welcome back
in praise of unannounced visitors
Hey friends! Introducing my bff whom I’ve talked into collaborating with me before. Jess is in the Pacific Northwest, in a climate that more of you can probably relate to…until we get her back up to Alaska, that is. Enjoy her post and wisdom. :)
Once upon a time, not so long ago, it was common to hear an unexpected knock on the door.
A quick scan out the window revealed the neighbor kids’ bikes strewn across the lawn, and I knew we’d be greeted by friends with a little gift of some sort. Perhaps there would be a dozen eggs, excess garden produce, or warm-from-the-oven banana bread. While it seems such visits are more an anomaly these days, there are unannounced visitors of other types which come at various times of year to my yard.
On a random, chilly spring morning, I approach the window with my steaming mug. Scanning the garden, which I’ve not even begun to think about planning for, I see my little “surprise” visitors – bright green spikes softly poking up through the soil in raised beds and along the garden fence line.
Knowing these accompany other visitors, I gaze out toward the chicken coop. Sure enough, deep burgundy and green nubs are making their appearance and will soon unfurl into large, magical, curly leaves. Garlic, chives, walking onions, and rhubarb, oh my! I haven’t even thought of planting, and I’ve got fresh food on its way. Soon they will be flavoring our scrambled eggs and soups. They will go into quick breads and crumbles. I’ll pick the excess and share with friends. All these benefits, every year, from a tiny bit of forethought and effort.
While we’re literally reaping the reward of these visitors, there are others on their way. Soon strawberries will wake up, and raspberry and blackberry canes will leaf out. Blueberry and currant bushes will put out new growth and blossom. We’ll have many types of berries to look forward to for fresh eating from the garden. Shortcakes, muffins, jams, and smoothies will all be on the menu.
The enjoyment and wonder of these return visitors feels new every year; I never tire of the miracle and the gift.
If this sounds appealing to you, there’s good news. Put in the small effort of beginning these beauties right now, and in one year (or sooner for some!) you’ll be welcoming unannounced visitors of your own.
Although I’d love to show up on your doorstep with some starter pots, I’ll content myself with imparting a little “how-to” right here and now.
I’ll begin with a pot of chives. Leave them in a plastic pot and bury the whole thing in your garden or along a sunny fence or building. Just leave them in the pot before you plant, or you’ll have chives EVERYWHERE.
The same procedure works with peppermint. You’ll know it’s time to replace the pots when you see baby mint and chives popping up all over, even feet away from the original planting. Or if you want to be proactive, just replace the pots every other year. I like to use large, reused sour cream or ice cream containers with holes poked in the bottom for this purpose.
My next favorite effortless garden visitor is rhubarb. This veggie is the stuff of fairy stories. It grows outrageously fast and its leaves are unbelievably large. Consequently, my daughter and I like to wear the leaves as bonnets while we harvest, and my sons like to use overgrown stalks for swords! Rhubarb loves to live along sunny walls.
Bear in mind the leaves are poisonous to eat. You’ll want to harvest by pulling, not cutting the stalks, and you’ll want to cut and discard several inches of the stalks nearest the leaves.
The next friendly visitors I recommend investing in are garlic and walking onion. In late fall, simply plant garlic cloves and walking onions a couple inches apart in a raised bed or other well-tilled soil. Then forget about them until that cold, early spring morning I mentioned earlier.
You can use both as they are growing; the conical-shaped, spring scapes that develop are particularly lovely and delicious. Pull garlic up by the bulb when mature in late summer. Walking onions are completely hands-off. They will grow tall enough to bend back down, or “walk” to the ground and replant themselves. Both garlic and onion need to dry out thoroughly before storing. Don’t forget to save the biggest and best garlic cloves to replant in the later part of fall.
Finally, berries are some of the best visitors you’ll ever welcome. Research which varieties grow best in your neck o’ the woods and invest in a few plants. Learn from my mistake, and DO NOT plant raspberries in your regular garden. Give them their own space so they don’t take over everything. At summer’s end, cut back the canes that produced that year. Or just make it easy and hack them all off; they’ll regrow, so forgiving are they.
The best time to roll out the welcome mat for these guests is right now while you’re inspired. Get them in the ground and reap the rewards of your future visitors. It may not be warm banana bread, but it’s still pretty sweet!
P.S. Another post from another great friend: Gardens aren't the only place where weeding has to happen. What do we do with fear? Why do we feel guilty when we're not actually guilty? What does it mean, what is behind it, and what do we do with it? From Lacey Steel, right here.
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