WATER WISE

I've had a few people ask me about watering lately, which is something that I was unsure about when I first started gardening. So here are some tips:

There is no need to water every day. Most plants prefer infrequent, deep watering as opposed to frequent, light watering.

This time of year I like to SOAK the garden area with a sprinkler for 20-30 minutes in the morning about once every 3-4 days. In the middle of the summer I water more often, usually every other day.

Covering the ground with peat moss or mulch will help keep moisture from evaporating.

You can test the soil by sticking your finger about an inch down from the surface. If it's damp, your plants should be fine.

If your plants start to wilt, water them immediately.

Yellowing leaves are an indication of over-watering, so watch out for that as well.

Let me know if you have any questions or tips of your own!

Happy gardening!

GARDEN UPDATE

These are some recent photos of my garden. We've already been eating romaine lettuce and I'm hoping we'll have some ripe strawberries next month!

Here's a list of everything we've got cooking:

Herbs: basil, oregano, thyme, sage, tarragon, chives, cilantro, spearmint

Greens: romaine, arugula, mesclun, spinach, cabbage

Roots: carrots, beets

Onions: green, leeks

Tomatoes: roma, celebrity, yellow pear, gabrielle grape, brown berry cherry, brandywine, black plum, yellow persimmon, idyll cherry, san marzano

Peppers: red, gold, orange, green, ivory, anaheim

Squash: yellow crookneck, butternut, zucchini, white pumpkin

Other Veggies: cauliflower, brussels sprouts, sugar snap peas, blue lake beans, and another bean that will be a surprise because I don't remember what it was :)

Strawberries!

What are you growing??

GOOD HEN!

That was one of my late grandmother's favorite expressions. Don't ask me what it means or where she got it from, but "Good hen!" is the exclamation that she would utter whenever she was surprised, frustrated, annoyed, or disappointed. My grandmother lived in Hyde Park, Utah, just north of Logan, where most of the residents raised their own animals. My grandparents raised horses and cows, among other farm animals, on their property, and when visiting we would often go to the neighbor's house to see their "lambies." My grandparents also had a spectacular garden that I will have to elaborate on in a future post. This one is all about the hens.

Recently my friend Ashley over at Bird on the Lawn brought to my attention a new city ordinance that was just passed in Provo. In the words of the Daily Herald, "The new law allows Provoans living in single-family dwellings in any residential zone to keep between two and six hen chickens, depending on the size of their property. The birds must be kept in a clean, well-ventilated and predator-proof coop. No roosters are allowed."

If you've ever dreamed of raising your own chickens and gathering their eggs, now is the time to get started! This post was prompted by a Facebook message that I received today from the Provo Farmer's Market - they will be selling baby chicks at the market this Saturday! The farmer's market sent out the following information:

From the Farm:
Are you interested in the grand adventure of raising chicks?
If so, one of our farmers are selling the following breeds:

* Plymouth Barred Rocks
* Rhode Island Reds
* Buff Orpingtons
* Naked Necks
* Araucanas
* White Leghorns
* Jersey Black Giants

Day old chicks and started birds $2 and up. Call Brent (801) 592-0577 for information and to arrange your order. Brent can help you understand the differences between the breeds and which breeds are best suited to your home situation.

The hens in the photo above belong to my sister, Julia. She and her husband built that coop themselves out of reclaimed materials. One of these days I will convince her to do a guest post and explain how she did it. In the meantime, if you have any insight, experience, or interest in raising chickens, please share!

THIS GUY KNOWS FOOD

I'm a big fan of Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food. Check out his latest appearance on Democracy Now, where he explains why it's best to avoid any food that you see advertised.

BIRD WATCHING

If you're spend much time outdoors during the spring in Provo, you're bound to eventually spot a family of birds just like this one. Yesterday I saw a couple of them in the driveway. I went outside to get a better look and found that there were a dozen or more on and around my front porch.

There are two types of quail found commonly in Utah, I'm pretty sure these are California Quail, as opposed to Gambel's Quail, which are generally found in southern Utah. Quail tend to move around in groups of around 20, which is why you'll often spot a whole group of them at once. I especially enjoy watching them walk around in their little families with their babies in tow.