Feed and Seed love

It takes so long for me to settle into a place after we move. You’ll find me hanging pictures on our one year anniversary in a new house, shocked (yet again) by the passage of time. Being that we move every couple of years (what did I calculate, 6 places in 10 years?), you’d think I’d be better at this by now.

Even harder than unpacking is settling into a community. The ebb and flow of habits and personalities in a new community is subtle, and newcomers have few access points. But here we are in McKinney, four years running (less than two in this house, though – sigh), and I’m starting to get it. I think.

As an old timer now (ahem), I have some advice that I’m going to foist upon you. Advice is too mild. I’m going to insist. If you are in McKinney, and have any interest in gardening, particularly vegetable gardening, get yourself to the Collin County Feed and Seed. 113 S. Chestnut St., just off Louisiana, southeast corner of downtown (972-542-5011).

Don’t waste your time at Calloway’s. And as much as I love Shades of Green, there’s no need to go all the way to Frisco. And I will personally beat you if you choose Home Depot, Lowes, or Walmart for your amendments and transplants. The Feed and Seed has compost to improve your soil, hay to mulch and add to your compost pile, seeds, timely and inexpensive fruit and vegetable transplants, a penny gum machine (a penny!), peeps and bunnies, strapping teenagers to haul your heavy load to the car, and more local gardening knowledge than you can shake a stick at. If you have any questions about what you should be doing in the garden this month, get over there and ask. Don’t be intimidated by your lack of overalls and your spiffy shoes. They’ll talk to you even though your fingernails are clean. And they’ll even be nice to you, to boot.

It is institutions like the Collin County Feed and Seed that make this old county seat a comfortable place to live. Not another antique store. Not expensive steak dinners in schmancy hotels. It’s the people who have been here their whole lives and can fill you in on the subtle comings and goings, if you’ll listen.

So go there first. Then if they don’t have what you need, (and you have established that’s not because you’re looking for tomato transplants after Easter) you have my permission to look elsewhere. You can find tools and landscape plants, annuals and some amendments at Calloway’s. You can find all kinds of wonderful seeds and lovely adapted plants and trees (including fruit trees) at Shades of Green. (Just don’t ask a cranky guy in a hat to help you choose a fruit tree that does well here. Trust me. You might get banished to Home Depot. All of their plants do well here.) And if you have a whole day to blow on gardening bliss, make a field trip to North Haven, in Dallas. (Links are in the lefthand sidebar.)

But the Feed and Seed is the beating heart of veggie gardening in McKinney. And it’s up to you to support them.

Brick oven + Hard Work = Fun

Cheddar & Chive, 11 Grain Wheat, and Rye breads.

I’ll bet you’re wondering if we’re using the brick oven that Jan spent 6 months building, huh? Yup. Every single week. Honestly, I’m amazed. I thought the hard work was over when Jan finished the masonry. But he’s now making about 20 pounds of dough per week, between the pizza dough and bread dough. It’s usually a 2 day process, which takes up the vast majority of his time off from work. I’m in awe of his energy for this. Although I will say that both of us have been really happy with the way it’s brought our friends and neighbors even closer together. Jan fires up the oven for pizza on the first night, then fires it for bread the next day. It’s not unusual for someone to come over with a pizza or loaf ready to pop in the oven and take home. At the very least, Jan being outside so much makes for an easy target for neighbors dropping by and hanging out.

Preparing the chamber for pizza, by pushing the fire to the edges.

So many people pitched in when Jan was building, and they have all stayed close to reap the rewards. We’re working our way through hosting friends, family, and neighbors (weather permitting) over for pizza. Our house is small, so we can only accommodate about 2 couples at a time (or one family, when they come with lots of kids!). And Jan has been passing out extra loaves of bread each week: french, cheddar & chive, whole wheat, wheat french, 11 grain wheat, and rye so far. The 11 grain is garnering the most attention, but the cheddar & chive is my current favorite. He puts 1.5 potatoes into the dough, then sharp cheddar cheese and chives. There’s also a secret ingredient that I’m not at liberty to discuss, but it brought the bread to a whole new level from one week to the next. Mmmm. Experiment on me, baby!

Brick oven pizza from our own backyard.

This week we even bartered some bread for farm-fresh eggs. This is the life.

My community of gardeners

More than any single thing I’ve ever done, my garden has brought me closer to my neighbors. People stop by to talk when they are out walking, or even driving. Those who already garden come by to compare notes. Those who weren’t already gardening get inspired and start.

Case in point, today my neighbor across the street and I exchanged pea seeds and garlic bulbs (between us, we have about 20 varieties or garlic!).

And my friends Lori and Ken have installed many square feet of garden in their back yard over the last few months. It started with one little square, and very quickly blossomed into a thriving food garden.

It’s so much fun for me to have someone to compare notes with, share seeds with, and (when things go well) share the harvest with.