2009 Seeds

It took awhile for me to figure out what to plant this year. I had my usual catalogue favorites arrive in the mail: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds, Seeds of Change, and Kitazawa Seeds.

I am easily distracted by color photos and irresistible descriptions as I peruse each catalogue. And Seeds of Change has sent me a couple already making it really hard to decide what to grow.

Kitazawa saved me this year. The simple, yet informative catalogue, with a few sketches of selected veggies helped me decide what seeds I'll be starting this season. I also made a promise to myself to not grow anything that requires more than 75 days of maturity.

Of course, I made a few exceptions. Plus, promised are meant to be broken, right? I had success with Odoriko tomatoes a couple of years ago and they were so tasty that I decided to grow them again. And I bought my seed from Kitazawa then as well.

When traveling in Hong Kong in December, I came across the Giant Cape Gooseberry, or Poha Berry. These fruits are orange-yellow, the size of a large grape, and topped with a papery husk. They taste like a mixture of pineapple and strawberry. Unfortunately, they will take 75 days to mature AFTER flowering. I'm going to get a start on them the day the seed arrives! I'm always up for a challenge, so when I saw the seed I had to order them.

Another veggie I came across during my Hong Kong trip was a winged bean. We didn't know at the time what it was we were eating, but knew it was sweet like a bean yet had four sides to it. I was convinced the veggie was some sort of sweet broccoli. I made the connection when I read the description in the seed catalogue. It says it does well in humid climates, but I'm hoping for a super warm summer.

I was also suckered into a packet of beetberry seeds from Baker Creek. The pictures show vibrant red fruits nestled in between dark green leaves that would look great cascading over my rock wall. Good thing that they only take up to 60 days to mature! Zonal denial has been avoided!

This last weekend, I was at the last Flower and Garden Show at the Washington State Convention Center. I didn't have the willpower to pull myself away from Ravenna Gardens' racks filled with Renee's Garden Seeds. Though I was disciplined since I knew Kitazawa would receive most of my business this year. Only three packets were purchased: scarlet runner beans, container cucumber 'Bush Slicer', and 'Bright Lights' Swiss chard.

The other display I couldn't resist was Franchi Old World Italian Seeds since the focus of my garden is edibles. Farmer John was so friendly (he is the mayor of Half Moon Bay, CA) and was taken by me being over eight months pregnant and Eldon being a Bay Area native. He gave us a deal on our 'Fino' basil and broccoli raab seeds and threw in a packet of forget-me-knots. "That'll turn you into a real gardener!" he said, patting me heartily on the back. We promised to bring the new baby to the Pumpkin Festival in the near future.

As we walked away, I thought, "Great! I just got rid of all the forget-me-knots from the garden! I've gotta find someone to take these seeds off my hands!"

Northwest Flower and Garden Show

So this is it folks. The last Flower and Garden Show as we know it.

I started going to the Flower and Garden Show in San Francisco when I started my career as a professional gardener in 2000. It was amazing to see over 20 finished large-scale gardens in the Cow Palace. Not to mention the koi ponds, Ikebana, orchids, new hybrids, mini vignettes, and the educational displays. And a whole separate wing to purchase plants, watering wands, and all the chotchkies imaginable.

I went several years in a row, but drew the line when one of the "gardens" showcased a man balancing rocks on the ground, with lit candles all around, and a movie screen behind him showing the exact scene happening in front of us. It was more performance art and less gardening. "Now, how would I use that in my garden?"

I moved to Seattle five years later and attended the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, organized by the same group that hosts the San Francisco event. After a long winter, I realized why this show is held in February, a whole month earlier. We are desperate for a taste of spring as the days start to go noticeably longer.

I continued to attend the show off and on over the last few years. Overall, the gardens lack an element of practicality I can apply at home. My garden is TINY so I am a bit limited on what I can do, yet I try to make it functional and aesthetically pleasing. Last year, it looked like there was a trend towards growing your own veggies--there were three whole displays that I can remember. But, the seminars were lacking on how to make it happen in your own backyard. There was one seminar last year on espalier which was great. I just wonder how many seminars one can attend on color or perennials?

This year's theme is "Sustainable Spaces. Beautiful Places." The seminar schedule is once again packed with how-to's on color and perennials. A few talks about propagation are offered, one on container fruit trees, a couple on water-wise gardening, and maybe two on growing veggies. In these times, there needs to be a greater focus on the urban farmer. Or, if that is not your style, emphasize planting for beauty while keeping in mind water-use and scale; a right-plant, right-place mentality.

The one aspect of the show I'm sorry to see go is the educational booths. The show is, for some, a once-a-year outreach event for our specialized societies and other organizations. It is the big debut for Great Plant Picks to announce their botanical endorsements. What other means do they have to gain membership?

Maybe letting go of the Flower and Garden show in its current form will allow for a new event to emerge that it truly sustainable in its content. Meanwhile, I'll check it out one last time.

Dude, where's my garden?

For Seattle, the snow in the last 24 hours has been quite intense. Nothing can be done now if potted plants got left out, or if tender plants weren't covered.

I'm guilty of "weather forecast denial." Snow was forecasted for Wed, school was cancelled, and we got a little freezing rain. Snow? Yeah right! So when they were talking about snow on Thurs, I remained skeptical. The week before they said Friday and through the weekend. It didn't show up until Saturday night.

Everything will be fine, right? Snow is insulating!

But, when I woke up on Thursday morning, wondering how I would get up the hill to work, I was made a believer. I guess it snowed. The forecasters were right. About five inches later, it finally tapered off.



This is the perfect time to start looking at your garden (from the inside with cocoa) since at this time you can really see its structure. You may also see the plants that are not going to survive the cold. It may take a few months to see what truly will survive. Just keep in mind a dead plant is a great excuse to go shopping for at least one new replacement!

Armchair gardening is in full swing right now. I have the Raintree catalogue and Seeds of Change just showed up in the mail this week. If I can't garden outside, I can at least dream of the harvest of fresh veggies I'll have in the summer.

Lemon Verbena

I have fond memories of lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla) from my first gardening internship at Filoli Gardens in Woodside, California. When I was there, a 4 foot shrub stood outside the northwest corner of the tea house. Brushing past it would release a fantastic calming scent similiar to lemongrass, but not as biting. The thin, light-green leaves in whorls of three (hence the species name) make up the airy branches. In late summer tiny sprays of white flowers graced their ends.

I'm lucky I saved some issues of Kitchen Gardener after a post-college paper purge. This little gem of a magazine by Tauton's when out of print in 2000. Boy was I bummed when an issue of Fine Gardening showed up in my mailbox instead.

One issue I still have features lemon verbena complete with recipes. I made the lemon verbena pound cake for a friend's birthday party and it was a hit. It's all about the fancy bundt pan I have--it can make a mix-cake from a box look elegant!

A bird's eye view of the cake.

You can take any pound cake recipe and add a couple tablespoons of lemon juice and zest to give it a lemon flavor. Before you pour the batter into the buttered bundt pan, take fresh lemon verbena leaves and arrange them in a pattern in the pan. The butter will help them stick to the sides.

Once the cake is baked, cooled, and transferred to a plate, you can make a sauce with more fresh lemon verbena leaves, sugar, butter, a touch of flour, and lemon juice. Strain out the leaves before pouring over the cake. Voila! A beautiful and refreshing dessert that will chase your winter blues away.


With the finishing touches--birthday candles!

Late fall is a good time to make this cake because it coincides with you bringing in your lemon verbena plant and taking a few cuttings. Unless you live in a more mild climate, you don't want your plant to take a hit by that first frost of the season.

Hard Economic Times--Grow Your Own!

Politics aren't a regular theme here, but 'tis the season with the election four days away.

When this country was faced with crisis, and the economy was failing, we were told to go shopping. It will help business.

With the tumultuous ride our economy has been through in the last month, and experts saying the worse is yet to come, what should we do? GDP is at a 40 year low. Should we go shopping?

No. We should start planting.

The reality is food is not getting any cheaper. I don't want to say it's getting any safer either, but it's best to know where exactly your food comes from. What better way than to plant a garden with easy-to-care-for veggies that you can grow organically?

I read an article recently that complained about how difficult it is to raise one's own vegetables. Really? I'm surprised. I was pretty busy this summer (as you can tell from the lack of posts) with our remodel, and yet I managed to have a fine turn out of radishes, beets, Purple Cherokee and Lady Bug tomatoes, Swiss chard, celery, fava beans, onions, a couple eggplant and a couple carrots, mini yellow and red peppers, and San Marzano sauce tomatoes. I have a constant supply of rosemary, oregano, cilantro, mini basil, chives, thyme, lemon verbena, and the ubiquitous mint.

Now, it wasn't enough where I had to start canning for the winter. But my yields were high enough that I could pass up the $3.99/lb tomatoes at the farmers' market every week. I think each tomato weighed around a pound, so that would add up fast.

Many of you may ask, "Where do I start? It seems all so over whelming!"

Herbs. Fresh herbs are much tastier than dried. And, have you ever bought fresh herbs at the store? Cha-ching! A small plastic container will run you at least $3. And by the time you get them home, they've lost their taste. You could buy then at the farmers' market in season, but wouldn't you prefer the easy access from your garden or balcony?

Herbs are the easiest thing to start with, and no space is too small for a few pots of the ones you most frequently use. Try thyme and oregano. Once you're successful with those two, add rosemary and mint. If you have the space, you can grow them in the ground in quick draining soil. I would keep the mint in a pot or else it will take over. Check the bottom of the pot at least once a season to make sure it's not fully rooting itself from the drain hole.

Felling adventurous in planting out your first true crop? I would start with Swiss chard. This crop has never failed me and takes a lot of abuse. I even transplanted one that was at least a foot tall in the middle of summer and it looks great. 'Bright Lights' has a vibrant assortment of colors so there is no need to plant other annuals for a little punch. They don't have to be planted in rows like a formal vegetable garden. Stick them next to your perennials and shrubs that take full sun. And they do well with minimal fertilizer. I spread compost out in the spring and call it good; never giving them a liquid feed. That method goes for my entire garden. A packet of seeds will cost you close to, or less, than the one organic bunch at Whole Foods or PCC. One will give you chard from late spring through fall. The other lasts maybe two meals.
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No excuses. You have plently of time to start planning. The weather is getting cooler, the rain a little more frequent. I suspect those seed catalogs will start showing up any day now!

Happy Kitchen Garden Day!

August 24th was International Kitchen Garden Day. How did I celebrate? Well, it was pretty low-key considering we were triple-booked with get-togethers.

We were running late, but I managed to make a detour to the veggie garden on our way out. Eldon asked what I was doing as I bolted in the opposite direction.

I grabbed a few of our Walla Walla onions to share at our friend's barbecue. They went perfectly with our brats.

I plunked them down on the counter when we arrived and announced that they came from my garden. My friend stared at me in disbelief, and then realized I wasn't kidding.

"I guess people do grow things themselves!"

I cut her some slack since she lives aboard a boat, and she's my friend. I spared her the fact that it was Kitchen Garden Day.

Despite the pouring rain and the coldest spring on record (supposedly), I made the most out of the day; enjoying the small harvest from my garden.

An early look at the Walla Wallas.

Explosion!

Wow! The weather cooperated and everything has doubled in size overnight. The number of blooms on the tomato plants promises a great harvest. My pepper plants are covered in mini bells.

This is the first year I have grown shungiku, the edible chrysanthemum. While I really like the blooms, the rest of the plant looks ratty. I think the trick is to keep harvesting the stems and blooms. One plant gets afternoon shade and stays more compact. It looks less weedy than the plants that are in full sun all day. Other than that, the sunny flowers are an inch in diameter and most have creamy yellow tips on the ray flowers and a golden orange center. I have some that are completely orange. My guess is that they must cross with other daisy-like flowers lending itself to the variation.

I'm still unsure how to use the shungiku in my cooking. I'm making a curry tonight. Maybe I'll slip in a few leaves and see how it turns out. Any suggestions you may have would be great!

My Italian sage has filled out its pot. I made muffins last week with blueberry and sage. The recipe I used called for too much sage. They tasted soapy like when you use too much lavender in a recipe. A little goes a long way. It could be the leaves I picked were too old, or I waited too long to use them. Next time I'll try using just one tablespoon and the younger leaves from the plant. Try adding it to your next batch of blueberry muffins or even pancakes. If you harvest them way in advance before adding them to the mix, place them in a little vase to keep them fresh.



The radishes got away from me this year. I tried the French Breakfast type which are beautiful for showing them off in an hors d’oeuvres tray. A friend of mine whipped sweet cream butter, sea salt, and herbs; transfered the mixture into a pastry bag and pipped it onto havled radishes. Voila! Fancy yet so easy. Make sure to trim off the ends with a knife so your radishes don't run away from you. I suggest using the 'Pistou' basil since it requires minimum chopping.

And speaking of 'Pistou' basil--it is such a cute addition to my garden this year. I'd actually like to call it "Boxwood Basil" since they look like miniature boxwood. They're much tastier. Line these cuties up along the edge of your raised beds to give a finished look to your veggie plot. Don't worry, it won't look too formal.


I caught a bumblebee sleeping on one of my plants the other day.

I better get back to the mayhem in my garden. I'm crossing my fingers so that everyone will have red tomatoes this year!