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	<title>A Garden for the House</title>
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	<link>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com</link>
	<description>Home &#38; Garden Inspiration from Kevin Lee Jacobs</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:48:52 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Forewarned is Forearmed: Veggies Owned by Monsanto</title>
		<link>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/02/forewarned-is-forearmed-veggie-varieties-owned-by-monsanto/</link>
		<comments>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/02/forewarned-is-forearmed-veggie-varieties-owned-by-monsanto/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:22:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kevin Lee Jacobs</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gardening]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pests]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/?p=6898</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[IF YOU ARE THE KIND OF GARDENER who buys vegetable seeds or seedlings (including tomato plants) from a local garden center, as I sometimes do, beware the varieties you select. Otherwise, you could very well be putting money into the hands of the wretched Monsanto Corporation. Forewarned is forearmed, right? Here is the list of Seminis/Monsanto home-garden vegetable varieties, and yes, it even includes zucchini:
I'm going to print out this list, and keep a copy in my wallet. This way I won't be caught off-guard the next time I decide to impulse-shop:
Beans: Aliconte, Brio, Bronco, Cadillac, Ebro, Etna, Eureka, Festina, Gina, Goldmine, Goldenchild, Labrador, Lynx, Magnum, Matador, Spartacus, Storm, Strike, Stringless Blue Lake 7, Tapia, Tema
Broccoli: Coronado Crown, Major, Packman
Cabbage: Atlantis, Golden Acre, Headstart, Platinum Dynasty, Red Dynasty
Carrot: Bilbo, Envy, Forto, Juliana, Karina, Koroda PS, Royal Chantenay, Sweetness III
Cauliflower: Cheddar, Minuteman
Cucumber: Babylon, Cool Breeze Imp., Dasher II, Emporator, Eureka, Fanfare HG, Marketmore 76*, Mathilde, Moctezuma, Orient Express II, Peal, Poinsett 76, Salad Bush, Sweet Slice, Sweet Success PS, Talladega
Eggplant: Black Beauty, Fairytale, Gretel, Hansel, Lavender Touch, Twinkle, White Lightening
Hot Pepper: Anaheim TMR 23, Ancho Saint Martin, Big Bomb, Big Chile brand of Sahuaro, Caribbean Red, Cayenne Large Red Thick, Chichen Itza, Chichimeca, Corcel, Garden Salsa SG, Habanero, Holy Mole brand of Salvatierro, Hungarian Yellow Wax Hot, Ixtapa X3R, Lapid, Mariachi brand of Rio de Oro, Mesilla, Milta, Mucho Nacho brand of Grande, Nainari, Serrano del Sol brand of Tuxtlas, Super Chile, Tam Vera Cruz
Lettuce: Braveheart, Conquistador
Melon: Early Dew, Sante Fe, Saturno
Onion: Candy, Cannonball, Century, Red Zeppelin, Savannah Sweet, Sierra Blanca, Sterling, Vision
Pumpkin: Applachian, Harvest Moon, Jamboree HG, Orange Smoothie, Phantom, Prize Winner, Rumbo, Snackface, Spirit, Spooktacular, Trickster
Spinach: Hellcat
Squash: Ambassador, Canesi, Clarita, Commander, Dixie, Early Butternut, Gold Rush, Grey Zucchini, Greyzini, Lolita, Papaya Pear, Peter Pan, Portofino, President, Richgreen Hybrid Zucchini, Storr's Green, Sungreen, Sunny Delight, Taybelle PM
Sweet Corn: Devotion, Fantasia, Merit, Obession, Passion, Temptation
Sweet Pepper: Baron, Bell Boy, Big Bertha PS, Biscayne, Blushing Beauty, Bounty, California Wonder 300, Camelot, Capistrano, Cherry Pick, Chocolate Beauty, Corno Verde, Cubanelle W, Dumpling brand of Pritavit, Early Sunsation, Flexum, Fooled You brand of Dulce, Giant Marconi, Gypsy, Jumper, Key West, King Arthur, North Star, Orange Blaze, Pimiento Elite, Red Knight, Satsuma, Socrates, Super Heavyweight, Sweet Spot
Tomato: Amsterdam, Beefmaster, Betterboy, Big Beef, Burpee's Big Boy, Caramba, Celebrity, Cupid, Early Girl, Granny Smith, Health Kick, Husky Cherry Red, Jetsetter brand of Jack, Lemon Boy, Margharita, Margo, Marmande VF PS, Marmara, Patio, Phoenix, Poseidon 43, Roma VF, Royesta, Sun Sugar, Super Marzano, Sweet Baby Girl, Tiffany, Tye-Dye, Viva Italia, Yaqui
Watermelon: Apollo, Charleston Grey, Crimson Glory, Crimson Sweet, Eureka, Jade Star, Mickylee, Olympia
* Marketmore 76 is a very old cucumber-variety.  If you are ordering it from a seller of heirloom veggies,  check with the dealer to make sure the seeds were not purchased from  Seminis/Monsanto. If you buy the seeds from a big-box garden center, odds are they were purchased from the evil empire.
That's quite a catalog, huh? No wonder Monsanto paid $1.4 billion in cash to acquire it.
Don't be embarrassed if you've inadvertently planted some of these varieties in your garden. As you might recall, one summer I innocently planted 'Early Girl' tomatoes. Believe me, I won't be casting that vote again.
Don't miss anything at A Garden for the House...sign up for Kevin's weekly newsletter.
Related Posts:
The Easy Kitchen Garden
Keep Monsanto OUT of Your Veggie Patch
What Would You Plant in Your Subsistence Garden?
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		<slash:comments>13</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Poulet au Vin Blanc</title>
		<link>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/02/poulet-au-vin-blanc/</link>
		<comments>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/02/poulet-au-vin-blanc/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 19 Feb 2012 01:41:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kevin Lee Jacobs</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cooking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Main Course]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/?p=6846</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I'D NEVER STEER YOU WRONG. So when I tell you that chicken poached in vermouth -- Poulet au Vin Blanc -- is über-delicious, awesomely-aromatic, and as colorful as a Lady Gaga concert, you'll just have to believe me. The dish is mercifully uncomplicated, too. In fact, you can throw it together when you come home from work, and then enjoy it for dinner about 35 minutes later. Here's the recipe:
Wash, peel, and trim 4 carrots. Then cut them into julienne strips, about 1 1/2- to 2-inches long, and just as thin as you can make them. If you're not sure how to julienne carrots, and you'd like to feel awfully inadequate, just watch this video, as I did.
Julienne 4-6 celery stalks (I used celery hearts).
Julienne the white part of one leek. By now you should feel like an old French chef.
Toss all the aromatic vegetables into a bowl with a 1/2 Tbs kosher salt, 4 grinds of black pepper, and a 1/2 Tbs dried tarragon.
Set one Turkish bay leaf (McCormick sells this) on top of the mix. I tried to toss the bay leaf with the rest of veggies, and guess what happened? It broke into a million pieces.
Learn from my mistakes.
Season 8 chicken pieces with salt and freshly-ground black pepper. I used thighs and drumsticks. Figuring 2 pieces of chicken per person, this dish will feed 4. It will also feed just one or two...with lots of amazing leftovers.
Throw 1/3 of the veggies into a flame-proof casserole. Then add a few chicken pieces, and cover them with more veggies. Continue to layer until remaining chicken is buried in veggies.
Then add that bay leaf.
Now pour 1 1/2 cups dry white French vermouth into the pot. You can take a swig, if no one is watching.
Then pour in just enough chicken stock to barely cover the chicken. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover the pot and let simmer until the chicken is done -- about 35 minutes. (You can make the dish to this point, let it cool, and then refrigerate it for one or two days.)
Degrease the cooking liquid, remove the bay leaf, and remove from the skin from the chicken if you are fussy about fat.
You can make a pretty Poulet au Vin Blanc presentation by serving it on a platter of hot, cooked rice. Ladle some of the cooking liquid over the rice, then top with the chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle dried tarragon over all.  Enjoy with a crisp, fruity white wine, such as Sauvignon blanc. If you prefer red wine, choose a good Cabernet sauvignon.
Here's a cut-and-paste version of the recipe:
Poulet au Vin Blanc
Ingredients for 4 servings (2 chicken pieces per person)
Aromatic vegetables, cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch julienne: 4 carrots (washed, trimmed, and peeled); 4-6 celery stalks; the tender part of one leek
Seasonings:  Kosher salt;  freshly-ground black pepper; 1/2 Tbs dried tarragon (plus more for garnish); 1 Turkish Bay leaf
8 pieces bone-in chicken
1 1/2 cups dry white French vermouth
Chicken stock
In a medium bowl, toss the vegetables with 1/2 Tbs salt and four grinds of black pepper.  Strew 1/3 of the vegetables  into a flame proof casserole. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the casserole, burying the pieces between handfuls of vegetables. Add the wine, and just enough stock to barely cover the chicken. Bring to the boil; reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 35 minutes, or until the chicken is done. Degrease the liquid and remove the bay leaf. Remove skin from chicken if you wish. Serve the chicken and julienne vegetables on a bed of hot, cooked rice drenched with the chicken juices.
]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>The Easy Kitchen Garden</title>
		<link>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/02/the-easy-kitchen-garden-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/02/the-easy-kitchen-garden-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Feb 2012 01:40:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kevin Lee Jacobs</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/?p=6790</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[IF YOU VISIT ME THIS SUMMER, I'll gladly give you a tour of the Kitchen Garden (above). This "living supermarket," which I designed back in 2007, provides me and my partner with a year's-worth of organic veggies. But it is a very easy garden to maintain: 
Location. I had no choice but to locate the garden at the top of a very steep hill (the same hill I would later carve into a  Serpentine Garden), because the land there, unlike the rest of property, is fairly level. The patch receives full, blazing sunshine -- a necessity for most vegetable crops.
The only downside to the location is that it borders a forest. A forest filled with veggie-loving forest-creatures. Consequently my first mission was to erect a fence around the plot in order to keep deer, rabbits and woodchucks from devouring my efforts.
Fencing. A fence does more than keep critters out of a garden. Aesthetically, it makes a frame for the horticultural portrait within. My fence was built cheaply and effectively,  out of pressure-treated posts and galvanized wire mesh. The mesh is 4-feet tall. That's a height that deer (well, my deer, anyway) will not bother to jump.
 Raised Beds.  Make no mistake -- the easiest answer to compacted, rocky, or poor-draining soil is a raised bed. I built  eight  4'x8'  beds out of  rough-hewn hemlock, and placed four along each edge of the garden. Hemlock is naturally rot-resistant (as is cedar, oak, and redwood). In the center of the garden, and framing a path, are four 2'x8' raised beds. These, pictured above, were made from cheap, untreated pine. Although pine is not resistant to rot, it does last a long time. Mine are still holding up after nearly 5 years. Can't afford hemlock, cedar or oak?  Go with pine.
Soil.  Vegetables love a soil that is loose, fertile, and well-draining. You can't go wrong with equal parts top soil, well-rotted manure, and sand. I purchased this very blend from a local farm, who also delivered it.  If you want to take vegetable-growing seriously, you will do well to splurge on good soil right from the start.
Shredded Leaves. To insure continued fertility, and also to refill the beds after soil has settled, each November I top off my beds  with shredded leaves.  To help the leaves decay over winter, I lightly sprinkle them with cottonseed- or alfalfa-meal, which is high in nitrogen.  Thus my purchase of soil was only a one-time affair.
And did you know that decomposed leaves hold a tremendous amount of moisture? Yes, it is leaves that make this garden water-wise.
 Walkways. Paths are essential in a veggie garden, and they must be wide enough to accommodate a wheelbarrow. To make my walkways, I first covered the existing sod with cardboard. Then I poured a thick layer of shredded wood over the cardboard. True, shredded wood must be refreshed every year or two. But I obtain this material for free, just as you can. Shredded wood makes a very cushy surface to walk upon.
The Shady Seating Area. Now, I am of the mind that every garden, no matter its purpose, should have comfortable seating, and preferably in shade. Consequently I built at the rear of the garden a pergola, and placed a pair of Adirondack-style chairs beneath it.  The pergola was made from nothing more than pressure treated posts and pressure-treated lattice. Six 2x4s nailed to the top provide overhead support for the hardy kiwi which clamors up the sides and over the top, while shading the seating area beneath.
The Lack of Weeds.  Not an issue in this garden are weeds. Why? When my veggie seedlings reach 5 inches in height, I  mulch them with a thick layer of either shredded leaves or chopped straw. Furthermore, veggies in raised beds can be planted very closely together. This means their foliage eventually shades the soil, which further discourages weeds, and helps to reduce moisture-loss.
Flowers for beauty and bees. Colorful flowers are a must in any veggie garden. They attract the insects which pollinate the crops. Over the years this garden has seen such honey bee magnets as  Bachelor Buttons...
cascading petunias and 'State Fair' zinnias...
and cosmos 'Rose Bon-Bon.' All these are very easy to grow from seeds. You can even winter-sow them.
The veggies I've grown in this garden are too numerous to mention. But you can see pictures and detailed accounts of them (as well as their cultural requirements) by clicking this link.
If you don't already have a Kitchen Garden -- which really is a "potager" -- it is my hope that you will design one. I promise you that such a garden is neither difficult nor expensive to create.  But the beauty, the organic produce, and the easy-care it affords are immeasurable.
Don't miss anything at A Garden for the House...sign up for Kevin's weekly newsletter.
Related Posts:
From Hellish Hill to Serpentine Garden
Welcome to My Herb Garden
From Parking Lot to Rose Garden
]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>15</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Now in Bloom, February 2012</title>
		<link>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/02/winter-blooms-in-the-music-room/</link>
		<comments>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/02/winter-blooms-in-the-music-room/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:36:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kevin Lee Jacobs</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Bulbs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forcing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Garden Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Houseplants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photo Galleries]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/?p=6757</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ IN DEFIANCE OF WINTER, the plants in my music room window are singing a spring song. Would you like to meet these bloomers and perfumers? Say "hello" in this click-to-enlarge photo gallery (and I hope you'll tell me what's growing in your own window garden): 
On the center of the sill is  Tulipa 'Apricot Beauty.'  Despite the name, however,  the blossoms of this single-early tulips are not apricot, but  deep, lustrous rose.  I'll continue to feed (with a high-phosphorous formula) and water these forced tulips  until their foliage withers. Then the bulbs will be viable for outdoor planting in the fall.  More details here.
 On the middle plant shelf is the intensely-blue, 6-inch Scilla sibirica 'Spring Beauty.'   I planted 3 of these minor bulbs in a 3-inch pot back in October, and gave them a 12-week rooting period in the cold, dark cellar.   Each bulb has sent up 3 flowering stalks.  These don't open all at once, but in a long, lovely sequence that lasts for weeks. Forced scilla, like tulips and other Dutch bulbs,  can also be planted outdoors in autumn.
 Flanking the tulips are two pots of  Narcissus 'Erlicheer.'  To me, this is the be-all and end-all of daffodils. Every stem is lit with 7-15 fully-double, creamy-white, powerfully perfumed blossoms.  How to force this enchanting bulb.
Among the foliage plants in the window are 3 varieties of coleus. These in spring will be planted in my Woodland Garden, where I shall discover, once and for all,  if the plants are deer-resistant as claimed.  Pictured above is the groovy, green and cream 'Alligator Tears.'
The shrubby coleus 'Beckwiths Gem' turns mostly-green in winter. But in summer its purple center broadens until there is only a thin edge of lime.  It is a lusty grower that demands considerable room.
Coleus 'Pistachio Nightmare' is utterly mesmerizing. Its narrow, pointed  leaves with green scalloped edges and magenta center are splashed with yellow. The yellow is more pronounced on leaves facing the window glass. Can you imagine this plant in a woodland-setting?
Sedum morganianum, or "Burro's Tail," is the only succulent I grow. Why? Because I prefer plants which actually want my care.  The amusing, medium-green "tails," which remind me of "dread locks" grow slowly but surely with only once-a-month watering. If you are a forgetful gardener, or if you travel often, this plant is for you.
If you have any questions or comments about houseplants, by all means drop me a line. You know how much I love to hear from you.
Don't miss anything at A Garden for the House...sign up for Kevin's weekly newsletter.
Related Posts:
The Window Garden in February
The Window Garden in December
The Window Garden in Autumn
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>From Hellish Hill to Serpentine Garden</title>
		<link>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/02/from-hellish-hill-to-serpentine-garden/</link>
		<comments>http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2012/02/from-hellish-hill-to-serpentine-garden/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:10:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kevin Lee Jacobs</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/?p=6702</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[DO YOU HAVE A SEVERE SLOPE ON YOUR PROPERTY? That is, a hill so steep that it can’t be mowed, let alone gardened? I had to address this problem, too, in my own yard. And that’s how "The Serpentine Garden" was born. Here’s the back-story, along with a click-to-enlarge photo gallery:
The back-story: One summer, our former lawn-person – let's call him “Kamikazi Keith” – toppled his tractor on my property’s steepest slope not once, not twice, but three times. Although Keith was never injured, I realized that such an incline would have to be corrected. A winding path, it seemed, would be the best cure; this would also provide easy access to the kitchen-, woodland-, and pool-gardens, which are located at the top of the hill.
The Serpentine Garden was carved into the hill the old-fashioned way: entirely by hand. The only tools used were a pick-axe, a shovel, a leveling device, and one very strong man, who completed the job in about six weekends. The picture above is from May, 2009, when the garden was still very young.
As you can see, the path has an extremely gentle contour, each rise no higher than five inches, so that garden-lovers of all ages can climb it with ease. I designed a seating area at its midway point, beneath a Yoshino cherry tree, where one can stop, rest, and enjoy the view before continuing the winding ascent.
Planted in the bed behind the bench, and beneath the cherry tree, is a group of white Iris 'Immortality.' Its intoxicating scent is enjoyed not only in April, but in October, too, for it is a twice-blooming iris.
The garden is composed of three terraces. I planted the first terrace with tall shrubs, including Buddleja, Hamamelis ("Witch Hazel") and hemlocks, in order to obscure the view, and also to make the garden seem more mysterious. The shrubs are underplanted with ivy and vinca minor.
But it is the second terrace that steals the show. In early spring the ancient Tulipa 'Van der Neer,' underplanted with vinca minor, makes a purple and blue portrait.
After the tulips retreat, Weigela 'Wine &#38; Roses' opens its purple trumpets, with blue iris in the background.  Click this photo, and you'll notice little specks of green behind the iris.
Those little specks, in late May, become an eye-popping patch of Russell Hybrid lupines. How I winter-sow and grow these stately spires.
In the third and final terrace, the season begins with blue and pink Phlox subulata. These are planted before a hedge of dwarf lilacs. The phlox, I hope, will eventually cascade over the retaining wall. Puddling plants seem to offer the same luxury as puddling window hangings. 
I wish you could visit me when the hedge of dwarf Syringa 'Miss Kim' comes into bloom, which is several weeks after the more common syringas on the property have finished their scented show. In June I like to spend the early evening hours sitting on the bench I mentioned earlier, sipping wine and breathing in the perfume which is mercifully strong. The yellowing foliage in the bed is that of ripening hyacinths.  In the background is my replica of the Venus de Milo before she up and lost her head.
This garden is remarkably easy to maintain. Ground covers planted in the first and second terraces have practically eliminated the need for weeding. In the top terrace, weeds are kept down by a heavy layer of mulch, which I apply there annually each spring.
If you have a hellish hill on your own property, why not  carve it into your own piece of heaven?  Make your retaining walls no higher than three feet, as mine are, and you won't need a structural engineer to approve your design. Such walls are multi-purpose, too. During the warm-weather months I often have breakfast in the Serpentine Garden, sitting on one of its walls with a cup of tea and a plate of toast at my side.
Don't miss anything at A Garden for the House...sign up for Kevin's weekly newsletter. 
Related Posts:
From Parking Lot to Rose Garden
Welcome to My Herb Garden
Pachysandra: Exploding the "Shade-Only" Myth
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