By Cindy Poore

Gosh, I thought I would be dead by 2016. I mean that number just sounded soooo far away when I was a kid.  I mean, if not dead, my life would certainly be over, right?  Hey! Wait up! I don’t FEEL old. I don’t even look old. (well not young either, but not Grandma Moses old anyways).

Hmmm… what to do? I feel like I can really do anything. Cats tear up the couch and you need to fix it? Want to paint the bedroom? Read the classics?, Take a class? Loose 5 lbs? Check, check, check, check and check! Time waits for no man and I’m not sitting around. I got things to do before my time is up and I am making the most of it.

How about YOU? If  your check list has anything on it we can help with,  give us a call.

“The trouble is, you think you

 have time.” Buddha

It’s Raining!

Well, maybe not today, but there has been lots of rain and more coming because El Nino has actually arrived. If you haven’t seen so already, you will soon see that the weeds are loving it. And as soon as the weather warms up the weeds will explode with growth.

THIS is a filaree. Cute when small but can be a problem come this spring. Did you know that filaree leaves are edible?  Great in salads. (not after we spray them of course)  If you can’t eat them fast enough, call us and we will help you get rid of them for months. Call to get on our schedule.

Winter Checklist

>Check for Irrigation Problems

Frozen lines and valves. Insulate main lines and valves where needed if you haven’t done so already.

>Garden sanitation is critical if you have fruit trees. Clean up fallen leaves and plant debris. Haul to trash instead of the compost pile if you have experienced serious pest issues last season. Debris piles often harbor pests over wintering, allowing them to attack your plants again in the spring.

>Winter is a good time for mulch. Placing mulch around the base of the plant can keep the plants warmer and keep from loosing your more delicate plants.

>Check your bird feeders and add or fill as needed for a little love for the local wildlife.

>Garden classes? Now is the time to get going on that class you wanted to take. Learn pruning? Propagation? Time is ticking. Do it now. No one regrets expanding their knowledge.

>Watering is probably the most important thing and the most ignored thing that people forget in the winter.  Your plants still need water. No, not three times a week, but you need to be aware of what moisture comes from the sky and adapt watering to augment that when necessary. Just not when it is freezing. Many days are 55-60 degrees and would be a great day to water.  Think of at least twice a month a minimum for shrubs. Water deeply though, not shallow.

Did you Know?

—A Mediterranean garden’s main component is arid evergreen shrubs. Think greens and grays mixed together like junipers, rosemary, blue fescue, sages, etc.

—Pruning of young fruit trees  (under 6 years) is done to develop strong low framework branches and not much else. The goal is not to grow fruit at that time. That comes later.

—Areas of standing water may indicate an area of compaction (by foot traffic or hardpan soil layer)?

“Why try to explain miracles to your children when you can just have them plant a garden?”
― Robert Brault

My Favorite Recipes

YAMtastic!

Ok. New year, new YOU right?  We all are looking for a healthy food that tastes good. Food that will fill us up and not rack up too many calories. YAMs are the answer!  So many ways to use them. Try this unique vegetarian taco twist:

 Yammy Tacos

1 fresh yam about 12 ounces peeled and cubed

1 white or yellow onion, sliced

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 can of black beans, rinsed

1 bunch of cilantro chopped

2 oz. Shredded cheese

1 pkg of La Tortilla Factory corn/wheat tortillas

Now you could roast the onions and yam cubes in a 350° oven for about 20 minutes or you can sauté them in a large skillet with the olive oil. Put the yams in first and sauté for about 10 minutes and then add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the black beans just to heat through. Place a generous serving spoon full of the yam/bean/onion mixture on the tortilla. Sprinkle with the cilantro and cheese.

Serve warm with a salad.

Yam Easy Sweet Potato Fries

2-3 Yams/Sweet Potatoes peeled & cut into fries

2 Tbls of Olive oil

Sea Salt and Pepper, Chili, etc to taste.

Pre-heat the oven to 425°  Put yams into a large bowl or plastic bag. Sprinkle olive oil over yams. Mix and toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle sea salt, pepper and other seasonings over yams and toss again to distribute seasonings. Place yams one layer thick (without touching) on a large cookie sheet. Bake in oven for 20 minutes.  Serve as a side dish with a protein and a salad. Incredibly easy!