The Apartment Farm

Spring is just around the corner…in about a month or so, it will be time to get at the task of seed-starting. If you’ve never started vegetables from seed, don’t despair– with the right tools and info it’s a piece of cake. There are several advantages you’re going to have by starting your own seeds instead of buying transplants from your local nursery or mail order. First of all, you get to choose exactly what you what to grow. Nurseries and even mail order places limit the transplants they grow to the most popular and easy to care for varieties. Raising seedlings to transplant size on a commercial scale can be quite labor and money-intensive, and nurseries are interested in making the best profit they can (and can you blame them?). By growing your own transplants, you have infinitely more choice of what plants you can have– you’re only limited by the seed you can get, and the choices can be mind boggling. You’re also going to save money by starting seed– a packet of hundreds/thousands of seeds usually costs the same as a single transplant. Another benefit from starting your own seed, and probably the most important one is the fact that you reap what you sow. You can ensure that your seedlings are getting the best possible care– they won’t wilt (because you’ll remember to keep them watered), they won’t get pot-bound (because you’ll transplant them to a larger pot when they need it), you can select out the ones with disease or pest problems (these are often sold anyway at nurseries) and you can lessen the shock your plants will have by properly hardening them off before planting them outside (reputable nurseries do harden their transplants, but many do not). So now that you’re convinced you should be starting your own seed, how do you actually do it? Read on…

Tools of the Trade

Seed flats

Seed-starting potting mix

Soil scoop

Water

Seeds

Okay, but what does all that mean? They are hundreds of different options for seed trays on the market currently– there are plastic flats, peat pellets or peat pots, newspaper pot makers, etc. There are a couple of points to consider when choosing what you’d like to use. First, how many times are you willing to transplant? Seedlings can grow pretty quickly, and so are going to outpace individual peat pellets or peat pots or 1 inch sized cells in plastic trays pretty quickly. And since they haven’t reached ideal transplant size by that time, you’re going to have to transplant them into a bigger pot at least one or two times before they’re ready to go out into the garden. Aside from size, you’ll also want to think about durability. Buying new supplies every season can be a big waste. I like to choose trays that will last for at least several seasons. This is better for the environment (less trash to throw away at the end of the season) and better for your pocket book too. And let’s admit it, looks play into this at least a little bit, especially for me, where my seed-starting area and planting space are part of my every day living space. So something that looks good and uniform might be an important consideration for you. My personal favorites for seed starting are the Sow & Grow seed flats. These are very popular in England, and are sold by Veseys Seeds (www.veseys.com) in the United States and
Canada. I prefer them for a couple of reasons– they are an incredibly durable heavy-weight plastic, they come in a bright lime green color, and they sell many sizes and configurations. You can buy each of the components (drip tray, seedling inserts and clear, vented dome lids) separately or as pre-fab kits. They are also reasonably priced. So they look good, will last at least several seasons, are affordable and meet my needs for seed starting. This year, I got 2 of the Sow & Grow Windowsill Propagator Sets. Each set cost $7.50 and included a long, narrow window-sill sized lime green drip tray, 5 6-celled black seedling inserts and vented clear lid. So I will be able to start 60 seedlings this year, which is way more than the Apartment Farm currently has capacity for. You can also use 1 or 2 liter plastic soda bottles cut to size, which I think also work great and look good. But I fell in love with the lime green this year.

Okay, so now you’ve got your containers and you need to think about soil. Whatever you do, do NOT put dirt from outside in your seed-starting trays! You’re bringing in weed seeds, and any soil-borne diseases from outside in that way. Dirt from outside will also dry out very quickly and get a crusty layer on top when used inside, making it difficult for plants to get a good start. You want to provide the best environment for your seeds, so you want a light, sterile mix for your seeds. You can buy it pre-bagged at most nurseries or hardware stores or you can create your own. If you’re going to purchase it, look for a soil-less seed starting mix. If you want to create your own, it’s quite easy. Steve Solomon (of Territorial Seeds www.territorialseeds.com) swears by an equal mix of vermiculite and finely ground sphagnum moss in his book “The Complete Guide to Organic Gardening West of the Cascades”. While we’re not all west of the Cascades (especially here in Chicago) this is a good all-purpose mix that really is great for starting seeds– it’s sterile, holds water well and is light and won’t compact. You can find both of the ingredients at most nurseries or mail ordered online. And just as there are many gardeners, there are also many different kinds of seed-starting mixes, so Google it or read a few books to get some ideas and then experiment a bit to find the one that works the best for you.

For a soil scoop, you can use any large spoon or scoop you might have. You can cut a small bleach container into a nice scoop by carefully cutting half of the bottom off, leaving the neck and handle in place. This also works as a funnel when you remove the cap, which can be useful for getting soil into smaller containers. I happened to find a heavy plastic Fiskars soil scoop at Walgreens for just $1 last season, so that’s what I use.

Water is pretty self-explanatory, but for seed starting I like to have it in a spray bottle. Make sure your planting mix is damp before you start, then give the top of the soil a heavy misting with the bottle is better then dumping in water by the cup full– doing that will likely displace the seeds from their carefully chosen spots in the containers.

 And finally, you’ll need the seeds. You can raise pretty much anything as a transplant except for root crops, like carrots and potatoes. Plants like these have long tap roots, which are a “main” root that extends further into the soil than the rest of the root system. Because of this, these plants like to stay where they’re planted. Everything else can be raised as a transplant.

Planting Workshop

Alright, you’ve got all your supplies assembled and now you’re ready for the fun part. I like to set up a seed-starting station so that I have all the supplies I need at hand and to keep the “mess” contained. Indoors, I like to work at table height, so I set up on the kitchen table. I take off the table cloth and cover the floor underneath the table with paper bags cut open flat– much easier to throw them away than vacuum potting mix out of the carpet. If I’m making my own potting mix, I like to do it a mid-sized metal trash can, and even if I’m not making my own, I pour the store bought stuff into a metal trash can. It’s easier to scoop it out of a can than a ripped-open bag, and the can makes great storage for leftovers. So I set up the can of mix to one side of my chair, put the seed flats in front of me, and have my seeds and spray bottle of water on the table.

First I scoop soil into each of the flats and shake them slightly to let it settle. Then I give each of the flats a good watering to dampen the soil. Then I start planting– most seeds don’t need to be planted at a great depth, so I scratch the soil surface with my finger, drop in a seed or two per cell, and then sprinkle a little soil on top. Once I’m done planting a flat, I give it a good spray from the water bottle to settle the seeds in, and then I place the clear dome lid on top. You’ll want to keep track of which seeds you plant where– you can do this in any way you like– I use a fine tip Sharpie to write the name and planting date on half of a popsicle stick and stick it into a corner of each tray. Then set the flats in a warm spot to germinate– the top of the refrigerator or computer are good spots.

Once the seeds have germinated, move them into good light, remove the plastic tops and keep them watered so the soil doesn’t dry out. Transplant them up to bigger pots if they look like they’re getting too big for their current location. A week or so before you want to plant them outside (if this is what you’re doing with them) make sure you harden them off. If you just plant your seedlings outside one day after being indoors in the perfect, controlled environment you have created for them, the shock of wild outdoor weather (wind, cool temps at night, harsh sunlight) may damage or kill them. That’s why we put them outside little by little so they can get used to it. On the first day, put them out for a couple of hours in indirect light. The second day put them out in direct light, for a few hours longer. The third day, bring them in after dark. The fourth day, leave them out overnight in a protected location (like a cold frame or patio greenhouse). The fifth day leave them out overnight at the garden site. On the sixth day (which is hopefully mild and overcast) plant them out in the garden and give them a good water. In the next few weeks, if you think you’re going to get another hard frost or obscenely low night-time temps, give them a little extra protection with cloches or hot caps. From this point on, it’s gardening as usual!

New can be highly over-rated. Old stuff has provenance, utility and a beauty that should be appreciated. From clothes to household goods to building materials second-hand is the way to go. And when stuff wears out, don’t throw it away! Recycling is the way to go. The following list are resources tailored to Chicago, but all you need to do is google thrift stores, salvage, recycling, etc. for your city or area.

 Island Girl Salvage—160 Kelly
St. Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 847-593-243; Thursday-Saturday 10-6; www.islandgirlsalvage.com All things architectural—doors, windows, brackets, hinges, doorknobs, etc. as well as furnishing, garden and home accessories and odds and ends.  

Brown Elephant Thrift Stores—various locations in
Chicago.General thrift store—best finds are housewares, books and furniture. Also sells some new cast-offs they get from places like Urban Outfitters. 

Unique Thrift Stores—various locations in
Chicago. General thrift store—best scores are housewares and books. 

Village Thrift Stores—various locations in
Chicago. General thrift store—best score is glassware.  

Chicago Recycling Coalition: http://www.chicagorecycling.org/newsletters/12-06factsheet.pdf Resources on recycling centers for paper, glass, metal, etc. in
Chicago.  

It seems like there is a never-ending stream of holidays to celebrate. On the one hand, this is annoying, but on the other hand, it is nice to celebrate stuff, especially with friends and family. A Valentine’s Day Tea is the perfect way to spend the afternoon with people you love, and can be tailored to both kids and adults. Keep it simple, and it will be a fun afternoon. For an activity, you can make valentine’s to exchange, decorate heart-shaped cookies, or watch a film. For the afternoon snack, you can serve an assortment of teas, double-chocolate brownies, sugar cookies, petite fours (bite-sized cakes covered with frosting—simply make a sheet cake, use unflavored dental floss to slice the cake horizontally in three equal sections, then cut the cake vertically into small sections. Assemble the small sections into mini layer cakes with frosting), and individual crumb coffee cakes. To make more of a meal out of it, you could serve individual quiches, small salads, mini focaccia, or individual apple galettes. Keep the décor simple—red and white is classic and fresh, and throw in some hearts—you can find cute vintage paper cutouts online, or make your own with card stock and paper doilies. However you set it up, it’s a nice way to spend an afternoon with people you really care about.

What in the world are you going to make for dinner tonight? With a few key items in the pantry, you can turn plain old chicken or pasta into something really special. Just mix and match whatever sounds good! 

Bottled sun dried tomatoes in olive oil

Bottled roasted red peppers

Bottled capers

Bottled chipotle peppers

Bottled anchovies

Tube of tomato paste

Garlic braid

Assorted bottled dressings (balsamic vinegarette and Italian are all-purpose choices)

Wild rice

Polenta

Chicken stock

Canned mushrooms

Assorted bottled olives

Honey

One or two specialty mustards (dijon or flavored)

Plain bread crumbs

Nuts (almonds and walnuts are great because they’re so versatile)

I love pasta salad, but unfortunately cherry tomatoes and lettuce aren’t in season this time of the year. So I’ve been thinking about an alternative version of my favorite recipe, and I think I’ve come up with something good!

1 box rotini (I like tricolor because it’s prettier)

5 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

2-3 sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, diced

2-3 small shallots, diced

1 bunch of kale, cut into 1 inch pieces

balsamic vinegarette dressing

1.) Cook rotini. 

2.) Fry the bacon. Add shallots and saute until translucent. Wash the kale, then put it into the bacon (still wet), put a lid on the pan and cook  until wilted (4-5 minutes).

3.) Toss the rotini with the kale, bacon and shallots. Mix in the sun dried tomatoes.

4.) Either toss the whole affair with the dressing, or let diners add their own at table.

I like to serve this with a crusty rosemary olive bread and a heavy red wine (anything from Australia will be strong and quite spicy– they’re excellent winter wines).

The seed catalogs have all been arriving in a steady stream in the mail. It’s not even January yet, and I’ve already ordered this year’s seeds, and they have safely arrived. Now I just have to wait for planting time, and that’s the hard part. But with plenty of time for waiting, that gives me a little time to think about the Apartment Farm’s setup for the upcoming season. We’re likely moving this summer, right in the middle of peak growing time, so portability will be key. Organization is also something I’d like to improve upon, as well as unifying the containers I use so everything is more esthetically pleasing.  

We don’t currently have a good shelving or bookcase unit in front of our large living room window, but I think I’ve come up with an easy fix that will look good, not cost a lot of money, and we can take it with us when we move. I’d like to mount a plywood shelf about five feet long by two feet wide underneath the windowsill by putting it up with ornate Victorian-style brackets. I’ll likely paint both the brackets and the shelf white to make it look like one unified piece of furniture. For planting containers, I’d like to use wooden wine crates set on top of shallow enamelware pans. At our local wine shop, they sell these crates for $3 a piece and I usually run into the pans at thrift stores. I figure I’ll do four of the crates on this shelf. In the kitchen window, we’ll turn our table so that the short end is up against the window and set a wine crate on that end, giving us enough room to sit for meals at the other end. In the windowsills themselves, I’ll do small pots of herbs. In the bedroom windowsill, I’d like to construct a similar bracketed shelf, where I will use deeper (if I can find them) wine crates or round planters, likely four of them. This shelf will also be slightly shallower, maybe one and a half feet, to allow for a smaller space around our bed.  

I’d like to improve upon my seed starting techniques this year as well. Every thing will be direct sown into their growing containers. Instead of covering the tops with aluminum foil, this year I will use plastic wrap. This will allow me to see (by condensation on the wrap) that the proper moisture and humidity is being maintained, and it will also allow me to see when the first sprouts have germinated. The seeds will be able to get light if I fail to notice and take the covering off right away. I think I lost a few seedlings last year by taking the aluminum foil off a couple days after sprouting, therefore not allowing the little seedlings to get light right away.  

As far as what I’m planting this season, I’m really excited to be trying to new things. I used an amazing amount of self-constraint when placing my seed order! With so much to choose from, it was really hard to pare it down to what I’d be able to grow in my limited amount of indoor space. I’ll also be growing some of what I grew last year. In two of the bedroom containers, I will have two Tiny Tim tomato plants (from last year’s seed). And I learned a great lesson about tomatoes last year—it’s true they need a deep growing container! The ones I had in smaller pots just did not get as big or produce as much as the ones in the deeper containers. So the more room the better, but at a minimum you can get away with about a 9-10 inch deep container and still get a good harvest. In the remaining two bedroom containers, I’m going to try to grow two Envy soybeans. They are a two foot bush plant, so we’ll see how they like growing in the indoors! I love edamame, so if I can grow enough for one really great snack this year, I’ll be happy. In the living room window, I’ll do one flat of Tom Thumb lettuce (from last year). It’s a beautiful, smooth butterhead type, and makes a great salad. I’ll also add a new lettuce in another flat—Lollo Rossa. It’s a red frilled crisp lettuce, and you can grow four of them to the square foot. In another container, I’m going to try my hand at growing some Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch Kale, which grows about one per square foot, so I can likely fit two into the container. In the remaining container, I’m going to try the Miniature White cucumber, which is a small bush variety. In the kitchen container, I’m going to grow a flat of Music Box sunflowers, which is a dwarf variety that grows to about two feet high. In the window sills in my milk glass pots, I’ll try again this year to start oregano, thyme, and chives from seed. And I’ll throw in a little garlic as well, because you can never have too much of that around.  

So, it’s an ambitious plan, but I like to plan big and try new things. The amount of light from my windows last year was enough to make the tomatoes happy, so I’m not worried about that for everything else. If the tomatoes like it, then everything else should be fine. So, I’m excited to get started! In the meantime, I plan on making some photo plant tags to put in all of the containers and some seed packets (because I have so much extra seed I’ll share it!).

Lots of things, it turns out! You can use essential oils in cleaning supplies, bath and beauty products and for first aid. That makes them a pretty handy thing to have around the house. Below are some of the more common essential oils that you’re likely to find at your local natural grocery, and some of their uses.

Essential Oils for Cleaning

Tea Tree: a great natural disinfectant—mix some into your all-purpose spray cleaner.

Pine: deodorizing—try mixing some with baking soda for a carpet cleaner by sprinkling liberally on the carpet then vacuuming it all up at least 15 minutes later.

White Camphor: might be a little harder to find than the others listed, but this is an excellent alternative to moth balls—just soak a few cotton balls and place them where needed.

Essential Oils for Bath & Beauty

Lavender: relaxing, cleansing and toning—good in astringents, soaps, and bath salts.

Chamomile: calming—best in bath salts and soaps.

Peppermint: invigorating—you can add it to bath salts, salt scrubs, moisturizers, soaps, you name it.

Vanilla: a great natural perfume—add some drops to an oil or beeswax base and dab on your pressure points (like behind the ears and on the wrists) for maximum effect.

Essential Oils for First Aid

Eucalyptus: helps colds—mix some into a salve for a chest rub.

Nutmeg: good for sore muscles—mix into massage oil.

Patchouli: great for dry, chapped skin—mix into an oil base and rub into affected areas.

Tea Tree Oil: disinfects cuts and scrapes, helps alleviate bug bites, stings, and rashes—rub a drop or two into the affected area.

Lavender: helps sunburn, fungus infections (such as athlete’s foot), cuts and scrapes, eczema and dry skin—rub a few drops into the affected area.

Of course, there are many more essential oils, and many more uses for the ones listed above; I’ve just tried to list some of the basics. For really detailed info, check out the book “The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils” by Julia Lawless. And remember, always be educated about how you’re using essential oils—many shouldn’t be ingested, or can irritate skin if not diluted or used properly. If you can’t find essential oils (or the ones you want) locally, a great mail order catalog is the Frontier Natural Products Co Op (www.frontiercoop.com). They also sell bath and body stuff (like oil bases, salts, clays, etc.), teas, herbs and spices, dry foods and mixes and a small selection of storage containers and the like.

This year we had one little snow “storm”. It was a couple of inches that fell during one day, and lasted for maybe a week on the ground. I miss winters with snow. I might feel differently about that if I lived in say, Colorado, where blizzards are the norm, but here in
Chicago we’ve got nothing. Snow equals sparkle for me, and I miss sparkly winters. But just because the yuletide season is over and the gloss and glitter of Christmas has been packed up til next year, and just because we can’t have the real deal outside, doesn’t mean we can’t all joy a little faux sparkle indoors for the rest of winter. Let it snow, baby! And you can, with a little white acrylic paint, a sponge brush and an old toothbrush. All you need to do is pour some paint into a cup and dilute it ever so slightly with warm water—you just want maybe a couple of teaspoons to thin it out a little, like you’re mixing up some watercolor paint. Using your sponge brush, sponge the paint into the corners and along the perimeters of your glass windows and mirrors, to mimic accumulated snow/frost. Using the old toothbrush, dip it into the paint, then run your thumb across it to create little flecks of snow in any density you wish in the center of your window. For this part, you may want to cover up your windowsill will cut-open paper or plastic bags and move anything that you don’t want to get covered with little specks of white paint. When winter is over (or your desire to see it painted on your windows has waned) you can just wash the paint off with water, then clean your windows as you normally would, with your Mrs. Meyers, or vinegar mix, or which ever non-toxic cleaner you’re using these days.

I was very excited this Christmas morning when I discovered that Santa (in the guise of my husband) brought me a brand-new bamboo cutting board! I love to cook (the from-scratch, box-abhorrent way), and one of my all-time favorite cooking activities (and I’m not kidding here) is to chop vegetables. For years we’ve been using two plastic cuttings boards we picked up at Ikea for a couple of bucks apiece—a pink one for meats and a blue one for veggies. They served their purpose, but I’ve never really become attached to using too much plastic around food, and over the last few years, they’ve started to become warped and have severe knife marks, which can really harbor the yuckies. So I have been coveting bamboo, and Santa came through!  

I think Bamboo is superior to wood for cutting boards for a few excellent reasons—first and foremost it’s highly sustainable. Bamboo grows remarkably quickly, so turn around time from baby bamboo to something harvestable is around five years, as opposed to thirty to fifty years for hard wood trees. They also take up less land, and have millions of uses—besides cutting boards, bamboo can be turned into flooring, furniture, utensils, dishes, picture frames, planters, fiber (for clothes and goods) food (for pandas and people—young bamboo shoots are great in stir-fry!) and of course, they serve as nature habitat while they’re growing. In the form of the cutting board, bamboo panels (about an inch wide for my board) are pressed together sideways to form the flat surface, which is incredibly smooth and durable. No splinters from this board. Mine is also highly decorative—the main panel is a light-colored bamboo with darker colored bamboo on each end, with the ends rounded slightly. My board is approximately 14 x 9 inches, which for me is the perfect size, and it fits in my cupboard perfectly.  

So now you want one too, don’t you? So once you go out and get (or are lucky to be given) your very own bamboo cutting board, caring for it and keeping the yuckies away (always a concern with cutting boards, it seems) it quite simple. First of all, if you don’t have space or the desire to own two cutting boards (one dedicated to meat, and one for veggies) I think it’s a good idea to dedicate one side for meat cutting and the other side for veggie cutting. Even though you’re going to be giving your board a good cleaning after every use, you can never be too careful keeping those icky meat juices (a bacteria vacation spot) separate from everything else. To help you remember which side is which, take a black permanent marker and make a discreet dot (or a tiny little ‘M’ with a fine tip) in the bottom corner of one side of the board—this is the meat side. So, you’ve chopped and diced away, and now your board needs a bath. Wash it well in hot water and your favorite natural soap (no petroleum products please—the bamboo is good for you, so be good to it!). Let it air dry real well by propping it in your dish rack on it’s side—don’t lay it flat so water can pool on it. Likewise, you should store it in your cupboard in a dry, not so hot environment (right next to the stove is probably not a good spot—I don’t know if excessive dry heat can warp and make bamboo brittle like it can hard wood, but why risk it?) When you stick it in the cupboard, prop it up on its side, to minimize the surface area that’s in contact with stuff—less chance of dings, scratches and germies this way. Once a month or so, you’ll want to rub down each side with a little walnut or mineral oil to keep the board lubricated and ready to use. Just put about a teaspoon of the oil onto a soft cloth and rub it in well so the board absorbs all the oil, and let it air dry. With use, your board will pick up light knife marks and dings, but the bamboo seems pretty impervious to deep cuts and major flaws, which makes a long-lasting quality board. And as an added bonus, these loving marks and dings are what antique dealers call ‘provenance’ because of course you’ll have all of the wonderful stories and memories of cooking excellent meals for your people to go along with them, which will make your bamboo cutting board a family heirloom that your grand-kids will be fighting over many years from now so they can pass it on and make the (insert dish here) just like you used to.

For the first time in six years, my husband and I stayed home on Christmas Day. We just decided that now that we’re married (nearly sixteen months and counting) we should start our own Christmas Day traditions instead of spending the whole day traveling by car from place to place. We still do the traditional Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve with my husband’s entire family, and my family is literally spread all over the country, so this will be the first of many years that we will see most of them in several small gatherings over New Year’s weekend. Christmas Day we are keeping at home, and I think it’s a good plan—we woke up at a leisurely nine o’clock, dressed in comfy clothes and opened gifts together. Then we made brunch and spent the rest of the morning relaxing, listening to holiday music, and enjoying our gifts and good conversation. In the afternoon, we started cooking our Christmas dinner—a clove-studded, honey-basted ham, home-made Norwegian meatballs, garlic mashed potatoes, ligonberry sauce and croissant rolls, served with Glogg. We chose a ham because it’s easier to prepare than a turkey, super-tasty and excellent for leftovers. You can pretty much just stick it in the over for four hours and forget about it. I also wanted to do the meatballs and have the ligonberries and Glogg as a nod to my husband’s Norwegian ancestry (which we have been learning a lot about as of late as a joint past time). And I cannot have a holiday meal without mashed potatoes and croissants! For desert, there were molasses jumble cookies, Russian tea cakes, and chocolate cake in the shape of a Christmas tree. An “orphaned” friend of ours who wasn’t going home for the holidays joined us for the meal and a gift exchange in the early evening. We made phone calls to our parents, enjoyed the light cooking, and spent the rest of the time relaxing at home, and I have to say it was one of our very best Christmases yet.