Another blueberry spring

Tags

blueberry, DIY project, garden projects, Protection for blueberries, Spring crops

This spring I aim to streamline my blueberry strategy. Although only three O’Neil highbush reside here in my central Virginia (zone 7A) garden, they have produced dozens of pounds of blueberries over the years…much to the delight of my blueberry customers. One year each shrub yielded ten pounds, yes each! This year two women already reserved as many pounds as I can harvest.

The biggest challenge to a successful blueberry harvest is running critter interference. Birds are the least of of my my concerns, and I learned years ago NOT to use traditional bird netting. Too many bird tangles and even one stuck hummingbird. Snakes can also die a horrible death when encountering standard bird netting. My advice…NEVER USE IT!! For two years, I used eleven yards of organza, stitched together by hand, a task never to be revisited. The nosey raccoons and squirrels made quick shreds of that material. SO, this year I found on AMZN a netting that fits my needs. Arriving in a tidy box, this 33’X33′ netting had its full reveal yesterday.

Below are assembly photographs of 2022’s strategy.

Step One: 8′ plant posts will stand in 12″ PVC pipes driven 6″ into the ground.

These 8′ stakes have lasted three seasons. The PVC shafts are an addition this year to help stabilize the stakes. The nice guy at Lowe’s cut 12″ sections from a 10′ pipe, as I waited. Easy peasy.

Many thanks to the hungry bumblebees who pollinated the blossoms. Despite ten freezing nights in April, when berries reach this stage it is time to protect them from birds and nocturnal four-leggers.

PVC shafts were pounded into the ground 6″ using a rubber mallet, then the 8′ stake stands at attention without wobbling. I will spray paint these shafts to match the ground, as I think they will remain in place year round.

Finished blueberry cover. Clips were used to secure the netting to the stakes. Old window sash weights were placed on the ground to keep the netting settled during breezy conditions. Access to the “tent” is at the lower end. Quart deli containers were placed, inverted, on the top of the stakes to prevent netting snags. With the help from a dear neighbor, we hoisted the netting over the stakes in merely a few minutes! The 7mm netting aperture is high tensile strength, UV stabilized, and reusable. No critter will get caught in this!

Cozy for the time being. Fingers crossed that this system will deter damage from wildlife. The PVC ground sleeves will stabilize the upright stakes.

Over the years, I looked at so many online ideas for protecting blueberries, and by far this is the best solution…my very own design. Since these shrubs are part of the landscape, I never wanted a permanent structure erected. This variety of blueberry has glorious fall color, so when berry harvest is complete off comes the netting, and both the stakes and the netting go into storage until next season.

In the weeks ahead, I expect these nickel-sized berries to delight.

O’Neil Highbush blueberry variety is my favorite by far. Before I planted any, I visited a nearby berry farm and tasted all the varieties. Now, this large, juicy fruit greets me every day for nearly one month in June.

Finally, a thought to garden by…did you learn anything?

Copyright 2022 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved.

And so it goes…

Tags

blueberry, DIY project, garden, home, home garden, life, wild birds

Spring in central Virginia continues, despite the human condition. Mother Nature always wins. She has run wild since late March delivering freezing 29F temperatures one night then 80F the next week. Wow! My poor peony crop has never seen such dramatic swings. Yet, for the past two weeks, I managed to harvest enough flowers for bouquets to sell at market. Happy customers are unaware of my road of angst traveled to get there.

slowly a peony harvest in 2020

The O’Neal blueberries are another story. The bumblebees did a splendid job of pollinating the flowers early on. Fruit swelled on the stems, yet they too experienced the dramatic temperature swings. My three shrubs are now ten years old. How time flies. Over the years, I experimented in numerous ways on how to deter birds and one nocturnal four-legger from my cash crop.

A few years back I began experimenting with tulle, yes the stuff wedding veils are made of. Standard bird netting is evil and can snag, injure, or kill a wild bird, therefore I NEVER use it. Tulle on the other hand is soft like an angel’s kiss. Notice in this photo the Mylar strips, whirligigs, and even a fake snake on the ground. None really discouraged wildlife.

Last year I applied more tulle, the widest I could find at Joann’s. This was more effective, but made my harvesting job much more difficult, although every time I lifted the tulle, I felt like a bride. 😉 One curious raccoon would get tied up in the edges, and there would be strips of tulle around the ground next morning. NOT good.

2020 Improvements…Since blueberries are part of my landscape, I do not want to build a permanent structure around them. Therefore, I purchased eight eight-foot garden stakes to form a minimal frame to hold the tulle higher and wider than the shrubs. On the tops of the stakes I placed inverted, one-quart PETE containers to protect the tulle. Yesterday, I only spent about an hour installing the stakes and applying the tulle. Tentatively held in place with clothes pins, the tulle remained in place overnight and, fingers crossed, throughout the harvest weeks ahead. Notice the black-ish line on the ground along the tulle’s perimeter…that is spent coffee grounds, collected from one local coffee shop. Last year I discovered that raccoons despise the scent/texture of coffee grounds. The space left under the tulle will hopefully prevent critters from tearing it. Since I spent the part of three March days hand sewing this 11 yards of double-wide tulle, I want to see it last a few season. Yes?  

What do you think of my recent solution?
Gardening is all about evolution.
And patience, and resilience.

Only the cleverest catbird or cardinal will find their way under the tulle to the berries. I don’t mind sharing a few, but since I harvested thirty pounds of berries from these three shrubs in 2019, I will not share many with wildlife.

Regular market customers are already lined up for their share of this blue superfood come June.

Now back to the peony harvest. Overcast skies this week threaten rain on partially opened buds, not quite ready for harvest. Peonies and rain are not the ideal combination for floral bouquets. A giant circus tent would be ideal for protection, but alas that will not happen. And so it goes…

I hope you and yours are well and safe. I enjoy hearing from you, so please take a moment to drop a comment.

Copyright © 2020 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

the anatomy of a popover

Sunday is my favorite day of the week. A day when I can lounge around the cottage. Breakfast can be special and this rainy Sunday called for popovers.

The batter is so easy to prepare. Just have all ingredients at room temperature.

Today’s result was especially beautiful, and I decided to capture these images for your pleasure.

With so few ingredients, the amazing chemistry delivers a tall, tender, tasty popover.

And just think, these were made with only five ingredients. I substituted whole milk with unsweetened vanilla Almond Milk by Blue Diamond.

Last year I had fresh blueberry conserve on hand and embellished this popover with both the conserve and freshly whipped cream.

The Recipe

1 cup whole milk OR unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 cup unbleached, unbromated all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large organic eggs

Preheat oven to 450F, with rack in the middle position. Lightly spray the popover pan (yes one needs a popover pan) with Baker’s Joy™ cooking spray.
Place all room temperature ingredients in a medium stainless mixing bowl and quickly whisk until fully incorporated. Do not over mix.
Divide the batter between the four compartments and transfer immediately to the oven. 
Without opening the oven (one may peek through the oven’s glass window) bake for 15-20 minutes until popovers have risen and are golden brown. 
Remove from oven and serve immediately with melted butter and local honey or freshly made conserve and whipped cream. 

OK, here is where I unashamedly advertise my newly minted cookbook. For the past three years, I have culled, written, and edited 120 of my favorite recipes. Final edits came in late March, following a long winter.
This collection is now available for purchase for $20. Mail order is available for an additional $5 within the USA.
The recipes emphasize the importance of sustainable food choices. Most recipes are easy, many are vegetarian, and all are delicious. Products sought after at the local farmer’s market are revealed here too. It is also a memoir, where humorous aspects of my early life are revealed. If you would like a personalized copy, please leave a comment in this post.

Thanks so much for your continued interest in home, garden, life.

Copyright © 2018 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

 

 

gardening is all about change

Tags

Albemarle County, Central Virginia, garden, home, landscape design, letting go, life, lifestyle, nature, Virginia, virginia countryside

and hanging on and letting go…

As I flailed around during May, reeling from Mother Nature’s multiple challenges while wringing my hands as beloved plants took hit after hit, I reminded myself: #1 I have no control over Mother Nature, #2 all things are temporary, #3 a gardener must be resilient.

My love of the earth and passion for most things beautiful and fragrant, began decades ago. Before the age of seven I remember lying under the tall patch of blooming Persian lilacs at our Long Island home, content never to move again.

in 2014 the hummers enjoyed sips from the pineapple sage…

At age eighteen, I left home for college, and was away from lush gardens. I quickly learned that a sunny park across from my dorm could fill my need for green. As a BFA graduate, my first job took me to Portland, Oregon where I was mesmerized by the artful Japanese Gardens and the historic Portland Rose Gardens. I could have stayed there forever.

the narrow gravel path is embraced by tightly shorn boxwood hedges.

Alas, years later, with roaming days behind me, I found myself working on Capitol Hill. Whenever possible during lunch hour, I strolled the magnificent grounds of Congress designed by Frederick Olmstead, and frequently lunched on the edge of the marble fountains outside the Supreme Court. Those were the days.

Heirloom Tiger Lily provides nectar for this Swallowtail

In 2000 I departed the urbane, and put down roots at my first country house. The abode turns out to be a needy box, yet the half-acre provided me with a tabula rasa. No more containers on the postage stamp balcony.

as the pan’s contents bubbled, the color deepened

Once the mistakes of former owners were obliterated, my gardening intuition prevailed, as it does today, sixteen years later. Following numerous consults with garden experts, I quickly surmised that my intuition was the light to follow. Recently, as I glanced at my archived plant tags, I removed 50% of my original purchases. Either the plant tags lied and specimens quickly outgrew their place, or plants failed to thrive without frequent spraying. As a master gardener who is intolerant of needy plants, garden edits are becoming an annual ritual.

March garden edits included a stump grinder. The rug junipers became a garden thug in many areas, yet hand removal was impossible. Thanks to my arborist and his great tools…

Hours in the garden provide solitude amongst the songs of wild birds, handsome toads, and the occasional reptile. When the sun rises above the cypress trees, I step indoors and enjoy views out every window. The passage of time in my gardens is what sustains me. The beauty of thriving plants inspire me. Ten thousand photographs later, I attempt to share moments of bliss.

Toad Prince

Every garden reflects the gardener, and often inspires on well after the person who tends it; or for that brief moment in time, a place comes alive in this time, and perhaps lives on in memory.

exhilarating moments

Planting and working the soil teaches us that there is hope despite adversity, that during the most difficult times, all things are temporary, and as in life, a gardener must learn to accept change, hang on to every fleeting moment when perfection finds its way, and to let go with grace.

a telling proverb

Copyright © 2016 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

 

the first day of spring 2016

Tags

Charlottesville, first day of spring, garden, garden design, home, lifestyle, raised beds, spring flowers, Virginia

Despite the 40F temperatures and overcast sky this morning at Swallowtail Cottage, here’s a glimpse of what is blooming in my half-acre gardens…enjoy!

PJM rhododendrons show their stuff this chilly spring morning.

O’Neal blueberry flowers…provide edible, delectable fruit come May, with the help of local pollinators.

Two years ago, I collected 2000 heirloom daffodils, crocus, and lilies from around the property and added them to a 30′ ditch. A powerful early spring statement…with more blooms to follow in weeks to come.

One deep rear shrub border is home to Japanese maples, hellebores, daffs, an adopted clump of old variety spirea, Green Velvet boxwood (raised from cuttings), assorted lilies, chindo viburnum, oakleaf hydrangea, one floribunda rose ‘Tiny’, hostas, phlox Davidii, clematis, red hot pokers, miscari, and three tuteurs.

Buxus Green Mountain boxwoods never fail to impress. Easy care and sprinkled with tiny, delicate blossoms in late March. Have I confessed I adore this variety of boxwood?

This herbaceous Euphorbia or garden spurge has survived fifteen years in the same northerly spot at the front door. Cut to the ground after bloom time, this plant is bullet proof, bouncing back year after year. Highly regarded for their brilliant chartreuse bracts, textural foliage, and elegant growth habit, places them among the elite plants with significant garden significance. Note: all euphorbias ooze a milky white sap, latex, when cut or broken, so wear gloves when pruning and avoid skin contact.

The hellebores are stunning this time of year. Over twelve inches tall, they brighten the landscape. A winter/spring garden favorite…

When the sapsuckers girdle my dogwoods or maple trunks, I dangle shiny CD disks from inner branches. Highly effective.

Hard working raised bed area produced various veggies and herbs for over a decade. Now they are dedicated to heirloom daffodils and tulips.

A new addition to my 2016 gardens…a mason bee or “solitary bee house” as the UK designers describe…was sent to me as a birthday present this month. Thanks again Barry!

The resident Eastern bluebird pair chose my nestbox during late winter, and today the wee female adds finishing touches to her nest…built one pine needle at a time, in three days.

Has this post inspired your first day of spring? And please check out the related spring post links below…

Copyright © 2016 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

bountiful blueberries

Tags

Albemarle County, blueberries, Central Virginia, growing blueberries, home garden, Sunday breakfast

The best part of June in central Virginia is blueberry harvest.

Botanists estimate that blueberries burst onto the scene more than 13,000 years ago! The little blue fruit that our country has grown to know and love is indigenous to North America and has deep roots in our country’s history. These blue jewels are reputed to have both nutritional and medicinal properties, therefore I consume blueberries daily as part of my kale smoothie.

O’Neil highbush blueberries beginning to ripen

This year I draped the blueberry plants in tulle and used clothespins to hold in place, a  much improved method over bird netting. This idea was shared by a veteran garden friend, Jan Spires. What do they remind you of? Ghosts or runaway brides?

O’Neil blueberry variety is my favorite here in my central Virginia gardens. Large, juicy berries greet me every day for nearly one month in June.

After harvesting in the early morning, I place the unwashed fruit on a sheet pan and let them rest at room temperature for twenty-four hours. Any unripe berries will continue to ripen, and of course, I snitch a handful as I go by during the day! When the fruit fully ripens, I place them in glass jars and place in the freezer. I am not a fan of plastic…

Forget the pancakes, waffles, and crepes…popovers are fast, fun and deelish!

Sunday mornings I crave a wee breakfast that is special; a meal that celebrates the end of a very long week and a plentiful harvest!

can you taste this? Popovers made with almond milk are the best and fresh blueberry conserve, made at home in minutes, is splendid with a bit of whipped cream

Cookbooks bulge with blueberry recipes, as this fruit is a national favorite. If you do not grow your own blueberries, find a pick-your-own farm nearby, pack up the kids, and head out for a morning of fun.

Most blueberries do not require any spraying, making them most desirable. In fall, the leaves turn a handsome scarlet hue. They are also easy grow plants, so why not consider a few for a sunny spot in your garden? Your local extension office can offer suggestions for the best variety in your growing zone and once established, this powerhouse berry will reward you for years to come.

Copyright © 2015 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved