mulch

Leave your leaves

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Those of you who know me or read my blog regularly know that my harangue in this season is to leave fallen leaves in place or at least manage them so they stay in the landscape. Just like nature handles them, in the woods and even on the prairies. After all, it’s free organic matter which the soil makes good use of in its natural cycles. 

Now I’m vindicated!

This was in my inbox this morning from the National Wildlife Federation: 

“Leaves are starting to change color and begin to fall to the ground. Did you know that leaving the leaves in your yard or garden not only saves you time and energy but also benefits wildlife?

Here are a few good reasons to put down the rake:

  • Provide habitat for wildlife: frogs, turtles, and salamanders rely on fallen leaves to provide cover and hibernation places; many moth and butterfly caterpillars overwinter in fallen leaves before emerging in spring
  • Provide food for wildlife: creatures like earthworms and millipedes reside in and decompose leaf litter, and also are themselves a source of food for bigger wildlife like birds and toads
  • Increase fertility of your soil: as the leaves decompose, nutrients are added to your soil, and also allows for greater water retention”

Enough said. 

Nature’s mulch

Rake if you have to….but put them back

If you can’t stand the look of the untouched leaf cover, by all means, rake them out of the beds, shred with the mower and then blow them back into the beds. You’ll be on your way to a lovely layer of mulch. Think of it as free fertilizer. Let nature do the breakdown for you and give you organics for free. No need to buy all that bagged mulch next spring. 

Here’s a hearty breakfast for the weekend that will fortify you for some garden work: 

Breakfast strata

Breakfast strata

2 t. olive oil

1 c. chopped onion

¾ cups unpeeled gold or red potato, finely diced

½  cup diced red bell pepper

1 t. salt

2 c. ciabatta, sourdough or Italian bread cut into 1-inch cubes

½ c. grated or crumbled cheese of choice (brie, parmesan, feta, cheddar, goat)

2 large eggs

1 t. dried herbs or 1 T. chopped fresh herbs of choice

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

2 c. milk

Sauté vegetables about three minutes or until tender. Add vegetables to whisked eggs and milk; stir in seasonings. 

Place half of the bread into a loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Top with the remaining bread mixture and remaining cheese.

Pour the egg mixture over the bread mixture, pressing bread into the liquid. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until set. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Riffs on the recipe: 

French toast strata

Omit the vegetables and season the egg mixture with ½ c. sugar and 1 t. cinnamon. Serve with maple butter or maple syrup

Early spring garden tips

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Oh, how those glimpses into spring taunt us. Days when the sun is shining and the temperature goes above 45 degrees. They are far between right now, but when they do come, my fingers literally get itchy to be plunged into the dirt. Cold though it is, it still feels good. 

I’m one of the worst offenders when it comes to jumping the gun on the season, but there are certainly things we can do when we get those softened breezes. Here are a few tips to get you started when you can be in the garden for a couple of hours. 

  1. Leave mulch in place
Shredded leaf mulch adds health organics

If you’ve mulched over the tops of your perennials, don’t be too fast to remove it. Wait until the tulips begin to bloom. Remove whatever you can by hand and then use a strong spray of water to remove the rest from the crown. Be sure to keep three inches of organic mulch on the ground around the plant for the growing season.

  1. Prune winter dieback

Yes, you can warm up your pruners! Prune winter dieback while the plants are still semi-dormant to take full use of the sap and nutrient flow in spring. Dead areas of stems will be obvious by their color. Prune just below the dead area, aiming to cut just above an outward facing bud. Also, prune for a pleasing shape.

  1. Cut back ornamental grasses

As soon as the weather permits being outside comfortably, cut back all ornamental grass foliage left on for the winter. Be sure to do this before new growth starts. This will make it easier than trying to sort through the new foliage and will keep from damaging it.

  1. Recycle for the garden
paper pots and cardboard rolls

Start recycling for the garden. Save paper towel, bathroom tissue or gift paper rolls and cut into 3-inch lengths to use for seed starting or as collars around early transplants to prevent cutworm damage. Make a mini-greenhouse by bending coat hangers into arches to fit in a seedling flat. Cover with plastic.

  1. Leave garden debris in place
No need to remove dead foliage

Even though spring clean-up feels really good, don’t be too eager to rake the area under shrubs and groundcovers clean of leaves and organic debris. Nature doesn’t do this, so mimic the woods and leave the natural mulch in place. This not only helps the health of the plants by providing nutrients as the materials decompose, but it also gives birds an excellent hunting ground. And the plants will come up through the mulch just fine.

  1. Set up your cold frame

There’s no need to have a fancy set-up. Simply placing bricks, cement blocks or even hay bales and putting a discarded window across them will give you a superb planting spot for early vegetables. There is absolutely nothing quite as sweet as fresh spinach, especially when coupled with the earliest of perennial onions. Make sure to give it a south or southeast exposure with some wind deflection. 

Spinach pasta

A deliciously easy recipe for early spring spinach (or any green)

1  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½   cup finely chopped onion

3  cloves garlic, minced

½ pound whole grain spaghetti

Salt and pepper

1  tablespoon butter

½ pound fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

Red-pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

½ T. fresh lemon juice

½ c. grated Parmesan, Asiago  or smoked gouda cheese

Cook pasta in salted water to al dente. Drain, reserving one cup of the pasta water. 

Saute onion and garlic in oil until tender but not caramelized. Add pasta, reserved cooking water, butter to the onion and garlic. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Add spinach and red pepper, stirring until the spinach wilts. Add rest of ingredients, stirring until the cheese begins to melt. Season to taste. Serve with more cheese if desired and garlic toast. Enjoy!