The Healthiest Way to Gamble

"One of the healthiest ways to gamble is with a spade and a packet of gardening seeds."

Seed shopping is one of those simple pleasures in my gardening life that I look forward to in the late winter. I used to painstakingly go through about ten seed catalogs and ponder over types of carrots, colors of beans, and size of marigolds. Now I am more hands on. I like to go to the store and hold the seed packets, read the information, and sort and organize garden plots in my mind as I select varieties of seeds. The sign above has been a fixture in our house since we began gardening together. JEJ tends the vegetables and I am the flower farmer. This usually keeps peace in the family.

One gamble is when to put in the seeds. The seed packet info can be a bit confusing, especially when we have a twenty degree span of temperature and three types of precipitation on a given spring day. I just know that spinach and peas can go in early so we start out being safe with those seeds.

Also, there is the bird factor gamble. I'll go out and peer into the dirt looking for a sprout, but can't figure out if the birds ate the seeds or if it's too early for germination. Both of us usually end up putting in more seeds when this happens. That has it drawbacks. One year bachelor buttons came up slow, but were in every raised bed. Another time both the first and second batches of zucchini plants came up. I think we still have canned relish on the shelf from that bumper crop.

Another gamble is the pets in the garden. I am always surprised that Annie doesn't have sunflower seedlings growing between her toes after one of her garden digging sessions. It never fails with Shelby and her timing. The first day seedlings peak up in the bed of zinnias Shelby decides to herd all the cats to the flower beds.

The last gamble is labeling. I put colored sticks imprinted with black Sharpie words. JEJ puts the seed packets somewhere near the vegetable rows. All it takes is a wind, two dogs, or a heavy-footed wife to move, remove, or bury a marker for a plant. Last year we had a mystery plant. The label was long gone. First JEJ thought is was a type of squash. I was concerned it was some new, weird weed. After weeks of investigating and waiting, we discovered is was a cantaloupe plant that had come from seeds in the compost pile. Thank goodness it was a healthy gamble.

All the plants come up eventually. Some sprout up in different places. A giant sunflower may end up in the front of the bed. There may be marigolds mixed with asters, but it all works. It really is the healthiest way to gamble.

March and Morning Glory Muffins

I am ready to start March with a healthy breakfast. When these muffins are baking the kitchen is enveloped in a comforting, spicy smell that reminds me of Grandma's house. Find a favorite tea blend or brew a fresh cup of coffee and enjoy these warm out of the oven . They make a great snack at work also.

Morning Glory Muffins
1 cup sugar*
2 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups grated carrots
1 large apple, grated
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Sift sugar,flour,baking soda, cinnamon, cloves,and salt together. Set aside. Combine eggs, oil , and vanilla in bowl; mix well. Stir in carrots, apple, coconut,raisins, and walnuts. Add dry ingredients; mix well. Spoon into greased muffin cups. Bake 350 for 22-27 minutes. Makes 15 or more.
* You can use unrefined sugar or Splenda to make it healthier.

The Land of Counterpane

Mom was there to comfort me numerous times during illness or injury. When I got a bloody nose rolling in the garbage can, she was there to help wipe up the blood. Before my surgery she sat there talking to me as if everything was normal and we did this once a week. When I cut my arm she used her “for guests only” white towels with the pink tulips to wrap my bleeding gash. When I had the bike wreck by the little park she put ice on my eye and put salve on my road rash.

I have a strong memory of being sick at 14 E. Portland in Kellogg. I was about five years old. Mom stayed home from teaching that day. For part of that year Dad was home babysitting me because Bunker Hill was on strike. I still remember feeling special having Mom all to myself for the day. I got to lie in Mom and Dad’s “big bed”. Mom arranged pillows behind my head to help me sit up. She had to give me a yellow liquid medicine that tasted awful, but was there with a glass of water. I spit some of the medicine back in the glass with the water. I think I was concerned about doing something wrong. Mom comforted me and went on as if nothing happened. I also have a memory of Mom reading A Child’s Garden of Verses . “The Land of Counterpane” and Stevenson’s words are still etched in my memory.

When I was sick and lay a-bed,
I had two pillows at my head,
And all my toys beside me lay,
To keep me happy all the day.

Actually that day the toys were oranges, scotch tape and a box of Kleenex. I must have become restless as the afternoon wore on. Mom allowed me to wrap the oranges like little gifts with Kleenex and scotch tape. I thought it was a marvelous way to spend an afternoon in bed. I think I even gave Dad a gift of wrapped oranges when he got home from work.

Looking back on my sick day I remember the softness of the pillows and bedspread in that big bed. I also remember the warm light from a lamp glowing on my tissue paper gifts. The most important part of that day was the gift of time spent with my mom. Touching my forehead with her cool hand helped erase my fears. Listening to her voice recite the words of “The Swing” and “The Land of Counterpane” as she sat by the bed made me feel better. Holding the little blue book of poems and recited poems she seemed to help take me to another time, a sunnier day.

That was an early experience with comfort. Mom provided a safe haven in that Land of Counterpane. I didn’t understand it as a young child. My life continued to be peppered with numerous illnesses, heartbreaks, and injuries. In different ways Mom has always provided that comfort and safe haven for me. I understand its significance now.

I Want To Be A Cat For Just A Day

Many people have created two distinct categories... dog people and cat people. I have seen quizzes and even books dedicated to these subjects. Up until I met my husband I was only a dog person. I didn't really get cats. My husband is the ultimate cat whisperer. A mean old yellow tom cat could jump in his lap and purr. I think cats have a good feel for calm people. That is my husband. Many days that is not me.
Now that I have learned to live with and appreciate cats (we have six) I envy the cat lifestyle. Today when I came home from a stressful day at school I watched one of our cats and thought, "That is what I wish I could have been doing today. Sleeping, sitting in the lap of the cat whisperer, strolling outside, grabbing a bite to eat , gazing at birds, grooming the dogs, sleeping, stretching, rolling around on the couch, sitting in the window and admiring Lake Roosevelt, then sitting again in another lap. "

Yes, I want to be a cat for just one day. The cat above is Lily. She came with her brother Sweet William last March from a friend that couldn't keep them.

Lunch at Aunt May's

Each summer our family would take a trip to Orofino, Idaho to visit my grandmother. Her sister Aunt May lived in Moscow, Idaho so it was a natural "pit stop" along the way ( a favorite phrase my father used). As we grow older our tastes change. I am convinced I would love lunch at Aunt May's today.

Lunch at Aunt May’s
Hot and hungry from the three hour drive
my brother and I crawl out of the car.
Shielding our eyes against the sun,
we steadied ourselves as we stepped out
to the familiar white house on Maybelle Avenue .

“Just in time for lunch”, her voice invites.
We brace ourselves for the smells of food.
Unrecognizable to the nose,
steam rose menacingly from the stove.

With a dismal sigh we sit down to our spread:
boiled kohlrabi, pickled crab apples, and brown bread.
We think it’s milk in the glass to the right.
Stewed tomatoes and fried summer squash
round out the noontime fare.

The jello looked promising as it shook in bright red hue.
“Raspberry ?” I asked.
“No........ colored with beets!” she replied.

Back in the car we pleaded for pixie stix,
A hot dog, a Sugar Daddy, some greasy fries,
Our stomachs were unsatisfied from Aunt May’s lunch,
Our eyes caught the basket....leftovers to go.

The Perennial Favorites: My Gardening Book Collection #1

I am a passionate gardener. New and seasoned gardeners are always asking me titles of gardening books I often use. I have shelves of gardening books, but this first collection is the set I turn to the most often for sound advice on basic gardening questions. Like perennial plants, these provide the backbone to my collection.

Sunset Western Garden Book by the Editors of Sunset magazine

I can't live without this volume. It helps with zones, where and how plants grow best, and plant identification. I love the categories in the front such as plants with colored foliage and native plants.

Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening by J.I. Rodale and staff

I have the 1971 edition I found at a used book store. This book is organized in categories that make it easy to access information. When I began my garden I needed information on how to amend soil.. or in my case how to turn sand (not sandy soil, but sand) into garden soil. This book was the best guide.

The Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch

I miss Barbara on Victory Garden and her own show Gardening Naturally on the Learning Channel. This book is valuable for a first time gardener. It explains everything you need to know from what gear to buy to how to raise roses without fear.

A Way to Garden by Margaret Roach

This book is written and photographed beautifully and I also like it because it divides the information by seasons. By creating a helpful appendix she added extra bits on topics such as potatoes,mulch, and the reality of weeds.

Seeds and Propagation by Susan McClure

This is a small volume as part of the Smith and Hawken Hands On Gardener series. The text and pictures help a novice start the process of seed starting and propagation easily. We have been more successful with scented geraniums than begonias, but we keep experimenting!

Gardening in the Inland Northwest by Tonie Jean Fitzgerald

This book is a must for those of us that garden here in the Inland Northwest. She helped me figure out which plants worked best with our goofy seasons, climate changes, and elevations. Fitzgerald has been a member of WSU’s Spokane County Extension faculty and worked for the Master Gardener program. She answered questions for me a few years ago, but I don't know if she still has that position. There is an updated edition of this book.

I hope this list is helpful. Most of these books can be found in your local public library. In future blogs I will share lists of books for more specific gardening needs. Any gardening books that are keepers on your shelf? Let me know!

P.S. The watering can in the picture was a gift created by my brother Raymond Pert here . I love the placement of the primary colors with the dots and splashes of design. It looks beautiful in any window and works great as a vase for cut garden flowers in the summer.