A Bouquet of Daffodils

Several years ago I got interested in bulbs-the idea of putting a small, brown object in the ground and having it transform itself into a thing of beauty a few months later just facinated me-I did some research, talked to other gardeners and landscapers, and decided that daffodils were the best bet for our area-low maintenence-deer resistant AND they multiply-so off I go to get daff bulbs-thanks to a condition I struggle with-OCD-anything worth doing is worth over-doing-and I arrive home with 3 crates of daff bulbs(about 500). We have an alder grove at the corner of our farm just crying out for some spring color and daffs are the answer! I prepare to plant-dividing the bulbs into groups of 50-a large box of bone meal-small bulb planter-and off I go on a clear,beautiful October morning-desiring to beautify our little corner of the world. I carefully place each bulb into attractive groupings-dig small holes-twice the depth of the bulbs width and proceed to plant my first 50 bulbs-this could take awhile-I get through my second batch of 50 bulbs and decide there has to be an easier, faster method-taking off on the "naturalizing" aspect of daffs, I devise a new plan-I now stand in the general area where I want the bulbs-bag of 50 in handand begin to toss them,gently, in the air-where ever they land is where they get planted-I take my LARGE shovel, put a slice in the ground, push the handle forward opening an area where I drop in some bone meal,drop in the bulb or bulbs,remove the shovel and step on the soil that remains-Now, isn't that simple!


Daffs are a hardy lot and over the years I have been rewarded with georgeous spring blooms in the alder grove. I've added different sizes, colors and bloom times of daffs -almost every fall I plant some more. I've also added some snowdrops and crocus here and there for variety and we enjoy early spring color for many weeks, just when we need it the most.

Sometimes I cut daffs to sell at the Farmers Market or to enjoy inside, but mostly I love them in their natural setting. The entire neighborhood seems to love watching them grow-usually beginning in January-the first tips emerge and we all anticipate the coming show-AHHHH-simple pleasures. So, if you are out and about on San Juan Island and love daffodils, at the corner of Miller Road and Three Corner Lake Road, the show is beginning.....and it's FREE! ENJOY!





P.S.My new favorite gardening book: Gardening in the Pacific Northwest by Carol and Norman Hall from Timber Press. It's fabulous, informative and the photography is very inspiring. I highly recommend it.

Got Zucchini?

What an encouraging plant to grow-as a novice gardener in the 70's I planted six zucchini plants in my garden in Southern California-lots of sun,warmth and water-I could have supplied a developing nation with zucchini-but instead I chose to supply my friends,neighbors,co-workers and extended family with this great summer squash that few of us knew how to use-I felt such a sense of accomplishment-helping to feed all these people from my little garden-I was encouraged by my sucess to continue on in my gardening adventures.

There is a folk saying in the San Juans 'the only time we lock our cars is in the summer-if not, you may return to a front seat loaded with zucchini'.

One of my best zucchini years was the one I didn't plant a single one-I just mentioned to a few of my gardening friends that I just LOVE zucchini and had not planted any-I was on the receiving end of a bumper crop-how easy was that!!

So if you want to grow something that will boost your 'gardening ego'try zucchini. I've planted several varieties over the years, Black Beauty is a traditional favorite of mine and next spring I want to try the Romanesque variety-deeply ribbed and speckled with a great sturdy flavor- I've purchased some from Susan and Peter Corning at Synergy Farm and found them very impressive.

Over the years recipes using zucchini have proliferated-breads,muffins,cookies,cakes,pickles-we seem to love to find ways to use this gratifyingly, abundant vegetable. I grate fresh zucchini into a shallow,microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes. Drain and add some grated cheese and a grind of pepper on top. Return to the microwave and cook a little more, until the cheese begins to melt-a fast and easy fresh veggie that will amaze you with wonderful flavor.

Another way to use zucchini is in:

Zucchini Stew

1 lb. ground turkey
1 jar Marinara sauce
1 large can tomatoes
2-4 zucchini
fresh ground pepper
fresh mushrooms-optional

Brown ground turkey in a large soup pot. Drain if needed. Add Marinara sauce , tomatoes and a grind or two of fresh pepper. Stir together and add chunked up zucchini and, mushrooms. Cover and simmer on low until veggies release their liquids,stirring often. Top with grated cheese and serve with a warmed baguette from Bakery San Juan and Enjoy!

At one time I had a recipe for bread&butter pickles but over the years it ,has gone missing so, I think I'll Google and see what comes up-after all, I've got another bumper crop of zucchini just waiting in the garden!

Transition Gardening in Friday Harbor

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Well, the rhubarb has wound down along with my shelling peas-the pea vines and trellis are gone and the last of the rhubarb is in the freezer for later use.The mustards have also finished for now so I have three blank areas to begin planting some winter veggies in-I'm very excited about winter gardening-I've done a bit of it for the last two fall/winter seasons with mixed sucess, so this summer I'm trying to get ahead of the game and actually do some PLANNED planting-it's just so difficult to think about planting and seeding in August-but there is lots of information out about winter gardening and veggie plant vendors at the Farmers Market have a wonderful selection of starts for our fall gardening pleasure-Heather and Jessica of Revolutionary Roots have some beautiful kales and the much-sought-after purple sprouting broccoli and Keith,Roger and Eric of Your Personal Farmer have a great selection of collards,kales,Chinese cabbage and a great blend of kales in small packs,just the right size for experimenting in the garden.

Joel and Margaret Thorson of 1000 Flower Farm have been encouraging all of us to plant a few extra rows of fall/winter crops so we will have wonderful,abundant veggies at the winter Farmers Market-gosh, it's really a stretch to think "Winter Market" after about 90 days with less than an inch of precipitation and record high temperatures!!!

Well, back in my veggie garden-I have begun harvesting the potato patch-I planted Russetts,Pontiac Reds,French Fingerlings,and Apple Rose Fingerlings-I LOVE to grow potatoes-a fresh potato is an amazing,wonderful product, crisp and tasty beyond belief-nothing like a store-bought potato-try some from the Farmers Market, roasted with other root veggies and some garlic, drizzled with a good olive oil and some fresh-cracked pepper-YUM-Yum-another favorite recipe I love to use with fresh potatoes is:

Potato Salad with fresh Tarragon
4 large Russett potatoes
apple cider vinegar
2 cups garlic mayonaise
1/3-1/2 cup fresh tarragon
1 red onion, chopped
salt and pepper,to taste

Cook and peel potatoes. Dice them while they are still warm and douse them liberally with vinegar. Add garlic mayo,fresh tarragon,chopped onion and salt and pepper. Mix very gently and refrigerate overnight.

VERY simple and soooo tasty-Enjoy!



These photos are courtesy of my neighbor, Gail Seitz, who makes garden art from my rhubarb leaves. Pretty wonderful - Huh!