Hi Hoe!
Hi Hoe,
I have raised beds in my garden. I live in Portland Oregon. When is the best time to begin planting seeds or starts? Thank you! - Martha-Stewart-Wannabe
Dear MS Wannabe,
With Spring budding all around us, we are all getting anxious to plant. Luckily, you won't have to wait much longer. The average last frost for Portland is April 3rd, but if you want to be totally safe, wait until Easter.
Hi Hoe,
EEEEEEEEEE!!!! SLUGS! hate them! Any thoughts? - Sick of Slugs
Dear SOS,
Beer, salt, eggshells, or copper. Place a shallow jar filled with beer near plants; slugs like rednecks will just drown themselves in it. Or you can use the slice and dice method by sprinkling crushed eggshells or diatomaceous earth around the plants which will cut their underbellies though I haven't had much success with that. It's said that slugs won't cross copper and many places sell copper tape. If you happen to have copper wire around, you can try that. (I found some copper chain that seemed to work wonders at keeping these guys away). Or the best way is to send out the slug assassins - children/grandchildren armed with salt shakers. It will keep the kiddies occupied and get rid of your slugs too!
Have gardening questions?
Send your question via email [email protected]
or go to the hoe's Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Happy-Hoe-Herb-Farm/138140469553359
I have raised beds in my garden. I live in Portland Oregon. When is the best time to begin planting seeds or starts? Thank you! - Martha-Stewart-Wannabe
Dear MS Wannabe,
With Spring budding all around us, we are all getting anxious to plant. Luckily, you won't have to wait much longer. The average last frost for Portland is April 3rd, but if you want to be totally safe, wait until Easter.
Hi Hoe,
EEEEEEEEEE!!!! SLUGS! hate them! Any thoughts? - Sick of Slugs
Dear SOS,
Beer, salt, eggshells, or copper. Place a shallow jar filled with beer near plants; slugs like rednecks will just drown themselves in it. Or you can use the slice and dice method by sprinkling crushed eggshells or diatomaceous earth around the plants which will cut their underbellies though I haven't had much success with that. It's said that slugs won't cross copper and many places sell copper tape. If you happen to have copper wire around, you can try that. (I found some copper chain that seemed to work wonders at keeping these guys away). Or the best way is to send out the slug assassins - children/grandchildren armed with salt shakers. It will keep the kiddies occupied and get rid of your slugs too!
Have gardening questions?
Send your question via email [email protected]
or go to the hoe's Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Happy-Hoe-Herb-Farm/138140469553359
Women and girls make up the vast majority of the people living in poverty around the world today. Yet they are often given the least opportunity to change their lives for the better. Heifer International established the Women in Livestock Development (WiLD) initiative in 1988 to help women care for themselves, their families, the Earth and each other. Make the woman in your life an official WiLD Woman! The purchase of a $50 WiLD Woman Gift card supports Heifer International's projects made up of 100% women!
WILD WOMEN
Save the Monarch Butterflies -Plant Milkweed Seeds.
Butterflies are less plentiful than they used to be and many species are now endangered. Butterflies, like all plants, animals and other insects, are important to the survival of all living things . For this reason alone the conservation of butterflies is becoming crucial. And right now the Monarch butterflies need your help.
The Monarch relies entirely on Milkweed for survival. Milkweeds are at critically low levels along the Monarch’s 3000-mile long migration route. You can help save this precious miracle of nature by planting Milkweed and asking your friends to do the same.
The Live Monarch Foundation will send 15+ Butterfly Garden seeds, including Milkweed seeds and growing instructions, for FREE. Just send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to their address listed below. However, if possible, a $3.00 “Save the Monarch” donation is greatly appreciated.
Send a self addressed, stamped envelope for Butterfly Seeds to:
Live Monarch - Seed Campaign 3003-C8 Yamato Road #1015 Boca Raton, Florida 33434
Suggested Contribution $3 or more. Check payable to "Live Monarch"
For more information about the Live Monarch Foundation and the “Save the Monarch” campaign, please visit the Foundation’s web site at http://www.livemonarch.com/free-milkweed-seeds.htm.
The Monarch relies entirely on Milkweed for survival. Milkweeds are at critically low levels along the Monarch’s 3000-mile long migration route. You can help save this precious miracle of nature by planting Milkweed and asking your friends to do the same.
The Live Monarch Foundation will send 15+ Butterfly Garden seeds, including Milkweed seeds and growing instructions, for FREE. Just send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to their address listed below. However, if possible, a $3.00 “Save the Monarch” donation is greatly appreciated.
Send a self addressed, stamped envelope for Butterfly Seeds to:
Live Monarch - Seed Campaign 3003-C8 Yamato Road #1015 Boca Raton, Florida 33434
Suggested Contribution $3 or more. Check payable to "Live Monarch"
For more information about the Live Monarch Foundation and the “Save the Monarch” campaign, please visit the Foundation’s web site at http://www.livemonarch.com/free-milkweed-seeds.htm.
PLANT A "CHOCOLATE FOREST"
Alternative Gifts for The Gardener You can save lives and restore the earth one gift at a time through Alternative Gifts International. AGI is a non-profit organization that inspires support for humanitarian and environmental causes through designated gifts of charity. Your gift can promote healthier farming techniques, restore forests, and alleviate poverty through sustainable harvesting.
$ 4 provides a family with 3 chickens
$10 buys 12 fruit trees
$25 provides a small fish pond and a vegetable garden for a school
$30 provides a family with the seeds, materials and training to plant a chocolate forest
What gardener wouldn't be delighted that a chocolate forest was planted on their behalf!?!
90% of your donation goes directly to the project you designate and there are many projects to choose from including hunger, education, maternal health, and medical services. On behalf of every child in my extended family, I annually donate $1 for each child. Now $1 may not seem like much, but that dollar buys 40 doses of medicine to prevent diseases and illnesses such as malaria and dysentery. For $6 I can provide 240 doses of much needed medicine! Now that's a bargain you can't pass up!
To order your gift of compassion, go to www.altgifts.org. But if you like, you can stand in long lines dealing with the holiday horrors of buying overpriced, unneeded, cheaply made stuff at a discount, all I can say is I hope you enjoy your a chia pet and Christmas With The Chipmunks CD. Ho, Ho, Hoe!
$ 4 provides a family with 3 chickens
$10 buys 12 fruit trees
$25 provides a small fish pond and a vegetable garden for a school
$30 provides a family with the seeds, materials and training to plant a chocolate forest
What gardener wouldn't be delighted that a chocolate forest was planted on their behalf!?!
90% of your donation goes directly to the project you designate and there are many projects to choose from including hunger, education, maternal health, and medical services. On behalf of every child in my extended family, I annually donate $1 for each child. Now $1 may not seem like much, but that dollar buys 40 doses of medicine to prevent diseases and illnesses such as malaria and dysentery. For $6 I can provide 240 doses of much needed medicine! Now that's a bargain you can't pass up!
To order your gift of compassion, go to www.altgifts.org. But if you like, you can stand in long lines dealing with the holiday horrors of buying overpriced, unneeded, cheaply made stuff at a discount, all I can say is I hope you enjoy your a chia pet and Christmas With The Chipmunks CD. Ho, Ho, Hoe!
HELPING THE HONEY BEES
More than 25 % of the honey bee population in the United States has vanished. Poor nutrition, chemical exposure, invasive mites, and Colony Collapse Disorder are all reasons for the decline. More than 100 crops depend on bees to pollinate. If the bees die, you might say goodbye to apples, cherries, blueberries, and almonds (to name a few).
So, what can you do? Besides planting roses, pussywillows, mint, sweetpeas, daisies, goldenrod and a variety of other bee friendly plants, resist the urge to spray your lawn as dandelions are a wonderful source of nutrition for the bees. They're also nutritious for people too. So don't spray your weeds, eat them instead or even better make dandelion wine! (See recipe below)
But here's my favorite way to help the honey bees: Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream. A portion of proceeds from all Häagen-Dazs "bee-built" flavors including their new Vanilla Honey Bee ice creams will go towards funding Colony Collapse Disorder research at UC Davis and Penn State.
So forget the diet, throw away your guilt, grab a spoon, a pint and some dandelion wine.
We've got bees to save!!
For more information about the plight of the honey bees and how you can help, go to: www.helpthehoneybees.com
So, what can you do? Besides planting roses, pussywillows, mint, sweetpeas, daisies, goldenrod and a variety of other bee friendly plants, resist the urge to spray your lawn as dandelions are a wonderful source of nutrition for the bees. They're also nutritious for people too. So don't spray your weeds, eat them instead or even better make dandelion wine! (See recipe below)
But here's my favorite way to help the honey bees: Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream. A portion of proceeds from all Häagen-Dazs "bee-built" flavors including their new Vanilla Honey Bee ice creams will go towards funding Colony Collapse Disorder research at UC Davis and Penn State.
So forget the diet, throw away your guilt, grab a spoon, a pint and some dandelion wine.
We've got bees to save!!
For more information about the plight of the honey bees and how you can help, go to: www.helpthehoneybees.com
Hoe Made Cooking
Dandelion Wine
What a way to weed!
1 gallon dandelion flowers
1 gallon boiling hot water
3 lemons, peeled and sliced
3 oranges, peeled and sliced
4 lbs sugar
1 fresh cake yeast
Select fresh flowers, being careful that all of the stems have been removed. Pour boiling water over flowers, cover with a tea towel and allow to stand for three days. Strain, add remaining ingredients, cover and let stand for three weeks until fermentation is completed . Strain out all solids, bottle and cork. Let the bottles age for at least 2 months. Makes 8 pints of hooch.
Maple Salad Dressing
A very tasty dressing that's great for homegrown greens
2 TBSP Olive Oil
2 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
2 TBSP Maple Syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Mix all ingredients & toss with your salad greens. I think I used about 12 cups of salad greens and I added pear slices, toasted walnuts, & dried cranberries to my salad. You may want to just toss individual bowls of salad to avoid next day sogginess. Absolutely delicious!
Garden Veggie Skillet
This is a wonderful farm fresh vegetarian meal
6 potatoes, sliced ( I used 2 purple, 2 red, and 2 yellow for color variety)
2+ TBSP olive oil
1/4 c chopped onion
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 - 1 tsp chopped fresh sage leaf
1 c fresh green beans
2 c chopped cabbage
Salt and pepper to taste (I used a combo of garlic and hickory salt)
Chopped tomato to garnish if desired
Bear with me as this was something I basically threw this together so everything is an approximation. Have fun and experiment with what you've got. Makes about 4-5 servings.
In a large skillet, put in olive oil and fry up potatoes till lightly brown. Add onion, rosemary, sage and green beans. If needed, add more oil or add some water and cover skillet for about 5 minutes, stirring as needed. Add chopped cabbage (and more oil if needed) and stirfry till cabbage is tender and beans are tender crisp Salt and pepper to taste and garnish as desire.
What a way to weed!
1 gallon dandelion flowers
1 gallon boiling hot water
3 lemons, peeled and sliced
3 oranges, peeled and sliced
4 lbs sugar
1 fresh cake yeast
Select fresh flowers, being careful that all of the stems have been removed. Pour boiling water over flowers, cover with a tea towel and allow to stand for three days. Strain, add remaining ingredients, cover and let stand for three weeks until fermentation is completed . Strain out all solids, bottle and cork. Let the bottles age for at least 2 months. Makes 8 pints of hooch.
Maple Salad Dressing
A very tasty dressing that's great for homegrown greens
2 TBSP Olive Oil
2 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
2 TBSP Maple Syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Mix all ingredients & toss with your salad greens. I think I used about 12 cups of salad greens and I added pear slices, toasted walnuts, & dried cranberries to my salad. You may want to just toss individual bowls of salad to avoid next day sogginess. Absolutely delicious!
Garden Veggie Skillet
This is a wonderful farm fresh vegetarian meal
6 potatoes, sliced ( I used 2 purple, 2 red, and 2 yellow for color variety)
2+ TBSP olive oil
1/4 c chopped onion
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 - 1 tsp chopped fresh sage leaf
1 c fresh green beans
2 c chopped cabbage
Salt and pepper to taste (I used a combo of garlic and hickory salt)
Chopped tomato to garnish if desired
Bear with me as this was something I basically threw this together so everything is an approximation. Have fun and experiment with what you've got. Makes about 4-5 servings.
In a large skillet, put in olive oil and fry up potatoes till lightly brown. Add onion, rosemary, sage and green beans. If needed, add more oil or add some water and cover skillet for about 5 minutes, stirring as needed. Add chopped cabbage (and more oil if needed) and stirfry till cabbage is tender and beans are tender crisp Salt and pepper to taste and garnish as desire.
Wonderful seeds with a unique variety.
Gardening Notes
March - Spring is on it's way! The forsythias are in bloom and that means the soil has thawed out enough to start your fertilizing engines. Go organic for steady nutrition, soil improvement, and making Mama Earth happy. It's also time to trim your roses.
April - I am reminded by the SNOW had today that April weather can be quite fickle. Keep your seedlings inside still, but transplant them into larger containers to harden them up. Annuals and vegetable plants that are frost hardy are okay to plant. Now is also good time to mulch.
May -'Tis the time to transplant your tender seedlings outside. Too bad that the bugs and slugs think you've just planted them a buffet bar. A little crushed eggshells around your plants will send those slugs sliming off in a different direction. I have other organic solutions to your pest problems so please feel free to send me your questions.
June -Strawberries will be ready to harvest. Make sure they don't become bird food by putting netting over them before they turn red and irresistible to the avian nation. This is a great time to plant trees and shrubs and alls sort of flowery beauties including containers and hanging gardens.
July - Don't let your garden die of thirst! Hot summer weather will wilt plants quickly so water well. Be water wise by watering in the evening. Mulching also helps to keep the soil most and the weeds down.
August - Harvest Time! Now is the time to harvest your herbs for fresh use and for drying. Plant fall veggies such as broccoli, cabbage and garlic. Dead head your flowers and collect seeds for next year. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
September - This is the perfect time to divide and/or plant perennials. Clean up your spent flower beds and brighten them up with fall favorites like asters and pansies It's also a good time to plant bushes and trees plus bulbs for spring.
October - Harvest your carrots, potatoes, and squash. Plant your onions and garlic. And it's a good time still to plant fruit trees and roses.
November - If you're motivated, mulch your strawberries, plant peas, and cut back the canes on the blackberries. I'm more content just having the garden cleaned up and staying indoors by the fire.
April - I am reminded by the SNOW had today that April weather can be quite fickle. Keep your seedlings inside still, but transplant them into larger containers to harden them up. Annuals and vegetable plants that are frost hardy are okay to plant. Now is also good time to mulch.
May -'Tis the time to transplant your tender seedlings outside. Too bad that the bugs and slugs think you've just planted them a buffet bar. A little crushed eggshells around your plants will send those slugs sliming off in a different direction. I have other organic solutions to your pest problems so please feel free to send me your questions.
June -Strawberries will be ready to harvest. Make sure they don't become bird food by putting netting over them before they turn red and irresistible to the avian nation. This is a great time to plant trees and shrubs and alls sort of flowery beauties including containers and hanging gardens.
July - Don't let your garden die of thirst! Hot summer weather will wilt plants quickly so water well. Be water wise by watering in the evening. Mulching also helps to keep the soil most and the weeds down.
August - Harvest Time! Now is the time to harvest your herbs for fresh use and for drying. Plant fall veggies such as broccoli, cabbage and garlic. Dead head your flowers and collect seeds for next year. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
September - This is the perfect time to divide and/or plant perennials. Clean up your spent flower beds and brighten them up with fall favorites like asters and pansies It's also a good time to plant bushes and trees plus bulbs for spring.
October - Harvest your carrots, potatoes, and squash. Plant your onions and garlic. And it's a good time still to plant fruit trees and roses.
November - If you're motivated, mulch your strawberries, plant peas, and cut back the canes on the blackberries. I'm more content just having the garden cleaned up and staying indoors by the fire.
