Not Too Late to Buy Plants and Flowers

The crowd continues to grow each week at Farmers Market and Memorial Day weekend was no exception.  The farmers are still emptying the contents of their greenhouses.  So, if you have yet to get your gardens and flower beds planted, there is still time to buy your plants at farmers market. 

I spent Memorial Day visiting my sister, Sarah Baughman, and helping her put in her garden.  She has taken charge of a space in a community garden right in the middle of a city center.  I brought lots of my leftover plants and seeds.  We planted thirty tomatoes, fourteen peppers, eight eggplant, four kinds of pole beans, zucchini and patty pan squash, cucumbers, winter squash, lettuce, swish chard, flowers including zinnias, sunflowers, and nasturtiums, several kinds of herbs, and a few other assorted veggies.  

When all of these plants grow they are going to make such a nice oasis amid all of the buildings and concrete.  I told my sister how much fun I had putting in a garden that you could complete in one day rather than the weeks it takes to do my own farm.  Even at that scale, I think she will have her hands full.

            At one point during the day we had to make a trip to the local garden supply center for some extra supplies.  The lady behind us in the checkout line commented on how much she liked my sister’s capri jeans and garden clogs.  I had to laugh.  I am always such a mess when I am working—dirty pants, dirty shoes, stained shirts, frizzy curls, etc.  Only my sister would get compliments on how cute she looks in her gardening clothes.  Clearly, we have very different personalities and styles, but we make a great team in the garden.  

My sister and I both love to cook, but I have to admit we got along much better working together in the garden than when we are both trying to cook in the same kitchen all day.  When she was cleaning up her garden area before I arrived, along with the many, many weeds she pulled, Sarah pulled out a whole garbage bag full of green onions.  She said she thought about turning them into jam.  She is going to have to multiply this recipe several times over to get rid of all of those onions, but here is a tasty onion jam recipe to try from thekitchensinkrecipes.com

Spicy Spring Onion Jam
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon chile flakes
3 spring onions, finely sliced (white and light green parts only)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon ground coriander
Directions: Melt the sugar in a small pan with the water and chile flakes, over a medium heat and cook until golden (several minutes). Add the sliced spring onions, vinegar and coriander and simmer for about five minutes, until the mixture thickens. Allow the mixture to cool and serve. The mixture can also be covered and refrigerated and served cold at a later time.  Serving suggestions:   Use on a juicy hamburger; serve with a cheese plate; or slice and toast a baguette, top with the jam, crumbled blue cheese, and the chopped green onion tops.

  

 She says I hijacked the tiller, but don't let her fool you--she used it too.

 After we laid the plastic but before we put the plants in.

Strawberry bed.

 Lettuce Bed.

Left side of the garden--tomatoes, eggplant, peppers.

 

 Right side of the garden--radishes, carrots, green beans, cucumbers, zucchini, winter squash.

 Front of the garden.  Herbs and marigolds.

 Pretty garden gate and farmer!

My sister's garden!  Should we call it Straight Hair Girl Farm??