Kitchen Garden Guides

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Gardening with scissors

I have been meaning to weed the garlic for ages and it was such a glorious day today that I decided the time had come.

There was a moment back a few months when I made the plan to plant all my vegetables at least a hoe’s distance apart so, thinking how clever I was, I took the hoe with me to the garlic patch. The sun was warm and the air was still. I didn’t even need a jumper or jacket, despite it being mid winter. In fact, it was a totally skippity doo Kate that headed out to do this job.

Then I discovered two things. First, the path beside the garlic bed is narrow and surrounded with raspberry canes, making it impossible to move the hoe back and forth. Second, I had not planted the garlic according to my plan; they were all just a bit too close to hoe between, even if I had been able to swing the hoe!

I bobbed down and tried using the ho mi – just my most favourite gardening tool. Sadly it was too long and too difficult between the garlic. Not to be deterred I sat in the sunshine and pondered.

Most of the weeds were not actually weeds, but tiny, self-sown fennel and kale seedlings. I thought of pulling them up and putting them into punnets to sell or give away. Oh, that is sooooo time consuming and I just wanted to get the job done…I tried pulling them up thinking I would clean them later and make a salad….. but so much soil stuck to the roots the whole thing became a bowl of dirt…. so I went inside and got some scissors.

Do you know how utterly delightful it is to snip tiny, edible “weeds” off at the soil with scissors? There is no mess, nothing wasted; you just end up with a gorgeous bowl of tender, miniature fennel bulbs and fronds plus the prettiest little Red Russian kale leaves about the size of your thumb nail.

I doubt any of it will regrow and now the garlic is free and I have the freshest, prettiest ingredients to go towards this week’s lunches.

7 comments:

Michelle said...

That is such a great idea Kate!

Kirsty @ Bowerbird Blue said...

awesome, my nanna was a fan of teaspoon gardening, amazing what tools come in handy in the garden.

africanaussie said...

Lovely idea, I think mini veggies are so good, and I wonder if the roots will add extra nutrients to the soil, or is that only with legumes? it is like a green manure crop you share with the garden - you get the top half and they get the bottom!

Unknown said...

Hi Kate

I thought I would let you know that I really enjoy reading your blog. There are few that I bother to read, instead I scroll through the pictures.

I have finally started my own garden from seed, and things are going well so far. It's nice to finally feel like I have a hobby, and I really enjoy being out in the sun and still too.

Your blog has directed me to a lot of interesting people and things.

Thanks.

Jade

Kate said...

Thank you, Jade. It is so exciting getting started on food gardening. I hope you have many happy years of contentment (amongst the anxiety!).

Dennis Argall said...

There is also a lot of virtue in that you have not thus thrown a lot of soil up to the surface, bringing up more seeds, and you're also allowing carbon levels to lift as roots die. Similarly, if the items are not edible, nice then to leave the green tops to rot.

Jason Dingley said...

Yes I have done that, and I too found it delightful.