. In the process, we're retooling our definition of need. Having an uncluttered space and less things to care for gives us more time for what we really value - making connections with people. I'm frequently inspired to live more simply by another blogger named Sara Janssen. If you haven't seen her blog, check it out. She is an amazing woman!

That's all for today. Hope you are having a wonderful earth week!