Eggs, please

The days are (slowly) getting longer, the temperatures are rising, the rain has disappeared (bad), and the chickens are laying! Or, at least, I know one of our older hens is laying, every other day. The new chickens keep going up to the hen house looking purposeful, but no success yet. Soon we will be swimming in eggs!

There were three of us for dinner last night (Rin was out of town at a competition) and I wanted to use our freshly laid eggs for something simple. I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen and we tried it last night, using our rosemary, garlic, and lemons. Oh my goodness, it was wonderful. First of all, to cook with our fresh eggs - those firm whites and deep yellow yolks - so delicious - and then the marriage of flavors from these simple ingredients - it was a winner. I highly suggest you give it a try tonight. (Note: I doubled the recipe to serve three with some pasta left over for another use, but we used all the pangrattato and six eggs. I pumped up the zest and the garlic, using the zest of an entire small lemon, and a couple of extra cloves of garlic. We also use more parmesan, generally, in almost every case.)

Elderberry, pushing for spring

I’ve been casting a critical eye over many of my borders, and determining how I want to change or refresh them. It’s interesting when you decide to look at something established and then erase it all in your mind and allow yourself to think up something new. I was unhappy with how my garden looked this winter, and it’s because I don’t have a lot of formal structure, other than the trees and the fence and the raised beds, to “hold the space down” when there aren’t a lot of things going on vegetatively. One way to do this is to add height. What I’ve determined is that I need more lower canopy, either with plantings or with built structures, to provide a higher mid-level. I have high level stuff, high canopy (big trees), and bushes and low level stuff, but very little at, say, a six-foot height. I want to make this layer without making too much more shade (I’ve got plenty from the big trees, thank you). Tom and I have had many conversations about this, and things will be changing, and we’ll let you know what we decide. This sort of structure might also add a bit of mystery by hiding areas of the garden from direct view, so that you always feel you are discovering something as you wander around. Think of the walled gardens in Europe, but now picture trying to do this without walls, or big yew/boxwood hedges. It’s a bit of a challenge! Any ideas appreciated! Meanwhile I’ve been ripping out or severely cutting back some things that I’ve had for years, things I planted over 10 years ago, and replanting those spaces with something different. I also very much want to make my borders bigger and fuller. This takes time because it takes money, but ultimately I’d like to narrow any walking spaces and fill the edges with plants so that there is more abundance.

The veg garden is looking lovely and is providing us with lots of good food. Broccoli, cauliflower, beets, kohlrabi, carrots, spinach, kale, chard, and snap peas are keeping us in delicious dinners. The first batch of peppers has been potted on and is sitting under one grow light, while another new batch is slowly germinating under another. I bought a thermometer for the greenhouse so I can monitor nighttime temps. So far, it’s still too cold at night to put anything in there, but in March, the first batch of peppers will be moved there to make room for tomatoes indoors under the lights. I will also start a TON of flower seeds in flats in the greenhouse, for planting out in April/May. March will also bring the tree company out to prune all our big trees, which should allow for better health for the trees and greater light in my garden.

I found this little rock in my garden the other day, just inside the fence, and quite tucked away. On the back there was writing. It said, “Martinez Rocks on FB. Enjoy or re-hide.” I don’t belong to Facebook, but Tom does, so I had him look up the group. It’s a group of artists that are painting rocks and hiding them to bring pleasure to those that find them. Of course, I love this idea (remember my letterboxing phase?), nature and art all wrapped up in one. I wanted to find a fun place to re-hide it. Tom and I took a Sunday drive out to the Capay Valley to view the almond blossoms (the trees by our creek are blooming, so we thought they’d be blooming in abundance in almond country, but there were only a few, which was a bummer! We were too early. The Almond Blossom festival is the last weekend of February).

We found a few trees starting to bloom!

We stopped by Full Belly Farm, one of our favorite places, and took a walk to look at the chickens, cows, and fields being prepared for planting. I ‘hid’ the rock on a tree stump near a beautiful empty field. I hope someone else finds it and enjoys it.

Our chores for the coming weekend include our first hive check of the year. I’ve noticed the bees bringing in a lot of pollen, and I can smell the brood. So that means they’ll need more room very soon for both babies and honey.

So you can see, the chores to be done are building up, while we enjoy the fruits of the autumn work we put in last October. Busy times are coming!

February Arrangement

When I went out today to pick this arrangement, I noticed many flowering plants that were severely damaged by our recent frosts. The Brussels sprouts, which I staked recently, are halfway uncovered and this morning had the finest ice crystals decorating them. The winter veg doesn’t mind the cold, but the flowers are another matter. Luckily, there are some great flowers blooming despite the cold.

For this bouquet, I chose a Hellebore as the main stem, and built the rest of the arrangement around it. Hellebores are stars of the late winter garden. This white one is a cultivar called “Wedding Ruffles;” I bought it two years ago and planted it in a pot. Last summer I replanted it into the garden. It’s the only one to survive this (I replanted four different kinds), and I think because it is in very deep shade and is well-watered. However, that makes it very well hidden and it’s nice to cut the blooms and bring them inside to enjoy them. I wish I could afford a lot of hellebores in all different colors! I love them.

The tiny daffodils are a reliable variety called “Tete a Tete.” They are only about six inches high and they are the earliest to bloom in my garden - the big guys will come later. I also have included some white narcissus, some yellow narcissus, a couple of purple spikes of Salvia leucantha (which I also included in the January arrangement; that tells you how well the do all winter long) , and some snap pea tendrils and flowers. Oh, and some rosemary, which is blooming now, surprisingly.

Altogether, I think this looks like a little handful of early spring.

Rooster

This is Dorothy. Dorothy is a rooster.

I got our most recent batch of chickens in Petaluma right before Thanksgiving. At the time, they were very young pullets - coop-ready chicks really - and they’ve been growing and hopping and running and making themselves at home. It’s been an adventure, with all kinds of new experiences, most of which come from having such a big flock (10 - big for me). I’ve really had to step up my game regarding cleaning and providing carbon to soak up all the nitrogen. The food bill has been higher. And yesterday, one (Lois) flew out of the chicken run, which I haven’t had happen since we put up the tall fencing, so I had to do some trimming of wings. This is a process that does not harm the chicken but prevents them from flying too high. I’ve never had to trim wings before, although many folks do it as a matter of course.

Dorothy has been another interesting adventure. About a month ago, I mentioned that she was developing a long, droopy tail, and that I suspected ‘she’ might be a ‘he.’ And just this past week, he has begun showing a very keen interest in the hens and crowing. The crowing was the defining moment. Dorothy is indeed a rooster, a very beautiful one.

It’s interesting because it has changed the entire dynamic of the flock. Mornings, especially, are a little rough, as Dorothy positively hounds the hens, chasing them around the run. He’s relentless, following some urge he doesn’t have any control over. The newer hens are young, too, and so have no experience with it, and my older hens also have no idea what to make of this randy young thing, strutting around the yard. All kinds of idioms that I’ve heard all my life are starting to make sense now (“Cock of the Walk?”).

I love the crowing, and I’d rather like to have a rooster and raise my own chicks. But we live in an urban area where roosters are against code, so Dorothy will be dispatched swiftly this afternoon. We haven’t done this in a while, and since Dorothy is young and healthy, we can eat him. I paid $15 for him, plus countless dollars since in feeding and care. He’s been a very expensive chicken. I will not waste the meat; that would be irresponsible. I’ve done some research about cooking home-raised poultry since the last time, and it seems that even though he is basically free-range and young, he will still be rather tough (not being a breed raised for meat). So I will do a braise with coconut milk, lemongrass, ginger, and garlic. But if any of you have a tried-and-true recipe for this sort of situation, I’d be grateful.

First egg of the year, laid February 1, by one of the old hens

The timing of this really couldn’t be better. Adam’s senior project is about how to eat meat sustainably, and this will tie in nicely. It will be interesting to have him be part of the process this time. I think it’s important for him (and for Rin, and for any meat eater) to know the truth about meat production and what it really looks like. While no killing feels right (and it shouldn’t), a home harvest is a much kinder and gentler process than any conventional one.

We also had another death in the flock recently. Goose, a golden sexlink chicken, suddenly became ill and listless. She died naturally, in a crate filled with soft shavings, which I had put her in to try to help her heal. She was a great chicken and we really liked her. So our flock of ten will soon be eight (and perhaps a little more manageable).

The good news is, our first egg of the year was laid yesterday. So the light is coming back and pretty soon we should have eggs from the older hens. The new hens should start laying soon, too. If all were born at the same time, they should all start to reach sexual maturity at the same time, and since Dorothy has definitely reached his, the others can’t be far behind.

The Winter Garden

The winter garden is lovely in its own way. The flower borders don’t look so great, especially because I’ve been pruning away all the dead stuff, and giving the perennials their annual haircut in hopes of a great spring and summer bloom. But the veg garden - well, it’s abundant, and diverse, and a riot of different shades of green.

Snap peas, broccoli, beets, and kohlrabi are all ready to harvest. Every time I’m out in the garden, I eat a handful of peas or a couple of spears of asparagus or a chard leaf or two. We’ll have broccoli tonight, roasted with garlic, olive oil, and parmesan. We’ll have the beets tomorrow, roasted in foil and peeled, tossed with caramelized shallots, orange slices, and lettuce in a balsamic vinaigrette. I’ll eat kohlrabi plain, peeled and sliced, for a crunchy snack.

It’s going to be above 40 the next couple of nights, as we’re expecting some rain, so I’ve taken off the row covers so the plants can soak up the moisture and sun. It feels good to uncover everything and revel in all the varieties of green. There are no bugs to worry about (a very nice side effect of winter) and it helps me to see where the holes are, and where I can get a quick crop in. I pulled some bolting arugula today and seeded in some rat-tailed radish, which you do not eat for the root, but for the swollen seed pods. I might try to get a quick crop of tennis ball lettuce in before spring. It just depends on the temperatures, and whether we get warm enough to germinate anything.

I’ve seen several native bumblebees on the manzanita, so they are out of hibernation for the most part. The local Bewick’s Wren is building a nest. The peppers have begun to germinate on their heated mat. It’s the time of year where we’re all starting to feel a bit restless, but there’s still a lot of winte left. Ours has been warmer and drier than usual - how about yours?

California Rare Fruit Growers Annual Scion Exchange

My teacher, mentor, and friend Lawrence invited me to go with him to the CRFG scion exchange today, but first, we met at my house and spent some time swapping seeds. This has become a regular event for us; every packet has between 10-100 seeds (depending on the veg/fruit), and no one needs that many, so why not share? This way, everyone gets more variety and everything gets used. Lawrence has quite a collection, some of which are from his personal collection, and some of which are for the classes he teaches at Merritt. You can see the incredible imbalance here, as Lawrence brought three flats whilst I only have one or two little boxes of seed. We have a good time, looking up different varieties, and comparing notes, and our swapping is always capped off by a tour of the garden. Lawrence was particularly impressed with our brassica collection (I’ll share with you in the next week, it’s looking great!) and the alliums. He gives me good advice and we share experiences and I’m so lucky to have developed this friendship with such a learned plantsman (and all-around great guy).

Then we went off to the scion exchange. Holy Moly.

This particular exchange takes place at Diablo Valley College’s horticulture department, in Pleasant Hill. Their greenhouse space is just amazing, and today it was full of scions. This event is sponsored by the California Rare Fruit Growers, who began in 1966 to meet and learn about how to grow fruit in our coastal climate. The way it works is, you pay $5 to enter the event, and then you can pick up as many scions as you need or want, for free. The scions are donated by various growers (and you can bring your own to share), and there is an extremely wide selection.

There were scions from all kinds of fruit trees and canes - there must have been 200 varieties of apple here, and nearly as many of fig, but there were many of every kind of fruit tree you can imagine. The hardest thing about the exchange is figuring out how to mark them so you remember what you brought home. Lawrence spent a good deal of time teaching me how to pick a good scion, which will be helpful for the future.

Do you know what a scion is? It’s a cutting, basically of a young tender branch, which can then be grafted on to an appropriate rootstock and grown out to provide a fruit tree. All fruit trees are created this way; you can see the grafting point between rootstock and cultivar at the base of most of them, about six inches above soil level. This is how you get those monster trees where there are four different kind of apples growing on the same trunk. This can be handy if you have a small space and want a staggered harvest, however, they are difficult to maintain. But also regular fruit trees are grown this way, not from seed. This is why you buy bare-root or potted fruit trees to plant on in your garden. Seed rarely comes true, so they are grafted. This is also called ‘cloning.’

I have not yet learned how to graft, so I didn’t pick up any scions, but I enjoyed being Lawrence’s wing-man, bundling and tagging his choices for his classes. I loved hearing folks sharing information, exchanging ideas on how to grow certain fruits, or which variety was best, or how different varieties grew in different places. All ages filled the greenhouses, from babies in front-carriers to older folks with a lot of experience. It was a real gathering of kindred spirits. Lawrence seems to know everyone, and I even saw several folks I knew from different classes I’ve taken, as well as one of my previous bosses! On this sunny, chilly January day, everyone’s thoughts were tuned hopefully to Spring and Fruit!

Check out the CRFG webpage to see if there is a scion exchange coming up near you. Next year, I’d like to go again, and next time I’ll be more prepared to try out some grafting of my own.