Month: June 2021

Sharing Your Garden

| For Land and Love

Some of my favorite things about our home are the things family and friends have shared with us.  My brother in law is an amazing maker and crafted a perfectly sized table in our entry way as a housewarming present.  It is the first thing you see as you enter the house and is a sweet reminder of him every time we use it. My mom and dad gave me a painting that she painted and he framed.  Every time I see it I think of my mom taking up painting as a retired elementary school teacher and how she thrilled to work with watercolors.   I remember the hours my dad enjoyed working on projects in his shop.  He would get so excited when he found a great piece of burled cedar or smooth walnut.  He appreciated the color, texture and natural beauty of every piece of wood he worked with and the smell of fresh sawdust is still one of the sweetest smells in the world to me.  These things add so much character to our home but when we head outdoors the blessings start to multiply.

Lenten Rose

Divide & Multiply

Just after we moved into our latest property my sister came to visit from Northern Virginia.  She brought along with her a few pieces of lamb’s ear, a section of Lenten rose and a couple of peony roots.  These have grown into the foundation plantings for two of our main flower beds.  Every spring I get so excited to see these gifts grow more and more.  These plants have history; a story to tell.

You see my grandfather was a gardener in the heart of Quincy, MA, just outside of Boston.  They fed their family and many others through the Great Depression as they used the land God gave them right in in the middle of the city.  He had a huge garden that took up most of their yard, chickens and even grape vines! He shared his appreciation for gardening and his peonies with my mom who raised us to love the process in Upstate New York.  She shared them with my sister in Virginia who in turn blessed me in Tennessee.  Those peonies have so much history!

As I look over our yard I see so many plants, both decorative and edible, that have been gifts from others and I strive to continue the blessing.

How to divide your plants

Root Plants

Sharing root plants is incredibly easy and beneficial for your plants, your own yard or better yet, for a friend!  When you see the leaves a bit smaller or the plants are outgrowing their space it is time to divide.  My favorite in-depth guide to dividing plants can be found at Garden Gate magazine.  Their drawings of the root systems are very helpful.  I’ve been most successful with this process in early spring while the ground is damp but not saturated.  I take a shovel and cut parts of the plant (such as hosta or lamb’s ear) off the side and tuck it into its new home.  If you are transporting the plants make sure the roots don’t dry out.  My sister kept wet paper towels around the roots and transported them in a sealed plastic bag.  Just make sure you don’t keep the plant in the sealed bag for more than 12-18 hours.

Lillies from my friend Jeanie

Bulbs

When spring flowering bulbs start to flower less and less, it’s time to divide in order to multiply.  Divide bulbs after their foliage has died back so you can see where to dig without damaging any bulbs. A good rule of thumb is every 3-5 years to keep your plants flourishing.  I tend to dig a few inches from where I think the bulb has grown in order to get any small outside bulb growth without causing damage.  After digging up the bulbs I separate them and replant or share with a friend. Make sure you check each bulb as they should be firm.  If you find any squishy ones throw them away to prevent the spread of any fungal issues or disease.

Seeds

Seed saving is one the easiest ways to share your garden wealth.  Each year I am more and more convinced that saving my garden seeds not only saves me money but the resulting plants are healthier and more prolific each season.  When the seed adapts each season to your specific soil and climate the results are fantastic and include larger blooms, hardier plants and larger harvests.  When we share with our neighbors we all benefit from regionally adapted seed.  If you don’t know where to find seeds in your area check out NextDoor, Facebook or a Seed Saver exchange at your local library. 

So, the next time you are admiring your friend’s garden or an abundant plant in your neighborhood ask if they might want to share.  It’s a great way to keep plants healthy and make a new friend!

What plants are in your yard that might bless someone?

Mango Garlic Vinaigrette

| For Land and Love

This is quick fresh mix of simple ingredients but adds a punch of flavor. Use your fruit infused vinegar!

  • 1/2 cup mango vinegar (or fruit vinegar off your choice)
  • 1/2 cup avocado oil (any good oil works well but I like that avocado oil doesn’t disguise the fruit flavor)
  • 1/8 t. Salt
  • 1 cloves garlic finely chopped

Combine ingredients in your favorite salad dressing bottle and shake well. Refrigerate for up to a week.

Peach Infused Vinegar

| For Land and Love
The makings of peach infused vinegar

It is peach season in the south.  Most people might think peach pie, peach ice cream or even pork chops with peaches but for me, I have a new favorite: peach vinegar. I have always enjoyed the fruit infused aged balsamic vinegars that can be purchased from specialty olive oil store like Williams Sonoma and the Nashville Olive Oil Company I have discovered the ease and intense flavor of making my own fruit vinegar concoctions.  With a couple of simple ingredients, you can turn that ripe (or even overripe) bounty into salad dressing and marinade goodness.  

No added sugar necessary

One of the drawbacks of the store-bought fruit vinegars is the sugar content.  While I’m willing to take in a few carbs through beneficial fruit I don’t want to completely mess up my low-carb meals with the sugar laden aspects of manufactured products.  My recipe uses a sugar replacement that emphasizes the fruit without loading up on chemicals. If you can get your hands on some Trim Healthy Mama Gentle Sweet use it but play around with your favorite sweeteners if you like.  If you’d rather use honey or maple syrup, go ahead, it works beautifully.

Mix it up: Use other fruit

This recipe calls for peaches but I’ve subbed mango, apple and plum and they all work beautifully.  The trick is to boil the concoction and let it sit until room temperature to pull all the flavor out of the fruit.  One of the things I love is the beautiful colors that come from fresh fruit. They are gorgeous!

How to use your fruit vinegar

Our two favorite ways to use fruit vinegar are in salad dressings and meat marinades.  Fruit vinaigrettes like this Simple Mango Vinaigrette or a Peach & Lemon Balm Vinaigrette brighten a summer salad and blend beautifully with salad greens, goat’s cheese & walnuts.  The fall flavors of apple or a sweet deep plum are delicious paired with a salad of spinach, onion, toasted pecans and slivers of cheddar.

My family’s favorite dinner is flank steak marinated in a concoction of mango vinegar, avocado oil, soy sauce & garlic.  The touch of sweetness helps the meat to caramelize beautifully and we can’t get enough.   The same holds for chicken marinated in peach vinegar, olive oil and salt & pepper.  It’s so simple and so good!

Simple Instructions:

2 pounds peaches

2 cups white wine vinegar

½ cup THM Gentle Sweet (or sweetener of your choice)

¼ cup Maple Syrup (optional but adds a varied sweetness)

  • In a large sauce pan add your vinegar and sweetener(s)
  • Wash you fruit but don’t peel it and cut into slices or chunks (discarding the pits)
  • Add the fruit to the vinegar and sweetener and bring to a slow boil on medium high heat
  • Boil gently for 10 minutes
  • Cover the pot and let the mixture cool completely
  • Strain the liquids from the solids with a fine mesh strainer into a non-reactive bowl (I use a glass bowl with a lip for pouring)
  • Transfer vinegar into a glass jar or bottle and refrigerate

I washed the label off the Colavita vinegar bottle for a pretty container for my peach vinegar.  I love the top on this container as well as it helps dispense the vinegar without over-pouring.  The rest of the vinegar went into a small mason jar for immediate use in a chicken marinade.

These are my new favorite bottles for whipping up salad dressings. They shake beautifully, clean easily and even strain out the bits you don’t want in your salad. Click the picture above for my link on Amazon.

I’m on a roll making these and I’d love more ideas!  Can you think of other uses for fruit vinegars?