Why we plant grass, kill dandelions and buy kale

I return from our summer travels to a garden invaded by tough shoots of invasive grass as the surrounding lawn tries to take over.

I walk down a street with sweeping square metres of berms planted with grass. Many animals eat grass, but of course they're not allowed here in the city suburbs, and mowing them has become a notable problem.

So what is it with the grass fetish?

History of Green Lawns

This comedy grass discussion with God highlights the insanity: GOD: "Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?" And much more.

The lawn as we know it today developed in Europe - then, as now, a quirk for people with enough money to maintain a purely decorative (nonproductive) stretch of land, with human labour. And apparently, we can also blame the Scots and golf!

Chickweed

It is common to poison dandelions, chickweed, and other "weeds" in the pursuit of a smooth homogeneous expanse of non-edible grass, regardless of the potential risk from the poisons.

Getting your Greens

You can't eat grass. But other dark green leafies are some of the most nutritious edibles around. The produce section of the supermarket is happy to sell you bunches of kale for your dinner. Garden centres carry out a thriving trade in salad green shoots of all varieties (to plant in dedicated gardens, not lawns, of course).

Kale is great (I have some in the garden), but those free pesky dandelion greens from the lawn compare very well with kale. Sure, dandelions have less vitamin C, but they have more iron, etc. And they grow even when you don't want them to!

And if you aren't convinced yet, in the supermarkets you can also buy bags of expensive mesclun salad...which will probably include dandelion greens.

Rethink Lawn Care

There are many alternatives to the traditional grass lawn. But even if you're not ready to dig it out and start again, next time you see a dandelion in your lovely lawn, go get some leaves instead of the weedkiller. And when you see a fluffy dandelion head, remember your childhood, make a wish, and blow.

 

• Edible Weed Photo Gallery
• Edible Weed Tips
• Edible Weeds - What not to do

Weeding and eating

"You have some lovely dandelions," said my mother. "Yes," I thought, "the yard is full of them." "So, do you mind if I pick some for lunch?"

"Ummm, sure..." Have all the weeds you want. Weirdo.

But I think Mom would be proud of me now. I've discovered the joys of harvesting wild greens in my own backyard.

Chewing it over

Since I got braces, I can't indulge in my usual crunchy carrots, apples, or even a basic lettuce salad. I believe that food is best eaten in its natural state, but I've had to compromise on this one.

I got apple back on the menu in the mornings by processing a couple with a soft banana and eating the result like a lumpy pudding. That way, I still get the fiber as well as the juice. And then I remembered green smoothies.


I can eat so much bitter raw nutritious green stuff, with pleasure, combined with sweet fruit like apples, bananas, and oranges. I used storebought cabbage and garden kale and parsley. And when those started to run out, I looked outside the garden box and saw those lovely dandelions. Thanks Mom!

I can harvest a couple of cups full of dandelion greens any morning I choose - easily equal to a package of greens from the store. And I finally remembered I have mint growing wild in the backyard. It's not just good for free tea, it's a nutritious yummy green leaf.

As our local vegan nutrition expert said in our last Vegan 101 class, the biggest problem with greens in your diet...is eating them.

More wild greens

Resources for learning about gathering wild greens are as common as weeds - there's even one for New Zealand. Hey, we've got puwha growing in the shady spots!

Would you ever gather your backyard bounty?

Free eco-friendly planter - from the trash!

My winter parsley and kale are rapidly going to seed as the sunshine hits the garden.  I cleared the kale and made a whole crock pot of soup. 

If I want juicy tomatoes, tender squash, lettuces, a cucumber or two - then there's no time to waste.  I need to get the summer seedlings going. (Luckily, the strawberries are doing what strawberries do all by themselves.)

I could always use small plastic pots, but the kids and I really enjoyed the clever Peat Pellet (used at a Small Poppies session) for planting.

It was fun to watch it grow with added water, and satisfying to plant the healthy seedling straight into the garden with no root disturbance and no plastic container.

I don't need to check the price to know they're not frugal enough for me.  What to do?

It's easy.

Make your own free biodegradable seed planter  

• Take one empty toilet paper tube.
• From one end, fold the circular edge down (4 folds) to roughly close off the hole.

        

• Press the folded end as flat as possible, using your fingers both inside and outside of the tube.
• Fill with moist soil.
• Repeat with as many tubes as you have.  If you run out, another one will be ready soon.
• Plant and enjoy!

Hints

• Use promptly after making.
• Use a containing box (the planters may not stand up well on their own).
• Before planting, open the bottom end of the tube and wet the whole tube thoroughly so the roots can get out to the soil.

Here's a lineup of my hopeful planted seeds along with a couple of baby lemon trees (I really want a lemon tree) and beans...

Good luck to us all!

Winter Window Harvest

At the end of our New Zealand summer growing season, I planted some eager tomato volunteers for my first ever experiment with growing tomatoes inside.

My winter window tomatoes then...

I thought the weedy one on the right was not going to live.

 My winter window tomatoes now!

The weedy one is still weedy, but gave me my first ripe tomatoes.

I've eaten two of the tiny red ones, and they are sweet and juicy.  Success!


Here's hoping all those big green and rosy-green ones get really red too.  Winter is ending and the sun in that window is getting even stronger.



I did not use a growing light as is commonly recommended, as I was aiming for a minimalist experiment.  With two small children also at floor level, I didn't want to invest in tricky, interesting and expensive equipment.  I did my best to provide light for as long as possible during the day, and artificial light in the evenings.

Will I do this again next winter?

This may depend on whether those big greenies get ripe for me.  The obstacle course at the end of the dining table was not always welcome.  I'd get a better return from several small herb pots.
 
What would you grow in a sunny window?

Gardening - not just a weekend hobby

The last of the summer squash

Change of season

In New Zealand, we are leaving summer for winter.  Many of you will be enjoying the opposite transition.  But it all comes around again as we wear shorts while barbecuing Christmas dinner on the deck.

This was the last gasp from a vine at the end of its life. 

For some weeks I saw only many many small female blooms and tiny squash, with no male blossoms to pollinate them.  (Human women often outlive their men, too.)  So the tiny squashes fell off, one by one, still tiny. 

But one morning I spotted an open male and female flower and pounced! I hand-pollinated this as I have done others during the season.  I had low expectations, because I'd already failed in an earlier pollination.   It was a small success, but a delicious one.

Summer heat

I have enjoyed my garden this summer although it is not my favourite way to work hard.  I learned so much, including the phases and genders of summer squash blossoms.

And see all the bounty from the earth?



I've also shared plants with others: as the strawberries sent out runners and the parsley went wild, other people got to dig up free fresh healthy plants for their own gardens.

As we often have beautiful weather all year round, I hoped to plant lots of our favourite winter vegies like broccoli or cauliflower, but for now, we must settle for our ever present rhubarb and a celery planted at a Small Poppies session.

As the tomatoes shivered on the vine, I couldn't resist rescuing a couple of new volunteers for an experiment in indoor growing in our sunniest location.

Outside

Inside

   























I hope to have a winter tomato crop to display.

From the personal to the political
Here we read about gardening not just as fun, learning, and exercise, but as a crucial skill to relearn in the face of a changing and dangerous global food culture.

• Civilisation and food shortages
• Garden like your life depends on it

When they start parcelling out our local park, Madills Farm, as a farm again, I'll be down there with my spade!

How new is your New Year?

Is your year really a New Year, or is it pretty much the same as your old one?

Last year I discussed SMART New Year's resolutions - so let's check how this year is better than last.

Organic produce - YES!

• Bought organic bananas and apples several times already, although not exclusively due to quality.  
• Bought organic carrots as extra credit (and extra crunch)

Serving wholegrains to family - YES!

• Mixed white and brown rice is acceptable to the white rice lovers - suspicions but no serious complaints
• Wholegrain tortilla wraps went down a treat and may have been more filling
• "Motel porridge" was popular as a shared family breakfast and now we're back at home I'm pushing that tradition for all it's worth

Saving water - YES!

We've had a drought situation in Auckland for late spring and early summer (wouldn't know it from today's floods!)  So I've

• Watered our garden (in buckets) from the dregs of our rain tank and lugged from the backyard paddling pool - this is hard work but I need the exercise anyway, right?
• Turned off the water mid-shower when I don't need it during shampooing and soaping - it's warm enough and you use less soap if it's not being rinsed away as you scrub!  I won't manage this in winter so now is the time to save...

Gardening and growing food - YES!

I'm no food stylist, but this is fresh from the garden!

It wouldn't feed the five hundred or even the family, but it is satisfying to harvest what I've tended.   And the kids love to get involved.

• Tomatoes
• Strawberries
• Beans
• Rhubarb
• Sunburst squash

And I've even learned stuff - now I know that summer squash produce male flowers first and then those die.  (No male performance jokes, please.)  Next are female and male flowers together, and then if the bees are doing their job (or you do it for them), you have a chance at squash.  Even when you see iddle widdle baby squash growing, those still need to get pollinated or they nosedive and rot at about 2cm.

No poo - YES!  Well, less poo..

This refers to avoiding shampoo, not what most of us mothers will immediately think. 

I really like the results of the baking soda/cider vinegar treatment, but it does take longer than using shampoo so sometimes I just reach for the usual bottle.

I also bought some Dr Bronner's soap as a tooth soap (and it's fantastic so long as you only have a couple of drops) but also am using it as a shampoo based on recommendations from some people experimenting with No Poo.  I'm not so happy with it (I struggle to feel squeaky clean even when using a lot) and when I get organised I will get my baking soda/cider vinegar bottles back online.

I've thrown away my commercial deodorant - I find that the splash of cider vinegar works just as well.  Not perfectly during the summer or times of stress!  But if the pits are smelly anyway by the end of the day, I might as well not be paying to use funny chemicals as well.

Decluttering - YES!

One big bag landed at the charity shop this week and I have some smaller bags earmarked for families I know who might be able to use outgrown clothes and surplus toys.

Report Card

Despite returning from our holiday travels feeling exhausted, uninspired, and almost dysfunctional, I'm showing all the classic signs of New Year's Enthusiasm!  Stay tuned...

Some of these changes cost more money and some cost less - I am hoping they will balance out.

Smart New Year's Resolutions

A better year is in store

You probably have no more willpower than the next person, but it is possible to make New Year's Resolutions that stick.

It isn't how much you want to do what you resolve, it's how you plan to do what you resolve.

Resolution?
Drunkenly babble a few heartfelt wishes as the clock strikes midnight.

Or

Resolution!
Design your resolutions as SMART goals.

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Timely
  

Personally
I want to do more voting with the family dollar to support environmentally sound industries and improve the nutrition of family meals, so...

Organics
Wishy washy resolution
Buy more organic groceries. 

SMART resolution

1. Buy organic bananas and apples from the local health food supermarket
2. Buy organic baking flour from the local health food supermarket

Food processing
Wishy washy resolution
Buy fewer processed foods

SMART resolution

1. Replace at least one kids' lunchbox food with a wholegrain alternative
2. Replace at least one basic dinner choice with a wholegrain alternative 
3. Experiment with one basic dinner choice from scratch instead of bought packaged

So what's so SMART about it?
There's no difference in the emotion and desire behind either version.  But the SMART version will be something you can easily see yourself doing, or more importantly, notice when you are not doing it.  The wishy washy version fails because you can't be certain you are achieving or failing.