Yearly Archives: 2011

Zucchini. Stuff it.

Posted on July 19, 2011 by | 1 comment

I just saw my neighbor run inside and turn out the lights. It was quite a sight. She is 90 and I had no idea she could move that fast. I think she saw me coming over with a basket of zucchini. I was going to leave it on her doorstep but I was afraid she would trip over it and fall down. In my head I hear, “You killed my mom with zucchini!”

Tatume – a Mexican variety favored in Texas, Raven – a traditional variety, and Clarimore, a Mediterranean squash.

So when Jules came home from work, he asked what’s for supper.

“zucchini casserole and zucchini slaw with pickled zucchini!” I said.

But we had toasted zucchini bread for breakfast, Jules whined.

“with zucchini jam!,” I reminded him.

Well, what’s for desert? he said.
“My famous and delicious chocolate zucchini cake!”

I was thinking that if I sounded excited about it (hence the exclamation marks) he would be excited about eating our fresh from the garden bounty.

Tomorrow, let’s go out to dinner, he said.

“I can’t! I can’t leave the zucchini that long. They will be two feet long by the time we come back.”

Last night, he put his foot down when he came into the kitchen and saw me with a recipe for making zucchini wine. (We went out to dinner.)

This is the first year I can remember having too much zucchini. Usually the squash bugs and squash vine borers attack the plants well before the zucchini get into peak production.

Clairimore is a Mediterranean squash, a nutty flavorful variety with pale green skin.

We have a house rule, if it’s too big for one person to carry into the kitchen,  just roll it over to the compost pile.

Does Ripley’s Believe it or Not! have a zucchini record? If so, I think I have a contender.

 

Here are some real suggestions on how to manage your harvest.

Local Cook suggests “Hide it in desserts, such as Zucchini Brownies. Chocolate, like cheese, makes everything taste better! This brownie looks good enough to eat.

There’s an app for that
Just go to the iTunes store or Android marketplace or search for “Produce Converter”

You can’t go wrong with a Julia Child recipe. Julia Child’s Grated Zucchini sautéed in Butter and Shallots From Food.com

My bountiful harvest is from seed I got at  Renee’s Garden. She just posted Zucchini pancakes recipe AND a photo contest.

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Garden Bloggers Bloom Day July 2011

Posted on July 15, 2011 by | Comments Off on Garden Bloggers Bloom Day July 2011
Lily

Greeting guests at the front door.

Black tea with lemon mint

Black tea with lemon mint

“Mosquito is out,
it’s the end of the day;
she’s humming and hunting
her evening away.
Who knows why such hunger
arrives on such wings
at sundown? I guess
it’s the nature of things.”
–  N. M. Boedecker, Midsummer Night Itch

Welcome! Thanks for stopping by. Join me on the patio for tea with mint. or lemon balm.

Orange Day Lily

So many of my esteemed fellow garden bloggers have names on every flower. Not me. I am clueless about the lovely lillies. Some were here when I moved in this house, some were gifts or I found them in a sale bin.

Lily

Standing alone, flowers about five inches across, plant about six feet tall, this gangly lily begs for a new home.

My house is 170 years old. There are lots of things growing on this little acre that I haven’t identified.

There is a big black snake living in the North East corner. I think we’ve never had a problem with mice because of that big snake. He is not in the picture because he lives in the Poison Ivy Patch.

I think next bloom day, I’ll have sunflowers to share. There are lots of pollinators (like honey bees) this year. I am not seeing many ladybugs and I sure could use some bungry ladybugs.

There is a killer black cat next door that kills the song birds that I feed and invite into my garden. Yes, it poops in my garden and spends a lot of time in my garage and on my patio. Every day.

Raddish Flowers

Raddish with seed pods and flowers

Have you ever seen raddish flowers? I let a few go to seed, just so I could see the whole life cycle of the annual that is alsways in my spring garden.

Inspired by the words of Elizabeth Lawrence, “We can have flowers nearly every month of the year,” Carol of May Dreams Gardens started Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. On the 15th of every month, garden bloggers from all over the world publish what is currently blooming in their gardens.

I call these the house lillies because there are a lot of them and they came with the house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Small blooms, but the flowers just keep on coming for days

 

in the front yard, along the front porch, several spiky lilies want to be in a better designed garden spoce.

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Double your tomato production

Posted on July 4, 2011 by | Comments Off on Double your tomato production

Try cloning tomatoes

tomato stem

Clip tomato branch. Remove flowers to encourage root growth.

To extend the tomato season, consider cloning your favorite tomato plants. The new plant will produce tomatoes just like it’s parent.

Here in the heartland, zone 6 we are about half way through the summer growing season. I think I have about two and a half months left before our first frost.

If you haven’t planted tomatoes yet, ask a gardening friend for a cutting of their tastiest plants. As I stake my tomatoes, I zometimes break off unruly stems that won’t be supported by my tomato stakes.

Carbon

This heirloom started out as a cutting. The plant produced as heavily as the parent plant.

Put that broken tomato plant branch, or cutting directly in the ground at least six or eight inches deep. Place a stake beside the stem. The big tomato stake or cage will stand as guardian over your little cloned tomato plant. Since this new plant has no roots yet, you MUST keep the soil well watered. At first, the cutting or broken branch that you stuck in the ground, will be limp. Don’t give up. Keep watering the planted stem at least twice a day. Shading your cutting will reduce the stress as your new tomato plant starts making roots.

Cloning plants will get you tomatoes faster than starting from seed at mid season. It is too late to start tomatoes from seed.

I broke off a branch of a Carbon tomato plant about a month ago. The black heirloom tomato plant is named Carbon and I am happy to have more of these large, rich tasty tomatoes.

Starting warm season plants midsummer, means that fruits will be developing during the cooler, end of summer weather. Be prepared to cover or protect the heat loving tomato plants during cool nights.

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Dragon Wing™ Red Begonia

Posted on June 18, 2011 by | Comments Off on Dragon Wing™ Red Begonia
will reach a maximum height of 14 to 16 in.

Dragon Red Wing Begonia will reach a max height of 14 to 16 in. photo Patsy Bell Hobson

The early show in the garden this year is Dragon Wing Red Begonia. I planted them in two places, a hanging basket of three plants and three more in the planter near the mailboxes. At first the 3 begonias in the planter looked lonely. But the plants filled in and are looking better every day. I’m promised these begonias will still be here till first frost this fall. I think they would add drama and color to a mixed annuals container.

Place these bold beauties in pots, baskets and beds. I would use Dragon Wing Begonias again as an informal bedding or border plant. These exotic looking Begonias hve loose loose clusters of Red stop-and-look-at-me blooms. Glossy green, wing-shaped leaves support the beautiful Chinese red flowers. My plants are healthy and thriving in a full sun environment, but they will take part shade. Everybody looks better and does better with a little shade in summer, including begonias.

I’ve never been much of a begonia fan. A free trial plant would not be enough to convert me to a fan. You should know, if a plant survives the summer at my house, it must be hardy and thrive on neglect. Sure I plant them (home of the famous $10 hole for the $5 plant) and irregularly water.

They are :

Drought tolerant

No deadheading requied. Dozens of flowers bloom in Chinese Red all summer. photo Patsy Bell Hobson

  • Shade Tolerant
  • Heat Tolerant
  • Drought Tolerant

Thanks to Dragon Wing™ Red Begonias, I am now a fan of this plant.

Dragon Wing™ Red Begonias have their own webpage.

They are in good healthy soil, but I seldom fertilize my plants. Ball Horticulture says that they do best  in partial sun to partial shade. Me too. But my mail box planter is in the full sun all day. I’ll write more later in the summer and let you know how they are doing.

For now, they are bright, beautiful, and attracting attention with their red floppy flowers. No deadheading needed. These Dragon Wings are thriving  on the heat and humidity of my zone 6 southeast MO  patio and mailbox planter.

 

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How To Use Homegrown Arugula

Posted on June 17, 2011 by | Comments Off on How To Use Homegrown Arugula

My neighbor came over this morning and said, “OK, Patsy Bell, I grew arugula. How do I use it?” Here’s what I had to tell my neighbor.

The English call it rocket; the French call it roquette, from the Italian rochetta. Native to the Mediterranean, arugula is a member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae). Its peppery mustard flavor makes it a favorite of mine in salads and mesclun mixes. I also use it in lettuce and cold pasta salads. In Italy, it is used as a pizza topping.

Add arugula to any summer salad. Photo courtesy Renee's Garden.

Add arugula to any summer salad. Photo courtesy Renee's Garden.

Pick the leaves while young. The flavor gets stronger as the leaves get older and larger. Home gardeners have the advantage with arugula because it is quite perishable. Arugula is used fresh or steamed in the way you might use spinach. Keep it close to the kitchen, so you can easily pick a few leaves for sandwich greens or add a bit to homemade pesto and salad dressings.

Arugula is slower to bolt than spinach. Add to pasta salads or homemade pesto.

Rich in nutrients, such as iron and vitamins A and C, and low in calories, your culinary imagination is its only limit in the kitchen. Because arugula is so versatile and comes in many varieties, don’t limit yourself to one variety or package of seed.

Arugula is said to have aphrodisiac powers. I’d like to know what you think about that.

Arugula is ideal for succession planting. Photo courtesy Renee's Garden.

Arugula is ideal for succession planting. Photo courtesy Renee's Garden.

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Posted in Herb Everything, Herbs in the garden, Herbs in the kitchen, My Gardens

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Broccoli

Posted on June 13, 2011 by | 2 comments
broccoli

Broccoli tastes sweetest when it matures in autumn, when nights turn chilly. I’ll replant again late this summer for fall harvest.

I picked up a four pack of cabbage plants and broccoli plants this spring. I have horrible memories of trying to grow broccoli in my early garden days. The little broccoli colored worms turned me off of home grown broccoli for years.

There was no room in the veggie garden for  the four pack of broccoli or cabbage. So I panted them in and around the herb bed and flower borders. Those evil cabbage worms made Swiss cheese of the cabbages.

If you notice white butterflies, they are the source of the green worms. Broccoli or cabbage worms, which are  green caterpillars or the larvae of white butterflies.

The broccoli is disease and insect free and growing bigger and prettier every day in the flower bed. Tucked in next to Heuchera (Coral Bells) it looks goofy, but the broccoli will be out of the garden any day now.

I think the secret to beautiful, insect free plants is just dumb luck. (Or, a floating row cover.) It’s the first year to have cole crops anywhere on the property.I have also planned to contact experts from Atlanta’s trusted roof replacement company to get roof installation over my little garden.  My theory is the loopers, imported cabbage worms, just weren’t looking for broccoli.

Those disgusting green worms would probably show up in the garden if I grew a lot of broccoli every year. That is one of the reasons why gardeners suggest crop rotation, to keep those worms guessing where in the garden the broccoli is.

Preparing Broccoli for Freezing.

If your broccoli  does have worms, cut and trim off all leaves. Soak the heads in a sink cold salt water for 30 minutes. Weigh the heads down with some plates to keep them under water. (Use about a 1/3 or 1/2 cup of salt in this sink of cold water.)

You have one more chance to check for worms, when you cut up the broccoli heads before blanching and freezing.

By the way, the smaller leaves on the broccoli plant are tender and nutricious. Add them to cooked greens such as chard, spinach or mustard greens. The large leaves are tough and bitter.

broccoli plant

Broccoli does best when set out as transplants rather than planted from seed.

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All about Queen Elizabeth

Posted on June 1, 2011 by | Comments Off on All about Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth buds

Queen Elizabeth came home with me last summer. I found her on the discount shelf at Loews. Actually, I found a pair of Queen Elizabeth roses.

This solid pink rose was created in the United States in 1954. Second only to the “Peace” rose, Queen Elizabeth is the second most popular rose ever.

Queen Elizabeth was the first grandiflora rose whose flowers bloom singly on one stem, similar to hybrid tea roses. Grandiflora class represents the first true melding of hybrid tea and floribunda characteristics. From its hybrid tea parent the grandiflora inherits flower form and long cutting stems; from the floribunda side come increased hardiness and prolific, clustered blooms. Most grandiflora roses, although not all, are taller than either hybrid teas or floribundas.

The Queen in full bloom and fragrance.

Bred in the United States and introduced in 1954, ‘Queen Elizabeth’ was the first grandiflora rose introduced. The award-winning, pink-flowered cultivar is probably the second most popular rose of this century, after ‘Peace.’

Queen Elizabeth is truly royalty in the rose world. First of its class, known for its clear pink, double bloom, 4′ – 5’+, exhibition rose, AARS 1955, Portland gold medal 1954, ARS gold medal 1957, Golden Rose of The Hague 1968, World’s Favorite Rose 1979.

My Queen Elizabeth roses are planted in large platic containers. It’s not the most attractive planting, but it allowed me to remove them from their root-bound nursery containers. Once I find the perfect permanent home, they will be transplanted a final time.

QE

Queen Elizabeth in the last days of bloom. Petals are rippled and pale.

So far, they have not had and insect or disease problems. Earlier, I neglected my pruning duties, so they are rather unwieldy in full bloom. Perhaps when the flowering stops, I’ll do a little pruning.

These clear pink blooms may be the perfect addition to your landscape. I found them by accident. But, now that I know how elegant thse blooms are, I am tempted to buy more.

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The Great Sunflower Project

Posted on May 26, 2011 by | Comments Off on The Great Sunflower Project
Herb gardeners know how important bees are to our gardens. One of every three bites of food we eat come from a plant pollinated by wild pollinators. Unfortunately many pollinators are declining. That’s what the Great Sunflower Project wants to change. 

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Grow sunflowers to attract butterflies, bees and finches. Photo by Patsy Bell Hobson

The Great Sunflower Project, a project that plans to unravel the mystery of the disappearing pollinators, pulls together data that you help them collect. With this data it will create a database to help understand what is happening to the bee pollinators and how our green spaces are connected. Sunflowers is an easy-to-grow plant that gives height to the herb garden and is wildy attractive to birds and bees.

• Sign up and plant your sunflowers.
• Watch your sunflower for 15 minutes: Write down how long it takes for the first five bees to arrive at your sunflower. After 15 minutes, you can stop. If you haven’t seen 5 bees by then, the Great Sunflower Project want to know!
• Enter your data online.

By watching and recording the bees at these sunflowers, you can help with the research the Great Sunflower Project is doing to understand the challenges that bees are facing. Grow annual ‘Lemon Queen’ sunflowers (Helianthus anus). I got mine from Renee’s Garden. ‘Lemon Queen’ is a lovely branching variety that is particularly attractive to bees. Other herbs that bees are attracted to include basils, borage, catmint, lavender and rosemary.

05-10-2011-2

Win ’Lemon Queen’ sunflower seeds and participate in the Great Sunflower Project. Photo by Rhonda Fleming hayes/Courtesy Flickr

Win ‘Lemon Queen’ sunflower seeds and participate in the Great Sunflower Project.
Photo by Rhonda Fleming hayes/Courtesy Flickr

Seed Packet Giveaway

Renee’s Garden is giving away three packets of ‘Lemon Queen’ sunflowers to three lucky blog readers.

HOW TO ENTER

• Post a comment in the comments section below telling us why you grow, or why you want to grow, sunflowers.

• End date: June 1, 2011 (12:00 a.m. Central Time)

Good luck!

 

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All About Crown Princess Margareta

Posted on May 21, 2011 by | Comments Off on All About Crown Princess Margareta

You catch this scent as you step outside the kitchen door in the morning.

Crown Princess Margareta

After the sun has warmed this David Austin rose, it perfumes the entire garden.

Crown Princess Margareta is an apricot/orange David Autstin rose. It has double blooms and is a short climber. It is one of my most fragrant roses. I’ve been tempted more than once, to just sit down and enjoy the heavenly fragrance from a near by bench.

Princess Margareta flowers are filled with petals, it doesn’t seem as if you could tuck in one more sweet apricot petal in this rose. The flowers are so full and heavy, that they are best admired on the plant. As a cut flower, the blooms are so heavy that the stems cannot support them. The flowers quickly  tilt their faces down in the vase (but, oh, the fragrance!)

Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria and was an accompished landscape gardener who, together with the Crown Prince (later, King Gustavus VI Adolfus of Sweden), created the famous Swedish Summer Palace of Sofiero in Helsingborg. And this bit of trivia lead me to the fabulous Sofiero gardens:

Sofiero

Rhododendrons in bloom at the Sofiero castle in Helsingborg, Sweden.

The main attractions of Sofiero are the Rhododendron gardens, with almost 500 different varieties.

 

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GBBD May 15, 2011

Posted on May 16, 2011 by | Comments Off on GBBD May 15, 2011

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

To visit other Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day participants, visit our host Carol at May Dreams Garden.

I have many flowers this May. Thank you for coming by. We would have tea in the garden but it’s a bit too cool and breazy.

Yellow herb. I don’t remember what it is. I grew it from seed. this is the second year it’s come up, but the first time to bloom. It reminds me of a bad hair hair day.

Little Women Story Book rose.

Nepeta or cat mint

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dick Clark rose

Dick Clark is planted in the bed that surounds the patio. Plant this rose close by becaus you will want to see all colors. No two roses are alike. But they all have a delightful cinnamon fragrance.

Queen Elizabeth rose

I have two Queen Elizabeth roses, planted in large containers. They are so lovely, I have not decided on a permanant home for them. When I bought these roses, they were in the discount table at Lowes, reduced for qick sale. The queens were  happy to get a little food, water, and a  place to stretch their roots.

Japenese Red Maple

Columbine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did I mention all the rain we’ve been having in southeat Missouri? Yes, I’m tired of it too.

A yellow rose that came home without a label.

 

I do not know what kind of rose this is, It has been planted in my circle garden for about 4 years. It has that great old fashioned rose fragrance. There are lots of bright yellow blooms that fade to a soft yellow.  It has the most thorns of any rose I have.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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