Hip to Hypertufa

If you haven’t already, I highly recommend taking a Saturday morning class at The Garden Spot.  Many classes are free, offering information and inspiration.  My inspiration always seems to be attached to a receipt; I have trouble exhibiting restraint in that place!  In early March, I went to learn what hypertufa was all about.  First – what it’s not:  natural tufa is a slow naturally occurring process, causing limestone rock to become a porous and happy environment for plants.  Natural tufa was used for stone sinks and animal troughs in Great Britain, so I’ve read.  Hypertufa is intended as a substitute for natural tufa (now rare and expensive).  Hypertufa pots are lightweight in comparison to terra cotta and concrete and can withstand temperatures of -20 degrees Fahrenheit (that’s us, Whatcom County).  For $35 all supplies were included in the class fee.   I’m pleased to report that all of the ingredients are inexpensive and readily available.  I’ve seen many hypertufa recipes, but here’s how it shakes out: 

3 ingredient mix

Hypertufa = 2 parts peat moss, 1 part Portland cement, 1 part sand

This ratio is the most important part of the process.  Use any size container to measure out the dry ingredients.  After that, it’s akin to childhood mud pie making. Armed with basic knowledge and newly acquired hands-on technique, I decided to make more.  I gathered my recipe ingredients on a late night trip to a big box store (to remain unnamed).  I managed to slide an entire 90 pound bag of Portland cement into the shopping cart all by my lonesome!  All pride was immediately squelched when I tried to dead lift my weighty purchase in the hatchback.  After many futile attempts I had to call Joel for a rescue.  Driving up to my aid, he said he saw smoke coming out of my ears.  Oh well, now I have a lifetime supply of Portland cement. 

“Don’t agonize, organize.” ~ Florynce R. Kennedy

Nothing makes me crazier than when I can’t find something I KNOW I have.  This is the case of my ‘pantry’. OK, it’s really a closet we had the builder of our new home convert into what we can use as a pantry.  We ended up with one small wire shelf that was to really act as clothes hanger.  My hubs promised that he would build me custom shelves, but in the mean time we could use a dinky shelf unit we had in the garage.  My cans, pasta, grains, boxes piled up as I waited for those custom shelves. 

Happy Father’s Day

Apart from ‘right plant, right place’ a gardener in the Whatcom Falls neighborhood offered me the sage advice ‘don’t baby it.’ Now I find myself repeating the phrase.  I gave the heirloom tomatoes I started from Territorial seed a 10% survival rating.  A bail of soil conditioner and an application of bone meal later  (channeling Grandpa) – look at my damn tomatoes! 

Tomato trellis a la Steve Solomon

This training method comes from Steve Solomon’s Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades.  I bought this at Village Books with my used book credit.  (Village takes used books?!  Where have I been the last 9 years, this is the best deal ever!).  I bought this along with another biblical garden text, Eliot Coleman’s The New Organic Grower.  Steve Solomon started Territorial Seed Co and resides in Oregon – a great reason to buy Territorial.  Solomon can recommend seed varieties for our region – Sunset Region 4: Cold-Winter Areas of the North Coast and Mild-Winter Areas of Alaska and British Columbia. 

Peas If You Please

I’ve been eagerly awaiting Joe’s Gardens English shelling peas.  Last week I stopped by and asked the farmer when his tender and sweet shelling peas would be ready for the picking.  He grumbled “It may be next Saturday… it MAY not…” 

Translation: patience.

This morning (yes, they were ready on Saturday), Joe’s handmade “Shelling Peas” sign beckoned me to get them while I can.  I filled a bag with the green pods as I tried to remember a recipe for a delicious pea soup with ginger and orange.

Impromptu Mom + Son Hike

Sunday began with a bit of a promise of rain.  We definitely could use some and would like to turn off the garden hose.  I’m thinking about hunting for a couple great looking vessels that could be used as rain barrels for the garden patch.

The hubster was studying securities blah, blah, blah for work while son and I were looking for something to do.  Looking out the window we determined it would only be overcast – no rain, no excuses for staying indoors today. 

In the mood for shellfish and a trip to Taylor Shellfish Farm, I suggested that my son and I head to Larrabee and hike to Fragrance Lake. 

Winding our way down Chuckanut Drive through dense trees and ferns, we stopped to take photos of the islands jutting out of the water and touching the flat, grey sky. 

heirloom of ones own

Our bookclub recently discussed how Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle impacted us – positively to say the least -  yards of compost spread, homemade pizza nights initiated, hundreds of lettuce and carrot seeds sown.  My copy (with many underlined paragraphs and !!!) is already out on loan.  I started to be more aware of my food choices, hunting for products grown in Whatcom County (at the very least Washington state) and I did sow more frost-hardy vegetables in the backyard.  I wish I could tell you that I stopped there, but as you’ll see my enthusiasm for the book is growing, literally.  Joel and I now have a feathered flock of five!  Welcome, ladies.

5 chicks – no dudes:  2 Araucana, 2 Rhode Island Red & a lone Buff Orpington

april showers can be overrated

Is it here yet?  With each sunny day and budding branch on my young dogwoods and maples the inevitable is coming.  Spring seems to be shaking the frost from Bellingham.  This has been an unusually cold winter.  We are all ready for the big thaw. 

mary, mary, quite contrary

Eager to greet the spring season at the door, Jill and I made our way to the 21st Fairhaven Neighbors Plant and Tree Sale.  This annual event brings together local growers and nurseries offering a bounty of native plants, ornamentals, and fruit trees to benefit Fairhaven Neighbors and the Coalition for Local Self Reliance.   I got several varieties of ferns, interesting shady ground cover, and a half dozen strawberry plants. Jill honed in on several Lady’s Mantle starts, her favorite filler for bouquets, and a white flowering quince for $5!  Excellent finds supporting a great cause and worth getting soaked in the rain. 

 We filled Jill’s car with our finds, yet we were unsatisfied. 

start from scratch

I recently celebrated the anniversary of my 29thbirthday (which one will be left unsaid).  In my family, we plan for a birthWEEK instead of a birthDAY.  Mine began the Friday before the big day with a special date dinner with my hubby and son and a glass, or two, of vino.  Family gifts were opened on the official date. Dad sent the gift of possibilities (check), sis sent her handiwork in the form of a beautiful indigo tote, in-laws a trip to the Garden Spot, and friends and co-workers flowers to gift certs to the Chrysalis Spa.  What arrived late was something I’ve desired for a long time.  My wonderful husband was dismayed that the delivery of my KitchenAid Pro Series standing mixer in caviar was delayed.  As for me, I’m more than amenable to prolonging gift procurement.

I adore opening my front door to a package. This time, I was not disappointed. There it was, the Pro Series. Unfortunately any baking would have to wait until our new oven was working. A coil had failed, or something to that effect, and we were assured the part was on it’s way Friday afternoon. Eager to dive in, I began the bread making process with the thought that it would rise while the repairman worked his magic. I decided to tackle a pullman loaf, or pain de mie – a more dense yet not too heavy, yeasty bread, and was just about to add the yeast to the warm milk/water mixture when the doorbell rang with the serviceman.