Saffron bulbs /Paella

A few months ago I ordered Saffron bulbs (saffron crocus) and they just arrived. I am going to try to grow some myself and share a few with my father (this man can grow anything....really, he can take a twig, stick it in the ground and in a few weeks he will have a tree, ya, no kidding).
Anywho, I think it needs to be a container plant (how convenient) because you are not supposed to water or fertilize it at all during the summer months. It is a fall blooming crocus. I better get planting.

Saffron is one of the worlds most expensive spices by weight. Not to mention a pretty bloom. Saffron is hand harvested and hand dried. Each flower has three red stigmas which are used as spice and a coloring agent (this is what gives the Paella its distinctive taste and yellow color to the rice).
This is a saffron crocus bloom with it's little red valuable stigmas. Hmmm and all this time I thought a stigma was a severe social disapproval of personal characteristics or beliefs that are against cultural norms. Whew, all that with out exhaling.

I am from Spain so naturally I need Saffron to cook Paella. Paella is Spain's national dish. Of course it is because it is soooooooo yummy. Paella is a dish made in a special shallow pan with white short grain rice, usually Bomba or Calasparra. My family likes to add chicken, shrimp, muscles, chorizo, a few peas for color, artichoke hearts (not traditional, but we like them),roasted piquillo peppers, saffron, smoked Spanish paprika, chicken broth, olive oil, etc. When I make a large pan I cook it outside on an open flame on a special gas burner. I make a small pan inside on my gas stove. Open flame is best but it can be made in the oven with the door open. That is just too hot for me! .


This is a small quick Paella I made recently. I can email you the recipe if you leave a comment.

Click the banner below to get all the supplies and special ingredients you need.

Not so easy is it?

I am finding out growing vegetables is not so easy. I had to buy a vegetable safe pesticide to spray on my squash. The squash start out all tiny and cute but are being murdered by insects before they mature. I cut off the infested leaves and sprayed the bejebers (is that a word) out of the plant. I guess I will know the damage in a few days.

The peas are still looking pathetic and really growing. My tomatoes however, look wonderful and are starting to have numerous blooms. I am expecting big things out of them (I hope that is not too much pressure on the little darlings).

Semi green thumb

So I finally went out and took a picture of my "crops". Tomatoes actually have a few small blooms..hurrah! Squash have been growing like crazy with actual mini squash, but some how they are not maturing.......hmmmmm will have to research that. The predator bugs remain and the mature one are little monster looking things, yuck! But I guess they keep the aphids at bay.
Peas are pathetic!

Tomato in clay pot.

Tomatoe in self watering container. Nice.

Squashapalooza!!!!!!!!!!

Massive squash...Cage does not work to hold it up.

Getting back to gardening

Power is back and the yard is cleaned up after Ike. Plants have been moved back outside. My radishes seemed a little weak so I pulled them up. My peas are not looking so good. Tomatoes are tall but remain bloomless. Squash are everywhere and so are the ugly predator bugs. I am not so happy with the "cages" I chose for the vegetables. They do not seem very supportive as they were advertised to be. Chalk it up to trial and error. I need to go out and take a picture.

Ike is gone and the mess remains

Ike came roaring through here at about 4am Saturday morning. Heavy winds and driving rain. We were very fortunate to be just at the west edge of the eye. We did lose power very early in the evening Friday, but were lucky enough to get it back in about 18 hours. Hundreds of thousands of people are still with out. Stores have no supplies and very few gas stations have gas. Schools and businesses are closed and curfews have been set. We have running water but are being told to boil water and/or use bottled water. The devastation on the coast, just about 60 miles south of here, is incredible. We are still in the busiest time of hurricane season so we pray the Gulf is spared here forward.

Hurricane Ike!! Yikes!!

Hurricane Ike is coming..time to bring in the plants and batten down the hatches.

Coffee grounds make your garden grow

My husband and I drink coffee almost every day. Our coffee maker grinds the beans and makes the coffee. Every few days I have to empty the little pucks of coffee grounds. Just think of the millions of people around the world who drink coffee or tea and the millions of pounds of used coffee grounds and tea leaves that are discarded into the trash daily. This is so wasteful.

I started throwing my coffee grounds out into my flower beds but did not know the benefits. So I did a little "digging". Seems there are a lot of benefits from these used grounds. Coffee grounds are acidic with a pH between 3.5 and 5.0. Coffee grounds alone offer 3 percent nitrogen to the soil. Also, earthworms love coffee grounds.
*Sprinkle the grounds around plants before watering or rain for a slow release nitrogen.
*Using eggshell and coffee grounds to encircle a plant will form a barrier to repel pests.
*Mix into soil for houseplants and new vegetable beds. Vegetables enjoy acidic soil.
* Acid loving plants such as azalea, rhododendron, holly, juniper, mountain laurel, heather, creeping phlox, and lily of the valley. Trees such as pine, spruce, fir, and some oak species.
*Dilute your leftover coffee with water to use as a fast acting liquid fertilizer.
* Since earthworms love coffee grounds those of you who vermi-post can use it in your composting bin.
* Coffee filters and tea bags compost very quickly as well.

Spread the word and spread those grounds!!!!!!!!!

I have squash and bugs!!! Oh my!!!

Looks like my squash is growing well. This is exciting to see the "fruits" of my labor!
But there seems to be a problem. Bugs a million. Aphids and some weird larger orange bug with long black legs.My pictures are not too clear but I researched the mystery guests. They are some species of assassin bug which are beneficial predators. I also found a tiny ladybug which is also beneficial.

If you are not lucky enough to have nature, in the form of beneficial bugs, rid your plants of aphids:
* You can use blasts of water to knock them off of the plant.
* You can pick off the infested stems. You can also mix 2 teaspoons of dish washing soap in a spray bottle of water and spray the area.
* You can mix 3 parts water, one part vegetable oil, and a few drops of dish washing soap into a spray bottle and spray the area.
* You can use a purchased Pyrethrum or Rotenone, both insecticides derived from natural sources and safe on edible plants.

Guerrilla Gardeners

I heard a great new term: Guerrilla Gardeners. CNN did a story about it. Guerrilla gardeners green their city on secret moonlit missions.

Guerrilla Gardeners refers to people who plant seeds,shrubs, and flowers on land that doesn't belong to them. The result? Plants that beautify or yield crops in otherwise neglected or vacant spaces. It is covert beautification of neighborhoods and cities.

Green Guerrillas was one of the first guerrilla groups founded by artist Liz Christy in 1973 in New York. Since then they have been springing up all over the world.

Visit GuerrillaGardening.org a really neat blog.

Eat Chocolate - grow a garden

Want to try some delicious "organic" chocolate? You must visit Dagoba Organic Chocolate. What does chocolate have to do with gardening? Dagoba has chocolates infused with fruits and herbs.

While you are there sign up for free herb and flower seeds with their Seed The Day campaign.

You can also share a photo of your own urban farm, community garden or green oasis, and enter to win a free Dagoba® Organic Chocolate collection. I shared a photo of my squash and radishes.

They also have a place to fill in called Dig in the Dark where Guerrilla Gardeners can write about their nighttime planting. If you have not heard of this new guerrilla movement just read my next blog.

"DAGOBA was founded in 2001 by Frederick Schilling, who was then just 30 and on a mission. He was determined to create exceptional, innovative chocolate that would benefit people, planet, and industry." Read the story and peruse the site. I found it very interesting. Oh, and don't forget to try the chocolate. Yummy!