Hounds In The Kitchen » Gardening & Pets

Planting Edibles in Our New Zone 6

Rachel — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:32:37 +0000

The USDA recently updated their Plant Hardiness Zone maps. The new map reflects that warmer temperatures allow less-hardy plants to survive Ohio winters. Columbus (and most of Ohio) is now in Zone 6a, an upgrade from Zone 5b. Not in Columbus? Check out the interactive map to find your Zone.

It must be noted that the Arbor Day Foundation came to the same hardiness zone conclusion in 2006. Both groups say that this is not necessarily a reflection of climate change but better data mapping. I think it must be a combination of climate change, heat island effect, and natural variability.

What does this mean for fruit and vegetable gardeners?

First, some annuals can now be grown as perennials. Many herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and oregano will pop up in the spring and not require re-planting. Greens allowed to go to seed may reseed themselves.

Some fruit trees previously thought to be too difficult to keep through the winter may now be planted outside. Fig trees may grow more successfully with lessor no cool weather care. Peaches, nectarines, and cherries will have a better chance of setting fruit.

The Zone reclassification means that our last-frost date edges towards the beginning of May and the first-frost date more towards the end of October. I have long planted annuals outside starting on May 1. Cold-weather crops like kale, swiss chard, peas, lettuces, and beets, can be seeded as early as April 1.

Essentially, gardeners can move everything up a few weeks and hope to have a slightly extended season in the fall too. Sweet potatoes become a more likely success. It may be possible to fit in more succession plantings of beans.

Personally, this rezoning will not change my garden habits much as I am already accustomed to pushing the planting dates a bit. I may, however, finally plant our very overgrown potted fig tree outside this year.

How will the new Zone affect you?

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Planting Edibles in Our New Zone 6 is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Hounds in the Kitchen Merch! {Wordless Wednesday}

Rachel — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:15:41 +0000

I love the new Hounds in the Kitchen logo so much I want to wear it!

I used Skreened to upload the design and print on an American Apparel ethically made baseball shirt. I know the owner and several employees at Skreened and love to support their sustainable business. The best part of ordering from Skreened is that their location is only a mile from the house so I can pick up!

If you want to sport the Hound look, I uploaded four versions of the design – large and centered like on the shirt above, a chest emblem, medium logo for a tote bag, and large logo on the back. The cool thing about Skreened is that you can choose the shirt style (short sleeve, hoodie, etc.), color, and size for any of the Hounds in the Kitchen designs. They print quickly (my order was done in less than 24 hours!), ship around the world and have a pick-up location at I-71 and Hudson in Columbus.

Disclosure: I receive a few bucks commission off Hounds in the Kitchen shirts sold through Skreened. A girl’s gotta buy groceries once in awhile.

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Hounds in the Kitchen Merch! {Wordless Wednesday} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

She Was Hiding Something

Rachel — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:08:48 +0000

Can you spy the oddity in this picture? How about the chicken egg behind the bush?Which, upon looking closer, turned out to be a whole nest of eggs. It seems our chicken Austra has been laying for quite some time.

We had our suspicions when her feathers grew back in completely and comb turned characteristically bright red, a sign of egg production.

Then last week, we came home from a short walk and the dogs were at odds with each other. We stopped big hound Devie from barking and uncovered the desired object from little hound Hawise: a pale pinkish brown chicken egg. On the couch. Inside the house. Could they have brought an Austra egg in from the yard? But she hadn’t left any in the nest box in months!
When I uncovered the eggs on Saturday, we knew we had to reacquaint Austra with her nest box. She was going broody – sitting on the eggs and trying to hatch them – but we couldn’t have her laying eggs on the ground where they might freeze or be crushed or snatched by a dog.

We moved several of the ill-lain eggs to our designated nest box. Shut inside for a bit, Austra settled the bedding into a nest and laid an egg in the proper spot.

Later, to the tune of her anxious clucks, I removed all the other eggs and raked up the leaves. I even pulled up the cover evergreen, a plant that doesn’t quite belong in that place.

Yesterday, we could find no egg in the nest box or Austra’s ground nesting place. We all wonder where the next egg will be hiding.

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She Was Hiding Something is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Forcing Bulbs with Kids {Lesson Plan}

Rachel — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:26:17 +0000

Every year I force bulbs into blooming to brighten the dull days of winter. Alex delights in the ‘dominance over nature’ implied by forcing but Lil and I just love watching things grow.

This year, our bulbs became a science project for Lil.

Lil chose several paper white narcissus and one amaryllis bulbs from our favorite local nursery, Oakland Park. Fancy-grade amaryllis can be very pricey but the $6 version thrill kids just as well as the unusual and expensive bulbs.

We set up the bulbs in little pots and jars around our dining room with south facing sun. Lil chose three that we would study.

We worked together to make a graph that would measure the height of the bulb. We labeled the x-axis with ‘date’ and the y-axis with ‘height in centimeters’. We decided to measure from the top of the round part of the bulb and recorded our first height. Lil chose three symbols to represent the three different bulbs so we could record them all on the same graph.

Every two or three days, Lil measured and recorded again. After one week we had to add a second sheet of graph paper for the ever-increasing height of two of the bulbs.

In two weeks, two bulbs had bloomed and reached their maximum height. We thought we had a dud in the third bulb but now, three weeks after the forcing began, the third bulb is growing.

I used a similar set of bulb activities to teach measuring, estimation, and natural science to a class of second and third graders when I worked for Torah Day School of Virginia. They loved watching their individual bulbs grow, though we all agreed that twenty blooming paper whites in a room created an overwhelming smell.

Below, find a basic lesson plan for anyone who is unfamiliar with forcing bulbs and might want to do this with a group of children.

Forcing Bulbs Activity

Age: 6-10 years old
Time: two weeks divided as 1 30-minute set up, 1 30-minute conclusion, 10-minutes every two-three days
Objective: Gain experience measuring, estimating, and graphing. Observe parts of a plant and bulb growth.

Materials:
2-4 paperwhite or amaryllis bulbs per individual or small group of 2-3 students; bulbs should be specifically labeled for forcing, i.e. they have been exposed to very cold temps for at least 3 weeks.
one half pint jar or other container per bulb
sterile peat moss (for amaryllis)
toothpicks
graph paper (print your own here)
foot-long ruler
bamboo stake and twist ties (optional)
pencil with eraser

Procedure:
1) Use toothpicks to suspend bulb just under the top of the jar or container. The thick base of the bulb should be slightly submerged in water when you fill the jar. For amaryllis, plant in a pot of peat moss with the skinny top well out of the soil.

2) Fill jars with water and water amaryllis pot.

3) Set up a graph with date along the x-axis and height in centimeters on the y-axis. Allow space for at least 14 days and 70 centimeters.

4) Use foot-long ruler to measure the initial height of all bulbs. Choose a consistent base from which to measure which might be the emergence of the white tip out of the brown bulb.

5) Every two or three days, measure height and record on the graph. Water when bulb is no longer touching water or soil is dry. Optionally, ask children to record their observations in a log for every measuring date.

Questions to pose:
What is happening to the bulbs? Look on the top, the bottom, the sides.
What are the parts called? Reference this bulb anatomy diagram as necessary.
What do you think will happen next?
How much do you think this bulb will grow in the next few days?
When do you think it will bloom? What makes you think that?
Which plant has grown the most? Which grew fastest? Use student generated graphs to answer.

6) As the plant becomes very tall, insert a bamboo stake in the jar/pot and use twist ties to stabilize if necessary.

7) Conclude by asking students to draw, verbalize, or otherwise express what they learned.

8 ) Enjoy the blooms!

Are lesson plans something you would like to read more often? If so, what additional info do you need or what is extraneous?

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Forcing Bulbs with Kids {Lesson Plan} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Lenten Rose in December {Wordless Wednesday}

Rachel — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:14:37 +0000

This little hellebore from our deadly garden is blooming about four months ahead of time. Perhaps it has the religious holiday seasons mixed up, as hellebore typically blooms when Lent begins, not during Advent.

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Lenten Rose in December {Wordless Wednesday} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Backyard December 3, 2011 {What’s Growing}

Rachel — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 13:39:20 +0000

Who says a late autumn garden is dull and brown?

Ours is hanging on to some color with rainbow swiss chard and greens, some of which self seeded when I neglected to pull the flowering mustard green plants. Austra the Australorp chicken regrew her jet-black feathers after molting and her comb is starting to redden up. On yesterday’s unseasonably warm evening, the sunset was full of bright hues too.

Surely the color will fade or be covered with white snow soon. In the meantime, I am enjoying every bit of intensity.

What’s growing in your neck of the woods?

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Backyard December 3, 2011 {What’s Growing} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

The Lenghtiest Homegrown Staple: Dry Beans

Rachel — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:15:36 +0000

Have you ever made homegrown dried beans?

It’s a lengthy and annoying process, in my opinion. I do it every year because I just can’t stand to waste.

Here’s how it goes:

I try to pick fresh green beans I grow every few days. We like the little sweet ones.

Beans are prolific. The bright green leave camouflage the slender green sickles. I miss many that then grow too big for us to enjoy fresh.

What’s a lazy girl to do? Leave them on the vine, growing until they are full of fat beans. I leave them there while they whither. I don’t pick until the leaves themselves have withered and I’m tired of looking at the whole mess.

Finally, after a few days without rain, I pick all the pods. I dry them further outside (where sometimes I forget to bring them in and they mold, see the dragon tongue yield on right) or in the house in a big bowl.

Weeks later, or when I can’t stand the big bowl sitting around any more, I harvest the beans by hand. I crack each papery husk and remove the dry beans inside. It takes an hour or more to select the edible from the inedible. I leave them in open topped containers, stirring occasionally, to be sure the beans are truly dry before pantry storage.

The metal bowl above was filled to overflowing with bean pods and look at the tiny yield: a half pint jar of Kentucky pole beans, a half pint jar of another bean, and a scant few tablespoons of dragon tongues beans (left to right in top picture).

Harvesting homegrown dry beans, a timely process, makes me appreciate how inexpensive they are at the store. Freshly dried beans have fantastic texture and I will enjoy my tiny quantity. I just can’t see trying to grow them for dry storage in any quantity without processing equipment.

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The Lenghtiest Homegrown Staple: Dry Beans is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Mothering A Molting Hen

Rachel — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:14:40 +0000

This is the face of our molting Australorp hen, Austra. Her pin-like feathers look prickly and uncomfortable. Austra is a generally affable character but molting makes her seem frenzied. I say comforting things to her and only joke about the awkwardness of her feather loss behind closed doors like every good chicken mom.
Her roost in the morning appears as though a pillow exploded overnight. The nest box hasn’t held an egg for over a week. I added excess bedding to be sure our chicken stays warm despite feather loss.

As Austra helps to put the garden beds to rest, one witnesses the full molt. Her downy feathers are showing beneath the missing top feathers. She is eating constantly to fuel growing new clothes. I am feeding her scraps from the kitchen as always and tossing bird seed into her run for extra fun and nutrition.

On the upside, when the molt is complete in a few weeks, her singed tail feathers will be replaced. Our Austra will be returned to her former iridescent black glory, not to molt again for another year.

Have you ever watched a hen molt? I still find everything about chicken rearing fascinating.

Added to Simple Lives Thursday.

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Mothering A Molting Hen is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Eco-friendly Dog Gear {Birthday Giveaway}

Rachel — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 01:18:31 +0000

As I was thinking about my life and readers, I considered ‘how about something for the four legged beasts?’

My dogs keep me company on walks in the alleys, bark at strangers, and eat cooking leavings off the kitchen floor. They also eat my tomatoes, birthday cakes, and everything else passable. They are, in part, evil.

But even evil dogs deserve a nice fresh collar and leash once in awhile. Today’s birthday giveaway is a OLovesM leash made from reclaimed Chaco sandal straps, a biodegradable poop bag dispenser, and a collar in your choice of size medium or small.

Comment below with your dog’s name to enter.

Giveaway Details

Contest entries close at 12:01 AM EST on Tuesday, October 11, 2011. One winner will be selected with random.org. The winner will have 24 hours to respond to email notification with their mailing address for delivery of the gift card.

Winners must have a US address. Only one entry per person please. Retail value of dog gear gift pack is $30.

Disclosure: I am personally sponsoring this giveaway. Opinions are my own and shipping is also covered by me.

Additional Birthday Giveaways:

Kroger Giftcard (ends October 10, 2011)

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Eco-friendly Dog Gear {Birthday Giveaway} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Year of the Peppers {Wordless Wednesday}

Rachel — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:20:53 +0000

l to r: pimento, Jimmy Nardello, pepperoncini, purple beauty

Last year, sexy tomatoes stole my heart. 2011 is the year of pretty homegrown peppers.

Added to 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordless Wednesday.

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Year of the Peppers {Wordless Wednesday} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!