Fried Green Tomato Hornworms

Here’s another idea for a Christmas gift for eco-friendly gardeners. You can let the recipient decide whether it is a gag gift or not. I know it almost made me gag when I first read about it.

I was poking around on Facebook the other day and saw a conversation about eating Hornworms.

Now, I’m all for finding alternative means of garden pest disposal, since I don’t believe in using chemicals on my property.  I usually do hand pick our hornworms and, on some occasions, have probably gotten enough for a nice hardy snack. Still, I doubt that I’ll ever be  tempted to take a nibble out of my hornworms, any more than I’m tempted to eat crickets, grasshoppers, bees or any of the other bugs mentioned in The Eat A Bug Cookbook: 33 ways to cook grasshoppers, ants, water bugs, spiders, centipedes, and their kin, by David George Gordon (aka The Bug Chef).

Gordon says that eating protein rich bugs is good for you ("Crickets are loaded with calcium, and termites are rich in iron), and good for the earth ("Raising cows, pigs, and sheep is a tremendous waste of the planet's resources, but bug ranching is pretty benign").

Gordon collected info from bug-eating cultures around the world and includes information on how to cook each bug and which wine to drink with them. He even provides tips on how to catch your own insects – a great eco-friendly means of pest control!!

I think I’ll buy a copy of the book just so I can have it laying on my coffee table. It will certainly be…ahem…food for thought.

If you do decide to try any of the deep-fry recipes, just remember to can the grease when you are done. Putting grease down the drain can eventually mean clogs for you, potential backups into your basement and sewage overflows in the local sewer systems.

So please do your part by disposing of fats, oils and grease the proper way. 

1. Pour them into a can;
2. let them cool;
3. then throw the can into the trash.
4. And keep the can covered so it doesn’t spill while you’re waiting to add more grease.

(If you are a WSSC customer, you can even get free lids to store your canned grease.)

For more about the Can the Grease campaign, visit these websites: Arlington, VA and MWCOG.

By the way, while reading about the book I noticed that a local restaurant, Oyamel Cocina Mexicana on 7th Street in DC sells  Chapulines: The legendary Oaxacan specialty of sautéed grasshoppers, shallots, tequila and guacamole for $5.00

Recipe for Fried Green Tomato Hornworms, printed with permission of the author, David George Gordon

What does a tomato hornworm taste like? Well, what would you taste like if you'd been stuffing yourself solely with tomato leaves for the better part of a month? Hornworms are ridiculously chlorophyll-rich. They taste great with just about any summer vegetable, but my favorite recipe draws inspiration from the cuisine of the Whistle Stop Cafe, that fictitious Alabama diner made famous by novelist Fanny Flagg.

"You'll think you died and gone to heaven," boasts Flagg of her recipe. To which I add, "If you do go to heaven, ask the Powers That Be to keep the tomato hornworms out of my vegetable patch."

3 tablespoons olive oil
16 tomato hornworms
4 medium green tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
Salt and pepper to taste
White cornmeal

In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil. Then lightly fry the hornworms, about 4 minutes, taking care not to rupture the cuticles of each insect under high heat. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Season tomato rounds with salt and pepper, then coat with cornmeal on both sides.

In a large skillet, fry tomatoes until lightly browned on both sides
Top each round with 2 fried tomato hornworms.
Garnish the paired hornworms with a single basil leaf.

Yield: 4 servings

George Washington - Founding Native Gardener

I am NOT a history buff. Trying to wade through the details of what happened ages ago, regardless of the impact those events had on present day life, isn’t something that would normally hold my attention. The same is true of most biographies. So before I picked up Andrea Wulf’s book, Founding Gardeners: the Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation, I have to admit that I knew very little about George Washington, other than the fact that he was the first president of the United States. But now I feel as if I know the man intimately. Why? Because now I know how he felt about his gardens.

“His love for his country was deeply rooted in his passion for nature, agriculture and gardens.” To me, one of the best ways to get to know someone is to walk with them through their gardens, listening to their stories of how they discovered certain plants, the struggles and secrets they have learned in growing them, and why they particularly like one species over another. Ms. Wulf has provided all of that information, not just about George Washington, but about some of the other Founding Fathers of our country such as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. But nothing in this book is as staid or boring as many history books. Wulf is an elegant writer that brings the details of history to life through the eyes of devoted and dedicated gardeners who seemed to be forever planning their gardens, even when miles away fighting for our country. “…the condition of his soil and the new shoots of spring were far closer to Washington’s heart than any strategy of war.”

In 1776, while Washington is preparing to defend Manhattan from 32,000 invading British troops, Wulf writes: “Washington brushed aside his generals and his military maps, sat in the flicker of candlelight with his quill and wrote a long letter to his estate manager and cousin Lund Washington at Mount Vernon, his plantation in Virginia. As the city braced itself, Washington pondered the voluptuous blossom of rhododendron, the sculptured flowers of mountain laurel and the perfect pink of crab apple. These “clever kinds[s] of Trees (especially flowering ones,” he instructed, should be planted in two groves by either side of his house.”

Wulf goes on to describe WHY thoughts of his garden were so dominant in Washington’s mind. Washington was planning an American Garden. “Washington’s new garden was to be truly American, a radical departure from the traditional colonial plots, for it was the first ornamental garden to be planted almost exclusively with native species.”

“Only American natives should be used, he instructed, and all could be transplanted from the forests of Mount Vernon. As the young nation faced its first military confrontation in the name of liberty, Washington decided that Mount Vernon was to be an American garden where English trees were not allowed.” So Washington’s “native” garden was as much a political statement as it was for any other reason.

I had never really thought of state or country loyalty when listing all the benefits of native plants. (I prefer them primarily for their ease of maintenance and wildlife value.) But if you are a history buff, an avid gardener, or both, I encourage you to read Founding Gardeners, or give it as a gift to the good little gardeners on your list. And once you receive it, I encourage you to go outside, find a quiet spot, and allow yourself to be immersed in the history of our Founding Gardeners.

“Washington recommended that the troops make “regimental Gardens” in order to produce vegetables for army rations and also because he believe it would be healthy and comforting for his men – what we would call therapeutic.”

Now its your turn to answer the question. Why do you have native plants in your landscape?

Naughty or Nice – how to have a natural landscape without annoying your neighbors

Let’s face it. Gardening is all about choosing what we do and don’t want to grow on the chunk of land that surrounds our home.

It is up to us to decide what is welcome and what is not. We define what is a weed and what isn’t….what forms of wildlife are a nuisance and what forms are welcome. We usually even decide what areas the plants and animals must remain in, setting up garden borders and designated feeding stations for wildlife.

Other people may not agree with or even understand our gardening style. A front yard full of vegetables may fill your heart with joy and your refrigerator with fresh food, but may earn only raised eyebrows from your neighbors. The same is certainly true of a yard that welcomes birds, bunnies, squirrels and deer. You may look at these visitors with awe and wonder and your neighbors may be having visions of venison and rabbit stew. And a yard left to “go wild” with native wildflowers and shrubs may be called weedy and unkempt by those with a penchant for a more manicured look.

“Green”, eco friendly gardeners may face additional challenges when it comes to being accepted by the rest of the neighborhood, as they integrate rain barrels and compost piles into their landscape design.

But eco-friendly gardening has many benefits. The use of native plants, the elimination of chemicals, the capture and re-use of rainwater and garden waste all do their part to help protect not just one garden, but every interconnected piece of property and, eventually, the entire planet.

So how do you keep peace with your neighbors while you are creating a more eco-friendly landscape? Just remember that it is all about R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

R – Recognize the right of other people’s opinions. Remember that although you have a right to your coneflowers and native grasses, your neighbor has the right to a manicured lawn, plastic geraniums, and cement lawn deer if they want.
E -  Educate. You have good reasons to create an eco-friendly landscape -- let others know them before you start. If you tell your neighbors why you're tearing up the lawn, or planting native plants, or constructing a rain garden, chances are that they will be more likely to accept it. Share the Metro DC Lawn and Garden Blog with them so they can learn more.
S – Set it apart. Something as simple as keeping a neutral zone between your eco-friendly landscape and the property of others can go a long way in keeping the peace. A simple border of lawn, hedge or fence provides a nice transition area between landscapes.
P – Personalize it. Add interest to your yard with paths, benches, sculptures and other human elements, letting your neighbors know that your yard is as much your own personal sanctuary as it is a place for environmental stewardship. Decorate or disguise rain barrels and compost piles to make them less obtrusive.
E – Ease into it. You will reduce expense, increase the effect of your learning curve, enjoy your efforts more, and engender less resistance from neighbors if you start in small steps.
C – Certify it. Once your eco-friendly landscape is established, it may easily qualify as a National Wildlife Federation certified habitat. Applying for certification and displaying the Certified Habitat sign will let everyone know that your yard is a special place, deserving of recognition and admiration, not contempt.
T – Trim, tend and primp. Although eco-friendly landscapes often require less care, that doesn’t mean they should be neglected. Keeping your plants pruned and your flowerbeds weeded and mulched will help to give “green” gardens the neighborhood seal of approval.

Remember, your eco-friendly landscape is a great gift to the planet. Taking a few extra steps to make sure that your landscape fits in will help your efforts earn the recognition and respect that it deserves.
For more information, visit the Wild Ones Handbook on the EPA website.

Why do you like native plants?

I love native plants in my landscape for several reasons. Probably the most important reason, to me, is that they attract native wildlife. But there are several other reasons that native plants make great additions to a landscape and since many of us are already planning our Spring gardens, I'll be talking about the benefits of native plants for the next few weeks. In the meantime, I'd love to know why you choose native plants. Please take our poll to let us know:

Why do you have native plants in your landscape?

Christmas Bird Count Starts December 14th

I've often written about the fun and important function of Citizen Science Programs. What I call Citizen Science programs are any programs that encourage people to go out and monitor various forms of wildlife and report their statistics so that scientists can study the habits and habitats of local wildlife. 

There are wildlife monitoring programs for birds, butterflies, hummingbirds, frogs and other forms of wildlife. These programs are open to anyone with an interest in wildlife. In most cases, the only skill required is the ability to count! They are a great opportunity to get outside with your family and explore the creatures that live around us.

The best known of these counts are the various bird counts conducted, in part, by the National Audubon Society.   Starting on Wednesday, December 14th, you can participate in one of the more popular of these counts: The Christmas Bird Count.

The National Audubon Society website describes the Christmas bird count in this way:

 From December 14 through January 5 tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas take part in an adventure that has become a family tradition among generations. Families and students, birders and scientists, armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists go out on an annual mission - often before dawn. For over one hundred years, the desire to both make a difference and to experience the beauty of nature has driven dedicated people to leave the comfort of a warm house during the Holiday season.

Each of the citizen scientists who annually braves snow, wind, or rain, to take part in the Christmas Bird Count makes an enormous contribution to conservation. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations - and to help guide conservation action.

If you would like to get more information about a bird count in your area, use this search tool to find the count nearest you.

Gifts for “Green” Gardeners

Yikes! How can there be less than two weeks until Christmas? If you are still looking for gift ideas for the eco-friendly gardener on your list, here are a few last minute suggestions.

*Please note: catalog links provided are for reference only and are not recommendations on my part. Many of the products were chosen for their unique or “green” qualities. Whenever possible, I suggest you shop local.

Pamper your gardener. Forget the day in the spa. To pamper your favorite gardener, give them gifts to protect their hands and skin. Every gardener needs garden gloves but eco-friendly gardeners are often more hands-on than other gardeners. Why? Because we don’t stand back and spray weeds or bugs with toxic chemicals. We get right down there in the dirt and hand pull weeds and hand pick bugs. Gloves are good. Along the same lines as gloves, eco-friendly gardeners can use kneelers for getting down close to their gardens and hand tools used for weed removal. And hats are great to help protect faces from harmful UV rays. All of these products can be found locally at garden centers or even big box stores.

Give the gift of water AND cleaner local waterways. You can buy or make a rain barrel to give. But make sure the gift is used and appreciated by helping the recipient install it. Other options for saving water are water timers ($19.95 from Plow & Hearth) which provide automatic shutoff after a designated amount of watering. And there are even high-tech models that check the weather on the internet $499.00 from CyberRain) and then set your irrigation systems for you, depending on the weather forecast.

Nurture their soul - Butterfly or hummingbird garden kits can be purchased ready made, or you can make your own by checking our lists of plants for hummingbirds and butterflies and picking up seed packs at your favorite garden supply center. Don’t forget to include a book (or pages printed from the internet) about how to create a butterfly or hummingbird garden.

Keep them organized and enlightened with a Garden Journal – I love garden journals (and I wish I would remember to use my own more often). Keeping a garden journal is a great way to see what works and what doesn’t in your garden, and to write down those “deep thoughts” that always seem to come when your hands are deep in the dirt. You can buy very inexpensive empty journals at many book stores, or go all out and buy a ten year, cloth bound journal with A Gardener’s Journal stamped on the front cover ($39.50 from Lee Valley)

The gift that keeps on giving: Compost Buckets – IMHO, everyone should compost. But having a big pile of decomposing plant matter in the corner of one’s yard isn’t for everyone. But compost buckets come in all shapes, sizes and designs. From stylish kitchen designs that sit on a kitchen counter and allow for collection of coffee grounds and eggshells, to high tech under counter kitchen  models that do all the dirty work for you($199 and up from NatureMill). You can even go a step further and buy worm composters or even products that compost pet poo. But again, these gifts are only appropriate for the dedicated green gardener.

Subscription to local gardening magazine – One of the main principles of eco-friendly gardening is to learn to garden WITH Mother Nature, not against her. That means plant things and use techniques that are known to work in the area that you live. When things like rain, snow (or dark of night) keep the avid gardener inside, there is nothing quite like curling up with a great garden magazine that makes you eager to get back out there in the dirt. Since 2005, Washington Gardener Magazine has been providing information to gardeners in the DC/Virginia/Maryland region. A yearly subscription is $20.00 and contains six issues.

Should you give plants? I don’t really recommend giving plants to people unless you are sure about the site conditions of their property and how much time and energy they plan to devote to gardening. I think a gift certificate or gift card at a local nursery is much more thoughtful and allows them to choose their own plants or opt for something more soothing to their garden soul, such as a wind chime or bird bath.
Here’s a gift that I have to share just because of its uniqueness. The Kangaroo pocket apron lets you pull weeds and trim plants and carry the trimmings to your compost pile in a Kangaroo style pocket ($38.50 from Lee Valley)

Of course, one of the best things that you can give to any new gardener is your time, your expertise and your enthusiasm. Being generous with all of them may be the greatest gift of all.

And of course, the greatest gift for a garden blogger?????? Our followers! Thanks so much to all of you and remember, you can join us on Facebook, too!

Casey Trees Newsletter

Are your on Casey Tree’s email list? If not, you are missing out on a lot of great information that they send out periodically in an online e-newsletter called the Leaflet. Here are some highlights from the latest issue:

Data from a new study released by the Center for Chesapeake Communities and Pinchot Institute for Conservation shows how valuable D.C.’s urban forest really is.
• Trees in the Washington, D.C. area remove more than 8.3 million pounds of nitrogen dioxide each year. More than 274,000 cars would need to be taken off the road each year to achieve the same amount of pollutant reduction.
• Based on studies of the costs of pollution to society such as health care, the District’s tree cover saves nearly $51 million each year annually.
• Trees in D.C.’s Rock Creek Park remove 63,500 pounds of ozone-forming pollutants each year, which has a value of $285,000 dollars.

More articles in this issue:

• Clues make winter tree identification possible
• Trees continue to provide benefits through winter months
• WINTERIZE YOUR TREES
• Kids Corner - Edible Evergreen Tree Decorations

I encourage you to signup for their newsletter, and take some time finding out what Casey Trees is all about!

Seeds Bombs: For or Against?

As a garden blogger, there are a couple of topics I tend to shy away from because opinions on both sides of the topic are so strong. Cats, for instance. Many gardeners love cats in the garden. Others feel just as strongly against them. Same thing with deer.

And a third topic, and one that has been getting a little bit of “news play” lately, is seed bombs and guerilla gardening. Normally, I would stay away from this controversial topic, too. Except for the fact that I think that seed bombs can be harmful to the environment.

I wrote about guerrilla gardening back in February of 2011. I admit that part of my problem with both guerrilla gardening and seed bombs are the words, themselves. (Back in my hippy days, I used to get together with a group of people that discussed things like words that brought violent thoughts to mind, and those two words just do, to me.)

Anyway, Frederick Maryland resident Brian Slagle has been in the newspaper and even on TV lately because of the seed bombs that he makes and sells online and at local stores. Apparently, they are a hot item for Christmas.

I was ALMOST swayed to change my opinion about seed bombs when I was reading the article about him on CBS Baltimore.com. I read about how these bombs of wildflower seeds, thrown into vacant lots and bare land, can attract bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. ‘Ahhhh,’ I thought. ‘More hummingbirds and bees and butterflies!’

But here is my concern with seed bombs. The whole point of seed bombs are to grow things on other people’s property. The online video on TBD.com even shows a picture of Slagle’s kids throwing the bombs onto a piece of property bearing a sign that says Private Property – No Dumping Allowed. WHAT IF THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THAT PROPERTY DON’T WANT THE PLANTS THERE AND USE CHEMICAL HERBICIDES TO KILL THEM? Even using a gas mower to mow the plants down puts pollutants into the air. And if the local government comes in to mow or clean up the property, who do you think pays for that?

I do understand the principle behind taking over a vacant lot and planting vegetables or other plants, IF YOU TAKE responsibility for the care and maintenance of the plants. But seed bombs are something else all together.

My suggestion for seed bombs is this: Plant native plants on your property to attract birds. They will eat the berries and seeds and create their own seed bombs when they poop them out across the city.

And if you want to spread the joy and beauty of flowers, by giving seed bombs or other seed packets, encourage people to plant them in their own yard. If they want to know more about the joys or gardening for bees, butterflies or hummingbirds, I’ll be happy to tell them.

12 Days of Christmas for Eco-Friendly Gardeners

Written by Betsy S. Franz

On the first day of Christmas my garden gave to me
An eco-friendly native tree – (Native plants are often excellent choices for eco-friendly gardens, since they require less chemicals and less water to maintain)

On the second day of Christmas my garden gave to me
Two new loves – (when you look closely enough, every day in your eco-friendly garden will bring you something new and wonderful to love.)
And an eco-friendly native tree.
On the third day of Christmas my garden gave to me
Three full bins - (kitchen scraps, leaves and garden discards keep my compost bins full)
Two new loves
And an eco-friendly native tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas my garden gave to me
Four hummingbirds – (planting the right plants and eliminating chemicals make hummingbirds regular visitors to my garden)
Three full bins
Two new loves and
An eco-friendly native tree.
On the fifth day of Christmas my garden gave to me

Five less wat-er-ings - (eco-friendly gardens conserve water with adequate mulch, drought tolerant plants, and rain barrels)
Four hummingbirds
Three full bins
Two new loves and
An eco-friendly native tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas my garden gave to me
Six trees a swaying - (Trees protect water quality, clean the air and provide wildlife habitat.)
Five less wat-er-ings
Four hummingbirds
Three full bins
Two new loves and
An eco-friendly native tree
On the seventh day of Christmas my garden gave to me

Seven barrels brimming - (rain barrels not only conserve water, but help keep harmful pollutants out of our waterways)
Six trees a swaying
Five less wat-er-ings
Four hummingbirds
Three full bins
Two new loves and
An eco-friendly native tree
On the eighth day of Christmas my garden gave to me

Eight monarchs milking - (Okay. Monarch butterflies don’t really “milk” milkweed, but their tiny caterpillars need these native plants to grow into beautiful butterflies)
Seven barrels brimming
Six trees a swaying
Five less wat-er-ings
Four hummingbirds
Three full bins
Two new loves and
An eco-friendly native tree
On the ninth day of Christmas my garden gave to me

Nine ladies dancing - (Painted ladies are another beautiful butterfly that you can attract to your DC area garden by planting the right plants for them)
Eight monarchs milking
Seven barrels brimming
Six trees a swaying
Five less wat-er-ings
Four hummingbirds
Three full bins
Two new loves and
An eco-friendly native tree
On the tenth day of Christmas my garden gave to me

Ten worms a creeping - (Worms help aerate the soil while producing valuable nutrients)
Nine ladies dancing
Eight monarchs milking
Seven barrels brimming
Six trees a swaying
Five less wat-er-ings
Four hummingbirds
Three full bins
Two new loves and
An eco-friendly native tree
On the eleventh day of Christmas my garden gave to me

Eleven pipes a piping - (we direct all excess rainwater, and overflow from our rain barrels, into the grass and other permeable surfaces)
Ten worms a creeping
Nine ladies dancing
Eight monarchs milking
Seven barrels brimming
Six trees a swaying
Five less wat-er-ings
Four hummingbirds
Three full bins
Two new loves and
An eco-friendly native tree
On the twelfth day of Christmas my garden gave to me

Twelve weeds succumbing - (chemical free weed control helps keep our weeds under control)
Eleven pipes a piping
Ten worms a creeping
Nine ladies dancing
Eight monarchs milking
Seven barrels brimming
Six trees a swaying
Five less wat-er-ings
Four hummingbirds
Three full bins
Two new loves and
An eco-friendly native tree

Volunteers Needed – Common Good City Farm

Common Good City Farm is seeking volunteers for its Green Tomorrows Program. The Green Tomorrows (GT) is a gardening and education program providing fresh food to low-income individuals or families in DC. If you are interested in helping low-income individuals in DC and improving our food system, this would be a great opportunity

Common Good  needs people for the following committees
-Outreach
-Program development
-CSA (Community supported Agriculture)

Please email jeremiah@commongoodcityfarm.org

Common good city farm's Mission is to grow food, educate, and help low-income DC community members meet their food needs. Our Vision is to serve as a replicable model of a community-based urban food system.