Colin McCrate's Blog, page 9
March 29, 2019
Episode 98: Backyard Cutting Garden with Kelly Sullivan
Hilary’s 2018 Cutting Garden
Guest Kelly Sullivan of Botanique Flowers, a Seattle-based floral design studio, talks with Hilary about how she turned her 6,000 square foot city lot into a productive flower farm.
HOW TO LISTEN:Subscribe in iTunes , Stitcher, or any of your favorite podcast players to have new episodes sent directly to your device.
Listen right now in your browser by clicking above.
Important Takeaways:Cutting Garden Design Basics:
Almost all annual cut flowers require a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight per day during the peak growing season. Choose hellebores and filler plants for shady areas!
Amend planting areas with an application of 2-3 inches of compost at least 1x per year.
Both in-ground mounded beds and framed raised beds can create successful foundations for a cutting garden. If you already have framed raised beds, and want to transition some of your vegetable growing space to cut flower production, great! If you’re building a new garden exclusively for cutting, I’d consider building right into the ground for two reasons:
one - you don’t have to worry about soil contamination (as long as you’re not planning to grow flowers for culinary purposes)
two - flowers tend to be tall and somewhat unwieldy, so working with them in lower, in ground beds tends to be more manageable
Garden size:
Kelly’s production garden (and job!!) is about 1,000 square feet.
Hilary’s hobby cutting garden is around 150 square feet and provides ample blooms for cutting and sharing with friends and family
Plan for irrigation! Both Kelly and I use Dripworks irrigation products. Pressure-compensating drip tape or emitter tubing are great choices. Typically, I’d suggest using 1/2 emitter tubing to irrigate perennial plantings, so if you’re going to order a roll, just use that for your annual production areas as well!
Kelly’s Top 3 Beginner Flowers (all of these flowers have very long lifespans, see below for images of these flowers throughout the season)
Scabiosa
Zinnias
Cosmos
Hilary’s additions: Stock, Snapdragons and Aster - but all three of these should be started indoors under lights (Kelly uses simple and inexpensive shop lights on adjustable chains!)
Good beginner flowers that bloom almost all season long: Scabiosa, zinnias, stock, snap dragons, aster and late fall cosmos from Hilary’s garden.
Perennials For Bouquet Filler and Year-Round Interest:
Ninebark, Physocarpus opulifolius
Lilac, Syringa vulgaris
Mockorange, Philadelphus virginalis
Spirea, Spiraea prunifolia
Hydrangea cultivars
Rose cultivars
Annual Flowers That Are Best When Left to Self-seed:
Feverfew
Forget-me-nots
Larkspur
Agrostemma
Great Books on Cut Flower Gardening:
Like what you hear? Please share our podcast with a friend. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast player so you never miss a beat. And we'd really appreciate you showing us some love by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
Have a topic you'd like see us dig in to? Leave us a note in the comment section below or #EBpodcast on Instagram and Twitter!
Photo by Lora Grady
More about this weeks guest expert:
KELLY SULLIVAN is the owner and Lead Designer of Botanique, a full-service floral design studio in Seattle, Washington. She creates custom bouquets, arrangements, and flower installations for weddings and events. She also offers workshops focused on sustainable design techniques. Kelly maintains a backyard cutting garden stocked with her favorite blooms. This episode is going to be dangerous because, after hearing about Kelly's cutting garden, we're ALL going to be scrambling to squeeze more flowers into our growing space.
www.botaniqueflowers.com/
Instagram: @botanique_flowers_seattle
About the Host:
Hello, I’m Hilary Dahl. Outside of this podcast, my job is to help beginning and experienced growers create beautiful and productive gardens. I have the unique experience of working in on a wide range of projects, from small backyard garden plots to multi-acre vegetable farms. I also work in my own garden every day when I get home. This podcast is an opportunity to discuss seasonal garden topics and share the the joy of growing your own food.
March 22, 2019
Episode 97: Fruit Trees with Tara Austen Weaver
In this first episode of the 2019 season, Hilary and Tara Austen Weaver discuss planning for, planting and growing fruit trees!
HOW TO LISTEN:Subscribe in iTunes , Stitcher, or any of your favorite podcast players to have new episodes sent directly to your device.
Listen right now in your browser by clicking above.
Important Takeaways:
A Tree Grows 40 Different Types of Fruit
Fruit tress require a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight per day during the peak growing season, ideally these hours would span the middle of the day.
Fruit tree spacing guidelines by growth habit:
dwarf trees: 6-7 feet
semi-dwarf: 12-15 feet
standard-size trees: 12-15 feet
Fruit trees do not grow “true to seed.” This means that if you planted a seed from your favorite apple, the tree that grew from that seed wouldn’t produce apples with the same qualities as the seed source. In order to replicate a specific fruit, a cutting must be taken from that tree and grafted onto rootstock.
A multi-graft tree is one that has multiple cultivars grafted onto one rootstock. (See the photo to the right from Smithsonian.com of an experimental tree with 40 types of fruit grafted onto one rootstock- not an example of what you’re looking for in a productive fruit tree, but defintely cool!)
When planting a fruit tree (or any grafted plant, for that matter), it’s important NOT to bury the graft!
To Plant:
Dig a hole at least two times the size of the trees roots and about the same depth
Do not amend the soil
Plant your tree so that the point in which the roots begin to spread a the base of the trunk (the crown flare) is at the soil line
Fill the hole back in with the same soil that was removed
Water trees deeply, and regularly for the first year after planting
Early spring is a great time to plant fruit trees becuase they’ll be watered in by spring rains for the first few months
Useful Links:Plant Amnesty: https://www.plantamnesty.org/
International Society of Arboriculture: https://www.isa-arbor.com/
A simple t-post and wire rope espalier trellising system:
Books By Tara Austen Weaver:
Like what you hear? Please share our podcast with a friend. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast player so you never miss a beat. And we'd really appreciate you showing us some love by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
Have a topic you'd like see us dig in to? Leave us a note in the comment section below or #EBpodcast on Instagram and Twitter!
More about this weeks guest expert:
TARA AUSTEN WEAVER is a freelance writer, editor, and author of The Butcher & The Vegetarian (Rodale, 2010) and Orchard House: How a Neglected Garden Taught One Family to Grow (Ballantine, 2015), a memoir that chronicles how she and her family attempted to revive a long neglected Seattle garden and orchard. Tara's food blog, Tea & Cookies, established in 2006, was selected as one of the top 50 food sites in the world by both the Times of London and The Independent (UK) and has been featured on The Food Network, Saveur, Oprah.com, Apartment Therapy, The Kitchn, Reddit, and Bonappetit.com. She is a trained Master Gardener, Permaculture Designer, and Master Composter/Soil Builder.
http://taraweaver.com/
Instagram: @tea_austen
And…a little about this weeks bonus guest!
KELLIE PHELAN is a self-proclaimed gardening nerd and has a deep passion for knowing where our food comes from, how it’s grown, and what we put into our bodies. She loves to share her knowledge and passion with others, and co-hosted over 50 episodes of the Encyclopedia Botanica podcast! When Kellie’s not busy running The Works or in her garden, she enjoys spending time with her partner Matt and new twin babes Ace & Pepper.
https://www.theworksseattle.com/
Instagram: @theworks.seattle
About the Host:
Hello, I’m Hilary Dahl. Outside of this podcast, my job is to help beginning and experienced growers create beautiful and productive gardens. I have the unique experience of working in on a wide range of projects, from small backyard garden plots to multi-acre vegetable farms. I also work in my own garden every day when I get home. This podcast is an opportunity to discuss seasonal garden topics and share the the joy of growing your own food.
January 19, 2019
Mini Q&A Episode + What's in store for the 2019 season!
Help bring back the Encyclopedia Botanica podcast for a fourth season!
Encyclopedia Botanica is a listener supported podcast about edible and cut flower gardening. Each episode is a lively conversation between me (Hilary Dahl) and a guest contributor. We break down seemingly complicated garden concepts so that anyone can feel empowered to take on new projects and further develop their green thumb. Our goal is to keep each episode educational and provide practical information for gardeners of all levels.
HOW TO LISTEN:
Subscribe in iTunes , Stitcher, or any of your favorite podcast players to have new episodes sent directly to your device.
Listen right now in your browser by clicking above.
I first launched my podcast, Encyclopedia Botanica, in the summer of 2016. I had been dreaming of creating a podcast for years and my husband and business partner, Colin McCrate, encouraged me to finally just do it. It started out really simple, short 10-15 minute episodes, each one focusing on a specific crop. Since then, the format has continued to evolve and expand. This coming season, I plan to interview experts from across the country on a variety of new topics. We’ll take an in-depth look at wine grapes, fruit tree care, container gardening for edibles, backyard production-scale cut flower gardening, and some other really exciting topics!
Learn more about what we have in store for the 2019 season and check out our Kickstarter here!
About the Host:
Hello, I’m Hilary Dahl. Outside of this podcast, my job is to help beginning and experienced growers create beautiful and productive gardens. I have the unique experience of working in on a wide range of projects, from small backyard garden plots to multi-acre vegetable farms. I also work in my own garden every day when I get home. This podcast is an opportunity to discuss seasonal garden topics and share the the joy of growing your own food.
Our Books:
By Colin McCrate, Brad Halm
By Colin McCrate, Brad Halm
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast: Mini Q&A Episode + What's in store for the 2019 season!
Help bring back the Encyclopedia Botanica podcast for a fourth season!
Encyclopedia Botanica is a listener supported podcast about edible and cut flower gardening. Each episode is a lively conversation between me (Hilary Dahl) and a guest contributor. We break down seemingly complicated garden concepts so that anyone can feel empowered to take on new projects and further develop their green thumb. Our goal is to keep each episode educational and provide practical information for gardeners of all levels.
HOW TO LISTEN:
Subscribe in iTunes , Stitcher, or any of your favorite podcast players to have new episodes sent directly to your device.
Listen right now in your browser by clicking above.
I first launched my podcast, Encyclopedia Botanica, in the summer of 2016. I had been dreaming of creating a podcast for years and my husband and business partner, Colin McCrate, encouraged me to finally just do it. It started out really simple, short 10-15 minute episodes, each one focusing on a specific crop. Since then, the format has continued to evolve and expand. This coming season, I plan to interview experts from across the country on a variety of new topics. We’ll take an in-depth look at wine grapes, fruit tree care, container gardening for edibles, backyard production-scale cut flower gardening, and some other really exciting topics!
Learn more about what we have in store for the 2019 season and check out our Kickstarter here!
About the Host:
Hello, I’m Hilary Dahl. Outside of this podcast, my job is to help beginning and experienced growers create beautiful and productive gardens. I have the unique experience of working in on a wide range of projects, from small backyard garden plots to multi-acre vegetable farms. I also work in my own garden every day when I get home. This podcast is an opportunity to discuss seasonal garden topics and share the the joy of growing your own food.
Our Books:By Colin McCrate, Brad Halm
By Colin McCrate, Brad Halm
August 28, 2018
Episode 96: August Q+A with Colin McCrate
Hilary and Colin cover a wide range of listener questions in this late-summer Q+A episode.
This is going to be the last regularly scheduled episode of the 2018 season. We're going to take the fall to write, record and produce our best episodes yet! Stay tuned for updates on how you can support the podcast and when to expect the launch of the 2019 season.
HOW TO LISTEN:Subscribe in iTunes , Stitcher, or any of your favorite podcast players to have new episodes sent directly to your device.
Listen right now in your browser by clicking above.
Books By Colin McCrate:By Colin McCrate, Brad Halm
By Colin McCrate, Brad Halm
Like what you hear? Please share our podcast with a friend. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast player so you never miss a beat. And we'd really appreciate you showing us some love by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
Have a topic you'd like see us dig in to? Leave us a note in the comment section below or #EBpodcast on Instagram and Twitter!
Your support is what keeps this podcast going! Any amount helps, so consider support us by making a one-time contribution:
Make a one time contribution
More about this weeks guest expert:
Colin McCrate is the founder of the Seattle Urban Farm Co. He has been growing food organically for over 15 years and has designed and has managed projects ranging from multi-acre farms to small backyard gardens. The author of two books; Food Grown Right, In Your Backyard (Mountaineers Books, 2012) and The High-Yield Garden Planner (Storey Publishing, 2015); he believes that urban food production can help increase public awareness of environmental, health, and social issues.
About the Host:
Hello, I’m Hilary Dahl. Outside of this podcast, my job is to help beginning and experienced growers create beautiful and productive gardens. I have the unique experience of working in on a wide range of projects, from small backyard garden plots to multi-acre vegetable farms. I also work in my own garden every day when I get home. This podcast is an opportunity to discuss seasonal garden topics and share the the joy of growing your own food.
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 96: August Q+A with Colin McCrate
Hilary and Colin cover a wide range of listener questions in this late-summer Q+A episode.
This is going to be the last regularly scheduled episode of the 2018 season. We're going to take the fall to write, record and produce our best episodes yet! Stay tuned for updates on how you can support the podcast and when to expect the launch of the 2019 season.
HOW TO LISTEN:Subscribe in iTunes , Stitcher, or any of your favorite podcast players to have new episodes sent directly to your device.Listen right now in your browser by clicking above.Books By Colin McCrate:By Colin McCrate, Brad Halm
By Colin McCrate, Brad Halm
Like what you hear? Please share our podcast with a friend. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast player so you never miss a beat. And we'd really appreciate you showing us some love by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
Have a topic you'd like see us dig in to? Leave us a note in the comment section below or #EBpodcast on Instagram and Twitter!
We need your support to keep this podcast going! Any amount helps, so consider support us one of two ways:
Become an Encyclopedia Botanica Patreon
OR
Make a One-Time Contribution
More about this weeks guest expert:
Colin McCrate is the founder of the Seattle Urban Farm Co. He has been growing food organically for over 15 years and has designed and has managed projects ranging from multi-acre farms to small backyard gardens. The author of two books; Food Grown Right, In Your Backyard (Mountaineers Books, 2012) and The High-Yield Garden Planner (Storey Publishing, 2015); he believes that urban food production can help increase public awareness of environmental, health, and social issues.
About the Host:
Hello, I’m Hilary Dahl. Outside of this podcast, my job is to help beginning and experienced growers create beautiful and productive gardens. I have the unique experience of working in on a wide range of projects, from small backyard garden plots to multi-acre vegetable farms. I also work in my own garden every day when I get home. This podcast is an opportunity to discuss seasonal garden topics and share the the joy of growing your own food.
August 10, 2018
Episode 95: Intuitive Cooking with Shannon Douglas, Brassica Edition
Broccoli Side Shoots
Shannon Douglas of Honest Magazine defines "cooking intuitively" is a style of cooking based on understanding the fundamentals of cooking and paying close attention to your ingredients. In this episode Shannon Douglas of Honest Magazine and Hilary discuss intuitive cooking tips and techniques for the popular garden brassicas Kale and broccoli.
HOW TO LISTEN:Subscribe in iTunes , Stitcher, or any of your favorite podcast players to have new episodes sent directly to your device.
Listen right now in your browser by clicking above.
Red Russian kale
Lacinato kale
Broccoli side shoots/florets
REsources Mentioned in this episode:
Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables
By Joshua McFadden
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking
By Samin Nosrat
Portland Farmers Market Cookbook: 100 Seasonal Recipes and Stories that Celebrate Local Food and People
By Ellen Jackson
The Herbfarm Cookbook
By Jerry Traunfeld
Like what you hear? Please share our podcast with a friend. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast player so you never miss a beat. And we'd really appreciate you showing us some love by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
Have a topic you'd like see us dig in to? Leave us a note in the comment section below or #EBpodcast on Instagram and Twitter!
Your support is what keeps this podcast going! Any amount helps, so consider support us by making a one-time contribution:
Make a one time contribution
photo by charity burrgraaf
More about this weeks guest expert:
Shannon Douglas is the cook and photographer behind Honest Magazine, a quarterly publication focused on cooking, foraging, gardening and wildflowers, and the way these practices weave together to create an honest and connected life. In addition to the magazine, Shannon teaches classes on intuitive cooking and rustic crafts that bring us back into the wild and the wild back into us. She's a big believer in hammocks and is always on the lookout for new "weeds" to bring into the kitchen.
Website: https://www.honestquarterly.com/
Instagram: @honestmag
About the Host:
Hello, I’m Hilary Dahl. Outside of this podcast, my job is to help beginning and experienced growers create beautiful and productive gardens. I have the unique experience of working in on a wide range of projects, from small backyard garden plots to multi-acre vegetable farms. I also work in my own garden every day when I get home. This podcast is an opportunity to discuss seasonal garden topics and share the the joy of growing your own food.
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 95: Intuitive Cooking with Shannon Douglas, Brassica Edition
Broccoli Side Shoots
Shannon Douglas of Honest Magazine defines "cooking intuitively" is a style of cooking based on understanding the fundamentals of cooking and paying close attention to your ingredients. In this episode Shannon Douglas of Honest Magazine and Hilary discuss intuitive cooking tips and techniques for the popular garden brassicas Kale and broccoli.
HOW TO LISTEN:Subscribe in iTunes , Stitcher, or any of your favorite podcast players to have new episodes sent directly to your device.Listen right now in your browser by clicking above.Red Russian kale
Lacinato kale
Broccoli side shoots/florets
REsources Mentioned in this episode:
Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables
By Joshua McFadden
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking
By Samin Nosrat
Portland Farmers Market Cookbook: 100 Seasonal Recipes and Stories that Celebrate Local Food and People
By Ellen Jackson
The Herbfarm Cookbook
By Jerry Traunfeld
Like what you hear? Please share our podcast with a friend. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast player so you never miss a beat. And we'd really appreciate you showing us some love by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
Have a topic you'd like see us dig in to? Leave us a note in the comment section below or #EBpodcast on Instagram and Twitter!
We need your support to keep this podcast going! Any amount helps, so consider support us one of two ways:
Become an Encyclopedia Botanica Patreon
OR
Make a One-Time Contribution
photo by charity burrgraaf
More about this weeks guest expert:
Shannon Douglas is the cook and photographer behind Honest Magazine, a quarterly publication focused on cooking, foraging, gardening and wildflowers, and the way these practices weave together to create an honest and connected life. In addition to the magazine, Shannon teaches classes on intuitive cooking and rustic crafts that bring us back into the wild and the wild back into us. She's a big believer in hammocks and is always on the lookout for new "weeds" to bring into the kitchen.
Website: https://www.honestquarterly.com/
Instagram: @honestmag
About the Host:
Hello, I’m Hilary Dahl. Outside of this podcast, my job is to help beginning and experienced growers create beautiful and productive gardens. I have the unique experience of working in on a wide range of projects, from small backyard garden plots to multi-acre vegetable farms. I also work in my own garden every day when I get home. This podcast is an opportunity to discuss seasonal garden topics and share the the joy of growing your own food.
July 13, 2018
Episode 93: July Slack Q+A with Colin McCrate
Hilary and Colin chat blueberry care, Brassica pests and the herb chervil in this Q+A episode.
HOW TO LISTEN:Subscribe in iTunes , Stitcher, or any of your favorite podcast players to have new episodes sent directly to your device.
Listen right now in your browser by clicking above.
Books By Colin McCrate:By Colin McCrate, Brad Halm
By Colin McCrate, Brad Halm
Like what you hear? Please share our podcast with a friend. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast player so you never miss a beat. And we'd really appreciate you showing us some love by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
Have a topic you'd like see us dig in to? Leave us a note in the comment section below or #EBpodcast on Instagram and Twitter!
Your support is what keeps this podcast going! Any amount helps, so consider support us by making a one-time contribution:
Make a one time contribution
More about this weeks guest expert:
Colin McCrate is the founder of the Seattle Urban Farm Co. He has been growing food organically for over 15 years and has designed and has managed projects ranging from multi-acre farms to small backyard gardens. The author of two books; Food Grown Right, In Your Backyard (Mountaineers Books, 2012) and The High-Yield Garden Planner (Storey Publishing, 2015); he believes that urban food production can help increase public awareness of environmental, health, and social issues.
About the Host:
Hello, I’m Hilary Dahl. Outside of this podcast, my job is to help beginning and experienced growers create beautiful and productive gardens. I have the unique experience of working in on a wide range of projects, from small backyard garden plots to multi-acre vegetable farms. I also work in my own garden every day when I get home. This podcast is an opportunity to discuss seasonal garden topics and share the the joy of growing your own food.
Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast, Episode 93: July Slack Q+A with Colin McCrate
Hilary and Colin chat blueberry care, Brassica pests and the herb chervil in this Q+A episode.
HOW TO LISTEN:Subscribe in iTunes , Stitcher, or any of your favorite podcast players to have new episodes sent directly to your device.Listen right now in your browser by clicking above.Books By Colin McCrate:By Colin McCrate, Brad Halm
By Colin McCrate, Brad Halm
Like what you hear? Please share our podcast with a friend. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast player so you never miss a beat. And we'd really appreciate you showing us some love by leaving a rating and review on iTunes.
Have a topic you'd like see us dig in to? Leave us a note in the comment section below or #EBpodcast on Instagram and Twitter!
We need your support to keep this podcast going! Any amount helps, so consider support us one of two ways:
Become an Encyclopedia Botanica Patreon
OR
Make a One-Time Contribution
More about this weeks guest expert:
Colin McCrate is the founder of the Seattle Urban Farm Co. He has been growing food organically for over 15 years and has designed and has managed projects ranging from multi-acre farms to small backyard gardens. The author of two books; Food Grown Right, In Your Backyard (Mountaineers Books, 2012) and The High-Yield Garden Planner (Storey Publishing, 2015); he believes that urban food production can help increase public awareness of environmental, health, and social issues.
About the Host:
Hello, I’m Hilary Dahl. Outside of this podcast, my job is to help beginning and experienced growers create beautiful and productive gardens. I have the unique experience of working in on a wide range of projects, from small backyard garden plots to multi-acre vegetable farms. I also work in my own garden every day when I get home. This podcast is an opportunity to discuss seasonal garden topics and share the the joy of growing your own food.
