Notes from the Garden

A single mulberry, accidental vermicompost, and rain. Plus a list of what’s in my herb tower.

I’ve used one of those multi-level herb towers on wheels for 4 years now, and just had a new experience with it earlier this week.

Around twice a year, I separate all the sections and trim out the old, dead stuff. I amend the soil. I fluff the soil. I plant new plants, or sow seeds. Then I put it back together and in a just a few weeks, the whole thing fills out into a big, painterly flourish of greens, reds, and browns.

This time, though, I noticed the bottom two layers were extremely heavy and wet. I only had Shiso growing, which I had started from seed, so I was confused.

Why was the soil so dang heavy and clay-like?

Then I remembered. I chucked in a handful of worms from my vermicomposting setup about a year ago, and those worms multiplied, and made gardening gold—worm poop! To be more accurate, the end product from vermicomposting (worm composting) is vermicompost aka worm castings. Essentially, the worms eat the soil itself and whatever else, it goes in one end and comes out the other as an extremely potent, nutrient-rich, and soft form of compost.

It’s too intense to use as a soil, because it isn’t a soil. You then need to mix your vermicompost with soil, to bring it into balance.

So that’s what I did, I emptied all 6 layers of my garden tower, and blended in the vermicompost with all the rest of the soil. That took about 2 hours when all was said and done. And I scrambled to finish the actual planting by sundown.

Now I’m sitting here with an electric blanket and a beagle on my lap, listening to the rain, as it douses all my new plants and saturates the soil.

I’ve got Meyer Lemons about to fully ripen, Key Limes too. I have a single Pakistani Mulberry ready to harvest, and some Violette de Bordeaux figs that I don’t think will finish ripening. I’ve seen some folks use these underripe, green figs in various recipes, and I’m thinking I’ll try this recipe for Unripe Fig Jam with the couple of handfuls I have on the tree.

Here’s what I’ve got in my garden tower:

HERBS

Mexican Oregano Lippia graveolens

Hot & Spicy Oregano Origanum vulgare

Pizza Thyme Thymus nummularius (Tastes like thyme plus oregano)

French Tarragon Artemisia dracuncaloides

Sage “Garden Green” Salvia officinalis

Berggarten Sage Salvia officinalis

SALAD + GREENS

French Sorrel Rumex scutatus

Garden Sorrel Rumex acetosa

Endive French Frisee Lettuce Cichorium endivia var. crispa

Container Kale Brassica oleracea

Mustard Spinach aka Red Leaf Komatsuna Brassica rapa var. perviridis

Shiso Perilla frutescens var crispa

Red Bok Choi Brassica rapa var. chinensis

Chinese Water Spinach Ipomoea aquatica

Curled Parsley Petroselinum crispum

Collard Greens ‘Champion’ Brassica oleracea var. viridis

SPECIAL USE

Clove Basil aka Buffalo Basil Occimum gratissimum

• I use this in teas, and also just to smell.

Candyleaf aka Sweet Herb aka Stevia Stevia rebaudiana

• This is just fun. I like to snack on a leaf when I want something sweet. You can also steep in a tea, or garnish desserts.

That’s the latest from the garden. And that single mulberry was delicious!

RECOMMENDED READING

Oh, and I’d like to recommend one of my most favorite Substacks right now. Coco Larkin is a host, cook, and has a unique knack for sharing the savory online. I originally found her on TikTok, and I make a cabbage and bean soup she shared OFTEN. Give her a read.

If you like peasant food, traditional cooking, and keeping it casual and approachable, I think you’ll like her.