Gardening in North Idaho
Expanding our garden
Gardening in North Idaho can be a challenge because of deer and insect pests. Cheri has always wanted to have some kind of garden, but I have been hesitant for a variety of reasons, among them the deer pests. In our area deer eat everything people say deer do not eat, except foxglove. Also, I started a lawn service when I was a teen and have been gun shy when it comes to yard work. However, this year I was watching one of the house remodel shows on cable TV and one home showcased a large lavender garden, and two key phrases had me hooked: “they do not like much water”, and “they like poor soil”, both requirements I can fulfill with equal enthusiasm.
Preparing the lavender beds
So, when the weather improved so I could navigate the tractor into the back yard without it sinking to the axles in mud, I ordered 12 yards of new topsoil, and used the box scraper attachment to strip the sod off two patches of ground on the hillside. Into those bare patches, I loaded ample topsoil, and started preparing for the new plants. In one of the patches we put the lavender; three varieties, Grosso, Hidcote, and Munstead. We put them into three rows because they reportedly grow to different sizes. One of the reasons we like lavender is that butterflies and bees are attracted to the garden.
Planting vegetables: squashes
In the other patch, we planted pumpkins, ornamental pumpkins, yellow and green zucchini, and spaghetti squash. Watering will be handled automatically via a drip irrigation system. Randy will get the pumpkins for the annual Halloween party. So far, we’ve already enjoyed the zucchini and spaghetti squashes in a variety of dishes including spaghetti and lasagna, using zucchini as the “pasta”. I must admit that I like the zucchini even better than regular pasta because it is kind of crisp, and fresh tasting.
Visiting the tomato lady for our plants
We visited the tomato lady in Pinehurst early in the spring and that is where we obtained the lavender and tomatoes. The tomatoes went into a white raised bed garden along with kale, rosemary, and dill. The tomatoes are the best we have ever grown in 30 years in Idaho, we think because the tomato lady offers tomatoes that do particularly well in North Idaho. So far we have already dried 5 1/2 cookie sheets full of tomato halves, all a deep red in color. I used the dill to make Gravlax, which is a cured salmon made with salt, sugar, and loads of fresh dill. The kale we have used for a variety of purposes including roasting with other vegetables, and salads.
We will likely expand our garden next year into additional rows of lavender, and more vegetables since the garden was so successful (to us).
