Oh-Me-Oh-My-Oh

Life In Sugar Hollow was featured as Blog of the Week on CBS19. Thanks to Marijean for the sweet segment!

Persimmons-Persimmons-Persimmons

Photo by Tyler Darden

My article on persimmons is
out in this month's Virgina Living Magazine!

Flavor Magazine Article :: Master Gardeners

My article on Virginia Master Gardeners is out in the most recent issue of Flavor Magazine.
Please support this beautiful magazine and pick up a copy.
They seem to disappear quickly around these parts!

Edible Landscaping :: Flavor Magazine Article!

Thrilled and honored to be a part of the April/May issue of Flavor Magazine. My article "Backyard Buffet" is all about a local nursery, Edible Landscaping. Thank you to Jennifer (my editor) for including me in her gorgeous magazine. Don't you just love the cover photo?

Edible Landscaping :: The Article

In the Garden
Backyard Buffet
Tracey Crehan Gerlach

Your landscaping can be both beautiful and edible.

It started with a hardy kiwi—more importantly, with the keen ability to propagate a hardy kiwi. And Michael McConkey, owner of the Edible Landscaping nursery and a lifelong gardener, was propelled into the world of harvest-able landscapes.

With a love of nurturing things going back to his childhood (he tended his own garden before the age of 10), McConkey found himself amidst the “grow your own” movement of the 1970s. He spent time traveling, learning, exploring.

And then he met Dr. Elwyn Meader, a rare-plant specialist and fruit breeder from the University of New Hampshire, who gave him his first cutting of the hardy kiwi. When an article about Meader and the kiwi variety came out a year later in a well-known gardening magazine, McConkey was listed as a go-to source for plant.

From Hobby to Vocation

Things took on a farm-to-table meaning when McConkey became a vegetarian and relied on his green thumb to supply him with his own food. That was when, he said, he realized what fun it all is.

And even on a late-winter visit to his 25-acre nursery, I too realized what fun it all is. Perched atop a foothill of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Afton, the backbones of the nursery’s orchards and the silhouettes of the fig trees showed the promise of spring as well as the potential for edible options in Virginia that weren’t even on my radar.

Starts of herbs like chocolate mint and fruit trees such as flowering apricot prepare for the upcoming season in the mist and the humidity of their respective greenhouses. Shiitake logs sit stacked at-the-ready for their first spring flush. Visiting the citrus greenhouse filled with Meyer lemons, Kaffir limes, and mangoes is like a mini-vacation. My mental wish list for my own garden kept growing.

But I quietly admit to Sonja Reid of the Edible Landscaping staff that I am intimidated by fruit trees and the more unusual offerings. I am primarily a vegetable gardener curious about branching out.

Contrary to what I originally thought about Edible Landscaping, it is not just for the wizened, weathered, know-it-all gardener. It is the perfect place to start learning, and many plants can be grown and tended by new gardeners. According to McConkey, juneberries, persimmons, mulberries, and pawpaw are “dummy proof”—yes!—in terms of planting and cultivation requirements once they are established.

Choosing native plants is also a good start for beginners. “Natives understand our [weather] swings,” McConkey explains. All of the beginner plants mentioned above are natives to our area, as are filberts (hazelnuts).

The Cornucopia

Open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Edible Landscaping truly brings horticultural resources and confidence to the people. Customers are sent home with a succinct care sheet for each plant that they buy. The nursery’s online “Plant Talk” forums offer support from seasoned gardeners living across the country. Events like All About Fruit Days—offered in June and September—include tastings of some of the more unique plants, such as the pawpaw. And the nursery ships plants: in fact, a majority of their business is mail order.

For the more intrepid gardener, McConkey suggests Edible Landscaping’s Russian pomegranate trees, descendents of one of Dr. Gregory Levin’s labors-of-love. After the disbanding of his benefactor, the USSR, Levin lost funding for his project. A pomegranate breeder for 4 decades, Levin dispersed his best selections to various horticultural institutions across the globe. You can find trees from this same line in Afton.

You will find a hefty selection of plants that are closer to what you would expect in Virginia, like blueberry, blackberry, apple, fig, passionflower, rhubarb, strawberry, apricot, and raspberry plants. I also learned about a Virginia-hardy orange (meaning that it will live through our winters), the Flying Dragon. The fruit is not meant to be eaten as-is, but it is ideal for citrus-ades, marmalades, and jams.

And then, if you have the outfit to replicate the tropics, there are bananas, dragon fruit, coffee, guava, star fruit, pineapples, and mangoes to be had. And, of course, the hardy kiwi.

Edible Landscaping has another interesting plant, especially for an avid cook—saffron crocuses. Collect the center stigmas of these fall bloomers, and you will have this very expensive spice at your fingertips for your favorite sauces or risottos. Chefs will also appreciate herbs such as horseradish, sweet bay laurel, lemongrass, Thai ginger, and garlic chives.

The pawpaw appears up on several of McConkey’s recommendation lists (see sidebar). Having never tasted one, I am told it is like a very ripe banana. And in the Edible Landscaping catalog, I learn that “George Washington’s favorite dessert was chilled pawpaw.” Well, then.

The shiitake logs, Reid tells me, are very popular and hard to keep in stock. White oak logs, about 40 inches long, have holes drilled into them and are then plugged with shiitake spores. To maintain this super-low maintenance, just place the log in dappled shade and water regularly. It can produce shiitakes for 4 years.

The nursery’s choices are delightfully dizzying and my own wish list starts to flesh out. Mulberries for cobblers, a shiitake log, supersweet Caroline Everbearing raspberries, and a fig tree. Phew.

Well Within Reach

I am a gardening coach and more and more, I am hearing requests for edible backyards from clients and friends. Function over form. No matter the size of their plot, property, or deck. They want fresh vegetables and fruits within fuzzy slipper distance—as one of my favorite horticulture teachers used to say.

It’s a good time of year to rethink the garden and swap out some of those fussy ornamentals for something that’ll show up on your plate that evening without burning fossil fuels, without questionable pesticides, without the middleman. With Edible Landscaping right here in the Piedmont, getting involved in your own “grow your own” movement doesn’t need to involve a daunting initiation.

For McConkey, a sense of accomplishment is bringing home a bushel of Russian pomegranates. For me, this season, it will be a handful of shiitakes and maybe a bowl of mulberries.

LISH Around the News: Sweet Mentions

Life in Sugar Hollow has had a few moments of glory around the Web. My post on portable salad boxes (not my idea, but completely noteworthy and an idea that needed to be shared) was included on Reuters.

MSN's Smart Spending site took a shining to my thoughts on mints in the container garden in an article titled "No Land? You Can Still Grow A Garden".

And one of my favorite sites for everything-hip in Charlottesville, cVillain, mentioned LISH in a recent round-up of their local favorites. For their awesomeness.

Sa-weet, indeed!

LISH in the Press: The C-ville Weekly's Abode

One of our local papers, The C-ville Weekly, included me in their Abode supplement this month. As part of their "What's On Your Browser?" section. Here's a look-see.

This month’s surfer: Tracey Crehan Gerlach, local gardening blogger and garden coach

What’s on her browser: yougrowgirl.com

What it is: A wide-ranging garden site that includes a blog and reader forums, with a self-professed emphasis on style and humor in addition to straight-up plant talk.

Why she likes it: Gerlach (who maintains her own blog at lifeinsugarhollow.blogspot.com) appreciates that YGG offers “lots of info on small-scale gardening, with an accessible DIY vibe and a nod to the new, thrifty gardener.” She adds, “Check out the YGG forums, where eager green thumbs swap ideas (and victories). YGG gets me to rethink gardening and inspires me to experiment more—in my own gardens.”

LISH - Associated Press Article!

 

You read that right, my friends. I have kept mum about this latest bit of excitement in my life . . . but over the holiday break, I was contacted by an Associated Press reporter regarding garden coaching and mentoring.

Dean Fosdick, a seasoned writer on nature and gardening, took great care in putting together this terrific piece. The article is starting to crop up here and there and over here. He even mentions the Life in Sugar Hollow blog as another outlet for learning opportunities and garden tutoring.

Dean also interviewed the garden coach's coach - Susan Harris. Visit her blog for a worldwide directory of garden coaches, as well as wonderful articles and resources for newbie/aspiring garden coaches.

And (shameless plug), visit here for more details on what I offer as a garden coach in the Charlottesville area.

Woo-hoo! I'm in The Sun

A first. One of my Maymont photos has appeared in a big-time newspaper. The Baltimore Sun.

Gobbles! Life is grand. Hope you all have a wonderfully stuffed Thanksgiving.

See you after the gluttony!

LISH: Shoutout From the cVillain

Yesterday, the cVillain described Life In Sugar Hollow as "A Dirt Lover's Dream." My stars.

Thank you, Thor. Keep up the lovely work. I live vicariously through your posts about nightlife in C'ville. Especially since bed-time for this pregnant gardener hovers around 10 p.m.

LISH: Featured Blog on Dig In Dirt!

Looky, looky! Life In Sugar Hollow is featured on Dig In Dirt.

Feeling the Love: Maymont

Some of you may remember my post on the Richmond, Virginia estate and gardens, Maymont.

Well . . . I was recently contacted by their PR person because they wanted to use my photos for Maymont brochures and such!

My photos?!

Holy Toledo. And, for lack of a better word . . . yo.

And my dreams of getting out from Under the Thumb of The Man continue . . .

Keeping It Real, Keeping It Local

Our first Cocozelle zucchini and Sungold cherry tomatoes, early July 2007.

***************************

Waldo Jaquith - over at cvillenews.com - wrote a piece earlier this week about the local food movement in our area - The Politics of Eating Locally. And he gave a shout out to Life in Sugar Hollow!

There is something about the rhythm of eating with the seasons. Eating what is fresh at the moment. There are actually vegetables and fruits that have experienced a renaissance of sorts in my kitchen - because the taste when they are in-season is markedly different from year-round supermarket produce. Sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, melons and blackberries. Off the vine - without much preparation or fanfare. Perfection.

I also recognize that eating locally takes work and, for me, took many, many seasons of farmers market visits to understand what grew when. Small steps, dear readers.

There were two vendors at the Charlottesville Market that I watched particularly closely - Waterpenny Farm and Radical Roots. Both are organic farms that also offer some heirloom variety produce. In just focusing on those vendors - I had an easier time remembering what crops showed up when. And, several years down the road, this research helped me take the leap to growing our own food out in Sugar Hollow.

If you are up for exploring things on a simple scale - just try fresh eggs from a nearby farm. Test out one new locally-grown tomato variety this summer. Or a pepper. Or maybe even a tomatillo. Or those tiny, purple and white Asian eggplants. Next spring, think about throwing a few sugar snap pea seeds in the ground. Consider making a visit to a farm that raises grass-fed, free-range livestock.

Small steps. Small steps. Visit the Buy Fresh Buy Local website for a comprehensive guide to Charlottesville-area farms, restaurants and markets.

*Life In Sugar Hollow* In The Press

This past week, a write-up about my blog was included in The C'ville - one of the local Charlottesville papers! Here's an excerpt . . .

"If you're a lonely-hearted gardener, Tracey Gerlach's blog, "Life in Sugar Hollow," is great therapy: It offers tips and stories from her garden in the heart of Central Virginia. How's that for sympathy? Not only does Gerlach possess the know-how on raising plants in Virginia's moody climate, she also visits local spots, such as the Crozet Farmer's Market, that are of interest to other garden enthusiasts. While Gerlach's voice is both accessible and didactic, readers who seek the focused approach might dislike having to skim through her musings about her personal life. Mostly, though, the beautiful photos and personable writing make a visit to this blog an enjoyable one."

*SO* interesting. The reviewer liked the more technical, nitty-gritty, horticultural aspects of the blog. I wasn't sure about that specific appeal for some readers. A very fair assessment. But, for me, gardening will always be about the personal stories and memories, too. Ah, well. And so it goes.

Bust Magazine *Editor's Pick!* Blog

Zowie! Super fun and funky-fresh magazine, Bust, has listed Life in Sugar Hollow as an Editor's Pick blog. What an honor!

How in the World?!

Little 'ole Life in Sugar Hollow has made a list! Right on!

It is the top visited garden blog on Stuart's Garden Blog resource. Whoa. I expect to be bumped shortly, but in the meantime . . . (smile . . .)

What I really love about this listing is seeing all of the beautiful work other garden bloggers are doing out there in the ether. I am looking forward to visiting each of you in the evenings - at my home computer - with a snoring dog (or two) at my feet. Without the annoying distractions of my work-a-day pressures.

Visit the Gardening Tips 'n' Ideas blog - it makes the gardening community feel much closer and the world a little smaller. It gives you the chance to peek into gardens across the globe - Ireland, Malaysia, Maine, Australia, you name it.

Keep weeding and happy spring!