In my internet wanderings I came across a post somewhere about ollas. An olla is a low fired unglazed clay pot with a narrow opening that is ‘planted’ in the ground and filled with water. Its narrow opening sits an inch or so above ground and is often covered with a lid. The porous clay slowly waters the plants situated next to it using a fraction of the water a normal watering would use. In arid regions ollas have been used for millennia and do work quite well from what I’m reading. Some might wonder what use an olla would be in the rainy PNW. Actually the summer months can be quite dry. Last summer there were weeks at a time where I was watering daily. It got so bad we were wondering if the well we used would run dry. If an olla could put a dent in that it would be awesome.
In the quest to ‘do-it-myself’ I found some YouTube videos that dealt with making your own olla with a couple of terra cotta pots, some silicone and gorilla glue. I may end up trying that but once I put together how much it would cost, time required and the ‘would it even work’ factor I chickened out and decided to purchase an olla (two actually). Home Depot had a sale going on and I was able to pick up two for what I would have paid for one at the garden outlets. The company that makes them, GrowOya has three sizes, I opted for the medium 3L size. I would have loved the larger one but not sure my raised bed (that pretty much sits on bedrock) is deep enough to accept it. I’m sure it depends on soil structure and number of plants but the site says the medium size will accommodate about a 3′ sq area. My plan is to use the two ollas as the sole source of water to water the squash I planted today (once it is established). If it turns out to be a success I may have to revisit those YouTube videos.
This arrived in the mail yesterday. A little rough but in great shape overall and even has raspberries!
Beans
My first attempt at pole beans this year was a total flop. I wanted till the end of a warm spell to plant the beans which essentially disappeared (rotted?). I waited for the next warm spell and planted again. This time there was germination but it was spotty at best. Rather than try for beans 3.0 I’ve decided to offer the end of the trellis to a couple of cucumbers I started from seed. That’ll show em.
Raspberries
Park seed had a sale on the new BrazelBerry ‘Raspberry Shortcake’. This miniature little raspberry grows 2-3′ tall and is reported to do great in a container. The sale was half off the normal price so I picked one up. I was pleasantly surprised when it was delivered. There were half a dozen leafy canes in a 1 gallon pot. There were even a couple of raspberries!
Jerusalem Artichokes
A couple of weeks ago we tried roasted jerusalem artichokes for the first time. The taste was great but the gastric aftereffects were…interesting. I’m game for trying them again, so decided to plant the couple of small tubers that were in the batch I purchased at the local grocery. They’ve been in 6″ pots since then and all are about half an inch out of the ground. Today I potted all three in a 30L pot. No way I was planting them in the garden. Once you do you have them forever. I opted to grow them even if we don’t end up eating them. They have pretty little yellow flowers and would make a nice color addition to the garden.
Balcony Garden
In addition to a number of pots on the floor of the 50’ft balcony I have three long and two small round railing planters. I had started pansies in the three larger planters early this spring. One was replanted with the tomatoes and nasturtiums several weeks ago. Another was replanted today with a couple of mini dahlias, some allysum and a couple of lobelia. It will be gorgeous if I can keep enough water on it.
The potatoes are in bloom. It won’t be long now.
Other Garden Happenings
My garden is a 10’x20′ space that takes up two plots in the Rock Farm Community Garden. In order to be able to access the entire space, I placed some stepping stones down most of the bed in the middle effectively creating two 4.5’x17′ beds and one large 3’x10′ bed. A fellow gardener planted sweet allysum (Lobularia maritima aka Alyssum maritimum) between the stones in her garden and I loved the look so much I purchased a couple of 4 packs for my garden. My grandmother always grew and loved white allysum so I like to grow some every year. She’s been gone over 30 years but seeing the flowers always makes her feel close.
In addition to the allysum I planted out the zucchini and some zinnias I started from seed. Historically I’ve kept the veggie garden ‘pure’ but I’m finding that I really enjoy a few flowers sprinkled here and there too.
First harvest of cylinder beets and snow peas.
The last of the spinach came out last weekend. It had pretty much all bolted and there wasn’t’ very much of it left. This was a small patch of Bloomsdale I planted very early in the season.
This past week saw the beginning of the snow peas and the first harvest of beets for the year. I planted a couple of varieties and this was an early planting of cylinder beets. They are roasting in the oven with some parsnips as I type. Speaking of parsnips, I may try growing some this year. They would be a brand new crop for me, tried salsify once in KY but never parsnips. A gardening calendar for the area recommended a June planting. If the weather holds tomorrow I may have to make a trip to the garden center to pick up some seed. They are a fairly long season crop that can overwinter in the ground here and are actually reported to get sweeter with the onset of cold weather.
All in all it was a good week gardening wise. It has rained on and off today so I was only able to get my hands in the soil this morning. Hoping for some more dirt time tomorrow.
Like most folks, I had always thought of weeds as the bad guys. Can’t have a garden without having to spend some sweat equity on your knees, ridding the garden of unwanted occupants. A college horticulture class changed the way I looked at weeds when the professor uttered a simple sentence. “Weeds are just plants out of place.” He went on to say that in the right environment, corn or tomatoes can be weeds. I had never thought of it that way but yes of course, anything that is growing in a place we didn’t intend for it to can be regarded as a weed.
With this in mind I decided to do an inventory of the ‘weeds’ in my garden and see if I could find value in them or if they were simply unwanted visitors that needed to go. As a general rule I don’t leave enough open space for weeds to be an issue. I tend to weed early in the season and sparingly after the growing season gets in full swing. I plant tightly and in clumps rather than rows for many things so weeds don’t have much of a chance. Two unwanted weeds I saw this morning were the wild strawberries that never grow any kind of berry worth eating and clover. I found others though that I wasn’t so quick to dismiss and even look forward to.
Nasturtium
Weed #1: Saucer Nasturtium
I don’t know the exact variety name for this nasturtium as it has been in my garden spot longer than I have. I first noticed it in a neighboring plot and envied it’s beautiful leaves and flowers. Â It wasn’t long before I noticed a couple of seedlings emerging between a couple of rows of whatever was growing there at the time. It comes back every year and every year I look forward to its arrival. The leaves have gotten twice the size you see in the picture, the largest nasturtium leaves I’ve ever seen. The flowers are a lovely orange and fairly prolific. I love the way it drapes over the side of the border by the end of summer.
Uses for Nasturtiums
Besides the beauty of the flowers and the interesting leaves, nasturtium flowers are a great addition to salads. They add a splash of color and have a bold peppery flavor so a little goes a long way.
Lamb’s Quarters
Weed #2: Lamb’s Quarter
Lamb’s quarters goes by a handful of names and is closely related to quinoa. Apparently early European settlers introduced this plant and it has made itself at home. I don’t see nearly as much of it in my current garden as I used to in Kentucky. In the hot summers of Kentucky it wasn’t unusual to see them get over 6′ in height if left undisturbed. This is one plant that you don’t want to let go to seed as it can easily take over an area. Not all seeds sprout the first year so once established you have it for It is hard to cultivate intentionally though as it thrives on neglect. Â You can find it growing in gardens, roadside ditches and pretty much everywhere a spot of bare ground exists.
Uses for Lamb’s Quarter
When my daughter was young she preferred steamed lamb’s quarter to any other green. It has been used as a food source forever and is high in a number of nutrients. It does contain oxalic acid so one wouldn’t want a steady diet of LQ. In moderation it is a great addition to a meal and makes pulling them less like weeding and more like harvesting. The tender young leaves are best and can be steamed, added to soups etc. There is a white powdery like substance on the underside of the leaves that disappears with cooking.
Purslane
Weed #3: Purslane
Purslane is VERY common plant at Rock Farm. It’s ability to root from just a leaf means that if you want to get rid of it you have to get ALL of it. It is a Portulaca and is closely related to common flowering Portulaca that you can find at many garden centers. The fleshy succulent leaves and stems of this low growing plant make it an easy one to identify. Purslane isn’t very particular in its surroundings. It can be found thriving in anything from a dry undisturbed area to a well tended garden.
Uses for Purslane
Many people love the young leaves and plants in salads and in sandwiches in place of pickles. I find purslane crunchy with a slight lemony taste. It can be a bit slimy which some folks don’t like. For me purslane is a little bit goes a long way kind of edible. I haven’t tried all the purslane recipes I’ve found though so perhaps something will peak my interest. For now this is one I pull and dispose of.
Nigella
Weed #4: Nigella
This pretty little flower occurs in a couple of spots in and next to my garden spot. I planted Nigella last year and didn’t get the flowers dead headed in time to prevent it reseeding itself. The leaves are reminiscent of dill so I make sure not to plant my dill anywhere near it. I don’t know if the leaves of nigella are toxic but I’m not taking any chances.
Uses for Nigella
Some sources list medicinal uses of some forms of Nigella. I haven’t done a lot of research on the subject and am not inclined to at this point. Others may feel differently. I appreciate it for the beautiful white – blue flowers both in the garden and out.
Weed #5: Arugula
This is another one I am totally responsible for. I planted half a dozen arugula plants last year and allowed the last two to flower. BIIIIIG mistake. I now have arugula growing in a 3′ diameter space. Fortunately it comes out easily and does have its uses. I’ve shared much with fellow gardeners and use the pulled plants to shade the soil between a couple of rows of garlic.
Volunteer Arugula
Uses for Arugula
Arugula is known for being a great addition to salads. It has a taste that borders on peppery – bitter so a little bit goes a long way. The flowers are yellow and pretty but don’t be fooled. This isn’t one you want to go to flower unless you really like arugula or have a large circle of family and friends that like it.
