What Is A Gardener?

Last week, while buying yet more plants from the greenhouse (there was a sale! Who could resist?), a gentleman recognized me and remarked upon my being there. He intimated he was disappointed to see me purchasing plants because “you write a gardening column.”

That got me wondering if others think I’m cheating somehow, so I looked up the definition of gardening. It’s the activity of tending and cultivating a garden, especially as a pastime, or the practice of growing and cultivating plants as a part of horticulture. The definition of a garden is: (verb) to cultivate or work in a garden; (noun) a small piece of ground used to grow vegetables, fruit, herbs, or flowers; (noun) a large public hall (e.g. Madison Square Garden). Nowhere did I find any rule that a gardener must start all their own plants from seed. Nor was there any prohibition on purchasing plants to put in one’s garden.

Obviously this gentleman knows I write this column, but he’s missed the ones where I talk about not starting all my own seeds (I think that’s called farming). He’s also missed the ones where I praise those running greenhouses as their work saves me a lot of time and effort. Pioneer woman I am not!

The past few days I’ve ignored my garden, other than running the drip system. Instead I’ve focused on pressure washing our decks. I’m pretty sure I didn’t do this last summer. At least, there was an awful lot of dirt washed away. This chore involved moving patio furniture and heavy planters. Once I’ve finished (I still need to water-proof the wooden deck), all the furniture and planters will need to be returned to their places. It’s going to look fantabulous (a word that was maybe coined by my eldest sister-in-law. I really like both her and her word.).

I’ve just cooked the last of my fresh asparagus for this summer. Here’s how I did it (with estimated amounts since I just threw it all together): I fried a few slices of bacon. While they drained on paper towels, I sautéed chopped green onion tops (four?) in the grease (many things are great cooked in bacon fat, aren’t they?). About two batches of asparagus spears were cut into bite-sized pieces, then added to the pan. About a tablespoon of EVOO was drizzled over the asparagus, then I added about a teaspoon of dried tarragon, a sprig of fresh dill, and a handful of pumpkin seeds. I squeezed two slices of fresh lemon into the pan, along with a sprinkle of sea salt and a bit of freshly ground black pepper, then a smidge of granulated garlic. I let the mass simmer until the rest of my meal (brown rice with a little bit of spinach, sautéed crimini mushrooms, and warmed over pork ribs) was ready. The bacon was crumbled on top right before serving.

The big news is I’m now able to make fresh salads out of the garden. The mixed lettuces needed thinning. I nipped off some beet greens and some Swiss chard. Into that I sliced radishes and green onions. Crumbled feta, a few capers, and roughly chopped marinated artichoke hearts were added to the bowl. Then I made the following dressing, which will go well with all my future salad concoctions. (It’s also good on cooked pasta, rice, couscous, or quinoa. It’s probably also good on potatoes.)

Healthy Greek Salad Dressing

1/2 C EVOO

1/2 C red wine vinegar

1 large lemon, juiced

2 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Put in an airtight container and shake vigorously to combine. Store in the fridge (the oil will separate and congeal a bit, so let it warm up before using from the fridge).