Walnuts n Pears

The snow is finally gone, the grass is just beginning to green up, but color is still lacking from our landscape in Minnesota.

All of our front entry spaces would love a little pop of color.  Many people put pots or planters on or near their entry in the summer, but I really enjoy changing them out seasonally.  Believe it or not, it’s not too early to plant some spring flowers.  Although there isn’t a huge selection yet, Pansies, contrary to their name, are cold tolerant and able to handle the last little blasts of cold we might get.   I know, Pansies are nothing out of the ordinary, it seems you either really like them, or really dislike them.  I like them.  They make me smile, partially because they look like little monkey faces and monkeys make me laugh.

Anyway, I’m typically not fond of using just one type of plant in a container so I’m always looking for ways to “jazz up” my containers by adding color, or texture, or something a little fun or out of the ordinary.  If you’re partial to flowers, you can use Pansies, Tulips, Daffodils (whose faces follow the sun which can either be fun or frustrating depending on your personality), moss, ferns (perennial, not indoor varieties) branches such as Pussy Willow, Curly Willow or Birch.  If you can find Ornamental Cabbage or Kale, it always adds nice texture too.  If you’re looking for an alternative, another nice option is to use lettuce. If you plant a variety of them, such as green leaf, red leaf, oak leaf, etc., it can really be quite pretty. Add Pansies to the pot for a cheerful salad on the steps!

IMPORTANT: Pansy flowers are edible and make for great color on salads, but make absolutely sure they have not been treated with herbicides or pesticides before you even consider eating them! The plants most nurseries and big box retailers carry will most likely have been treated.  Make sure to look for “edible pansies” from an organic grower or grow your own from (organic) seeds.  Just remember – don’t use conventional fertilizer on them after you plant them!

If you don’t have any luck finding edible pansies but want to surprise your Easter guests with them in a salad, most coops or natural food stores will carry edible pansies near the fresh herbs.

Enjoy!

Kate

Many of us grew up knowing veggie gardens as a box.  Either a box in the ground without sides or a box on the ground with sides, also known as a raised garden.

Believe it or not there are many other methods and shapes out there.  But assuming you’re not doing a complete overhaul this spring and either have very little space for a traditional garden or you would just like to add a couple more things to the mix, look to your landscaping*.  Yep, the area right around your house.  You can quickly change ho-hum landscaping into something fun and edible (a.k.a. edible landscaping).  Replace some of the spaces you usually fill with pansies and petunias with tomatoes, herbs or lettuce and your landscaping will start appealing to more than just the sense of sight.  Just imagine grabbing a few leaves of basil and a tomato on your way in the front door, add a little fresh mozzarella and you’ve got a Caprese Salad waiting at your front door!

*IMPORTANT: If you currently fertilize your lawn and landscape in or within 10 feet of this area, give it a rest.  Seriously.  Organic standards call for 3 years.  Trust me, you DON”T want to be eating what you’re “feeding” to your lawn and landscape. (Don’t forget to ditch the conventional fertilizer attachment to your hose too!)

Here’s to thinking outside the box.  Buon Appetito!

Kate