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5 Tips on how to shop for a garden in 20 minutes

If you want to put a small vegetable garden in your yard today, it can be done. Let’s say your ground is prepared and you are ready to go– all you need is some plants. You could spend a leisurely Saturday wandering around various garden centers or the Farmers’ Market, but maybe you’ve got a sizable list of things to do, and getting the garden in the ground is just one of them.

Here is our strategy for an almost instant garden.

1. Pick one shopping site.
It may be tempting to comparison shop all over town, but going to one site will speed up your plant acquisition. For us, that place is the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market, open Saturday from 8am until 3pm.

2. Make a list.
Note what you want to make sure to get, maybe favorites from previous years. Buy what you want to grow– what you like or what is economical for you. Make some decisions ahead of time so you don’t end up with too many surprises, but consider trying a new plant that you’d like to grow and prepare at home.

3. Travel in pairs.
If you are going to the Farmers’ Market and want easy parking, you should have already been there. The best back-up strategy is to have a driver and a shopper. The driver can search for parking while the shopper shops, and they can meet up inside. If there’s no parking to be found, you just saved a dollar by having the driver circle while the shopper shops.

4. Do a quick run-though.
Circle the stalls and scope out the selection. We have a couple favorite growers but we like to see what’s available. Prices are going to be comparable overall, but watch for any special offers or deals on a whole flat of 12 plants.

5. Select healthy plants.
When making your choices, examine the plants. Take the time to look up close. Choose green, leafy, compact plants. Avoid spindly, pale plants. Avoid plants with blossoms. Avoid plants with insects or mold. Avoid plants with overgrown roots. Healthy seedling are the best way to start.

If your soil is prepared, make an effort to get your plants in the ground today or tomorrow. If not, today is your day to prepare your garden beds by weeding and loosening the soil, if necessary.

If you are pressed for space or time, you could also consider the alternative of container gardens. You may not get as high yield from a patio tomato, but it can be a satisfying way to garden if there aren’t other alternatives.

If you aren’t in a hurry to get your garden going, by all means you can take your time. But if you want to launch your garden today as well as get everything else done, use these tips to get your almost instant garden off to a good start.

Posted in • Growing.

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By Jardinier – May 18, 2013

Thoughts on Earth Day: 6 Simple Changes to Celebrate the Earth

When I was a kid back at Oxford Elementary in Dearborn Michigan, the annual Clean Up Parade in the spring was one of the high points of the school year. Seriously. We made float and signs and costumes and marched through the neighborhood encouraging people to “Clean Up, Fix Up, Paint Up.”

Everything was simpler back then. From learning to relationships to saving the world, change could be accomplished by good intentions and good efforts.

“When the land was new, it was clean! Be a Pioneer!” My brother and I in the Clean Up Parade, 1973

The world is a lot more complicated now, and not just to me. We experience enormous environmental crises triggered by humans like oil spills or wildfires, and we cannot predict how far the results of those events will reach. We can debate about how much ill effect we have on the earth, but it’s hard to ignore our obvious impact when we look at energy consumption or pollution. As one of my students who is an environmental studies major noted last week, it’s hard not to get discouraged because there’s simply so much to do and so much to worry about.

The size of the concern cannot be the obstacle that prevents us from making changes or celebrating Earth Day. Here are 6 simple ways to mark the day and “Let the sun shine in.”

Recycle. Sure, you do it already. But why not step it up a notch? Make a commitment to be more diligent at home or work, wherever it’s easier to slack off.

Reuse. There’s personal satisfaction in finding new uses for no-longer-needed items. The trash can may be the shortest path out of your house, but an only slightly less convenient path could put your discards in the hands of someone who could use them. To find new homes of household goods, look for donations sites in your area.

Reduce. Give gifts that don’t create clutter: tickets to a play or live music, a meal at a restaurant, a trip to a museum.

Clean up. But do so using less chemicals. Explore the harmless cleaning power of baking soda or vinegar solutions. The internet is full of recipes and tips (see soft scrub and salt scrub for cast iron).

Fix up. If you aren’t ready to give up your car entirely, keep it in good repair to lessen emissions and fuel consumption.

Paint up. When painting or remodeling, request low impact paints or products. Consumer advocacy will continue to drive innovation in this area as well.

In all, little steps do add up. Our small changes will not solve gigantic crises, but they can help give meaning to our actions and make us more mindful of the great gift that is the earth.

Posted in • Sitting Still.

Tagged with conservation, earth day, recycling.

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By 20 Minute Jan – April 22, 2013

Whither Spring?

“The daffodils in the yard sprouted and bloomed… and were nipped by the hard frost we’ve had the last two nights. They’re lying down as if taking a nap while wearing their party dresses, grins on their bright yellow faces.”

–An excerpt from a letter by 20MinuteJim describing this particular spring in Michigan to our children who are abroad.

Posted in • Growing.

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By 20 Minute Jan – April 21, 2013

In Praise of Silly Grins

At a certain point last night while sitting at the Wolverine State Brewing Co., I realized there was an extremely silly grin plastered on my face that I was unable and quite unwilling to remove. Contributing factors included:

• the glass of “Basement Fire” (a chili-infused, smoked malt lager) that I was sipping;
• the band Lindsay Lou and the Flatbellies who were smoking through a set of thoroughly modern bluegrass;
• my beloved 20MinuteJan who sat at my side, tapping her foot.

My goofy expression and all its preconditions appeared as an unexpected stop on a leisurely walk through the balmy twilight. It’s always seasonable to be grateful but Spring means our evening strolls hold greater potential for many such felicitous grin-fests.

What simple things give you a silly grin? What treasured spots are close enough that you can walk to them? What chance activities mean Spring to you? Don’t be embarrassed to share.

Posted in • Local Happenings.

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By 20MinuteJim – April 17, 2013

Great Neighbors, Great Bacon

We have some great neighbors– as evidenced by this home-made bacon, which we got in exchange for a pie, which we had given as a thank-you for the many incidences of walk-shoveling executed by our neighbors this winter. Does this make sense? In my mind, we are clearly coming out ahead.

When our former great neighbors, Peter and Julie, put the house up for sale a couple years back, I have to admit that we were worried. What is our new neighbors were scary? (Now that I think about it, that was probably the plot of one of the Bernstein Bears books I read to our children two decades back.) Like family, you don’t get to pick your neighbors, but there they are, in or very near your space. The new people could have been neat-freeks or chemical spray on the lawn types– which were some of my worst case scenarios.

Cold Frame Construction

Our yard, like our house, is not what many people would consider a showpiece. I do, but I think my standards are different. (My friend Amy once called our house “lived in”, which I took as a compliment on the deepest level.) We fully occupy this space. Our habitat, inside and out, is a unique, busy and in-transition place. It’s more than 100 years old, so there is always something to do, but moreover, there is always a lot going on, and much of that is still in process. Our space is full of projects– some big, some small, and many hard to ignore.

After a young couple made an offer on the house, Peter mentioned that the husband was a brewer, which we took as a good sign. Brewers are often tinkers or makers, so we had reason to be hopeful. At least we’d have something to talk about.

From the bacon alone, you can see we hit the neighbor jackpot with Greg and Emily. The new family is significantly neater than us, but we haven’t faced any condemnation from them; in fact, they seem interested in the various projects we tend to put in our yard. They are friendly and kind. We have been spoiled with the snow-shoveling assistance, to put it mildly.

Neighbors everywhere could learn a few things from them about how to act with generosity. I’m hoping to learn how to make home-made bacon and kimchi, and then I’ll make them some more pies. Having good neighbors is a win-win, win-again situation.

Posted in • Making.

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By 20 Minute Jan – April 14, 2013