Wetland Rainbows-Week 3 Food Share

After a heavy week of rains and several rainbows, the garden is looking more unruly than ever and deliberately merging with the meadow. This is most noticeable on the east fence line where the suite of wetland birds meet. When we let the biomass rise the birds are pleased with the added strata for insects, shelter and disguise. A solid group of pine siskins and american goldfinches are taking advantage of the dandelion seeds(gasp) in the lower reaches of the yard and the red tailed hawk while on the hunt for red wing blackbird nestlings was amazingly deterred by a male nest defender. I was hoping to see a catch but the crow quickly showed up to share in the dissent and the red tailed hawk retreated empty clawed.
Throughout the last couple days of weeding and transplanting the garden has been filled with the sweetest sounds coming from the bluebird box. Their first nestlings of the season are calling like wind chimes before the lady bluebirds arrival with a mouthful of gleaned insects. Her stellar aerial capabilities were hardly replicated by the male who spent most of the day feeding himself and maintaining the perimeter. I'm curious on his involvement tomorrow. We finally saw a pair of violet green swallows claiming the new east edge nest box and with the bluebirds busy they might have time to start building.

What you'll find in this weeks share

A head of Oakleaf lettuce

Easter Egg Radishes

Stir Fry Asian Greens

  ~Bok Choy and Mizuna/Choy Mix~

 Bag of  Spinach

Herbs

  ~Chives, Cilantro, Basil~

Shallots 

This will be the last round of our spring spinach but don't worry we have purple orach to follow and a heat tolerant spinach for later in the season. See you in the garden.

The Roots of True Love

An easy way to Share your Love of Garlic in the Garden

Garlic Spray

1 Bulb Garlic

2 cups Water

Drop a Bulb of Garlic into Blender with Water

Blend & Strain

Add to 1 Gallon of water

Fill a handy spray bottle and mist the leaves of crops potentially affected by aphids and other undesirables before they arrive for the feast.

Squash Blossom Farm
Whitefish, MT
Specializing in Heirloom Crops, Agroecology, Earth Building and Garlic
www.squashblossomfarming.blogspot.com

Week 2 Share-Thundering Full Moon

As of Friday we entered into caterpillar eruption mode and I wonder what triggers this cycle-rain, underlying current in timing-when were the eggs laid? Nymphalis milberti is clustering up on the nettles and the unidentified two hungry ones from the greenhouse have a new home on the deck. Their previous existence in the greenhouse endive was not satisfying their cravings as much as the broccoli starts and as much as I didn't mind sharing bitter endive-broccoli starts have to much delicious potential. so, we're awaiting metamorphosis and hope to witness the transformation. They have a happy new home in potted endive and the remnants of a woody basil plant.

In parts of the garden we have nettles, nettles and more nettles sprouting up. When one casually allows it to seed and then composts it thinking the heat will anniliate any hopes of germination-the abundance can be profuse but strangely beneficial when you get past avoiding the sting. The good part is it's vigor extends into the surrounding root structures of nearby plants thereby increasing their growth and yield.
Serving as a native butterfly attractant the caterpillars exclusively consume the nettles keeping the crop in check. It also enriches soil for future plantings, speed ups compost decomposition and acts as an aphid trap. Not to mention the benefits when drank as tea or made into a soup broth.
 Yesterday, I transplanted a large cluster of nettles into the 2 year chicken compost pile without seeds so the root system gets to work. A balanced blend of greens, kitchen scraps, manure, straw, coffee frass and the like have gone into this beautiful pile. Most of the time I just cut and incorporate but this year we're trying the growing method for the piles we've stopped turning.

I also unloaded 30 maybe 40 gallons of micro green flowering plants into other compost piles and the chicken tractor on Friday and the soil beneath looks rich and inviting for the first round of Hungarian Heart, Mikarda, Aurora and Soldacki Tomatoes. Never underestimate the power of cover cropping. It's beautiful unruliness is a driving force in soil moisture retention, loft and procures hardly any physical input on our end. Mustards as a cover crop also grows faster than grass and provides and insect trap for over voracious slugs who might have an interest in my kohlrabi and spinach. In fall I leave these prodigiously producing mustards to self sow and offer up our earliest micro green crop in the spring.

This weeks share~
3 Asian Bundles-mizuna/bok choy/southern frill
1 Bag Salad Mix-it's colorful and full of flavor-hints of cilantro this week
1 Bag Kale or 1 Bag Spinach
2 Herbs-Basil, Chives
1 Bundle Radishes

We thought you'd like to know how to store your Asian greens for optimum life in your fridge. Ziplocks are best to keep stir fry greens from going limp. Eating is easy: stem and greens are all edible and reduce down significantly in a skillet with sunflower oil. Add shredded carrots, sunflower seeds, red beans and chives and serve in bowls.

See you at the Market this week.