Lose The Lawn, Mitigate Climate Change

Posted on August 9, 2021 by Ann Lovejoy
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Protecting pollinators nurtures life on the planet

Making The Best Of The Worst

Argh! Seems like every day brings more dire news about the environmental devastation climate change is causing. It makes me cry; sorrow for the planet feels like the deep grief we feel when dear people suffer or depart this world. It’s clearly just the beginning of the Bad Times, but there are also positive, hopeful signs as well. Among these is the excellent news that replacing water-guzzling lawns with pollinator-friendly gardens can make a significant difference to your neighborhood. We know that over 85% of flowering plants need to be pollinated by insects (as well as bats and birds) in order to produce the fruit and seeds that in turn provide about a quarter of the daily diet for native birds as well as other critters. Even if you simply reduce the lawn by half, improving the soil with compost and planting pollinator attracting natives and herbs, that can make a measurable difference to the number of pollinators, birds and butterflies that find shelter on your property.

Since most pollinator plants, including natives, need little or no supplemental water once established, that means your water use will be reduced. Since you are covering the bare soil with compost before planting, increasing carbon drawdown begins almost immediately. Since these plantings don’t need fertilizer, that means the water runoff from your property won’t be carrying excess nitrogen (or not as much, anyway) to local streams and waterways. Since you won’t need pesticides, the air won’t be carrying toxin drift to affect other plants, people, and critters. In fact, the air and water that pass through your property will be cleansed by the healthy plants. Swap the whole lawn and double the beneficial effects!

Nurturing Nature

Sadly, some folks do not feel comfortable in natural environments, preferring tidy, manicured parks over wild woodlands or naturalistic gardens. However, the more we learn about what pollinators, birds and other wildlife need to survive and thrive, our increasing understanding may help us find greater acceptance of the untidy. Indoors, tidiness is useful but outside, tidiness is death to the natural. It’s important to remember that Nature does not do tidy. We humans need to learn to look at the natural world through a naturalist lens instead of an industrialist viewpoint. Most folks find an intact forest more refreshing than a clearcut, yet far too many yards, landscapes, and gardens reflect the clearcut mindset over the naturalists’.

Barren stretches of lawn support nothing but cranefly larvae and moles, but a well planned pollinator meadow, however small, nurtures a remarkable number of insects, nearly all of which (over 95%) are beneficial or neutral in human terms. If you are devoted to your lawn, please consider leaving at least some verges in a more natural condition. A recent German study looked beyond the usual larger-scale investigations to focus on the scrappy bits of semi-wild vegetation often found along driveways and fence lines or behind sheds and outbuildings. Such spaces often host mixtures of native plants, weeds, and garden escapees that turn out to be home to a surprising abundance of beneficials, including many pollinators.

A Little Wild Goes A Longer Way Than We Thought

Because both native and common garden flowers tend to bloom between May and mid August, pollinators have to search much harder to find sources of pollen and nectar, especially in a dry year such as this one. Those random patches of mixed up plants can provide nourishment and shelter for birds and pollinators even when larger landscapes can’t. Queen Anne’s Lace (aka wild carrots) and goldenrod, fennel and dill, evening primroses and feverfew can knit together with sow thistles and spurges, clovers and purslane can make many a meal for the critters whose habitat is overtaken by so-called progress. “Researchers have already shown many times how important natural habitats are for pollinators. Almost always, however, only large-scale structures have been researched for this purpose, for example, wide meadows or pastures. Studies on what small structures mean for pollinators and which species particularly benefit from them are rare,” says Dr. Vivien von Königslöw from the Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Freiburg.

To learn how to promote a diversity of wild bees and hoverflies near commercial orchards, the researchers compared numbers of pollinators found in garden flower strips and in the wildflower-rich verges of commercial apple orchards in southern Germany. While specialist bee species depend on specific types of pollen, opportunistic bees such as honey bees will take pollen and nectar wherever they can find it. Thus, a wide range of pollinators were observed feeding both in garden strips and in semi-natural habitats such as hedgerows and road verges. As the wilder areas dried out, the cultivated garden strips gained more pollinators. Both are clearly important to pollinator survival, especially since the wilder areas offer shelter and nesting sites for overwintering bumblebees and butterflies.

Surprise! Semi-Natural Habitats Attract Pollinators

“Semi-natural habitat patches can play an important role in protecting pollinators because they help ensure that flowers are available all season,” says Dr. Alexandra-Maria Klein, head of the Chair of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology at the University of Freiburg. “For effective and cost-efficient protection of pollinating insects, the focus should not only be on flower strips,” Klein concludes. “Existing small structures of spontaneous vegetation, plant species that grow on their own from existing seeds in the soil, are also attractive to insects and should be preserved.”

What that boils down to is that instead of worrying about weed control, we must ask which weeds are valuable for native pollinators, and find places to let them be. That way, all of us with any land at all at our disposal can help develop and preserve at least a few small semi-natural habitat patches. Right?

Natural Refreshment

For summery refreshment, here’s our current recipe for herbed lemonade, a bracing blend of fresh herbs and lemon (or lime) juice that’s delightful mixed with sparkling or plain cold water.

Rosemary Mint Lemonade

2 cups water
1 cup cane sugar
1 cup rosemary twigs (loosely packed)
1 cup spearmint twigs (loosely packed)
1 cup fresh lemon or lime juice (or bottled)

Bring water and sugar to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add rosemary twigs. Cover and let steep for 30 minutes, strain and add mint leaves. Steep for 5-10 minutes, strain, add lemon juice to taste and chill in a sealed glass jar. Dilute to taste with plain or sparkling water. Makes about 2 cups concentrate.

 

 

 

Posted in Birds In The Garden, Care & Feeding, Climate Change, Garden Design, Gardening With Children, Health & Wellbeing, Native Plants, Plant Diversity, Plant Partnerships, Pollination Gardens, Pollinators, Recipes, Soil, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living, Vegan Recipes, Weed Control | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

When In Drought, Make Herb Salts

Posted on August 2, 2021 by Ann Lovejoy
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Genovese basil salt tastes fabulous

Helping Pollinators Through Dry Summers

My bee keeper friend Charles showed me a picture of his bees during our recent heat dome event. Except for a few guards left to mind the glass-sided hive, hundreds of bees were heaped in a panting pile by the entrance to the hive, trying to get a little cooler. They survived, thanks to shade Charles was able to provide, but he said that in dry, hot summers like this, bees and other pollinators struggle to find enough nectar and pollen. In the woods and meadows, very little is still blooming as native plants show signs of drought stress. Many gardens are similarly parched and it can be challenging to keep plants growing well. We know such times are likely to become more common, even here in the maritime Northwest. The wise gardener will think carefully before planting water hog prima donna plants, and tend garden soil carefully too.

My own gardens are abuzz with pollinators even before the sun is up. That’s largely because I’m growing a curated mixture of herbs and annual flowers in each location, notably oreganos of every kind I can find. When other plants turn crisp, oregano and other hardy Mediterranean herbs flourish, relishing the sun’s warmth. Dry soils encourage herbs to concentrate the essential oils that build both flavor and health benefits in our kitchen herbs. However, young plants and new transplants are more vulnerable to heat and drought, so watch them closely and supply moisture as needed. Fall and early winter are the best times to plant hardy herbs, since winter rains supply water for free. Or so they have; even the endless Northwestern rains have been arriving later and leaving sooner than usual and that pattern too is likely to become more common.

Pick Them At Their Peak

Hardy herbs are as welcome in our kitchens as they are to hungry pollinators. If harvested and dried or frozen at their peak, home grown herbs will have more flavor than store bought ones, but can quickly grow stale in warm, humid kitchens. This is a good time to harvest garden herbs and purge their kitchen cousins. Give older dried herbs the sniff test, toss any that lack savor on the compost heap and wash out the containers thoroughly.

To preserve the goodness of both fresh and dried herbs, freeze small amounts in tightly sealed containers. Keep just a tablespoon or so in the herb rack, refreshing supplies as needed from the freezer. Herbs and spices last longest when stored in small glass jars with tight fitting lids, since glass protects flavor and quality better than plastic. This is especially important if your herb and spice rack is near the stovetop, where it’s convenient but exposed to flavor-degrading heat and moisture.

Morning Harvest

For fullest flavor, harvest fresh herbs in the morning while the foliage is still refreshed by dew. Ideally, you’ll want to gather leafy herbs from unflowered stems, as blossoming changes the chemical composition and therefore the flavor, and not for the better. For soft, leafy herbs such as basil, chervil, chives, mint, oregano, and parsley, trim up to half the length of the stems each time you harvest. They’ll grow back quickly and can be gathered again every few weeks. Only rinse herbs if they are dirty (unusual), as immersion in water can dilute the essential oils.

Dry fresh herbs in a single layer on bakers’ cooling racks over clean newspaper in a warm, dry place out of direct light (attics are great). When crisp, freeze most and store the rest in labeled, tightly sealed glass containers, NOT a sunny windowsill, as sunlight and heat degrade essential oils). To keep dried herbs potent for months, freeze in double containers (sealed glass jars tucked inside plastic boxes works well without flavor loss or contamination).

Making Herb Salts

High summer is a perfect time to make herb salt blends, filling pretty glass shaker jars for holiday gifts. Once they’re baked and re-ground (see below), herb salts are shelf-stable for up to a year (sometimes more). If you’ve tried herb salt blends, you’ll have some ideas about which combinations you prefer. However, the more moisture is introduced from fresh foliage, petals, grated citrus rind, garlic or shallots, the more important it is to process salt blends properly. These days I’m using up to a 1:1 ratio of fresh ingredients to kosher salt, grinding everything together, spreading the salt in a flat layer in a rimmed baking sheet to bake. When baked enough, the salt will get crusty and form crisp sheets that must be broken up and re-ground before you can pour it into jars or shakers.

Herb Salt Sampler

Our house salt is this basil salt, vivid green and redolent of summer even in January. I usually make it with Genovese basil, including the Everleaf Genovese variety. It’s definitely performing as advertised, still growing strongly without blooming when other basils have been blooming for over a month and tastes fantastic.

Supreme Basil Salt

1 cup lightly packed chopped basil foliage and stems
1 cup kosher or coarse sea salt

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. In a food processor, grind salt and basil to a paste, then spread with a spatula into a flat layer in a rimmed baking sheet to bake. Bake until a crisp sheet forms (it will shatter when nudged with a metal spatula), about 15-20 minutes. Cool, then break up the pieces and re-grind to fine grains and pour it into glass jars or shakers. Makes about 1-1/4 cups.

Lemon Garlic Salt

1-1/2 cup kosher or coarse sea salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh garlic cloves
Finely grated zest of 2 organic lemons

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. In a food processor, grind all ingredients to a paste, then spread with a spatula into a flat layer in a rimmed baking sheet to bake. Bake until a crisp sheet forms (it will shatter when nudged with a metal spatula), about 15-20 minutes. Cool, then break up the pieces and re-grind to fine grains and pour it into glass jars or shakers. Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

 

Posted in Care & Feeding, Climate Change, Hardy Herbs, Plant Partnerships, Pollination Gardens, preserving food, Recipes, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living, Vegan Recipes | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Scabby Potatoes & Summery Salads

Posted on July 26, 2021 by Ann Lovejoy
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Scab is the athlete’s foot of the garden, present everywhere

Cleaning Up Scabby Soil

The Pea Patch I inherited produced a lot of volunteers this spring, relicts of past crops. I left a lot of the borage for the pollinators, which are eagerly nuzzling the bright blue blossoms from dawn until dusk. Kale also sprouted everywhere and we ate the thinnings for months. Potatoes also popped up everywhere, as they do; once you grow potatoes, you’ll always have them. Those tiny potato-ettes hide in the soil when we harvest the bigger ones and lurk over the winter, only to sprout vigorously come spring. I harvested over ten pounds a few weeks ago from plants spilling into the path, and this weekend dug up almost as many more. Sadly, they’re all scabby to some degree. Happily, that doesn’t matter to their flavor or nutrient quality. Some can be scrubbed fairly clean, but the worst of them do need to be peeled, which does remove some of the vitamins.

I can’t complain about the volunteer crop, but I am concerned about the soil contamination. Common pretty much everywhere potatoes are grown, potato scab is caused by Streptomyces scabies, a saprophytic, bacterium-like organism that can find a host in nightshades as well as carrots and beets and related weeds like Queen Anne’s Lace and pigweeds (Amaranths). Scab also overwinters in soil and decomposing foliage, which makes getting rid of it entirely unlikely. The best way to clean the soil is to use only fully mature compost and to grow a cover crop from a family that is not an alternate host (that rules out buckwheat). Once I clear the bed in autumn, I’ll sow annual clover and plant cool season greens, from arugulas and chicories to (of course) several kinds of kale. As volunteer potatoes appear next year, I’ll dig them out and plant more greens in their place. When I do grow potatoes again, I’ll only use organically raised seed tubers from scab-resistant varieties such as Russets such as Norgold, Nooksack, Russet Burbank, and Targhee, which are less susceptible than smooth-skinned potatoes.

Scrubbed with a nail brush, the baby skin is revealed

Caring For New Potatoes

Meanwhile, we’ve been enjoying a succession of potato salads, since young potatoes are best used quickly. These youngster potatoes come in all sizes, some quite large, yet dug this early, their skins are still baby soft under that scabby coat. Unlike potatoes harvested at maturity, soaked and scrubbed baby potatoes should be used within a few days. Don’t refrigerate raw potatoes; cool temperatures convert raw potato starches to sugars, making them taste oddly sweet and altering their cooking properties. Store potatoes in a cool, dry place, always out of direct light, as light shock from bright indoor lights can cause them to develop the same green protective coloration as sunlight does in the garden. The green color is caused by chlorophyll but can also indicate the presence of glycoalkaloids such as solanine, a bitter flavor agent that is best removed by peeling.

Here are two summery potato salads that won accolades at a community dinner last night. Both are lighter and fresher tasting than the usual gloppy kinds and both taste best at room temperature (though any leftovers should be refrigerated). Both recipes are easily doubled for potlucks.

Potato & Sugar Pod Pea Salad

The last of the sugar pod peas meet the first of the potatoes in this light, fresh tasting salad that’s bright with lemon thyme and fennel greens. If you don’t like cilantro, use parsley (or use both if you’re a fan!).

Potato & Pea Pod Salad

4 cups potatoes cut in 1-inch pieces (more or less)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup rice or plum vinegar
2 cups sugar snap pea pods, cut in half-inch pieces
1 cup thinly sliced celery with green tops
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fennel foliage
1 teaspoon stemmed lemon thyme
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1/2 cup stemmed cilantro or parsley

Cook potatoes in rapidly boiling water with 1/2 teaspoon salt until just fork tender (about 12-15 minutes). Meanwhile put 2 tablespoons vinegar into a serving bowl with pea pods, celery, onions, fennel, and thyme. Drain cooked potatoes immediately when done and put them into the serving bowl on top of the other ingredients. Sprinkle hot potatoes with oil, remaining vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt and let stand for five minutes. Add cilantro and/or parsley and gently mix. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4-6. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.

Basil Dressing Light

This flavorful yet light dressing partners well with this ever-changing version of the usual potato salad; it’s ‘run through the garden’, rich with anything and everything that’s ripe and ready. Using some vegetables cooked and others raw makes for a pleasing variety of textures and flavors. If you have a stick blender, put the basil in a larger measuring cup, add the oil and blend for a few seconds, then use a small rubber spatula to get all the dressing on the salad.

Gardenly Potato Salad With Basil Dressing

4 cups potatoes cut in 1-inch pieces (more or less)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cups chopped sweet peppers
1 cup thinly sliced celery with green tops
1 cup green beans, chopped in 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup lightly packed, stemmed basil, chopped
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1/8 teaspoon hot paprika

Cook potatoes in rapidly boiling water with 1/2 teaspoon salt until just fork tender (about 12-15 minutes). Meanwhile put 1 teaspoon oil into a skillet with onions and 1 cup of the peppers over medium heat and cook for 3 minutes, stirring now and then. Add celery and green beans, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, cover pan, reduce heat to medium low and cook until beans are barely tender (2-3 minutes). Remove from heat, set aside. Drain cooked potatoes immediately when done and put them into a serving bowl. Sprinkle hot potatoes with vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt and let stand for five minutes. Add cooked vegetables, remaining peppers, and cherry tomatoes and gently mix. With an immersion blender, blend basil, remaining oil, paprika, and a pinch of salt, drizzle over the salad and gently stir to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4-6. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Care & Feeding, Early Crops, Garden Prep, Health & Wellbeing, pests and pesticides, Soil, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living, Vegan Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

There’s Power In A Single Tree

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Ann Lovejoy
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Urban neighborhoods benefit even from tiny trees

Planting Trees For People & The Planet

During the recent heat dome event, walking through my increasingly urban neighborhood made the value of neighborhood trees clear. Even as temperatures soared, places where trees provided shade stayed noticeably cooler than nearby streets and sidewalks, which reached egg-cooking heat. In homes without shade, indoor temperatures were in the 90s, proving dangerous for elderly occupants. Shortly afterward, I was asked to make a determination about a tall cedar that’s impinging on two neighboring homes. Five years ago, an arborist had noted that both neighbors had added on structures that crowded the large trunk of the cedar, in one case cutting into the tree’s base to make room for the building extension. Now the tree is slowly pushing over the power pole on one property, crushing gutters and breaking the roof soffits, and buckling the deck on the other.

I live in a neighborhood of mobile and manufactured homes, some brand new, most older. Decades ago, the neighborhood was surrounded by Doug firs and cedars, many of which were left in place as the mobile home park developed. As the park grew, so did the trees. Now, there’s a lot of pressure to remove the oldest and largest evergreen trees. Huge widow maker limbs can fall during wind storms. After some sixty years, an over-planted row of firs is full of dead and damaged trees with roots unstabilized by increasing building and water drainage, and some have fallen on home roofs. Wildfire protection warnings encourage removal of evergreen trees that overhang homes, which can help fires hop from roof to roof. So what do I do?

The Value Of A Tree

Like most of the way-too-many mature evergreens in the neighborhood, this random cedar was probably a volunteer that was simply left in place despite the fact that it would become a nuisance if not a hazard over time. Removing huge, maturing trees like this one is expensive, no doubt. Not only will it cost thousands of dollars to have the tree taken down, but its removal will displace a significant amount of the wildlife that makes this urban neighborhood feel like a country oasis. We love our birds and squirrels (well, mostly) and every big tree that comes down takes away food and shelter for the critters. Equally important is the amount of air cleaning and oxygen production large trees provide. Last and least, the cedar protects my home from blistering afternoon sun.

I’ve been pondering all this and grieving that thoughtless planting and planning has created such a sad situation, where majestic, life-supporting trees are cut down because they impinge on human preferences. As with so many equity issues, most of us talk a good talk about loving and protecting trees, but when it comes to our own property, or our neighborhood, or our cities, or our highways, or even our parks, trees almost always lose out to “progress”. Just how much do we actually value trees? Do we truly recognize how much trees contribute to our comfort and well being? Most of us vaguely understand that trees support every living thing on our planet, from bacteria to behemoths like elephants and whales. We may know that trees convert carbon dioxide and other harmful-to-humans gasses into the oxygen we breathe and the natural sugars that nourish trees and create autumn foliage colors. We might even realize that, in some situations, trees can even promote rainfall.

Even A Single Tree

A big, flourishing tree like the cedar next door can provide enough oxygen to keep four of us alive all day. Over the course of a year, a tree like this absorbs and store nearly 50 pounds of carbon, some in its wood, some deep in the soil. Its shade and wind protection are increasingly important as weather becomes more extreme. This is especially true in urban settings, where even highly artificial parks provide measurable benefits. According to a recent study, even narrow, raggedy roadside verges host surprisingly diverse microbial communities that sequester carbon and filter pollutants from soil, air and water. Even the simplest urban greenspaces form similarly complex ecosystems that also promote human mental and physical wellbeing.

A new study from American University shows that even a single tree can reduce pollution, mitigate neighborhood noise, and lower ambient temperatures for hours in urban settings. Another recent study measured temperature differences in urban neighborhoods just a few blocks apart. Not surprisingly, heavily treed neighborhoods were cooler and cleaner, while those without trees and greenery were far less pleasant. Now guess which were wealthy neighborhoods and which were lower income? Correct.

How We Can Protect Our Trees

All this makes me curious about how we can support more trees and greenspaces in our neighborhoods, towns and cities. A quick search brings up many options, notably the Arbor Day Foundation, which offers free saplings of fast-growing trees to all who request them. True, the saplings are tiny, but I’ve had very good luck in growing them on and transplanting them with school kids over the years. Many people know about that program, but fewer are aware of the Arbor Day Foundation’s full range of opportunities to get involved in tree planting initiatives pretty much everywhere. The Community Tree Recovery program promotes healing and replacing trees after natural disasters. Tree City USA connects us to community forestry projects and helps us start one locally if need be. Tree Campus K-12 offers tree stewardship programs to schools, helping kids connect human quality of life with the health and wellbeing of trees. There’s a lot more to explore, so check it out:

https://www.arborday.org/

Unless you can provide ample water, high summer isn’t the greatest time to plant trees. However, it’s a great time to locate both private and public places where trees would be a blessing. It’s also a good time to do some research and make a list of appropriate trees for each spot. Appropriate placement is a good way to avoid having to kill a healthy tree because it was planted in the wrong place. Remember that trees grow, so make sure they’ll have both ground space and air space to reach their full potential. Don’t place trees too near a home; shade trees should be placed far enough away that branches won’t touch the building even at maturity. Be aware of overhead wires and the overhanging, ever expanding canopy of existing trees.

A good source for partnering plants and placement in the Maritime Northwest is the Great Plant Picks website. Created by a panel of local and regional plant professionals, this annually updated site offer lists for many situations along with cultural information, including accurate height and width at 10 years and at maturity. So let’s all pledge to partner with trees, helping to care for existing trees and planting new ones whenever possible. Onward, right?

https://www.greatplantpicks.org/

 

 

 

Posted in Birds In The Garden, Climate Change, Garden Design, Gardening With Children, Health & Wellbeing, Plant Diversity, Plant Partnerships, Social Justice, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living, Teaching Gardening | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment