Grow it… Find it… Eat it

article by Steve R. Black

As a kid growing up on a small farm just a couple of miles North of the paper mill in Cottage Hill, we grew just about everything we consumed. Proper country living suited me well. I absolutely loved venturing into our large garden to find nature’s bounty. To me it was like treasure hunting. Often, in early summer, I would simply miss seeing a cucumber or squash the day before and almost trip over it the next day as they seemed to grow that fast. Much of the food that ended up on our dinner table was raised, grown, or caught.

Fast forward about 5 decades to that country boy having sold his part of the family farm, I still carry those experiences very closely. Eating well has always been a passion. Throughout my marriage to my beautiful wife, this love of food morphed into its own thing. I found that creating in the kitchen is where I can briefly lose myself. Give me a well-stocked refrigerator, an herb garden, and a nice glass of vino and I will cook us something nice to eat.

No doubt gardens are not ubiquitous in our urban areas, but they are present, and in many forms. I have observed several residents near me that have turned their front yard into what appears to be almost a community garden. I often joke that these city farmers may wish to head to the north part of the county. However, I still have the influence of my upbringing intact and even though I relocated from the farm years ago, at a minimum, I have always had an herb garden at hand. With very little effort I can enjoy its bounty. At a time when the cost of fresh herbs and produce almost always surprises me it’s nice not to have to reach for them in the supermarket.

During the recent pandemic, over 18 million more people in the U.S. started some sort of gardening activities, with the surprising majority being millennials. During this unprecedented time, online sales of gardening related items doubled. Research has been conducted that has found that 4 out of 5, 18–34-year-olds think gardening is cool (I am a little surprised). I have no doubt that we are wired to embrace and connect with activities that take us back to simpler things…. especially now!

I often have friends that tell me they kill everything they try to grow and simply have a brown thumb. I do not concur. Photosynthesis is magical and any one of us can grow things. Most plant life is pretty forgiving providing you water often and provide adequate sunlight. Around 6 hours of direct sunlight will be sufficient. A nice basil plant inside your home on a kitchen table away from direct sunlight will soon fade. However, too little, or too much water is the quickest way to sentence a plant to death. Use your finger to determine moisture. Wet the soil thoroughly when watering and then let the soil become almost dry (several days) before adding more. If your finger test detects soil to be wet, do not add more water. Ultimately, like animals, plants are programmed to survive. If you want to grow things, you will mess up and through this effort you will gain the common knowledge that green thumbs share.

“I have found that the visual impact of fresh herbs and edible flowers in the dishes I prepare elevates the experience and encourages me to put more effort into the quality of the dish and not the quantity.”

If you don’t have the space to create a vegetable/herb garden, you may want to consider simply a container garden. Just a few containers on a patio, and you will be surprised at the amount of produce you may get. Be sure and have a plan on what this will look like. A few larger pots that are nice to look at are far better than a patio or other space that is simply littered with all things gardening. You may even designate a part of your landscape to create attractive raised beds or go directly into the ground. Whatever path you choose, do some simple planning to achieve a desirable look and feel. The idea is that others see what you have created as a positive impact, thus adding value to the space. It’s springtime… grow something!

Questions or comments: Steveblack1986@gmail.com

Eat the Flowers!

Steve R. Black Practicing Agronomist and Landscape Design along the Gulf Coast for 36 years

Almost every recipe can benefit from some type of edible flower garnish. A short list of common edible flowers:

Hibiscus Impatiens

Violas/Pansies

Begonias

Roses

Snap Dragons

Lavender

White Yucca Flowers

Squash Blossoms

Society Garlic Dianthus

Daylily Blossoms

Nasturtiums and many more!

Herbs that grow well in our area:

Thyme *. - Cooking Bay

Rosemary * - Lemon Grass

Mexican Tarragon - Lavender

French Tarragon (Spring is best). - Dill Chives. - Cilantro

Pineapple Sage - Basil Sage *. - Mint

Parsley

Oregano

* Mulch these herbs with rock pebbles or ground pine bark to help keep them healthy. Keeping the soil from bouncing up on their leaves not only keeps the leaves clean but, reduces the disease pressure in our hot, humid summers.