Cover plants to protect from pests
Also, you can try growing only climbing beans and zucchini
QLast summer, something ate my kale leaves and zucchini fruits. There are no rabbits around, but the neighbourhood hosts quite a few rats. Do they eat vegetables?
A: I’ve never experienced rats feeding on my vegetables, but I have a friend with a community garden plot where rats have been a major pest. She tells me there are no bunnies around and deer are fenced out, but rats abound. Her beans (leaves and pods), zucchini and cucumber (fruit only), and kale have all been eaten.
Her plan to help remedy the situation this year is to cover young plants with floating row cover or wire mesh caging and to grow only climbing beans and zucchini (Tromboncino, West Coast Seeds). She’ll also train cucumber vines up vertical supports.
QI’m thinking of planting a short rosemary hedge in a sunny part of my garden. What variety would you recommend?
A: Especially in view of the past winter with snow and prolonged periods of cold, I would plant Arp — a tough, hardy variety. I have several plants in a sunny, hot, dryish location, where they seem almost always to be flowering and full of bees. Arp is an upright, imposing plant, wonderfully aromatic and very low care. Do water as the plants establish, though.
QOur family tradition is to have an earthy, from-thegarden meal on Earth Day (this Saturday). But except for the kale, the winter devastated much of our food garden. Have you a favourite, hopefully somewhat festive, way of preparing kale?
A: I do. It’s a kale and garlic tart, a variation on a zucchini tart I was introduced to in Italy. Chop five large garlic cloves and measure four packed cups chopped kale. Lightly sautee the garlic and kale in butter and oil, and then steam almost tender. I use a large wok.
Cool the kale mixture, and stir in a pre-mixed blend of four eggs and one cup cream. Pour into a pie shell. Bake the tart at 375 F for 25 minutes or until the top is golden.