Tag Archives: organic Vallelado garlic

Wordless Wednesday: Grow Your Own Organic Garlic

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Home grown garlic and Polish Pottery

Home grown organic garlic at the beginning of February.  Showing off in the garlic bed is one of my Polish Pottery mugs – sittin’ pretty and being all artsy 😉

Hello Wordless Wednesday fans!  Just three pictures today as they say it all.  Grow your own garlic because it is just too easy!  We plant it in November or even as late as December and it starts to pop up after the hard frosts pass.  I like watching the progress through the months.  To me, that is called enjoying the little things!

Organic ‘Vallelado’ Garlic at the beginning of March

I do all of my organic ordering on-line.  I like getting my potatoes and garlic from Fruit Hill Farm, down in Cork (they have very good customer service).  Here’s their link:  https://www.fruithillfarm.com/

Garlic wreath with artichokes and roses from the garden

A couple of years ago we had so much garlic that I made a wreath with some of them! (I also ended up using that garlic throughout the following winter…)

Maybe you’ll make a note to plant some organic garlic next winter?

In peace,
Dana

Grow your own/Make your own: A Garlic Wreath with panache!

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Leaning on our garden bench

Leaning on our garden bench

Our organic Vallelado garlic was a huge success this year. We harvested it more than a few weeks ago and I have been airing it as much as possible. Our weather hasn’t been perfect.  The norm for Ireland is to have some sun, some rain, some wind, and back to sun again… every day!  So it was precarious setting out the garlic and making sure it didn’t get rained on, etc.

loads of organic garlic

loads of organic garlic

Today I decided I wanted to hang some of the garlic in the kitchen.  There are quite a few things I need to get organized this week, and for me the garlic was at the top of the list.  (truth be told, I love creating, but I am not really looking forward to the other organizing items on the list…)

What to add to the wreath...

What to add to the wreath…

Hang it in the kitchen… I had one wreath left so I didn’t have any choices to make there.  I also want to be able to use the garlic, so it is attached with raffia and green florist wire, instead of with a glue-gun which might have been a bit easier and faster!

Adding the artichokes

Adding the artichokes

A vase full of artichokes

You might remember this picture from a couple of weeks ago

For those who know me, you know that I am all about reusing and recycling.  I also like to grow things in the garden that I can use in arrangements or/and dry.  The artichokes are still in the drying process, but their purple plume seems to be holding.  They have been in the kitchen for the past couple of weeks (not in water) and have looked really well.  I’ll miss them in the vase, but I like them on the wall, too!

tied garlic

tied garlic

Artichokes up close

Artichokes up close

It all came together fairly quickly, and easily.  This was “play time” for me, so I really had to get it done quickly!

Garlic with dried roses and artichokes from the garden

Garlic with dried roses and artichokes from the garden

I’ve been hanging roses every now and then this summer. I have a clip-on drying rack (schools use them to hang art work to dry, I usually use mine to hang socks to dry). I’ve been clipping the roses upside down and then totally forgetting about them.  The roses are quite fragrant, so the room smells lovely now too.

Artichoke and garlic up close

Artichoke and garlic up close

I’m still not sure what the greens are.  They are not dry. I just cut them this morning. But I used them because I know they will dry easily on the wreath.  The plant seems to be quite happy with me for “pruning” it!  It is now full of purple flowers.

Garlic Wreath with artichokes and roses

Garlic Wreath with artichokes and roses

I tried hanging the wreath where I normally take my wreath pictures.  But it was too big!  So I have it resting on a table.  The lighting inside just doesn’t do it justice.  I like this time of year when the fields are full of bales, especially when it is sunny out!

Harvest time

Harvest time

Harvest time view from my back door

Harvest time view from my back door

Such an easy thing to do, making a garlic wreath.  What will you make today?
Now, to get the rest of my things organized!

Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Dana

P.S. If you’d like to read more about growing garlic, please click here: https://mominthegarden.wordpress.com/2014/08/12/organic-garlic-sitting-pretty-in-a-hand-carved-wooden-bowl/

 

Growing garlic is easy peasy!

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Organic Cristo Garlic (2013)

Organic Cristo Garlic (2013)

If you know me, you’ll know that I try to provide healthy food for my family.  While it was available to us, we were a part of an Organic Food Co-op during our years of living in Central New York. It was wonderful to get fresh, local, organic produce!  I do try to buy organic when possible (and not outrageously expensive).  My garden is one way I can provide fresh, healthy food for us.  I have to admit that I also try to encourage those around me to make healthy choices and choose organic when possible!  Along those lines, one item that I would encourage you to grow is garlic.  Do you know where your garlic comes from???  All I am going to say is that the healthiest garlic is sourced locally, and organically.  The best part is that garlic is very, very easy to grow!

Garlic in February

Garlic in February in very stony soil

Like my stony soil? There is a never ending supply of tiny stones in our soil!  Doesn’t seem to bother the vegetables, thankfully. … Back to the topic of Garlic! This year I planted my garlic in November. I first posted about it here: https://mominthegarden.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/fall-plantings-of-green-manure-its-just-rye-organic-vallelado-garlic/   The variety I received from a very helpful organic center called Fruit Hill Farm in Cork http://www.fruithillfarm.com/  was Vallelado, which is good for our Irish weather.

Organic Vallelado Garlic in February 2014

Organic Vallelado Garlic in February 2014

It was almost daily that I’d wander into the garden to see if the garlic was growing.  I wasn’t quite convinced it would grow in such cold weather! But grow it did.  Actually, I learned that garlic needs 6 weeks of cold weather (below 10 degrees Celsius or 50 degrees Fahrenheit) for the bulb to split into individual cloves.  Cold is good!  And some of you might be laughing and thinking “that isn’t cold”!

Garlic in March

Garlic in March

Here is the lowdown on growing garlic:

  • Source your garlic from an organic center near you.  They should have varieties suited to your climate.
  • Garlic needs full sun and well drained soil. It does best with soil that has compost worked in.
  • Space the cloves at least six inches apart. Place the cloves in the soil 3-4 cm (1 & 1/2  inches) below the surface with the pointy end facing up.
  • Keep the garlic moist until about a month before harvesting.
  • Weed regularly. Garlic like mulch.  Mulch will keep the weeds down and is especially helpful in colder climates.
  • Harvest when the stems go yellow.   Waiting for the stems to fall is too late!  It’s better to have dry bulbs at that stage, hence the stepping back from watering those last few weeks.  Dig gently around the bulb, shaking off any excess soil.
  • Keep the stems on to help keep the garlic fresh.  These can be braided, too, to hang the garlic in an open airy place. Dry outdoors if the weather is good, or inside if weather is wet.

According to Anne Gibson http://themicrogardener.com/5-step-guide-to-growing-gorgeous-garlic/ garlic shouldn’t be grown near peas or beans.  Do any of you have experience with that???  On the flip side (companion planting), as they are part of the Allium family they do well with raspberries, beetroot, strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce, & roses.

Garlic in March

Garlic in March

Organic Vallelado Garlic in April

Organic Vallelado Garlic in April

The garlic has given some life to the garden over the winter, which is so nice to see.  I know I haven’t harvested yet, but based on everything so far I would definitely plant in November again and keep it as my winter crop.

Organic Vallelado Garlic in April

Organic Vallelado Garlic in April

Easy, right?  If you don’t grow it already, I do hope you’ll give it a try!  Or the next best thing would be to buy from your local organic farmer 🙂

Here’s to living a healthy lifestyle!
Dana