The Good Weeds

We awoke to face a wintry wonderland, the snow had returned with cold in tow. It is of little consequence to me though, as I am fully aware that this grim beast stands on precarious footing as summers gates will soon swing wide and a new greener life will prevail.

Weather aside, I often wonder if anyone is aware of the abundance of food that nature provides, practically forces upon us, in the form of so called weeds. I prefer the term "wild edibles" and always look forward to adding them to our salads not only for flavor but the immense nutritional benefits they provide as well.

Two of the most prevalent and hardy of the wild edible greens that inhabit my garden are chickweed and catmint. Both are widely available and can be easily obtained and enjoyed if you can overcome the stigma that ensues when one is found to be a weed eater.


We find chickweed all winter long in areas that have been protected from snow and usually allow it to take hold in our fall garden. There are at least thirteen various types of chickweed all of which are supposed to be edible. Common chickweed also called Winterweed is an annual ground cover whose trailing body has paired oval leaves with pointed tips that form on opposite sides of the stalk. A line of fine hairs run down the stalk and alternates at each leaf junction.


The flower is white, deeply lobed, almost heart shaped, and consists of five petals that seemingly form almost year round, and close after dark and during periods of wet weather.


Although considered an annual it still flowers and seeds under protection throughout the year in our garden. This most interesting plant has a pleasant corn like flavor and is also an excellent source of fodder for our chickens...hence the name. Reported to contain traces of nitrates we are carful to consume it in moderation. From a nutritional standpoint this plant is said to be loaded with vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, silicon, zinc, sodium and high amounts of vitamin A, C, D, as well as B6 and B12.

We do try to keep this plant contained through weeding as it spreads very quickly and only allow it to thrive going into the cold months to be used as a valuable ground cover and food source. Since we also feed this to our chickens there is usually not much left come spring, and we do not have to worry about it re-seeding all over our garden.

Catmint, or catnep (nip) is a member of the mint family and is a very cold hardy perennial. Ours have silvery-gray to purple foliage, paired mottled leaves and variously colored flowers that, in our area, have small almost pink blooms that show mid to late summer. With a flavor that I can only describe as bitter minty, it is or was most commonly used as a seasoning, cold and flu remedy and of course as a stimulant for cats. Not only does it contain many of the same beneficial nutritional properties as chickweed but also adds quite a zest to our salads in small doses.

Catmint also contains nepetalactone an essential oil that is supposed to be many times more effective at repelling insects than the toxic chemical DEET. I have tried growing it around my broccoli plants to repel aphids, and it did seem to help. Even more then preventing the bad bugs I noticed the flowers seemed to draw many beneficial insects into our garden, especially parasitic wasps that kill aphids. Not only is it a natural insecticide but also contains thymol that can be used as a fungicide to help prevent dampening off in seedlings.

We are careful to control the amount that are allowed to re-seed every year as this plant has a most stubborn root system, is extremely prolific, and unlike chickweed will regrow if the roots are not removed.

These are only two of the many wonderful "wild greens" that we incorporate into our daily diet. I think that perhaps the more wild herbs and greens may posses even greater health giving properties then their domesticated counterparts. I am by no means an authority on wild edibles and am only attempting to relate that which I personally have observed when discussing such. I hope that more people will learn to embrace the foods that nature so readily provides, and benefit from the abundance thereof. Perhaps if people were aware that some of the most healthy food on the planet is right under foot they would not be so quick to dismiss these magnificent creations with chemical disdain.

A New GM Spaghetti Squash Hybrid?

A new genetically modified squash with genes spliced with those of a polar unicellular prokaryotic microorganism? Has spaghetti squash been crossed with Arctic bacterium and designed to grow in the frigid boreal gardens of the north?


Probably not, most likely a sorry bit of April 1st foolishness from someone who is ready for spring to come. Perhaps the first signs of cabin fever are setting in.

Biennials in the Garden

Yesterday turned out to be just about perfect, no rain, no snow, and even a little sun. I was finally able to get the Giant Red celery (an heirloom biennial) we have been saving over from last year out of the root cellar and into the garden where it can go to seed, along with a few red, yellow, and white onions.


The onions were planted in three separate areas hopefully far enough apart to keep the seed from crossing. I also replanted some carrots and consolidated a few Russian kale for seed saving purposes. Speaking of biennials going to seed, I noticed many of last years radicchio pushing up through the ice and even some French sorrel...both will provide me with seed if I manage a little self control and keep them away from the salad bowl.


A row of salsify and scorzenera have managed as well. A most fine day indeed.

Another Day in Paradise

Another day in our own little paradise brings with it a hint of winters' snowy past, no worries though, as seedlings are safely tucked away in the greenhouse sheltered from the tantrums of spring.

Inside our home, under lights, newly emerged peppers and eggplants have arisen and are stretching their wings like a prima ballerina on pointe preparing to do a pirouette in earthen toe-shoes,


breaking the bonds that hold them and preparing to go out into the world and produce.


The tomatoes are standing tall like proud little soldiers in marching formation readying themselves for unknown battles and triumphs.


Even a few celeriac have decided to take a peek at the new world and will hopefully call out to their siblings to awaken and arise from the long slumber that still grips them in a seedy embrace.


Outside, the rhubarb having emerged in the warmth of sun must now face the reality of a sometimes harsh Mother Nature. The "pie plant", being much more in tune with its wild past than the friends that will soon be graced by its presence, will most certainly prevail.

What Good is a Russet Without a Purple Majesty by it's Side!

I love potatoes, not just any potato...all potatoes and that is why we will be growing twenty five varieties this year. Last year I think we had around twenty and maybe 45 plants. I think that growing ones own food is very important, but just as important is enjoying growing ones own food and variety allows for that.


There are many reasons that I grow a large number of each type of vegetable aside from the enjoyment aspect. It allows me to see which vegetables do best in my garden and in any given condition that may arise, and also provides me with the opportunity to be more self-reliant. More self-reliant in the sense that I am able to save seeds from a much wider selection of crops and will eventually, I hope, be able to rely more upon myself for those seeds and less upon others (seed companies).

Now that I have attempted to justify why anyone in their right mind would possibly choose to grow twenty five different varieties of potatoes, here is what we will be growing for ourselves and our chickens :). Many of these potatoes will be grown from my own seed but I did purchase a few of them.

Purple Majesty - One of our favorites, it is purple inside and out. We are sometimes provided with really large specimens that taste great fried, baked or boiled and are most wonderful tossed hot over a healthy green salad.


Red Lasoda - Red skin and white flesh makes for a great potato salad. We do have a problem with scab on this one in particular...but hey, scab is only skin deep and who will ever know if you mash it.


Yellow Finn - New to us this year, it is supposed to have yellow flesh with a buttery flavor and be a good keeper. A butter like flavor...why is it that every yellow fleshed potato seems to be described that way? I have yet to eat a butter flavored potato, but I am sure this will be the first.


Sangre - The name means "blood" in Spanish, it has a dark red skin with white flesh, nice used as a new potato. We are always stealing this one in July as it seems to come on fairly early and gives us lots of baby potatoes.

Mountain Rose - A sometimes large potato with red skin and pink flesh it makes for a great boiled potato.


Dakota Pearl - We first grew this last year and really liked it. The potato has an almost white skin and flesh, very crisp potato that takes extra time to cook. Small to medium in size all of mine were free of defects such as scab. A fine choice for hash browns.


Huckleberry - Red skin, pink inside (especially once cooked) with some white, very similar to Mountain Rose. My wife is partial to this one and always chooses it to top her salads. Grows really well for us and is named after huckleberries that grow wild here in the northwest.


Gold Rush - We are trying this one for the first time this year. Supposedly a nice baking potato with good flavor it is a cross between a Lemhi Russet and Norgold...supposed to do well in dry climates.

Russet Burbank - Most widely grown potato in the United States. A favorite for baked potatoes especially in Idaho. The chickens love them and they are regularly included in their diet. Ours always turn out short and fat and bear little resemblance to the perfect store bought russets.

All Blue - Medium sized potato with blue/purple skin and a bluish interior. A bit of a mealy potato I have grown to love after becoming accustomed to the texture. Very high yields for us.


Russian Banana - With yellow skin and flesh this potato makes for a great french fry and also seems to grow well in our climate putting out numerous disease free tubers.


Swedish Peanut - Another potato that we are trying for the first time, I hear it has a nutty tasting yellow flesh and should be good in a stir fry as it is supposed to stay firm when cooked.

French Fingerling - A staple in our diet, the french fingerling has red skin and slightly yellow flesh with a red line running through the middle. Another potato that does well fried.

LaRatte - We have yet to try this yellow skinned potato that reportedly has a creamy yellow flesh and somewhat nutty flavor.

Austrian Crescent - With light yellow skin and flesh this potato, along with all of the other fingerlings, is really a treat when steamed and served on it's own.

Anna Cheeka Ozette - A very interesting looking potato with deeply set eyes, yellow skin and flesh. This potato stores and produces very well for us.

Red Thumb - With red skin and flesh we were not able to find this potato last year and are excited to grow it this summer. It is supposed to be very uniform in shape and have a nice texture and flavor.

Adora - Very productive with yellow flesh and round shape. Makes a fine boiled potato, especially when young.

Red Norland - Red skin and almost white flesh, perfect for potato salad. Does seem to have an issue with scab.

Norkotah Russet - Like the Burbank russet, a nice baking potato that produces fairly well...but not great. Some of these get really big.

Yukon Gold - Thin skin and yellow flesh, definitely my favorite baking or boiling potato. Unfortunately it does not produce all that well for us.

Red Pontiac - Large round potato with thin red skin and white flesh this potato is perfect for mashing.

Purple Viking - Purple skin and white flesh, it will be a first for us as well.

Superior - White fleshed potato that is an all around excellent potato and supposed to be good for making chips, although we have never done so.

Purple Peruvian - Our favorite finger potato with purple, almost black skin and a dark purple flesh. Mealy but delicious, they almost grow wild around my garden as they have so many eyes that even the smallest piece left in the ground produces a plant.

Lots of potatoes, yes, but as a staple in our diet and that of our chickens we go through them pretty fast. No matter how many potatoes we grow the best ones are those that end up on a salad at the end of the day.

Spring Sprung and then Sagged a Bit

Spring sprung and then sagged a bit as March in northern Idaho continues to be a most interesting month. It can be sunny and warm one minute and the next brings with it snow and rain, sometimes all three at the same time. Snow was on today's menu.

I spent the late afternoon doctoring our fruit and nut trees as the winter has been very harsh with them. My red headed helpers and I taped broken hazelnut and apple tree branches. I'm not sure how well this will work with these trees but it does work with all of the shrubs around our house that get dumped on when I must shovel snow off the roof. We have one poor cedar shrub that looks more like Frankenstein as it has been patched so many times. The flock does not seem to mind the weather though, they are just happy to see some bare dirt and be free of their winter confines.

Rainy Day Carrots

It was another sloppy rainy day and the latter part of it was spent hauling flats to the greenhouse, bowing before my leeks - begging them to please germinate already, and sorting through carrots. We try to check on our root cellar veggies this time of year, first to remove any that have rotted, and second to choose the ones that will be replanted for seed. I only found a couple carrots that were bad but had yet to spoil the bunch. Around 250 left - looks like we will have enough to get us through until the end of June when some of the new ones should be ready.