Image care of The Scott Arboretum

Plant lovers in the Philadelphia area would be remiss to miss the Unusual Tropicals and Annuals Sale at The Scott Arboretum on the campus of Swarthmore College. The public event will be held on Saturday, May 18th (noon to 3:00 pm) and Sunday, May 19th (10:00 am to 2:00 pm). Arboretum members and Tropical Sale Special Friends get the advantage of sale previews.

Featuring over 200 wonderful and hard-to-find tropicals, tender perennials and annuals, this sale will be certain to have something new and unusual for every plant enthusiast. A bevvy of plant experts will also be on hand to answer questions, and there will be specialty container plantings for the winning. Plants are offered in limited quantities, so get there early!

Last Saturday was tulip day at Longwood Gardens. I've never seen the place so hopping with people, apart from Christmas time when the crowds are unbearable. Everyone came out to see the Brickwalk tulips in their prime, and the sunny clear blue day made the flowers absolutely glow. Despite the hundreds of people at the garden, I managed to get a few shots that made it look deceivingly quiet and peaceful.










Ahhh back to reality.

I found this two-and-a-half-year-old unpublished blog while managing and re-organizing past blogs. It was fun to read with pregnancy far behind me. I'll never forget the raging heat of that summer. It kept throwing me into Braxton Hicks contractions. Anyway, I decided the piece deserved publishing after all this time.

(Originally written on August 25, 2010 just two weeks before birthing my second daughter. )


This morning as I crawled along in the hot sun weeding, my eight month preggy belly weighing every move and making me feel like a pot bellied pig rooting in the dirt, I questioned whether I'd overdone it again this year garden-wise.

In winter, I become crazy for spring and dream of being Mrs. Health-Conscious Super Mom supplying wholesome, fresh produce to my family. When all the seed catalogs hit the mailbox, I get excited (too excited) and buy and plan like a fiend. It all seems harmless when the first indoor seeds get planted, but by the time real outdoor work starts, reality sets in. The work load generally peaks by mid to late-summer. It's hard work getting everything weeded, fed, watered and picked. Add in a toddler, full time work, a house to manage and late-term pregnancy, and the garden starts to feel daunting--especially in the hottest days of summer when tomatoes, melons, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers and squash produce nonstop.
 
It's easy to understand why so many of my fellow community gardeners at Bellevue State Park Community Garden are in their later years unencumbered by school age children. Admittedly I feel a twinge of jealousy seeing them relaxing in lawn chairs under the trees with cool drinks in hand, chatting about this year's crop of 'Big Boy' tomatoes or 'Dr. Martin's' lima beans. Then again, I adore motherhood when it doesn't make me feel like a lumbering watermelon woman only able to move in slow motion.
 
Trials and tribulations aside, the work's got to get done. I'm wayyy too proud to let my beds become total weed patches (I'm a professional gardener dammit! I can do this no matter what. Right?). So, that means early mornings and evenings watering, weeding, and picking because there's no wayyyy I'm going out in the humid hot hell of the 2010 Delaware summer. And as long as I sprinkle a little BT on the kale for cabbage loopers or pick off the occasional Colorado potato beetle from my eggplants, I'm taking care of the pest problems. Right? (Ignore the yucky Mexican bean beetles and striped cucumber beetles.)

On the plus side, my nearly four-year-old daughter has been lots of fun and a real help in the garden. Her favorite endeavor is picking cherry and currant tomatoes (Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium) for collecting and eating. And she always manages to find cool, shaded garden spots to nestle down in. The shaded, straw-lined allee created by our monstrous caged tomatoes is a very pleasant place to sit and enjoy a cool drink away from the sun.

In my earlier blog about gardening while pregnant, I forgot to mention preggy gardeners should plant high and trellis anything trellisable. It's tough to bend down over and over to pick enough beans for supper (go pole!) or watermelons, for that matter. And, forget about leaving the garden with any semblance of cleanliness or dignity. Weeding means plopping down and scooting or crawling along from one weed to the next. (I tried a little garden scooty chair for the compromised and didn't like it.)  Wielding a hose while so frontally girthy is a disaster. One can't avoid muddy hose lashes. Oh the things we learn.

The resident scarecrows at The Bellevue State Park community garden have a flair for the strange and macabre. But I can't help but like them. (As long as they don't hop down and start singing, "if I only had a brain.")


"I could while away the hours, conferrin' with the flowers consultin' with the rain"

Sniffing a tiny 'Minnow' flower

There's something about miniature anything that draws kids, and every year my 'Minnow', 'Hawara', and 'Baby Moon' just cry out to be picked by the little ones. They also make the prettiest fairy bouquets and are easy-as-pie to grow.

There are lots of daffodils or jonquils that are very tiny. My favorites have wonderfully small flowers with even teenier coronas (central crowns). Usually the delicate 'Minnow', with its tiny orange corona and pale tepals, blooms first followed by the nodding primrose yellow 'Hawara' and crazy small golden 'Baby Moon', but this year bloom times are wacky, and they all flowered at once.

This fall I plan to expand upon my mini daffy plantings. The must-plant list includes the floriferous and tiny 'Little Flik' along with the pale yellow and cream 'Pipit.'

Brent and Becky's Bulbs carries a lot of miniature daffodils worth having as does Van Engelen.


Small colored bottles and jars make pretty vases


The impossibly small flowers of 'Baby Moon' are the size of my fingertips.


A sweet vase of 'Hawara' blooms

Why do mutts stay healthier and live longer? Why does hybrid sweet corn taste sweeter? Why do hybrid lilies have bigger flowers? Why do hybrid tomatoes exhibit more disease and pest resistant? The answer is hybrid vigor or heterosis (the tendency for a crossbred organism to have qualities superior to those of either parent), and for some reason it has developed a bad rap.

In the seed world, heterosis is nature's way of saying, "Mix up those genes!" Not all hybrids exhibit heterosis (some even exhibit outbreeding depression), but those that do have a clear advantage in the field. This is one of the first things students learn in plant genetics class. So why do so many garden seed companies now advertise: "NO HYBRIDS! Hybrid-free seed! Only safe healthy seeds sold here."  I'm not sure. Maybe it sells well, but logistically it makes no sense.

"There's no reason why consumers can't happily grow both home selected variants and expertly selected hybrids."

Heirlooms are touted as the more diverse alternative, but new hybrids are equally diverse and there's no reason why consumers can't happily grow both home selected variants and expertly selected hybrids. Anyway, "open pollinated" does not equal "non-hybrid" but instead means seed is a result of random cross- or self-fertilization. And many cultivated crops like tomatoes are not genetically diverse to begin with.

Either way, the bad press inspired me to make the case for garden variety hybrids, which is all gardening consumers can get. (GE seed is only available to farmers growing for big agriculture. Garden seed companies don't sell it and never have.)

Plant hybrids have been essential to us since the beginning. For thousands of years farmers have intentionally or unintentionally used selection, hybridization, and in some cases heterosis, to push crops towards greater yields and more desirable fruits. Selection for bigger, better grains, fruits and flowers has led to apples, wheat, rice, tomatoes, corn and roses as we know them today, among other essential food crops. Without genetic mutation, selection and hybridization, we would not have broccoli, cauliflower, or head cabbage (all human-made variants of Brassica oleracea). Heterosis has even been key in the breeding of honeybee lines.

"In many ways, hybrids are greener because they require less care."

When modern genetics came into being, contemporary plant breeders tapped into a good thing. Hybrids exhibiting heterosis naturally produce higher yields, more nutritive crops, and tend to be naturally more disease and pest resistant and resilient to environmental stresses, like heat and drought. In many ways, hybrid crops are greener because they require less care and make organic gardening more productive and easier.

So why the negative press? Poor information and faddishness seems to be the culprit behind the hybrid hullabaloo. Conspiracy theorists, wrangling with the GE crops controversy and influenced by the glut of engrossing but grossly inaccurate information available on the web, have wrapped new breeding technologies up with old and damned the whole lot. The truth is hybrid plants have been with us since the ages and continue to influence our lives every day. None of us could live without them.

"Keep hype out of the garden."

That's why I maintain a balance in my organic garden. I love heirlooms, and even collected my own heirloom seed, but I also grow hybrids to ensure my bases are covered. I plant for fun, quality produce and keep hype out of the garden. There have been plenty of years when my heirloom tomatoes have succumbed to virus or blight while my hybrids continued producing good fruit. The same with heirloom and virus-resistant hybrid cucumbers, peppers and squash. Mixing it up is good. Both heirlooms and hybrids are good for the garden and table and exist in the garden peaceably.

A good starter book on the subject is Noel Kingsbury's book Hybrid: The History and Science of Plant Breeding. It provides a well-rounded history of plant hybrids and their influence. I also enjoyed a NY Times article that came out a couple of years ago titled Heirloom Seeds or Flinty Hybrids by Michael Tortorello because it provided a look at the political and social underpinnings of the anti-hybrid movement. I also try to keep track of studies that give us greater and greater understanding of what plant heterosis is and how it works.

"Both heirlooms and hybrids are good for the garden and table and exist in the garden peaceably."

(Photo Courtesy of Kew Gardens)

On my one and only visit to Kew Gardens in 2002, I sat with a group of Kew researchers musing over the vision and value of the Millennium Seed Bank. Some called it a "white elephant" while others saw it as Kew's most important project. I agree with the latter judgement. Some of the world's most naturally diverse regions are the most under threat for extinctions and loss of genetic diversity, making protective banks of seeds increasingly important. To drive this home, Kew postulates that one in five of the world's plant species faces extinction. That's dire.

The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership is the largest off-site seed bank project in the world partnering with over 50 countries across the globe. So far they have banked 10% of the world's seeds for wild populations. This is an awesome achievement. Even more lofty, they aim to bank 25% of the world's bankable seeds by 2020.

These numbers should impress because seed banking is a difficult, complex, time consuming, expensive business. Each seed has its own biology and window of viability. In fact, the seeds of many tropicals are very difficult to bank and only have a viability window of days or weeks. Imagine trying to keep maintain viable banks of seeds for tens of thousands of different plants with unique and challenging seed viability windows! From seed collection to cleaning and storage to producing new seeds, its a long, daunting process.

And seed banks like the MSB serve the world community every day (they're not just for doomsday scenarios). Banked seeds are actively used to restore destroyed and damaged natural areas worldwide, and seed banks provide plant researchers across the globe invaluable access to their seeds and expertise. Even everyday gardeners can learn how to save and bank their own seeds at banks like the MSB.

There are lots of ways to support the Millennium Seed Bank. The easiest way is to give by adopting a species. US dollars are also accepted and converted. I also encourage folks to sign up for the Kew News Alert, which always provides interesting news and unexpected articles about the world of seeds and plants.

                 

My new job with Sun Gro Horticulture has me deeply immersed in the potting soil and fertilizer industries. In a short time, I've learned a lot about certification processes with respect to environmental and organic status--namely what constitutes an organic soil or fertilizer and what distinguishes it as "sustainable."

Most gardeners don't check when they buy growing amendments, fertilizers or potting media, but some are better for the environment than others. The first step in determining approved organic status for a medium is looking for an OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) listing. In 1997 the Organic Materials Review Institute was founded to provide organic manufacturers, growers, suppliers and certifiers a rigorous independent product review that complies with USDA organic standards. And the process is truly rigorous. All of a company's processes and products are scrutinized for organic integrity under the OMRI List process, so growers can be confident they are truly growing with approved organic materials.

A Veriflora Certification delivers something different. Veriflora is a seed to store agricultural sustainability certification program. Specifically, the certification determines: 1. Environmental Sustainability; 2. Social and Economic Sustainability; and 3. Product Integrity. Like OMRI, Veriflora is a neutral third party entity with no vested interest in the companies they certify, so consumers can count on the integrity of the certification.

Gardeners interested in organic growing and sustainability should look for these certifications before buying potting media or fertilizers because they provide a better way to grow.

Tomatoes are the most popular warm-season crop but can be surprisingly tricky to tend to full productive glory. They require at least 6 hours of full sun per day, are fertilizer and water hogs, and produce fruit most vigorously when days are warm (between 78 and 92 degrees Fahrenheit) and nights moderately warm (at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit). Vining (indeterminate) types require caging or trellising, while bush (determinant) types may or may not need staking, and both benefit from seasonal pruning. For temperate growers, late winter is the best time to plant homegrown tomato plants from seed for spring planting.

Tomatoes come in all colors, shapes, and sizes and flavor is surprisingly variable. In my family's garden we choose a couple of slicers, sauce tomatoes, salad tomatoes and cherries each year. This year's pickings include the American heirloom bicolored slicer 'Virginia Sweet', French salad tomato 'Crimson Carmello', and orange and yellow beefsteak 'Gold Medal'. Our sauce tomatoes are the Italian powerhouses 'Franchi's Italian Pear' and 'San Marzano Redorta', and our cherries include the sweet sweets 'Orange Paruche', 'Sun Gold' and 'Chadwick's Cherries.' All are beautiful and have exceptional flavor.


A jolly tomato harvest from a couple of years back with 'Speckled Roman', 'Franchi's Italian Pear', 'Gold Medal' among them.

Common Name: Tomato

Botanical Name: Lycopersicon esculentum (syn. Solanum lycopersicum L. var. lycopersicum)

Days to Harvest: 65 to 85 days after planting

Light: Full sun

Soil: Rich, porous, friable loam

Common Problems: Tomato hornworms, damping off caused by Pythium and Phytophthora fungi, cool temperatures (cause fruit toughness, cat-facing, and stop productivity), Colorado potato beetles, blossom end rot (a physiological disorder caused by calcium deficiency), splitting/cracking (Caused when plants get excessive water or temperatures dramatically fluctuate when mature or nearly mature fruits are on the vine.)

Planting Time: After the last frost date in temperate zones.

Fertilization: Feed at planting time with an organic fertilizer formulated for tomatoes, as these always contain sufficient calcium. Your fertilization regime will vary based on the fertilizer you choose.

Days to Harvest Timeline:

Starting Seeds

It takes around six to eight weeks to grow tomatoes from seed to plantlet. Start seeds indoors for best results. In 5 to 12 days your tomato seeds should germinate. Germination is best in warm temperatures (68° and 75° Fahrenheit (20-24° Celcius)). A heat mat for seed starting will dramatically hasten tomato seed germination. Sow seeds in cells filled with seedling mix and lightly sprinkle a bit on top to cover. Gently moisten the cells with water and place right under the warmth of grow lights. (For full details see Veggie Seed Starting.)

Some good pickings from last year's garden.

Preparing Tomatoes
This is the easy part. Lavish burgers with big, hearty tomato slices, eat them fresh in salads or make homemade tomato sauce and salsa. To extend the season, we freeze tomatoes and sauce for winter, but this requires at least 10 healthy tomato plants to provide enough to put up.


A mix of 'Snow White', 'Matt's Wild Cherry' and 'Sweet Million' cherry tomatoes in a salad.

I wanted to extend a thanks to Proven Winners for sharing a needed image of their reblooming lilac Bloomerang Purple® for my latest article titled "Lovely Lilacs", which will appear in the May issue of The Old House Journal. It's a beautiful, unique lilac that will rebloom throughout the growing season where summers are moderate. To learn more about this attractive lilac, view the Proven Winners video below.


Bloomerang Purple® in full glory (image by Proven Winners)