Plant Talk

Happy Winter Solstice

 
Our descent into darkness is complete; we've reached the longest night, the shortest day and now the earth begins its oh-so-subtle tilt toward springtime. Today is a quintessential darkest day, with wind, rain and falling temperatures. The sun didn't rise until nearly 8 a.m. and it'll set at 4:20, with twilight descending shortly after 3... Even if the sky was clear tonight, the waxing crescent moon would shed little light, being only 23% illuminated - look for a full moon on New Year's Eve to usher in the new decade.

A traditional way for gardeners to celebrate the solstice is to plant garlic, which will be ready to harvest in mid-June on the longest day of the year. I've been marking the solstice by bundling up and getting out into the garden for an hour or so most days, cleaning up, enjoying the robins, chickadees and the Steller's jays rustling around in the leaves. All the bird activity reminds me of this favorite childhood poem by Oliver Herford, a gift to us all in the dark of the solstice:

I heard a bird sing

In the night of December

A magical thing

And sweet to remember

'We're nearer to spring than we were in September'

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December.

 

 

Forget To Plant Your Garlic?

 
Now's the time to tuck individual cloves (starts) into the soil and harvest plump heads of garlic next summer. Log House Plants has devised a lovely chart - might we call it garlic porn? - picturing the many varieties of garlic they grow and distribute. Silhouetted or shown full frontal on a black background, this garlic is gorgeous!

Who would have thought garlic comes in so many different flavors? I want to try them all, from spicy, medium-hot 'Polish Jenn' to the Asian heirloom 'Brown Tempest' with a fiery flavor and a buttery aftertaste when eaten raw. There are Rocambole Hardnecks (easy to peel, with a deep earthy, gourmet flavor), Asiatic varieties that are especially spicy, and Artichoke Softnecks, that are milder in flavor and easy to grow.  I'm intrigued by 'Purple Glazer', described as rich but mild with a peppery taste. And I'm definitely giving garden room to 'Nootka Rose', and not just because of its enticing name. It's a Northwest heirloom garlic from the San Juan Islands that is especially delicious when roasted.

Alice Doyle, proprietress of Log House Plants is legendary for her generosity, and right at the moment I'm feeling abundantly blessed with garlic. I arrived back in Seattle last night to find two cases of beautifully packaged cloves on my doorstep....as a vegetarian who starts out nearly every dish by sauteeing garlic and onions, I'm going to be one happy cook. Alice - you've kicked off the holidays in great style....and thanks for the delicious lesson in the myriad flavors and possibilities of the stinking rose....

 

Herbal Wisdom

 I'm absorbed in a new book by Judy Barrett with the clearly descriptive title "What Can I Do With My Herbs?" (Texas A&M University Press,  2009).  It's hard to find - Seattle Public Library has a few copies.... it's worth hunting down.

I love to grow herbs, but except for chives, parsley, basil and cilantro, they're mostly ornamental because I've been short of ideas on how to use them. Not any longer.

Every entry in this pretty little book includes a history of the herb and cultivation information. But it's Barrett's abundant creativity and practicality that makes the book so worthwhile. Take scented geraniums. She suggests drying their leaves and crumbling them into a bowl for the simplest potpourri ever, or crushing leaves onto the floor and vacuuming them up to freshen the air. Toss a mesh bag filled with leaves into the dryer to scent your linens, or bake them into cookies or cakes. Barrett iincludes a recipe for scented geranium lemonade and a cooling tea. I took her advice and planted garlic near my nasturtiums to repel aphids - so far, so good....

I always grow lemon verbena just to enjoy the foliage's intense citrus scent...after reading this book I plan to use these shiny leaves as a  substitute in any recipe that calls for lemons, brew it into a soothing tea, dry the leaves in the microwave and make sachets.......the book is a convenient size, is made of lovely paper and offers color drawings like the one below to go with all the homely advice....