cleavers coffee

So I found this plant growing in my sideyard this spring, which I learned is Galium aparine, also knows as cleavers or bedstraw or a ton of other common names. I also learned that not only is it edible, but highly nutritious. The first few articles I found talked about pulping it into smoothies or making tinctures, neither of which interested me. But then I discovered you can make a coffee-like drink out of it, and that intrigued me. As an experiment, I let it continue to grow- you have to harvest the seeds when they are matured and dried out.

Perhaps a mistake. I have not been out to the sideyard much this summer, and when I finally did check on things, it was all an overgrown mess. A lot of my joe pye weed had flopped over, black-and-blue salvia smothering the gladiolas again, lamb's ears seem to have died out. Not only that, but the cleavers was winding up and through other plants, tangling along with some bindweed or morning glory, and what looks like a weedy grape? I spent a few hours out there pulling the vines out, trimming things, propping up some of the pye stems, pulling weeds. While doing that I noticed that the dried cleavers stems had seeds hanging on them. So I stuffed all those in a bucket.

A few days later I went out and plucked a bunch of cleavers seed off the ground with tweezers. Yes, I do senseless things sometimes. Rubbing them around against each other and between my fingers knocks off most of the dirt. Then I methodically went through all the matter in the bucket. Holding little clumps of stem up against the light made it easy to see the seeds, which have fine hairs that give them a sort of halo. No problem if I dropped any, as they readily stuck to my clothes!

But it was super tedious. When I got to the bottom of the bucket I found far more seeds, however mixed in with broken chaff and fine dirt. I found it easiest to separate the seeds by putting little piles on the table, sifting and spreading it out, and then feeling for the seeds with my fingers, rolling them off to the side, rubbing them together to loosen off any remaining dirt. 

Hours. I would not recommend doing it this way. If I ever do this again, would make more conscious effort to go out there sooner and pluck the seeds straight off the plant before they fall. They are very small.

Next step was to roast them, I used a dry cast iron skillet. A nice coffee-like smell. (Unlike the roasting dandelion roots which smell more nutty).

Then pulverized them in a grinder. (A mortar and pestle would also work, but mine is full of eggshells right now).

Then steeped in hot water. I did a pour-over method, as they ground up so fine I was afraid it might clog the sieve part of my french press. 

How was the drink? Underwhelming. Mild coffee taste, very similar to the dandelion concoction actually. Not nearly so strong as I expected. I used one tablespoon and one teaspoon per the single mug-worth of water (about 8oz I think)- because that's all I had! After all that work. I think it would be stronger if I used a bit more roasted cleavers, or if I used the french press and steeped it longer. As is, it felt not worth all the effort.

short and divided

Most of my carrots have had nice straight roots. This one must've hit a rock!

herbs and tomatoes

Finally have a few large tomatoes to pick- I get them early and let finish ripening on the windowsill (otherwise the squirrels eat holes out of them). Some are oddly shaped this year! 

There is also an oddity in one of my basil pots. A seed came up looking the same as all the rest, but grew tiny leaves. They have the same flavor (maybe a little sharper) just small for some reason.

As for the other herbs, well some have failed me. Dill is pretty much done- gone to flower and now dying off. That's usual. But my pot of summer savory on the deck, only has two surviving plants out of the six or eight I stuck in there. The pot of dill never did well either, and the parsley is only a few small leaves, really struggling. These did so much better when in planters on the deck railing.

Chives, thyme, basil and mint are doing well. Tarragon is sprawling in the herb bed (this French type doesn't seem to grow upright like the Russian one did I had before), sculpit is putting out its balloon flowers, and green onions continue growing. I hope to eat more of those soon.

green onions

First cutting. Not many- I only have three onions growing there. But cutting them is supposed to encourage the bunching growth, and this was just enough to sprinkle over some portabellas cooked in a tamari sauce for dinner.

We're continuing to eat carrots from the garden almost every other day- because that's what I have the most of, that's doing well out there. Beets once or twice a week, chard about as often now. Their regrowth has slowed down, I think because of the heat. I somehow lost half my swiss chard patch last week- there are only three plants on that side remaining. Were a bit smothered by some of the carrot foliage falling over- did the shade and heat do them in? or bugs got it, I don't know. 

The peas are done. The tomatoes are slowly coming on- my sweet 100's completely died (dunno why) but I have a handful of cherokee purple cherry tomatoes every few days, and larger ones too- beefsteak and others. I pick them when they are just starting to turn color and then finish ripening on windowsill, otherwise the animals/bugs get them.

Had a second helping of turnips, once again cooked with peas and salmon. My husband really likes that dish so I definitely have to grow more turnips next year. Seems like such a homely vegetable, but it does so well without any care! Cut the first lot of collard greens to eat tonight- the leaves are on the small side, and not great-looking. I've read that the purplish hue is probably from potassium deficiency in the soil, though they're still fine to eat. Funny, I planted more blue collards than yellow this year- because in the past I have preferred the blue ones. But the yellow ones are looking much healthier, so I should have done it the other way around!

A few purple podded green beans. I picked a small handful (enough for just one serving) last week, and only two ready-sized beans today. Missed half a dozen the first time around that are now too fat with seed maturing- so I will leave those to dry on the vine and be my seed next year. But now there are no new beans forming. I'm not sure if this is because of heat stress, or because my leaving some pods to ripen made the plant think its job is done.

Lost one small asparagus plant. Two others are doing great (so far as I can tell) and the third is half the size of the others. 

Nothing else to report. We're having hot days in the upper nineties again. On the days where I happen to wake up too early- at five or six am- instead of trying to go back to sleep I get up (even though still tired) and go out to the garden before it is hot. I have just enough time to put out the compost, weed a few beds, harvest food for the day and water the garden with the hose, before temperatures rise and the sweat starts rolling down my back just standing still.

first turnips

a few days ago, actually. They are small- little bigger than golf ball I think. But I didn't pull them too early- the texture was smooth, the flavor mild even sweet. I liked them better than turnips in the past. Couldn't find my recipe notes but remember how to cook them- diced small, sauteed in butter with peas and dill. Served with rice and salmon. Even the greens were pretty good. So easy to grow. I should do an entire bed of just turnips next year.

Have also been pulling more carrots. I have to say, the short ones that come up so stubby and feel a pain to prep with the peeling- at least they pull easy! The ones in the middle section have nice long straight roots but some of them the tops break off and even digging around exposing half of it I can't get a grip and I broke a few in half, the lower end is still in the ground. 

We're having a terrible heat wave- over a hundred degrees the past few days- and I've been out watering the garden with hose every morning at 7 or 8am. Gathering food for the day same time- but when the soil is damp those carrots cling.

Pulled beets today for dinner. They were great. The greens also, cooked in avocado oil with garlic.

My first purple green beans are forming- but I have to keep my cat from chewing on them. The stems grew all up the deck railings and she sees it as free salad! I propped up some acrylic panels to actually barricade off the green bean leaves- don't care if she nibbles a few of those but if she bites through a stem everything above it will die. It looks silly.

first carrots

These are the short'n'sweet variety. About twice the size of my thumb. Mild flavor. So nice to just walk out and yank food out of the ground! 

Ate the first few tomatoes today, too. Still pulling beets every week, and cutting chard every other day. There are a few peas as well. Turnips look ready but I haven't eaten those yet. Have yet to use the collards- yellow chard looks fine (not great) but the blue collards a lot of leaves are purple and I'm not sure why.

beets!

I've been thinking how good they look, and yes, they were.

Especially because gave us lots of nice greens. I do like fresh beet greens. 

peas!

First picking

I delayed too long- these are mostly snap peas but some were already getting plump and filled-out so I shelled them and we ate half as stir-fried snap peas and the other half was one serving of regular, steamed peas. I had forgotten how good fresh peas are.

I pulled the bolted tatsoi, lettuces and tokyo bekana from the garden this week. We are eating herbs on a regular basis now- dill (the one volunteer in middle of my carrot patch is doing far better than those in a pot up on the deck), summer savory, thyme, basil, parsley (though it's not growing well) and chives. I've planted hyssop out into pots that flank the lower deck and put two French tarragon from the local nursery, into the herb bed. Still don't have any sage. Tomatoes are not doing great- and the two next to lovage are in the worst shape. Lovage is thriving and taller than me! Beets and carrots look thick and healthy, chard is feeding us twice a week and then some. Turnips, leeks and collards in bed 9 continue to lag. Shiso in bed 7 has recovered well from transplanting and looks great (though I still haven't eaten it yet).

how all my plants are doing-

My beets are looking nice- healthier than ever I think. Some of the leaves get pale, bleached-looking patches I've read this is probably leaf miner and the best thing to do is just remove those leaves, throwing away the bugs on them in the process. I've been doing that and the incidents of bleach-patched leaves is reducing.

Carrots are also nice and thick now. Added more straw mulch and there's few weeds. Those bits I had pulled up earlier thinking they were carrots, turns out is a sedge. Still pulling some.

Tomatoes are planted out, around the tokyo bekana. About twice a week I cut all the tokyo bek (it grows back quickly) and we eat it sauteed in butter and salt. After cutting out the worst bits with slug holes, it's just enough for one side dish. I ought to set a slug trap again- the coffee grounds doesn't seem to be much deterrent.

Some of my tomato plants had yellowing leaves (see just lower left of center) at the end of their time in pots. But the new leaves are growing in a healthier green- as you can see on the upper part of this plant- so I think they'll be okay. There are some flowers appearing (top right)!

We have begun eating the chard:

Lettuces and tatsoi are starting to bolt, we're having a few days in the eighties now. The last cutting I took of lettuce was a bit bitter, blanched that out in cold water all day to make it edible, but now they're at end. On the right in bed 5, lavender on the near side of it is awfully scraggly- it suffered this past winter- but after flowering I will cut it back and hope it regrows nicer. 

On the far end, sorrel is overwhelming the bit of lemon balm. Which is okay, I never really use the lemon balm. Sorrel is sending up flower stalks which I regularly cut off. I will probably have to divide this plant soon, it's getting too big! There's green onions there in the middle and some sculpit, but too small to see from the overhead shot.

and the lower center plant is purple clematis climbing the deck post- just at the end of its bloom time

Turnips are doing okay here in bed 9, but collards remain small. I think it is because I made the mistake of putting layer sticks and wood bits over the cardboard when I started this bed years ago- nothing has done well in 8 or 9 since. Why do people recommend that so much? It definitely hasn't work for me. Other sources tell me that wood buried in the garden bed can tie up nitrogen for five to seven years! I am not positive of course, that's the reason my plants falter in this bed (tomatos did poorly here several years ago) but I'm not repeating the experiment.

In that round repurposed planter in the corner, I've put out the hyssop.

More later

itty bitty asparagus

Three more asparagus in the sowing tray finally grew big enough I could plant them out. 

Still very small! 

I only have four, but that's just enough for starters. I moved the one that was already in bed 1, sideways a foot to make them evenly spaced (so that spot isn't as dark because already had some mulch down).

While working there, pulled more weeds from the path behind/around bed 1 (mostly mock strawberry, wood sorrel and dandelion) and found some of my 'trap plant' coming back- the copperleaf. I left those.

To make room for the asparagus babies, I dug up on a cloudy afternoon all the shiso and moved them to bed 7. Just to have something growing in there.

more garden work

on structure- soon there will be fence! Gah, this is taking me so long. I've mowed as short as possible around the bed perimeter, laid down cardboard 

(it felt fitting, but also sad, to cut up this pretty floral-patterned box for part of the smothering)

and then mulch. This is where the fence will go. 

Startling how much tidier and more purposeful my garden looks with just a mulched boundary. I intend to smother and mulch the paths between the beds as well. Here you can see my nepitella on the outside edge of bed 4- 

doing nicely!

Where the border goes around corner angle, I roughly transplanted pink turtlehead a while back- and they all did just fine with that move. Mulched them with leaves- 

and planted the blue lobelia here. Not sure if it's the best spot, will see.

Also put in the star-eyed grass on the other side, flanking the rosemary.

Photos don't do justice to how pretty these little flowers are.

brick edges

I've been doing a lot of work the past few weeks to replace old rotting wooden edges (railroad ties and fence posts) from beds 7 and 8 with concrete bricks to match the rest of the garden. First was all the work to waterproof seal and paint the bricks- two layers each on all sides, with time to dry between and periodic shifting into the house to avoid rain. Then waiting days for another dry spell to do more painting. Finally was able to set them in place. Here's a few work-in-progress pictures.

Bed 7 on the right is already redone, bed 8 on the left kinda out of picture has the old edges pulled off (long sides- the short ends previously had bricks)- and in the corner here you can see my pretty purple clematis!

Bed 8 with the sides removed and the mulch heaped up out of the way-

and complete!

7 done and 8 incomplete-

7 and 8 both done-

Here's bed 8 with lettuces and peas in the foreground (of bed 6)

I finished the job on a morning sprinkling rain but due to thunderstorm heavy in the afternoon- didn't want the raised built-up-with-riches soil to start washing away so I worked in the mud. Thus the bricks got dirty.

7 and 8 redone in the background, 9 in the foreground with young collard greens, leeks and turnips- and rosemary right up front. (It's the only one survived the winter- my other rosemary plant on the opposite end of the garden died).

So nice to have the beds all finally matching! And solid, and will last for decades. They are not perfectly straight, but much tidier than the old bricks- as you can see in some of the photos where the wobbly edge of bed 6 is across the way from bed 8- but that's merely asthetic, not a functional issue and it's easy enough to level them out when I care enough to find time.

Next structural project for the garden is to actually put the fence in- hence the red flags marking where an underground wire lies.

tomato plants

are in the ground! A bit sad-looking as it was a colder day, but better than shock from the heat. And it rained soon after.

what we ate today

out of the garden- rosemary on salmon (with a garlic butter sauce), and tokyo bekana (chinese cabbage) as a side. (Paired with carrots and brown rice cooked in chicken stock. It was delicious!

tiny fronds and green

Got a photo of my tiny baby asparagus plant.

Lettuces from the garden!