GBS: Before we get started, wanted to remind everyone that this week’s bookstore special is 50% off Prairie Lands Gardener’s Guide. Head over to the Garden Bookstore and enter PRAIRIELANDS at checkout.

This week, we are giving away a copy of The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control: A Complete Guide to Maintaining a Healthy Garden and Yard the Earth-Friendly Way (Rodale). To enter the contest, submit your best photos of the creepy crawlies that are “pest”-ering your garden on the Garden Bookstore Facebook page.

The winner will be chosen this Friday, so hurry and get your photos posted!

GBS: Today’s GBS interview is with the lovely and talented Laura Schaub! She is the newest member of the CSP family and is the Managing Editor of Cool Springs Press’ new site Garden Writers Today. Laura is an award winning landscape designer and we are fortunate to have her join us. Welcome, Laura!

GBS: Laura, a couple of our page members submitted questions ahead of time. This one is from Daffodil Planter: How has an art history degree helped you as a landscape designer? Have your tastes in fine art changed since you became a designer?

LS: Oh boy, right off the bat smart question! If any of you have taken an Art History course, you know that you spend most of your time in a dark room looking at images. The language we learn is how to describe what we see.

So there is a language and a way of looking at things that was natural to me, and it found its expression looking at, appreciating and talk about art. It took many years to consciously connect that to gardening though!

As for my taste in fine art, that hasn’t changed much; favorites are still the early 20th C Moderns, Kandinsky, Klee, Rothko, O’Keeffe

GBS: I suspect having an art background has really helped with color and texture in your designs.

LS: Yes, when you learn to analyze a painting and notice, say, a color repeating and how it leads your eye, I use stuff like that.

GBS Page Member Janit Calvo: Artistically speaking, how do you approach using art in your garden designs? Do you create the garden around the artwork or choose the artwork to fit the desired space in the garden?

LS: Janit, as far as pieces of garden art? Very loosely. If they have it I make the most of it. If they don’t, I really want it to be something they choose, so I give them loose parameters (with some suggestions, of course!)

GBS: Laura, I want to ask you a bit about your designs. How would you describe your style? What are your favorite colors?

LS: Oh, I came up with a great name for my style, Eclectic Mediterranean. I love warm colors, gold, apricot, peach, red. I rarely design in a “style” unless it is my palette of plants or that I prefer curves over straight lines, I do what I feel is best for the space.

GBS: Oh, I love that name…and do you design for water-restricted areas? Use a lot of drought tolerant plants?

LS: Yeah, I have to. I remove or reduce lawns in every job, but not 100%. I did if myself, now my property is a Certified Wildlife Habitat…

GBS Page Member Rebecca Sweet: Laura – I’ve met so many people who are hesitant to jump in the Social Media pool….if you were to recommend just ONE to begin with, which would it be–Twitter? Facebook? Something else?

LS: I would start with Facebook. It is rapidly becoming ubiquitous, and you can start in the shallow end with family and friends.

Twitter is for those who are comfortable putting themselves out there to strangers. You find a different tribe of like minds, separated by space.

GBS: Yes, I would also suggest that starting a Facebook Fan Page is a great way to connect with readers.

GBS Page Member Rebecca Sweet: Nicely put! That’s probably why so many people are afraid of Twitter…you never really know who’s reading (if anyone!)…

LS: I reveal more on twitter than I do on FB, much more mixed crowd there, including many family members. I keep FB pretty neutral. I’ll talk about hot flashes on Twitter though…

GBS Page Member Teresa O’Connor: Personally, I don’t reveal very much about myself on Facebook. Some of those “friends” aren’t really people I know very well…just my opinion.

LS: I will not friend a business using a Facebook profile, and I do use lists to sort through everybody. And I hide a TON of stuff, my stream looks a lot like twitter.

GBS: Actually, I will friend a business, but then I don’t consider any of my social media profiles to be exclusively personal

GBS Page Member Janit Calvo: Same. Working on my name as a brand. i don’t get really personal at all – on either. I’ll dm or message instead.

GBS Page Member Christa Hanson: My rule for a while was that I didn’t friend people I hadn’t met in person. I’ve let in some of my online gardening friends recently, whom I still haven’t met in RL, but will some day! No complete strangers. That’s for twitter. To me.

GBS Page Member Rebecca Sweet: You’re all making me think I’m pretty lenient….my rule has been to check out their FB profile and if everything is blocked then forget it (unless they send me a nice message introducing themselves and it’s not obvious they’re just trying to… sell me something). If they seem like they’re obviously into gardening then I let them in…but I don’t usually post anything that’s not garden related, and rarely anything about my family. I don’t use the site to connect w/my high school friends – unless they’re really into gardening. In fact, one of my friends from high school will throw in ‘plant speak’ just so I read her message!

GBS Page Member Teresa O’Connor: I agree. FB isn’t really personal to me. It’s more gardening/local food related. No big secrets revealed there…

GBS Page Member Donna Harrison Steward: Definitely recommend FB, old friends,pictures, gardening info from every Zone and the best flower/plant pics ever!!!

GBS Page Member Teresa O’Connor: What are some of the best ways to use Facebook to build a reputation, Laura?

LS: Well, I love to share things that I think are beautiful and/or interesting; it’s always been my favorite thing to do (except for show-and-tell in kindergarten, I remember mom!)Then commenting on things that other people post. Offering advice when asked. Noticing people. Remembering them.

GBS: And, again…I recommend a Facebook Fan Page. Also, I suggest that most people wanting to build a brand avoid groups. They are a closed system and more difficult to build and maintain memberships

LS: Absolutely, I have a great time with the pages I manage, such interesting communities are really just starting to mature…

GBS Page Member Janit Calvo: I like the separate Facebook Fan Page to keep it separated. Not everyone enjoys the banter I find.

GBS: it is also helpful if you have more than one book or product…you can have multiple pages.

GBS: Well, folks, we are almost out of time…Laura it has been great to chat with you! If you would like to connect with Laura and other garden writers, join our Garden Writers Today Facebook page or on the SchaubDesigns Facebook page.

I wanted to make a fruit pie. My roommate was pining for a chocolate pie, but I wasn’t into cooking a custard, so I put that off until later. I was aiming for cherries or nectarines when I mosied into Publix, but I left with black plums. I thought this would be very exciting.

THE ZEN OF PIE CRUST

I’m into crafts with some mystery: pottery, cutting gemstones, jewelry making, and other things that require a meditative concentration to do well. I think making a pie crust fits within that group. Do I use butter? Lard? Some of both? Do I freeze the bowl? It’ll just be butter this time, but for any old Southern pie (chess, chocolate, pecan), lard must dominate. It helps to know what has to happen to make a good crust, and then, working quickly, I focus.

2 cups all-purpose flour (Gold Medal)

3/4 cup fat (pick your poison)

about 1/4 cup water (icey)

My neighbor, Tre, had come over to chat, so she stood there, as I was one with the dough and knocked it out in 10 min. It comes out better the faster you make it. The cold butter goes in, breaking it up by sliding my hands together. Adding just enough water to keep it from crumbling apart is the right amount. It came together, all lovely and phat.

Tre let me know she was coming back the next day for a sample.

The crust was great: crunchy, flaky, and salty. The plums? Hm, just okay. Definitely use the firmer plums.

The chocolate pie is next. This time, I’ll take pictures.

Here’s a link to a great article about pie crust, written for us crust nerds.

Heaven in a Pie Pan (from The New York Times)

]]> http://coolspringspress.com/wp/blog/2010/07/29/summer-is-a-time-for-pie/feed/ 0 http://coolspringspress.com/garden-blog/1438/Jean-Ann-Van-Krevelen/Top-5-Pics-for-Garden-Calendars-72810 http://coolspringspress.com/wp/blog/2010/07/28/top-5-picks-for-2011-garden-calendars/#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:15:50 +0000 Jean Ann Van Krevelen http://coolspringspress.com/wp/?p=1438 The Top 5 New Gardening Releases is a weekly feature on our CSP blog. I search what’s new and what’s hot and give you my five picks. Usually we feature books, but this week we are taking a look at hot new calendars. If you have a book (or calendar) you would like to submit for consideration in the Top 5, leave me a comment or send me an email and let me know!

The Organic Kitchen Garden Wall Calendar by Ann Lovejoy, photography Robin Bachtler Cushman, Publisher Amber Lotus ($13.99) $9.79 at the Garden Bookstore

Description

The Organic Kitchen Garden 2011 Wall Calendar is a perfect companion to every cook’s kitchen. Featuring beautiful photographs of kitchen gardens and the lush produce they offer, this calendar pairs images with twelve months of recipes and tips inspired by the bounty of kitchen gardens and the local farmer’s market. Each month offers a simple, seasonal and healthful recipe along with tips on growing, harvesting, canning and cooking – all with an emphasis on the importance of an organic approach.
Ann Lovejoy is the author of more than 20 gardening books and two cooking books, and is a regular cooking and gardening columnist for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Robin Bachtler Cushman is a horticultural photographer specializing in organic practices. Her work has appeared in Sunset, Horticulture and Fine Gardening magazines as well as in more than 35 Sunset books. Her images can also be found in Williams-Sonoma cookbooks. The interior pages of this calendar are printed on 100% recycled, 50% post-consumer paper, processed chlorine free and printed with soy based inks.

Gardens of the Spirit Mini Calendar Photographer Allan Mandell, Publisher Amber Lotus ($7.99) $5.59 at the Garden Bookstore

Description

Strongly influenced by Shinto and Buddhism, the Japanese style of landscaping is particularly conducive to restoring an inner calm. Requiring an artful blend of imagination, skill and patience, the Japanese garden is an extension of the self. By adapting the harmonies of natural design to our own landscape, we heighten our understanding of the world around us and within us. The Gardens of the Spirit 2011 Mini Calendar features twelve exquisite images from photographer Allan Mandell.
The interior pages of this calendar are printed on 100% recycled, 50% post-consumer paper, processed chlorine free and printed with soy based inks.

The Secret Garden Wall Calendar by Workman, Published by Workman ($12.99) ($9.09) at the Garden Bookstore

Description

Duck behind a hedge, lift the latch of an overgrown gate, follow the meandering path to wherever it leads. You just may encounter a delightful surprise: a lively jumble of greenery and bright blossoms, a trickling fountain, the chirps, warbles, and songs of birds, perhaps a bench placed in the shade of an old tree. Now in its 15th successful year, “The Secret Garden Calendar” opens up to a dozen lush sanctuaries that will soothe the spirit and recharge the mind. A verdant French garden surrounded by weathered stone walls. An intimate breakfast nook overlooking a pretty array of tulips. Every one is an escape from the outside world, its own little paradise. Photographs are enhanced by gardening quotations, tips, and appreciations.

Art from the Garden Wall Calendar by W Atlee Burpee & Company, Publisher W Atlee Burpee & Company ($13.99) $9.79 at the Garden Bookstore

Description

A beautiful collection of early garden art, Art From the Garden 2011 blooms with the hand-drawn and hand-colored tomatoes, vines, and sweet peas that are hallmarks of the company’s iconic vintage seed packet and catalog art. These lush illustrations offer Americana in a soothing pastoral palette, taking us back to a simpler time. Original Burpee catalogs and seed covers are among the most coveted items at gardening collectors’ auctions–fetching several thousand dollars apiece. Since its founding in 1876, Burpee has become synonymous with old-fashioned American values.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Wall Calendar by Old Farmer’s Almanac, Publisher Old Farmer’s Almanac ( $8.99) $6.99 at the Garden Bookstore

Description

Each monthly spread in this perennial best-seller offers gardening tips, timely advice, and an original full-color illustration.

Plus, an outdoor planting table identifies the best days and Moon phases for planting vegetables.

Music was the siren that drew me into clubs–almost always so smoky you could slice it and serve it on a cracker–late at night because nothing good plays before 10 or even midnight.  In the beginning, I was a pure sound sensation listener; I didn’t really pay attention to the words. But as my tastes changed, I learned to appreciate the poetry of music.

Aimee Mann–second only to Mark Knopfler as my favorite artist–came out with what has to be the finest story CD ever created, The Forgotten Arm. For those who don’t know it, it’s a series of song vignettes telling the story of a love affair between two people and with addiction. The title comes from the boxing phrase referring to the one-two punch of being hit with one arm that will make you “forget” about the other one, setting you up for the knockout. It is stunning. But as much as I love The Forgotten Arm, it’s Mann’s song The Moth that really gets me; maybe because I lived it. I love the way The Moth and The Flame are personified, and it’s one terrific story.

The Moth

The Moth don’t care when he sees The Flame // He might get burned but he’s in the game. // And once he’s in, he can’t go back, he’ll beat his wings ’til he burns them black … // No, The Moth don’t care when he sees The Flame // No, The Moth don’t care when he sees The Flame. // The Moth don’t care if The Flame is real, ’cause Flame and Moth got a sweetheart deal.// And nothing fuels a good flirtation, like Need and Anger and Desperation … // No, The Moth don’t care if The Flame is Real. // No, The Moth don’t care if The Flame is real. // So come on, let’s go, ready or not // ‘Cause there’s a Flame I know, hotter than hot // And with a fuse that’s so thoroughly shot … // The Moth don’t care if  The Flame burns low, ’cause Moth believes in an afterglow. // And Flames are never doused completely, // All you really need is a love of Heat. // No, The Moth don’t care if The Flame burns low. // No, The Moth don’t care if The Flame burns low. // So come on, let’s go, ready or not, ’cause there’s a Flame I know // Hotter than hot. // And with a fuse that’s so thoroughly shot … // Away away away

The Moth, Aimee Mann

What’s your favorite song, and why do you love it so?

Recently, one of the GR founders (Amy Stewart) joined forces with other gardening notables and created a new service/site called Great Garden Speakers. We are proud to say that Cool Springs Press is now partnering with Great Garden Speakers to assist CSP published authors to gain the visibility needed to book speaking engagements.

Here’s a bit about GardenRant:

GardenRant has been online since June 2006 and quickly developed a following among garden bloggers, garden writers and editors, and landscape nursery business professionals.  We have been named Best Garden Blog, Most Innovative Garden Blog, and Best Written, by a jury of our peers.

Garden Design Magazine called us:  “Pithy, hysterically funny, with poignant news and views of all aspects of the garden world. Don’t miss their Manifesto!” We’ve also received praise from USA Weekend, The Washington Post, The American Gardener, Canadian Gardening magazine, BBC’s Gardens Illustrated, and the National Gardening Association.

And, if you happen to be at this year’s Independent Garden Center Show, the GardenRant-ers will are speakers on a panel:

The annual IGC Show in Chicago is fast becoming the hip meet-up for the retail side of the gardening world. It’s oriented entirely around the needs of independently-owned garden centers–which we love–but it’s also a good stop for garden writers, garden bloggers, and the like.  There’s a trade show floor packed with purveyors of plants, pots, tools, seeds, books, and other assorted merchandise, and the seminars and tours are getting better every year.

Especially this year!  Because they’ve invited GardenRant to put on a panel discussion!  That’s right, the four of us are headed to Chicago August 17-19 to mouth off to garden center owners.  Our panel takes place on Thursday, August 19 from 11-12, but there’s plenty more you won’t want to miss.  Check out the complete schedule here.

If you are heading to the IGC show, check out CSP authors Debra Prinzing, Mary Ann Newcomer and yours truly!

A Bit About Laura

– Laura has a degree in Art History from UC Santa Barbara that is turning out to be more useful than she first supposed.

– Her work for many years was in Advertising and Marketing Communications for the High Tech Industry in Silicon Valley. The only thing she misses about this is her 401(k).

– Laura started her landscape design practice, Schaubdesigns Fine Gardens, in the Spring of 2001 at age 40, after a mid-life awakening (she wouldn’t say crisis). Gardens of her design have been winning awards since 2004.

– She was the featured designer on four episodes of the landscape transformation show “Landscape Smart” on HGTV.

– Laura partnered with a fellow designer to create a gold-medal winning display garden for the 2005 San Francisco Flower & Garden Show.

– She is Past President of the Peninsula District of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, the largest and most active district in the country.

– in 2009 Laura launched her popular garden design blog, InterLeafings, and joined the staff of the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show as Public Relations and Social Media Director.

– Laura is a regular contributor to two international garden design group blogs, Designers on Design and The Garden Designers Roundtable. Photographs of her own garden are being published in Fine Gardening Magazine this fall, and will also appear in garden books by Cool Springs Press and Timber Press in 2011. Her involvement in and support of garden communications, particularly New Media, led her to Cool Springs Press and the opportunity to promote and support her fellow writers on the Garden Writers Today website.

I’ve always had fond memories of botanical gardens. Franklin Park Conservatory in Chicago has been my favorite. Probably because it was my first. I was sixteen. The shimmering glass houses with exotic plants are embedded in my brain like a dream. I remember giant bug eating plants and palm leaves as large as a beds. The Conservatory is connected to the Franklin Park Zoo. So, lions and tiger are mixed in as well.

What a wonderful gift a garden is to a community. And to think of the amount of work that goes into it blows my mind. I have enough trouble maintaining my square foot garden.

My advice. Take some time to visit your local gardens. You need the break, and I’ll bet they need the support.

Oh, and here’s a list of all of the Cool Springs Press staff on Twitter: @gardenpublisher (Roger Waynick), @jimbashour (Jim Bashour), @BillieBrownell (Billie Brownell), @jeanannvk (Jean Ann Van Krevelen).

For all of the latest information on garden writing/publishing check out @coolspringsnews and for the latest on hot new gardening books and deals, follow @gardenbookstore. And don’t forget to check out our new DigPlantGrow site and DigPlantGrow FB Page!

@idigplantgrow: Our new Twitter profile for our developing gardening resource site. Join us for great garden content and all of your favorite social media hort heads!

Twitter Bio: Cool Springs Press has a new gardening community! Find podcasts, blogs, phone apps, and more great resources on our site! (@jeanannvk tweeting)

Interesting Tweet: Interviewing @esmaaself about feral foods and foraging on the Garden Bookstore page right now! http://ht.ly/2eKU4

@deltagardener

Twitter Bio: I am the host for Delta Cable Eastlink’s That Bloomin’ Garden. I am passionate about teaching children how to grow plants.

Interesting Tweet: I figure any cherry tom outside is meant to be eaten by starving gardeners while in garden. Rarely do they make it inside.

@botanicalseeds

Twitter Bio: We’re a family owned seed company offering over 500 varieties of seed, including many organic and heirloom varieties.

Interesting Tweet: Did you know? Native Americans had many uses for Compass Plant, including using it in rituals to protect against… http://fb.me/CSMAPqtg

@daveytree

Twitter Bio: Providing proven solutions for a growing world. The original tree experts since 1880. Employee-owned.

Interesting Tweet: Davey Tree is proud to support the educational events of the Stihl Tour des Trees for the Tree Fund http://www.treetures.com/ProfRide.html

@bklynbotanic

Twitter Bio: Bloom updates and more from Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Interesting Tweet: Big as a fist and oh-so-bright artichoke thistle is catching the eye of visitors and pollinators alike this morning. http://flic.kr/p/8kx2Di

@farmerfred

Twitter Bio: Master Gardener, Radio Host/Get Growing

Interesting Tweet: It’s a great year for tomato blossom end rot! What’s a gardener to do? http://bit.ly/ccz4SW

@urbangardens

Twitter Bio: Unlimited Thinking for Limited Spaces: Freshest Innovative and Eco-friendly designs, trends, ideas for the stylish Urban Garden

Interesting Tweet: Floating Urban Farms on Recycled Tourist Boats: Ahoy, bok choy! You got it: boat+botanic=boatanic, a floating gre… http://bit.ly/c8Qlzr

@fromfarmtotable

Twitter Bio: #food #farm #wine #fun in #Sonoma city, valley, county

Interesting Tweet: Pinot filled chocolate, and I don’t care http://twitgoo.com/19xdtv I Feet up, lava lamp on, lavender in the aromatizer.

@greenblessings

Twitter Bio: Garden Wise Living with Arlena is a From the Ground up TV series based out of Wisconsin and seen across the US,Canada and Australia.Landscape Designer

Interesting Tweet: Is your Landscape Looking a little Wild…like a jungle…give it a haircut… a mid summer trim is just what the… http://fb.me/CxWeYsjQ

@helpsavebees

Twitter Bio: In my spare time I’ve set-up Help Save Bees to help raise awareness and to donate money towards research and conservation work to help save bees.

Interesting Tweet: Visiting the National Lilac Collection at Withdean Park, Brighton. And this plant (?) is smoothered in #bumblebees http://yfrog.com/09nqcj

@caffinara

Twitter Bio: Master Gardening, Freelance Writing and Running. I recently ran my 1st half marathon

Interesting Tweet: How to get more out of your vegetable garden http://bit.ly/dzZSRB

Photo by WilliamCho

Also,  this week’s Garden Bookstore Special is 40% off list price for Microgreens: A Guide to Growing Head over to GBS http://ht.ly/2dEb1 and enter MICROGREENS at checkout.
GBS: Esmaa, I am so glad to have you here! Feral foods and foraging for food are big topics in today’s economy. How did you get interested?
ES: Thank you for having me! I grew up in a blended family and I think my step mom who told me to go harvest wild mustard greens really wanted to get my out from underfoot. I was 8.

GBS: That’s such an early age to get started! Did you love wild edibles right from the start or was the harvesting process and the flavors acquired tastes?

ES: I think the mustard greens were not a taste that i stayed away dreaming about, but the was an old persimmon tree in a field that I also used to harvest from, and that was purely for the flavor.
GBS: I would love to get into wild foods…but how would I know which ones I can eat?
think the very best way to start with any new feral food is the Universal Edibility Test.

ES: Here’s a web site with that information posted http://www.medicineatyourfeet.com/universaledibilitytest.html

This is a rather involved process, though, so a person could get a jumpstart by inputting “wild foods” an the name of your state or area in a n Internet search filed. You’ll see what’s happening in your local area and get to meet people with similar ideas or even take classes

GBS: I had no idea there was a “test” for edibility. That’s a great resource… Do you have other resources?

ES: You bet! YouTube, too is a valuable resource for people looking to get started in wild foods. Go to YouTube, input ‘wild foods’ and you’ll have hundreds of videos to watch! There are a bunch of readable wild food blogs, as well. Here are two of my faves:

Langdon
http://fat-of-the-land.blogspot.com/

wild food girl
http://wildfoodgirl.com/

GBS: These are awesome! I can’t believe I haven’t ever thought to look for this information.

ES: It’s easy and fast to locate plant data on the Internet. I like to get at least three sources for every plant I’m identifying, usually one of those is a university and another is the US government.
GBS: Esmaa,  what are your favorite wild edibles?
ES: I love orach for its spinach like nutrition and great flavor. Lambs quarter, too. I’ll post pictures. Wait! Currants! Yes: I love wild currants!

GBS: I read your post on golden currants earlier this week…YUM!

We were thrilled when they blossomed last fall! We didn’t know they were there.
GBS Page Member Susan Morrison: Hi Esmaa, One of the things I remember one of my master gardener instructors warning us about was wild mushrooms. She indicated that even experienced foragers can get into trouble here. What’s your take?
ES: Honestly, I stay away from mushrooms. I wouldn’t even begin to harvest those without having taken a class. Even then, I’d go out with experienced shroomers. In fact, this is something I hope to do one day.

GBS: I agree, wild mushrooms are scary…but who can give up morels?

GBS Page Member Susan Morrison: Who can give up morels? Who can give up ANY mushrooms! No worries, though, there’s always the farmers market.

ES: Right! Who would dream of giving up mushrooms? There are gathering groups in this area. One day (soon, I hope) I’ll join them and start harvesting those too!
GBS: Esmaa, I see you recently purchased a paperback titled “The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants”. Has the book been a helpful resource?
ES: You know, it has. I learned a new source for coffee-like brews (juniper berries!)

GBS: Juniper berries make coffee-like brews? How?

ES: Roast the cones (which are usually called berries) and grind ‘em. I haven’t tried it … yet.

GBS: Sounds to me like it would make roasted gin

ES: Exactly what I thought! I’m going to try a batch when cooler weather sets in.

GBS Page Member Rob Farmer: Coffee-like brews sound interesting… Overall, it seems that you have been harvesting *totally* feral foods. Is it real that you did no tilling, planting or watering whatsoever?

ES: Yes. Which is one of the reasons I’m loving this project so much: free food, great nutrition, and woo hooo: all I have to do is pick it!
GBS Page Member William Self: Esmaa, you know how much I have been enjoying the bounty… The mixed current berries are great in yogurt and oatmeal. The dandlion pesto and the dock frittata were simply delicous!
GBS: William, I am still not sure about that dandelion pesto business

GBS Page Member William Self: After years of despising dandelion weeds, I learned that are actually great additions to many dishes. Now when I walk past dandelion plants I smile cause I actually appreciate ‘em

ES: You know I used to pull purslane and amaranth before I knew they tasted great
ES: These are one of three varieties of currants gowing on our hill.
I learned yesterday that there are scores of varieties. This one, a jostaberry, is a cross between gooseberry and currant.
GBS Page Member Rebecca Sweet: Esmaa – I remember when I was younger, walking the hills eating a type of lettuce called Miner’s Lettuce. Is that a common food to forage, and was it a good idea?
ES: Yes, assuming you knew for sure what the plant was. We used to forage Miner’s Lettuce in CA. It’s tasty!
GBS Page Member Patrice Gordon: Hi Esmaa! I am astounded by the growing list of edibles on your property… How did you *start* learning to identify feral plants?
ES: I spent most of my youth outside, so I’d have to say it began with familiarity borne of proximity.As an adult, I guess I learned what was edible because I love all-day hikes. So need and exposure, I guess.
GBS: Esmaa, can you name 3 or 4 edibles that everyone has right in their own yard?
ES: I bet everyone –or nearly everyone– could find dandelion, lambsquarter and prickly lettuce in their yard.

GBS: Tell us about Prickly Lettuce:
I cut the spine away and use the leaf in mixed greens: yum!
GBS Page Member Liz Cunningham: It looks very much like a form of dandelion? Does it have small yellow flowers eventually and grow quite tall?

ES: It can look like dandelion, with one notable difference: the prickly lettuce leaves are arranged up the stalk whereas dandelion leaves come from the base. Both do have yellow flowers. These flowers are smaller and less full.
ES: Lately I’ve been pulling weeds (amaranth, lambsquarter, dandelion) and have been making two piles: one for the kitchen, one for the chickens!
ES: Found one of these (stinging nettle) yesterday by bumping into it. Ouch
GBS: We don’t usually think of our vegetarian based food biting us back!

ES: Hah! So true!

Stinging Nettle is a super nutritious plant. Langdon Cook has a number of great looking recipes on his blog, Fat of the land http://fat-of-the-land.blogspot.com/.
GBS: Esmaa, if people want to connect with others in their area who are familiar with wild edibles, where would they look?
ES: Meetup is a good place to start:

http://wild-food.meetup.com/
GBS: Esmaa, after looking at the photos and thinking about the amount of work that might go in to finding wild edibles, why would people choose to forage?
ES: It’s healthy, it’s free, it’s good for the environment and it’s fun to try new flavors!

Here are what others say about “why”:
http://www.prodigalgardens.info/Why%20Eat%20Wild%20Foods.htm…
http://www.living-foods.com/articles/whywildfood.html
http://www.wildfoodschool.com/eat-weeds.htm

To find out more about wild foods, go to YouTube and search for ‘wild foods’. It’s a great way to start gathering knowledge, and the best part? It’s free! Also, be sure of your information source. The Internet is filled with information, some of it better researched and presented than others. I always try to verify wild plant information from a US government site and /or a university site.

One book that I think is useful is the Department of the Army’s The Complete Guide to Edible Plants. It isn’t any where near as complete as this book: Encyclopedia Of Herbs & Spices: The Ultimate Guide To Herbs And Spices, With Over 200 Recipes, which is long out of print, but it inexpensive and readily available. Plus it’s portable. Also, I refer to my Audubon Field Guide a lot. A lot.

All that said, if you are keen to start IDing and harvesting medicinals, herb, and wild foods, a book akin to the Encyclopedia will become your favorite tool.
GBS: Esmaa, this is absolutely great information! If you to find out more
about Esmaa and her writings, head over to her blog: Essence

Photo Credit:

Golden Currants and Stinging Nettle: Esmaa Self

Prickly Lettuce: gmayfield10

I was curious about the form of crapemyrtles from an early age, since we had two in our front yard when I was growing up. My mother prized the hot pink blooms, and I loved the star-like pattern on the small buds. Of course, after spreading my wings and leaving the nest, I found other places had flowering shrubs, too. Amazing! Of particular note are a group of Lagerstroemia indica at Cheekwood, our local botanical garden and museum—which is currently hosting a Chihuly installation. Alongside the traditional pink I knew, there are the violets and the especially beautiful white variety. Maybe it’s a small obsession.

I think what draws me to these colors and my general fascination with varieties of plants is how they parallel  a palette of colors, textures, etc. used by artists. That is more of my vocabulary, and I use an understanding of art as a point of reference for other cultural interests. I love seeing the many ways elements (colors, size, form, etc.) can be arranged to produce a very satisfying effect. Gardeners, does garden design help you understand visual art?

I’m going to have to try and grow another one. Yes, I tried once, but I had horrible soil where I planted it. It died right away. After some cultivation, that area has done better. Time to try again?

It’s going to be hot, hot this weekend, but it will a bright and sunny weekend to drive out to Cheekwood in Belle Meade (West Nashville) and see what’s blooming. It’s been a month or so since I’ve been there, so it’ll be interesting to see how things are changing.