Now that I'm actually starting to harvest food--green beans, herbs, chard, zucchini and a cuke or two--am I cheating on my own garden by going to the farmers market?

The cayenne pepper experiement seems to have worked, and the stupice tomato is already producing a ton of new fruits. One thing about the experience is that it might have left me a little cracked. I saw some squirrel in a neighbor's yard and I stopped and gave him a stern talking-to. "Was it you? If I catch you eating my tomatoes, so help me, you are going down."

"What are you doing?" my wife asked.

"I'm just letting that squirrel know that if catch him eating my tomatoes, he's going down."

"Uh, okay."

Like much of the country, Chicago's summer has sputtered through a cool June and into a cool July. It's barely cracked into the 90s, and some days still doesn't even get into 80s. There has been plenty of sun and rain, though, so things are still progressing.

Take a look at some recent photos here: http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/home/outdoorspaces/20090709-orig-garden-dirt-early-july

-- Fritz

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This weekend, we noticed a few things. First, the string beans' tripod was starting to come undone. The twine had basically disintegrated and many of the bamboo poles were hanging loose. How embarrassing. A quick trip to the local hardware store, and some extra-long garden-quality twist ties later, and the tripod is back in shape. This is a good thing, because a few of the bean vines are already flowering. Nobody tells you how pretty string bean flowers are. They are reminiscient of orchids on a miniature scale.

Second: the Czech tomato plant is going crazy. This particular variety was touted as being "early and prolific." So far, that's looking like truth in advertising. It's only June 16, and we've already got 4 little tomato buds growing. I think we had 4 total tomatoes last year. Also, the potted tomato plants are getting bushy and the cherry tomato plants are getting tall. Clearly they have been enjoying the rainy weather and slightly warmer Chicago temperatures--though we're still waiting for summer like characters in an Irish absurdist play.

Third: The herbs are each on their own schedules. The mint is, unsurprisingly, going hog wild. I've even used a few sprigs to garnish drinks. That only seemed to make it bigger. On the downside, the cilantro is acting strange. We expected that, though. Last year's cilantro bolted early. The lavendar sent up one single stalk. It looks set to flower any day now.

Fourth: The new batch of radishes are probably another week away. Those dudes grow fast. The carrots are growing slowly, but their little tops definitely look like carrots.

Fifth: Both the green and banana peppers are slowly but surely flowering and fruiting.

Sixth: Alpine strawberry update. About 4 or 5 flowers on each bushy plant, with 1 or 2 fruits bulging out on each. Mrs. Dirt and I will have to make a couple of banana splits, and top the whipped cream with the strawberry like it's a maraschino cherry.

A lot of vegetables request direct sowing in the ground at around two weeks before last frost. Last frost in Chicago is, by rule of thumb, May 15. So here we are.

As of now, in the dirt, we have: arugula, radishes, green beans, swiss chard, carrots, and alpine strawberries. Mrs. Dirt also potted some flowers from Gethsemane Gardens, a completely awesome nursery in Chicago, and one of my favorite places. Being in their far North Side space on a gift-from-above, unlimited sunshine and 75 degree Sunday (along with hundreds of your fellow neighbors) is a feeling of grace.

Anyway, here are some photos from the weekend: http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/home/outdoorspaces/pkggarden/20090505-orig-garden-dirt-frost

-- Fritz

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On 60 Minutes, Federal Reserve Chairmen Ben Bernanke recently shared an interesting observation. This is from the CBS News website:

"I think as those green shoots begin to appear in different markets and
as some confidence begins to come back that will begin the positive
dynamic that brings our economy back."


"Do you see green shoots?" Pelley asked.


"I do. I do see green shoots...."

It's official: We're in the grip of nationwide outbreak of spring fever.

-- Fritz

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No sooner do you plant something a little bit early on a beautiful spring day in Chicago, than the weather reminds you where you live. We've had a bit of cold snap here, including 2 inches of wet snow. It's definitely cold enough that the arugula hasn't sprouted yet. If you want to know what it looks like in the container today, I would refer you back to a specific shot from the previous slideshow. It's exactly the same:

http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/home/outdoorspaces/pkggarden/20090324-orig-garden-dirt-raising-beds/5

All to say: Spring is a good time to practice your zen meditation.

-- Fritz

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We've got breaking (ground) news out of Washington D.C. today: Michelle Obama and students from a nearby school started work on the First Family's new vegetable garden on the South Lawn of the White House.

Garden and local food advocates--including chef and writer Alice
Waters, one of the local food movement's godmothers--have spent years
lobbying for a White House garden. While both the Bushes and Clintons
reportedly had small rooftop gardens at the White House, the Obama
garden sounds like it will much more than mere token herbs

From the NY Times article:

[T]he Obamas’ garden will have 55 varieties of vegetables — from a
wish list of the kitchen staff — grown from organic seedlings started
at the executive mansion’s greenhouses.

The Obamas will feed
their love of Mexican food with cilantro, tomatilloes and hot peppers.
Lettuces will include red romaine, green oak leaf, butterhead, red leaf
and galactic. There will be spinach, chard, collards and black kale.
For desserts, there will be a patch of berries. And herbs will include
some more unusual varieties, like anise hyssop and Thai basil. A White
House carpenter who is a beekeeper will tend two hives for honey.

Total cost for the seeds, mulch, etc., is $200.

The
plots will be in raised beds fertilized with White House compost, crab
meal from the Chesapeake Bay, lime and green sand. Ladybugs and praying
mantises will help control harmful bugs.

Great stuff! I sincerely hope the Obamas' vaunted taste-maker status (regarding everything from suits to as-yet-unnamed dog breeds to arm exercises) extends to millions of backyard and community gardens. In the meantime, The Dirt wishes them au bon jardin.

-- Fritz

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