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Burm Baby Burm

2010-03-10T12:49:00Z

Last spring and summer in the Mid-Atlantic was wet, wet, wet! There was barely a break between heavy rains, so boy was I thankful that I burm my garden beds to the hilt. Burms are the best because they ensure garden soil is raised, well-aerated and drainage good. When heavy rain comes, there's no need to worry about standing water at plant root zones. It's the perfect alternative for gardeners that don't want to be locked into set raised beds or can’t build them.

Light, deep burmed soil enables root crops, like carrots, parsnips and rutabagas, to develop perfect roots because they have plenty of friable soil to sink into. Later in the season, you will be glad you planted your melons on raised burms because light soil with good drainage helps them grow better and develop higher sugar content, which improves flavor.

Before burming the soil up, as with the burmed potato rows above, lightly till or turn your soil deeply. Next, establish bedding rows. Once these are set, begin raking your burms up (using a hard rake). This takes a little elbow grease, but the results make it well worth it.

Once the burms are created, put a layer of removable mulch cloth down and cover that with a layer of straw. This keeps weeding down by up to 75%, so it’s very important for busy people with little time and energy, like me.

It’s best to use a very light weight mulch cloth that’s easy to pull away, roll up and reuse the following season.

Before the plants are in the ground, my vegetable garden looks like a bumpy, straw-covered mess, but once the plants have grown in, you can't even seen the raised burms.

Early Spring Bulbs for Naturalizing

2010-03-08T19:52:00Z

Nothing beats lawns covered in bright pink woodland crocus, sunny yellow winter aconite and clean white snowdrops. This time of year early geophytes (bulbs, corms and rhizomes) are a breath of fresh air from the old chill of late winter, and many naturalize of their own accord in a pleasing non-invasive manner, which amplifies their welcome color. Here are a few must haves for the spring lawn.

Eranthis hymalis, otherwise known as winter aconite, is a pretty golden-flowered ephemeral from the buttercup family. It's one of the earliest of spring flowers and often appears as early as February. These spread easily and make the biggest impression when planted along a south facing hillside. When they bloom they blanket the ground with gold.

Golden winter aconite and delicate white snowdrops will brighten any springtime landscape.

The drooping green and white flowers of snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) look like skirted ladies. They tend to cluster and spread slowly but once established they form random sweeps of green and white across the lawn. They look particularly beautiful when interplanted with colorful crocus or winter aconite.

There are lots of really great crocus species and cultivars suited for naturalizing. One of the best is Crocus tommasinianus, or the woodland crocus. Its small pale rose or purple flowers rise from the ground like delicate chalices. One can attain a sweep of these crocus easily because their corms spread quickly and they are generally inexpensive.

The royal blue blooms of Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) and glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa luciliae) appear in mid to late March. Close up these three to four inch plants have flowers that look like tiny bluebells. Their bulbs spread very quickly and are easy to find in the trade. The loveliest cultivar is ‘Spring Beauty’, which has very deep blue flowers.

Siberian squill and glory-of-the-snow offer blue upon blue beauty that spreads a little each year.

At an average of $20.00 a plant, Adonis amurensis is the most expensive of all the geophytes listed,but it is amazingly beautiful while in bloom. This Asian native has lovely, intricate golden flowers that will be sure to draw attention from passers by. Plants spread slowly over time and are best naturalized in smaller areas.

The glossy buttercup blooms of Adonis are a rare spring treat. As the foliage unfurls if becomes more ferny and bushy.

All of these geophytes should be planted in fall, and most bulb vendors offer them for sale. For the best head start, distribute an ample number randomly across the area you are trying to colonize. These beauties are here today and gone tomorrow, so let them trumpet "spring!" in big, bold sweeps. Next spring you’ll be glad you did.

Definitions:

Ephemeral: Plants that emerge and bloom for only a few weeks in the spring--generally before the leaves of deciduous trees have emerged.

Geophyte: a perennial plant that spreads by underground bulbs, corms or tubers.

Corm: a small rounded, thickened, underground stem in which food is stored.

Tips: Naturalize your spring geophytes under trees. They always emerge before the trees leaf out, so they will get plenty of sun. After planting, be sure to give your geophytes a good headstart by feeding them bulb food.

Highlights from 2010 Philadelphia Flower Show “Passport to the World”

2010-03-04T15:25:00Z

The international theme of this year’s Philly Flower Show yielded some very exciting and inspired exhibits. The most memorable displays spanned the globe and defied the flower show exhibit norm of "a little flowered and shrubbed landscape surrounding a cunning little house with patio." In fact, several were among the most interesting and compelling I'd ever seen.

The truly unique, multifaceted exhibit presented by the Philadelphia Flower Designers at MODA Botanica caught my eye first. They used industrial steel storage containers to house wild, modern floral fantasy rooms. All floral rooms in the display had a industrial or urban feel while also being wildly fantastical.

Luminous and surreal vases of green dyed sweet peas, grasses and fern fronds hung from the ceiling of the first MODA Botanica steel container display.

One of the glassed in Moda displays was white, bright, utilitarian and fluorescent.

Bold graffiti and an intricate web of colored bamboo stems were brought to life by vines of vibrant gloriosa lilies.

A workman's lamp is softened by an unlikely mix of moss, orchids, sweet peas, muscari and ranunculus.

Another memorable display was that presented by showcase exhibitor, the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD). "Exploring South Africa" was the title of their large, varied display that featured everything from seeded and flowered South African masks to tribal figures, shields and animals made of cast bases decorated with natural materials. Much of the plant material was South African in origin.

Flowers, feathers, seeds, raffia and plastic pull ties decorated the South African tribe's people in the AIFD display.

The walkway lined with seeded and flowered African masks was so packed with interested visitors it was hard to enjoy the workmanship.

A lion with a grassy mane and orchid dusted back was one of several African animals AIFD created.

A giraffe decorated with small, orb-like vases filled with tangerine orchids also stood tall above the show.

India was another country beautifully presented through floral interpretation. Jamie Rothstein Distinctive Floral Designs Inc. provided a colorful Indian landscape in, Flowers! The Jewels of an Indian Wedding. Like the South African display, it was colorful, creative and featured flowery animals as well as gardens and landscapes. Rosettes of floral beds dotted the ground like jewelry and a long pool led the way to the matrimonial cottage.

The brightly colored round beds that dotted the Jamie Rothstein display were vibrant.

A flowered peacock added charm to "Flowers! The Jewels of an Indian Wedding."

A happy elephant (I swear it was smiling) with Spanish moss skin, Craspedia tusk decorations and a love-lies-bleeding head dress was the star of the India display.

The main display of "Passport to the World” was quite a showpiece as well. Its red Chinese house was my favorite. The colorful travel balloon at the entrance was also impressive. Live, trained parrots flew among the gardens adding an extra element of exoticism.

The main PHS display is always beautifully done and this year was no exception.

Jane Pepper, much loved president of the PHS since 1981, will be retiring from her post this year. A lovely Scottish garden display was created in her honor. It was a fitting farewell for a woman whose leadership and vision took the society to new heights.

The Scottish Garden dedicated to Jane Pepper had elements of naturalism and fun (note the Yellow Submarine mailbox).

Three Best Tools for Easy Weeding and Hand Cultivation

2010-02-28T17:41:00Z

Over the years I have used any number of different gardening tools for hand weeding, planting and general cultivation. A few have stood out and become fast favorites. The three key characteristics I look for in a good gardening hand tool are: 1. ease of use, 2. working power and 3. durability. These criteria are met by the following tools.

For super fast hand weeding nothing beats the classic Korean Ho-Mi (hoe-mee), also called the Korean hand plow or cultivator. This sharp, downward facing tool can get to the base of a dandelion root in seconds with just a chop, chop, chop. Nothing is more effective. For smaller weeds, I use the side of the Ho-Mi to scratch and smooth the soil. It’s an excellent tool for lightly aerating the base of a plant or getting to the root of a tough herbaceous weed as well as planting new plugs. If well cared for, a ho-mi will last forever (if cleaned after use and oiled to prevent rust). It's relatively cheap too.

Long handled versions are also very useful. Just be careful when chopping away with this sharp tool. Its tip can be nasty.

The sharp blade of the ho-mi can chop deep into the soil quickly and makes weeding easy.

I could not get by in the garden without my trusty garden knife (also called a soil knife). It can reach and cut deep roots. You can saw through the bases of tough plants or even use it for harvesting greens and kohl crops. One side of the knife is sharp for slicing and the other is serrated for sawing. Both can easily break through skin so its best held in a leather belt holder.

The soil knife is a versatile hand tool that you will never want to be without once you try it.

For large woody weeds nothing is more effective than the amazing, sapling pulling Weed Wrench. In a matter of minutes, an area riddled with small weed trees can be cleaned beautifully roots and all. It works like no other tool I've tried. Just clench the base of the sapling or small tree and pull. Ignore the fact that it’s a bit pricey. It will pay for itself quickly in time and effort saved wrangling with hard-to-pull woody weeds. There are several sizes available to fit the needs of any gardener.

The weed wrench doesn't look like much but it's a powerful weeding tool!

World Trade Center Memorial Disappointment

2010-02-24T16:24:00Z

I’ve had three first hand experiences with the World Trade Center Site. I first visited it on the six month anniversary of the attacks. Clean up was still underway but that evening the city shone 88 search lights upwards to form two columns where the buildings had been. The inspirational installation was called Tribute in Light (http://bit.ly/nvfG0) and remained lit from March11 to April 14, 2002 (it is still lit on 9/11 anniversaries). Three years later,while an intern for The American Gardener magazine, I had the idea of writing about the plans for the 9/11 memorial garden. I was disappointed and surprised that the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation was unwilling to discuss plans for the site at that time. Finally, last weekend (2/20/10) my husband and I visited again to see what progress had been made. After ten years, it is still a big, empty, gaping hole (all 16 acres of it). What an unseemly tribute to the fallen.

The base of a new skyscraper on the World Trade Center site is all there is to see after 10 years of work. Great wars have been fought and won in that time guys. Get the lead out!

Our confusion and disappointed was fortuitously cleared up when were turned home that Sunday evening and flipped on 60 minutes. Bureaucratic power struggles,lack of vision, lack of follow through and limited money have led to this national disgrace. The original vision of Reflecting Absence, the design of the National September 11 Memorial Competition winners Michael Arad and Peter Walker, has been whittled away by all parties involved, from real estate mogul, Larry Silverstein, to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, a cascade of incapable politicians and other city entities. What was once a grand, inspired design is now much less than it was. Billions have been spent and the city has almost nothing to show for it.

There is little to see at the 9/11 site save the National 9/11 Museum (bit.ly/3JXY7Z), which was small but very well done.

Most would agree that this is a national disgrace. It must be especially heart-wrenching for those who lost loved ones in the attacks.Ground Zero should not remain Ground Zero in perpetuity. Several are trying to create a voice to inspire all decision makers involved to get cracking. The Families of September 11 remain committed to seeing this project to fruition (http://bit.ly/90Oe4e), The Twin Towers Alliance was created to forward the memorial effort (http://www.twintowersalliance.com/),and separate online petitions abound (http://bit.ly/dhE1po,http://bit.ly/c6Uont, http://bit.ly/a3LxLv). Other interest groups, like Save the Survivors Stairway (http://www.savethestairway.org/)and Save the Facades (http://bit.ly/9tcGW4), hope to save remain pieces of the towers for future generations.

If you feel as committed to seeing the National September 11 Memorial completed in a timely fashion appropriate to both the magnitude of the tragedy and need for national healing then please get involved and petition!

Top Italian Basils for Pesto

2010-02-02T19:37:00Z

Basil is on the mind. I just finished the last of my frozen pesto made from last year’s crop. It’s a sad time. The flavor of fresh grown stuff is so good it maintains in the freezer for a long time. Every year I grow a boatload of basil and include lots of different kinds, each yielding a different taste. But at the end of the day most of my basil will become classic pesto, so it’s the Italian types I go for. Here are my favorite Italian basils that make good green stuff.

Mini basils can be both sweet and pungent and have the double benefit of fitting nicely in small garden spaces or containers. They’re prettier and blend well with flowers too (beside the point but still good to know for the space constrained gardener). 'Verde Piccole Foglie' is a small-leaved basil with big, spicy, pungent flavor. Another short, but larger-leaved basil with stellar flavor is the French ‘Marseillais.’ It only reaches a foot tall but keeps producing those tasty leaves all summer if regularly deadheaded. Finally, ‘Pistou’ is a beautiful little bush type with tiny, super fragrant leaves that are a little milder than those of 'Verde Piccole Foglie.' Just keep it sheared back in summer, like a tiny hedge, and use the clippings for cooking.

The tidy bush basil Verde Piccole Foglie has small, pungent leaves.

The Large-leaved basils are real pesto powerhouses. They can become large, bushy and even a few plants can make jars and jars of pesto. You can’t go wrong with the basic basil 'Genovese.' It has very big, fleshy leaves with great aroma and taste. Mature plant height is around two feet. The classic 'Lettuce Leaf' is similar to 'Genovese', but its leaves are larger, have deeper venation and a little less pungency. It is said to be slower to bolt, but I have not experienced this.

Growing basil from seed is so easy there’s no point ingrowing plants. You also have more variety to choose from when you take the seed route. Start the seeds indoors about six weeks before the last frost date.They should be grown under good solar fluorescent lights and kept warm. Plants should be no further than four inches from the lights when growing indoors. A heat mat will hasten germination and growth.

'Lettuce Leaf' is a prolific large-leaved basil with wonderful flavor.

I don’t usually plant mine outdoors until late May. Don’t forget to harden your plants off before moving them from the grow lights to an outdoor location. I generally place mine in a spot where there’s light wind and bright, indirect light and over the course of a few days move them into more and more sun.

Basils are great for planting around the base of tomato plants. Once the plants are mature and start to set buds, harvest leafy stems furiously. When in flower, the leaves develops a harsher, more acrid taste. Some say they taste sweetest when the flower buds just begin to develop, so this is a good time to harvest and make pesto.

Here's my favorite recipe for classic pesto:

In a Cuisinart, blend together:

4 cups clean, fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
2 or 3 fresh garlic cloves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt

I’ll end this blog with a big "note to self." "Freeze more pesto this year!" Early February is way too early to run out.

Beautiful Begonia boliviensis and Its Hybrids

2010-01-30T12:02:00Z

The unique, elegant beauty of the tuberous begonia species, Begonia boliviensis (Bolivian Mountain Begonia), transcends that of all others. It's pendulous, slender, vase-shaped blooms are bright orange, almost beak-like and cascade down the plant in a sweep of color. These are complimented by sprays of small, deep green, angelwing type leaves. Mature plants develop a pleasing bushy habit and can reach up to three feet (1 meter).

The pendant flowers of Begonia boliviensis dangle like summer jewelry and are most becoming in containers or hanging baskets.

Culture of this Bolivian native is like that of most other tuberous begonias. Partial sun is preferred as is fertile, moisture retaining medium with very good drainage. It grows from USDA hardiness zones 8 to 11, though there are reports it can overwinter in zone 7 with protection. Where hardy, it's late to break dormancy, particularly in zone 8. In colder climates, it's best to overwinter the tubers or container grown plants in a cool garage.

Begonia boliviensis will tolerate humidity and moderate summer heat, though it prefers milder summer weather (most plants from mountainous areas do). Water it regularly. Container grown specimens are always more demanding of water and require daily applications. Fertilize regularly to encourage continuous flowering. This is a self-cleaning ornamental, which means it does not require deadheading. It's fairly pest and disease free, however tuber and stem rot can occur if soil drainage is not adequate.

This is a fairly easy plant to grow from seed. Start the tiny, dust-like seeds early (six months in advance) to give them a head start for the growing season. Thompson and Morgan carries the seed as does seedhunt.com. Full sized plants are far more expensive, so I usually opt for seed route if I want more than one plant.

Bonfire® is a vibrant Begonia boliviensis selection with larger flowers and a slightly more compact habit.

There are lots of great boliviensis cultivars and hybrids hitting the garden scene. The most common of these is the more compact, large-flowered Bonfire®. The hybrids in the Mandalay® Series also have boliviensis parentage and their flowers show it. They are also compact and come if shades of white, pink and orange.

Mandalay® Flamingo is a pink-flowered boliviensis hybrid that's offered through Proven Winners.

The white Mandalay® Pearl has the look of boliviensis but neutral flowers that will blend well with any container arrangement.

Friends will ask about these begonias if you plant them in your beds or containers this year. They're that impressive and with good care they'll shine all season, no problem.

Tips for The Pregnant Gardener

2010-01-28T15:48:00Z

Gardening while pregnant can be a challenge on many fronts, especially health-wise. Potentially harmful pathogens can harbor in the soil or on the surface of unwashed produce, the summer heat is more dangerous and bending down to harvest crops feels almost comical by the third trimester. (I'll never forget hobbling along pulling carrots and trying to reach bush beans past my giant preggie belly in my last pregnancy). Still, the big belly and potential threats don't need to stand between you and gardening. The health benefits of fresh, garden-grown produce certainly outweight the potential pitfalls. Here are a few helpful tips for "gardeners in waiting."

Keep it Clean

Garden gloves, soap and hand sanitizer are especially important for pregnant women because of soil borne pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes, the bacterium responsible for listeriosis. Listeriosis can make both the fetus and mother sick and even induce miscarriage, so it's important to protect against it. It is a common bacterium found in the soil and veggies it comes in contact with.

Salmonella and Toxoplasma are two other dangerous pathogens common to gardens. Animal-based fertilizers, like manure or fish emulsion, can contain salmonella, and if cats live nearby and visit your garden, Toxoplasma is something to be mindful of. Toxoplasma exposure can result in Toxoplasmosis, a disease that can cause serious birth defects, and Salmonella poisoning can result in stillbirth.

Protective measures against these potentially harmful bugs are simple. Be sure to wear good garden gloves to keep soil from becoming embedded in your skin or under your fingernails. My favorite summer gardening gloves are made by Foxgloves and Womanswork. Hand sanitizer and good soap are essential follow ups. If you feel like splurging a little, Gardener's Scrub Cleanser by Crabtree & Evelyn is wonderful stuff. After using lots of hand sanitizer and soap, I always want a little hand cream and Sally Hansen Hand Repair is my favorite.

The Paisley Gauntlet Gloves by Womanswork are cool but tough garden gloves ideal for pregnant gardeners that tend to overheat.

Finally, wash your freshly harvested veggies well--especially those that will be eaten raw. Root vegetables should be peeled because they tend to have lots of minescule nooks and crannies where bacteria can hang.

Stay Cool, Hydrated and Protected

A big, light colored, broad brimmed sun hat protects the face and can keep a gardener much cooler. Miracool cooling bandanas are also a real godsend when temperatures get hot. Just pop these gel-filled bandana tubes in the freezer and then wear them around the neck to keep cool. They're great for any gardener, but for pregnant gardeners they're a must.

Keep a bottle of fresh, cool water available at all times. Iced if at all possible. The worst thing a pregnant woman can do is get overheated and dehydrated. Take breaks often and drink regularly.

As the belly grows, it can become more challenging to easily reach across one's body to spread sunscreen. Invest in spray sunscreen for these times. It's fast and easy to apply and makes the applyee feel a little less whale-like.

Pregnant women should peel garden fresh root vegetables before eating them raw.

Create a Refuge

My main garden plot is in a community garden a mile from my home, so I created a place where I can put my feet up in the garden. I brought in a table with an umbrella and two chairs. Not only did this give me a place to rest away from the sun, it also gave me a place for the garden tool bag and other necessities.

Reap in the Rewards

Fresh, delicious produce and serene landscapes are the chief garden rewards. Fresh picked vegetables taste better than grocery store produce, something the sensitive taste buds of a pregnant woman can discern, and they are more vitamin rich. So, don't be afraid to tend the earth this summer all you newly pregnant gardeners, just be smart about it.

Seeking the Perfect Pickle, From Cucumber to Brine

2010-01-13T22:12:00Z

Canning is on this summer's to do list and really great pickles are one of the key items I hope to create and store. I grew up with home canned goods. They were something my grandmother was proud of. She canned beautiful peaches, tomatoes, green beans and applesauce, but she could never make a good pickle. My mother couldn't either. They were either too big, too rubbery, vinegary or salty.

I didn't know kitchen gardeners could make better pickles than store bought until my friend in gardening, Jean, introduced my family to her recipe. Jean's pickles are super crunchy with a perfect balance of dill, garlic and salt. They also pack a little heat because she adds a chili to each jar. Her inspiring Kosher dill-type recipe is a keeper, but it's also lead me down the path of finding exceptional recipes for other pickle types, slightly sweet German dills, bread and butters and cornichons. Choosing the perfect cucumber variety is also essential for creating the perfect pickle.

Jean's pickles have the look and crunch of store bought but their flavor is infinitely better.

My pickling cucumbers for this season will be Franchi Sementi's 'Picollo di Parigi' and some German gherkins my mother-in-law gave us seed for. Jean's favorite is John Scheeper's Kitchen Garden Seed's, 'Parisienne Cornichon de Bourbonne.' Once our cucumber vines are producing, it's essential we pick the cukes at the right stage in development. Those destined to become cornichons must be really tiny--no longer than two inches in length. Kosher dills should be a little bigger, maybe three inches, and the bread and butters just a little bigger because they'll be sliced. Super fresh cucumbers make the best pickles so all will be canned the day of harvest (At least six productive cucumber vines are necessary to accomplish this).

This is the goal--pretty jars of flavor-packed pickles.

This summer, when I'm in the making stages, I'll post Jean's recipe. For all other recipes I try, I plan to user her packing method, because she manages to keep them amazingly crisp--something that's really hard to do.

A little Web surfing led me to a few other really good looking recipes. The bread and butter pickles at Simply Recipes look very nice as do Arthur Schwartz's recipe for kosher dills on David Lebovitz's Website. I also encourage readers of this blog to share good pickle recipes. Dilly beans and okra pickles are also in my pickling plans, so fire away.

Anderson's, America's Best Plant Finder

2010-01-13T20:40:00Z

Serious plant collectors and gardeners are always seeking out specific plants. This can be a time-consuming, sometimes difficult task using standard search engines. That's where plant finders come in handy. And surprisingly, the best plant finder in the US is largely unknown to most gardeners, expert or novice. Once called Anderson's Plant Finder, The University of Minnesota's Plant Information Online database helps users find any plant they are looking for nationwide. It contains small and large vendors and provides location information and URLs where applicable.

Anderson's has been invaluable for my plant search needs ever since I first learned about it over a decade ago. Users can search for material by nursery or plant. It's also possible to search for articles and images of specific plants. Most recently I was having trouble finding seed for the native gray goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis). Anderson's gave me exactly what I was looking for in seconds. No other database can do that with such efficacy.

The University of Minnesota's Plant Information Online database is very easy to search and yields excellent results.

Lots of superb plant databases, like Anderson's, don't show up on Google, Bing or Yahoo search engine results because of the way the data is stored. Search engine bots can't pick up embedded data, however vast, so many stellar gardening databases go largely unnoticed unless mentioned or promoted on gardening blogs or bot-searchable Websites.

If you're a big plant geek that's always searching for specifics, check this plant finder out.

Beautifully Boring Marigolds

2010-01-12T21:52:00Z

Nothing is more generic and dull than your average marigold, but on the flip side, few bedding plants are as easy, versatile and consistently pretty.The garden flower snob in me wants to sweep marigold plants away in place of other more exciting annuals, but inevitably I buy some each year to throw in the vegetable garden or stick here and there. Summer would not be summer without them.

There are three key places I plant marigolds.

1. around my veggie patch, because they are said to repel insects even though research says otherwise

2. blazing hot spots along my drive, because these Mexican natives thrive in heat

3. my daughter's garden, because she has to work to kill them, they smell kinda funky and she likes bright colors

There are three main types planted: tall or American marigolds (Tagetes erecta), French marigolds (Tagetes patula) and Mexican marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia). The latter is the prettiest with its fine, feather foliage and prolific small flowers, but it's also the most short-lived. French marigolds produce medium to small flowers, are shorter, bushier and found in every garden center in the universe, and American marigolds are the big ones with the huge frilly puff flowers. As an aside, some taxonomists prefer to refer to these as hybrid groups rather than species.

Last year I planted these cheerfully boring selections:

Tagetes erecta 'Inca Yellow'

Tagetes patula 'Bonanza Flame' (it looks like almost every other orangish red double French marigold to me)

Tagetes erecta...this may be 'Disco Orange.' I'm not sure.

This year I've ordered seed for lots of ivory-flowered Tagetes erecta cultivars destined for my veggie garden and went a little overboard. My goal is to find the best "white" out there (all are actually cream or ivory). Reportedly, some develop a dirty look with age while others don't. Burpee has the best whites because they spearheaded a search for a true white marigold back in 1954. The result was the ivory-flowered 'Snowball', which was bred and selected by Iowa gardener Alice Vonk in 1975. Alice won $10,000 and Burpee had dibs on the marigold.

Burpee's 'Snowball' is sure to be a winner with its large, dense blooms as is their other popular variety, 'Snowdrift', which boasts larger, looser flowers. Burpee also offers the stouter, large-flowered, 'French Vanilla.' Another fine white offered by Baker's Creek is the tall 'Kilimanjaro White', which has loose, less formal looking double flowers and Park's Seed offers my last selection, 'Inca Primrose.' Its palest yellow flowers are often planted along Longwood Garden's brick walk and always looks stellar.

All this this marigold-themed typing has made me tired and left me dreaming of summer. Excuse me while I let loose with one big, sunny marigold yawn.

Good Green Beans

2010-01-09T14:06:00Z

Whether bush or pole, beans are the bread and butter of a good vegetable garden. Their flavorful pods are rich in protein and the plants are the most enriching rotation vegetable because they fortify the soil with nitrogen. I always follow nutritionally needy crops, such as tomatoes, potatoes and peppers, with a replenishing crop of these legumes, and each year I try new varieties in search of an even better bean.

Beyond American standbys, like 'Blue Lake' bush beans and 'Kentucky Wonder' pole beans, there are heirloom cultivars and European favorites galore. Through trial and error me and my gardening friends have fixed on less commonplace varieties we like best.

Pole beans require a little more work because they must be trellised, but they are often more productive. The wonderful pole Hericot vert or filet beans, Émérite, produces lots of slender, crisp beans that can be harvested in the baby stage or mature (7"). Either way, they are not stringy and when roasted with butter and herbs they almost develop a meaty taste. As an added benefit, its pretty leguminous blooms are pink. My good friend Jean introduced me to this cultivar which she purchases through John Scheeper's Kitchen Garden Seeds.

The beautiful, slender filet beans of 'Emerite' are tender and flavorful.

Offered by Franchi Sementi, the unusual curved bush bean, 'Green Anellino' (sometimes sold as 'Anelino Verde'), originate from northern Italy. They are best picked when young and crisp and have the deep, beany flavor of a larger, meatier Romano type. The plants are highly productive too.

The unusual short, curved beans of 'Green Anellino' are also visually appealing on the plate.

The mild, buttery flavor of wax beans have always been my favorite and for me the slender filet-type wax beans outbeat the beefy standards. An exceptional golden filet is, 'Soleil Filet' (translates to "sun filet"). Offered by seed companies like Territorial and Vermont Bean Seed Company, its super straight, slender beans add exceptional color, texture and taste to summer bean salads.

'Soleil Filet' produces slender, pale yellow beans that are best picked young and tender.

I can't get enough of this Romano-type broadbean. 'Super Marconi' has rich flavor, lots of subtance and is stringless if the beans are picked fresh and moderately young. The vines are prolific so expect big harvests. I get the seed from Franchi Sementi.

Can't beat the plump, meaty beans of 'Super Marconi!'

Some beans I grow for show. Even though you can eat the beans, its the bright red flowers of scarlet runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus) that keep me growing it each year.

I didn't use BT on my scarlet runner beans, hence the Mexican bean beetle damage (don't know what a Mexican Bean beetle is? You will if you start to grow beans. To learn more go to Cornell's Insect Diagnostic Page.)

2010 Vegetable Picks (Plus Two Strawberries)

2010-01-01T13:53:00Z

More seed catalogs reached my door this year than ever before: Baker Creek, Cook's Garden, Jung's, John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds, Territorial Seed Company, Seed Savers, Johnny's Selected Seeds and Pinetree Garden Seeds. There are also a few retailers I buy from strictly online, Fedco , Franchi Sementi, and Tomato Growers Supply Company being my favorites. Either way, the offerings were outstanding, which means I probably bought more seed than I can grow. Here are a few picks with promise:

Fedco seeds offers an exciting new kale for 2010, 'Rainbow Lacinato.' Bred by Frank Morton of Wild Garden Seed, this cross between 'Lacinato' and 'Redbor' is said to have the habit and blue-green leaf color of dinosaur ('Lacinato') kale with curly edges and purplish red cast of 'Redbor.' I plan to plant it in my flower and vegetable gardens.

Imagine this beautiful blue 'Lacinato' kale crossed with the curly, red-hued 'Redbor.' I can't wait to to grow 'Rainbow Lacinato'!

The mild, flavorful Swiss chard, 'Argentata', is another appealing Fedco offering. They claim its crisp, white ribs lack the strong, bitter flavor of other chards.

The interesting woodcuts and recipes of the old Cook's Garden catalogs are something I sorely miss. I also find their seeds ridiculously expensive (compare Fedco's $1.40 per packet average to Cook's way inflated $3.50 average). Still, they occasionally offer something special I cannot help but buy. This year I was drawn t their kohlrabi 'Gigante', which is supposed to develop 25 to 35 pound bulbs. I'll be trying it in fall.

Somehow I couldn't resist Pinetree Garden Seed's 'Yellow Wonder' strawberry. They claim it's sweeter than standard reds. Birds are attracted to red too, so they are less apt to eat the yellow fruits. Strawberries from seed usually take a couple of years before they produce, so I doubt I'll see fruit this year, which is why I decided to purchase plants for Jung's new strawberry, 'Seascape.' They advertise this everbearer as tasty, prolific, highly disease resistant and adaptable.

I can't say enough about the quality and quantity of Franchi Sementi's seeds and veggies. All the veggies they sell are exceptional, but I'm most drawn to their superior Italian tomatoes. I always grow 'Franchi's Italian Pear' tomato, but this year I also ordered the jumbo plum tomato, 'San Marzano Redorta.' They claim it's as good for fresh eating as it is for sauce.

Last year I used this picture to illustrate the look of poor and crummy tomatoes. To the left is a nasty store bought plum, in the center a decent garden grown red called 'Amelia' and the crème de la crème of tomatoes, 'Franchi's Italian Pear.' I hope 'San Marzano Redorta'' is as good.

My husband and I buy packs of heirloom cherry tomatoes at Trader Joe's and agree we like the dark purple ones the best. This influenced this year's cherry tomato choice. Johnny's Selected Seeds' new cherry tomato, 'Black Cherry', looks just like the plump sweeties offered by TJ's. I can only hope they're as flavorful and long keeping.

Two ugly but tasty melons will find space in my garden this year. Somehow rustic, ugly fruit that's truly delicious appeals to me. Weird huh? The first is the bulbous French heirloom 'Prescott Fond Blanc', which is offered by the ever-interesting Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Its flat, deeply lobed fruits are tan and warty but the flesh is advertised as fragrant, sweet and salmon-orange. The second anomalous melon is a Franchi Sementi Italian heirloom that's simply called, 'Zatta.' Its lobed, round fruits are covered with ugly greenish yellow scales but the orange fruit inside is touted as juicy and sweet. They say Italians call it "bruto ma buono" or "ugly but good."

Some winter greens are quite cold hardy and the large-leaved Italian heirloom spinach, 'Gigante d’Inverno', is said to be prolific and exceedingly cold hardy. Both John Scheepers and Franchi Sementi carry it. Another favorite green for the beginning of the growing season is arugula. The short, deeply lobed cultivar, 'Sylvetta', is heralded for its hardiness, heat resistance and pleasing, almost wild flavor. I bought my seed from Seed Savers though it is also carried by Franchi Sementi.

Golden beets and mild, delicious and don't stain like the purple varieties. The round, sweet golden beet 'Touchstone Gold' offered by Johnny's Selected Seeds looks like a real winner. Good seed germination and high performance are sure to mean good yields.

Gold beets offer all the flavor without the messy color of standard beets.

I always make space for pumpkins and winter squash. Pie and Jack-o-Lanterns are what my pumpkins are destined to be, so I'm eager to grow the beautiful heirloom pie pumpkin offered by Baker Creek, 'Winter Luxury.' It's uniformly round, golden fruits have delicate netting across their surface and sweet, dense flesh perfect for pies. Another I'd choose if I had space is Territorial Seed Company's massive giant pumpkin, 'Wyatts Wonder.' And, even though I probably lack the space, I could not resist Fedco's spaghetti squash, 'Squisito' (means "yummy" in Italian). They claim it's a spaghetti squash so good everyone will like it.

Granted, these are only some of my choices for this year, but they're the ones I'm most excited about. The first two orders that came in were from Baker Creek and Franchi Sementi; it only took four days. Baker Creek went so far as to give me free seed for a great lookling heirloom tomato and hand signed the order. How's that for customer service?

2009 Vegetable Winners

2009-12-31T13:38:00Z

There are a few veggie standbys I make space for in my garden each year: Lacinato Kale, Tromba D'Albenga Squash, Verte A Carde Blanche Swiss Chard , and Franchi Sementi's Red Pear Tomato. All are delicious, easy and exceptional. But the real fun is choosing and testing new varieties.

The star winners from 2009's garden were the Gold Medal Tomato (Baker's Creek Heirloom Seeds), Super Marconi Pole Bean (Franchi Sementi), Giant Aconcagua Pepper (Tomato Growers Supply Company), Sweet Cayenne Pepper (Tomato Growers Supply Company), Machiaw Eggplant (Johnny's Selected Seeds) and Baby Bear Pumpkin (Johnny's Selected Seeds).

Early and late blight were the bane of eastern tomato growers in 2009. The unusually cool, moist weather encouraged the fungal diseases and weakened most tomato plants, but 'Gold Medal' proved to be remarkably resistant and continued to produce when the five other varieties I grew succumbed ('Aunt Ruby's German Green', 'Speckled Roman', 'Amelia', 'Paul Robeson', and 'Dr. Wyche's Yellow'). Moreover, this large slicing tomato had excellent flavor and fruit density. Its slightly tart, wonderfully sweet fruits were delectable. We ate them for weeks with just a little extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkling of good vinegar, salt and cracked pepper.

The massive gold fruits of 'Gold Medal' are streaked with red. They are highly disease resistant as well as delicious.

Broad pole beans are more popular in European gardens than American. I first ate them in Germany when my father-in-law bought them at a local farmer's market. Their huge size made me think they'd be tough and stringy, but boy was I wrong. The large, broad beans had superb flavor, great meaty texture and absolutely no strings. Franchi Sementi's Super Marconi pole bean is the only cultivar I've found that's just like these beans. The vines are high performing and yielding and the beans perfect! I grew both a summer and fall crop with comparable success.

Fresh Super Marconi pole beans are some of the best you will eat.

Green peppers are not my favorite, but I enjoyed eating the tangy immature fruits of the 'Giant Aconcagua.' As advertised, these giant peppers were crunchy and sweet when green and even nicer when they matured to red. They were huge, maturing to between eight and 12 inches, and very easy to grow. One caveat is they must be staked. I forgot to stake two, and they fell over like dominos during the first heavy storm of the season.

The unusual pepper, 'Sweet Cayenne', was also a flavorful high producer. Its slightly spicy fruits were unusually long and matured to deepest red. I added lots to my homemade salsa. They added wonderful flavor without all the heat. Renee's mild habanero peppers were also interesting, flavorful and prolific. They had heat but not so much you wanted to pull your head off.

The long, zesty fruits of 'Sweet Cayenne' had only a little heat and lots of flavor.

Mild habanero peppers are both pretty and flavorful. Mild is a relative term here; they still pack quite a bit of heat.

Granted, I hate to battle flea beetles, but I love eggplant. The super long, lavender, Asian type, 'Machiaw', had thin skin, sweet flesh and high yields. They were tender, perfect for stir fry and never tasted bitter. Early in the season the plants had a few potato beetles, but they disappeared after I picked them off over the course of a few days. Flea beetles were never a big problem, much to my surprise.

The perfect little pie pumpkins produced by 'Baby Bear' are easy to grow and much loved by children. My toddler carried them around and enjoyed watching them converted into pie. She'll be growing them again in her own garden plot this year.

On the flipside, some of the 2009 cultivars I grew last year were disappointing.

Despite its interesting flavor, the dark Russian tomato 'Paul Robeson' (Baker's Creek Heirloom Seeds) was the first to croak from blight. It had zero resistance. I only harvested a handful of fruits before the vines died. Consequently, I threw this one on the garbage heap, figuratively and literally.

Refrain from growing 'Paul Robeson' if tomato blight is a problem in your area. It is highly susceptible.

Though high-yielding and insect and disease resistant, the summer squash 'Lemon' (Baker's Creek Heirloom Seeds) had to be harvested as tiny baby squash or the skin was too thick and tough (nothing is nastier than tough skinned summer squash). I like to have the option of harvesting my squash a little bigger, so I won't grow this again. Burpee's standard pattypan, 'Sunburst', is far superior in texture.

This three by three inch Lemon squash already had skin too thick for good eating.

Almost all my seed catalogs are in. I can't wait to choose this year's test lot.

Seedheads in the Winter Garden

2009-12-30T18:59:00Z

The quiet repose of the winter garden has always appealed to me. By January, the holly, viburnum and other berried shrubs and trees lose their berry show due to fruit desiccation and predation by birds and small mammals, but most of the pretty dry seedheads of grasses and perennial flowers remain in tact. A sprinkling of snow makes them look even more soft and ethereal.

Light snow caps the seedheads of orange coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida var. speciosa).

Canadian goldenrod develops a fluffy appearance by midwinter.

It's wise to selectively refrain from cutting back summer seeds and stalks during fall cleanup. Common garden plants like black-eyed susans (Rudbeckia) and coneflowers (Echinacea) look great in winter and their seeds feed birds. The plush, billowy seedheads of goldenrods (Solidago) are also keepers, if you don't mind a few volunteers (the same goes for most Rudbeckia and Echinacea). Spring volunteers are easy to weed out or dig and give to friends, so it's nothing to fear. Large orpine (Sedum telephium ssp. maximum) is one of my favorites for summer and winter interest. It's dried heads appear on very strong, upright stems that withstand the worst harsh winter weather, unlike many other tall, showy sedum.

The sturdy stems of large orpine hold broad, tawny seedheads that lend interesting texture and warm color to winter gardens.

The conical heads of Echinacea are pretty and the seed feeds winter birds, but the seeds that fall to the ground are sure to sprout.

Few gardeners keep their hosta stems up for show, but the dry, mature seedpods of these shade-loving plants are quite pretty when they open. The long, tall stems of Hosta plantaginea seedheads make them particularly ideal for winter interest. Another shade plant with complimentary seeds is Anemone japonica. Its branches of white button heads become fluffy as they age.

Mature hosta seeds are surprisingly pretty.

The fluffy white seeds of Anemone japonica begin to shatter and float away by January.

Winter grasses are even better for winter interest and compliment the winter pretty the forbs listed above. Time to go out and shoot a few.

Three A+ Agastaches

2009-12-08T19:43:00Z

Tough but beautiful plants are the mainstay of my summer beds. It can be a challenge to find garden flowers that are consistently floriferous and colorful while also drought tolerant and relatively self-sustaining, which is why I love agastaches. Commonly called hyssops or hummingbird mints, agastaches are wonderfully resilient short-live perennials that are highly attractive to hummingbirds. What's more, they are members of the mint family, so their foliage is pleasingly fragrant.

Some of the better hybrids and species of Agastache are North American and Mexican in origin. My favorite species is Agastache rupestris, or sunset hyssop. Even though its native to southern Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico it still overwinters beautifully in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic if grown in sharply drained soil. Mature specimens are two to three feet in height and develop a bushy habit. They have fine, silvery green foliage with a sweet minty fragrance and their summer flowers are small, tubular and orange with dusty mauve calyces. Lovely!

Fine, silvery green foliage adds a soft backdrop to the creamsicle orange and mauve blooms of sunset hyssop.

The hybrid Agastache 'Summer Glow' is another winner. Its numerous pale apricot flowers are rosy lavender at the base and bloom from early summer to fall. Their subtle color blends well with cool colored garden ornamentals, like Salvia nemorosa or Nepeta cultivars. Hummingbirds are sure to visit your garden if you plant 'Summer Glow.'

The delicate color of Agastache 'Summer Glow' combines well with the cool blue blooms of Agastache 'Blue Fortune.'

There are a number of hot pink-flowered hyssops. One of the best for consistent summer color is the hybrid, 'Tutti-frutti.' Its tall floral spires of bright rosy pink keep blooming through the worst of the summer heat. Pair them with other colorful, heat lovers like Lantana camara and Pentas lanceolata.

The vibrant 'Tutti-frutti' lends bright color to mixed borders.

Put one of these beauties on your list of summer flowers to try in 2010. You won't be disappointed.

Brandywine Gardens at Christmas: Longwood Gardens

2009-12-02T13:40:00Z

The Brandywine River Valley is a public garden hot spot. Some of the best display gardens and arboreta in the country exist in this small region of southern Chester County, Pennsylvania and northern Delaware and many have destination worthy holiday attractions. Some of the best known for their Christmas festivities are Longwood Gardens, Winterthur, Rockwood Gardens, The Tyler Arboretum and The University of Pennsylvania's Morris Arboretum. My goal this December is to take my daughter to as many of these displays as possible, so after Thanksgiving we started with the best, Longwood Gardens.

At Christmas, it's best to arrive at Longwood before the sun goes down. After dark the crowds, indoors and out, are huge.

If only I'd had my tripod.

Generations have enjoyed Christmas at Longwood. People come by the thousands to see the elaborate light shows, which include more than 500,000 indoor and outdoor lights, and floral spectaculars. Putting up half a million lights is no small task. Arborists, gardeners and interns begin preparing and placing the lights as early as summer. The lights come in all colors and extend to the highest treetops. Even the treehouses that dot the gardens are decorated.

The holiday conservatory displays are the most spectacular. Hundreds of diverse poinsettias, lilies, paperwhites, winterberries and other festive flowers fill the houses with color and scent. Each house has its own uniquely themed Christmas tree.

The floral carpet leading to the Christmas tree in the main ballroom is comprised of poinsettias, golden pinecones and potted greens.

The silver and gold Christmas tree in the East Conservatory sparkles behind a foreground of tropicals.

'Winter Gold' winterberry and warm amber poinsettias glow in the far corner of the Main Conservatory.

Another highlight of Longwood's Christmas is the school tree display. Select schools in the region are given trees to decorate, which are put on display in one of the smaller greenhouses. This year they were presented in the Fruit House alongside the espaliered peaches and apples. My daughter enjoyed this room most and asked to be lifted up to see the decorations on all the trees.

Pink cyclamen and fragrant sweet alyssum lined the floor of the school tree display.

My daughter enjoyed the school trees most of all.

All the ornaments on the school trees are hand made by students.

We bundled up before leaving the conservatories and heading back into the dark night. Heavy coats, hats and mittens are necessary to fully enjoy the lights. It's also wise to have blankets and snugglies for children in strollers. As we were leaving we admired the lit train display in front of the fountain area and marveled over the now fully visable lightshow. 2009's Christmas display is so good we will likely return before season's end.

Colorful lit trees created the backdrop for the outdoor drain display.

The moon shone through the tops of the colorful trees as we left the garden.

Garden Fresh Broccoli Raab in December

2009-12-01T18:29:00Z

The wild, bitter flavor of broccoli raab is even better when its harvested straight from the garden. In late August I planted ten plants that began to produce crisp, leafy flowerheads by October. Unlike my spring planting or broccoli raab, which bolted after only a month of production, these have continued to thrive and produce in the mild November, now December, weather. The chilly, mild temperatures have also yielded stalks with a sweeter, less bitter flavor.

Oddly enough, broccoli raab (Brassica rapa (Ruvo Group)) is more closely related to turnips than true broccoli (Brassica oleracea (Italica Group)), but like both relatives it thrives in cool weather. I'm sold on growing this easy garden vegetable in long, cool fall rather than spring. In Delaware, spring temperatures can heat up fast--not a good thing for bolters.

Today's harvest gave me just enough for a family sized dish of pasta. Maybe pasta with walnut sauce and broccoli raab (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/health/nutrition/29recipehealth.html)? Sounds good to me.