Guest guest Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 ----- Original Message ----- From: National Gardening Association The Queen of Edible Landscaping Ros Creasy has been one of the trendsetters in edible landscaping for more than 25 years. Her book The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping (Sierra Club Books, 1982) is still one of the bibles on the subject. Ros has been edible landscaping her suburban home in Los Altos, California, giving talks, and helping design edible landscapes for others for more than 25 years. She has seen trends come and go, and believes we are in the middle of a renewed interest in edible landscaping, and growing healthier, local foods. I've known Ros ... >>more Edible of the Month: Persimmon The botanical name for persimmons is Diospyros which, literally translates as "food of the Gods." Anyone who has tasted a ripe persimmon fruit knows exactly what these early horticulturists meant. Creamy, yellow-orange flesh has a sweet, spicy flavor and succulent... >>more Persimmon Ginger Pudding This dessert is a classic holiday dish in our family. It's similar to a plum pudding and we serve it with whipped cream, though hard sauce or vanilla ice cream is elegant.... >>more Protecting Fruiting Trees and Shrubs After a long season in the yard and garden, November is usually time to kick back and relax, unless you are in southern Florida, California or Texas, then you're gardening up a storm! For everyone else, there are a few more critical chores to do before you let old man winter really set in. Many of those fruit trees and edible shrubs that you planted this year ... >>more Send Your Ideas! Do you have any tips to share? Are there topics you'd like me to address?E-mail me at ediblelandscaping@... November 2007 E-Newsletter View newsletter online Sponsored by: E-mail your question and I'll choose two to answer in each newsletter. November Q and A Question: How do I keep the earwigs out of my peppers using organic methods? Every single one of my peppers this year has an earwig hole. Answer: Earwigs love shady, moist areas and will often hide under plants or in mulch in the garden. Generally they eat the organic matter on the soil surface, but if there are enough of them, earwigs will feed on plants such as your peppers. To reduce the number of earwigs in your garden next year, consider growing peppers in raised beds, and spacing the plants further apart. This will create fewer hiding places for these creatures. You can also make a safe bait by rolling up damp newspaper and placing it in the garden where the earwigs are present. They will be attracted to hide in the newspaper at night, and in the morning you can safely remove the paper--with the earwigs hiding inside--without ever having to touch them. Question: I'm starting to sell herbs at the local farmer's market. What is the right way to grow and harvest dill for the leaves and for seed? Answer: Dill grows best in full sun on well-drained soil. It doesn't transplant easily so sow seeds after danger of frost has passed, and continue sowing every few weeks until midsummer to have dill maturing throughout the summer and fall. When seedlings are two inches tall, thin to 10 inches apart in the row. Keep well watered and weeded. For the best flavor, harvest dill just before the umbrella-like flower clusters open. Only harvest as much as you'll need that day, since dill loses its flavor quickly. For seeds, cut the flower stalks before the seeds ripen and turn a tan color. Place a paper bag with a few holes poked for air circulation, over the seed heads. Hang the stalks upside down in a warm, well-ventilated room out of direct sunlight. As the seeds ripen, they will drop into the bag. To ensure our messages go straight to your inbox, add ediblelandscaping@... to your address book or safe list.If you can't read this newsletter, copy this URL and paste it into your browser: http://www.ngagardenshop.com/campaigns/show/4178 Contact NGA:1100 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT 05403802-863-5251 No virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.15.20/1107 - Release Date: 11/3/2007 11:22 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 1, 2007 Report Share Posted December 1, 2007 Edible Landscaping Growing Food Indoors Just because it's winter, doesn't mean you have to stop growing food. While it might be cold and blustery outside, there are a number of edible plants you can grow indoors. Some of my favorites are herbs. Growing herbs indoors successfully is all about selecting the right varieties and having the right conditions to grow them. You can go two ways with ... >>more Edible of the Month: Carrot Carrots are one of the best known root crops and a standard snack food, especially in fall and winter when other vegetables have long since gone. While we're all familiar with these orange roots, newer varieties are loaded with more healthful nutrients and feature unusual colors. The different colors are a throwback to the origins of the carrot. In their native Central Asia red, white, yellow, and purple carrots are more common than our... >>more Carrot-Ginger Soup I like using a sweet variety of carrot such as 'Touchon' in this soup, but any variety will work. The soup has a rich color and a fragrant bouquet of spices. The vanilla yogurt enhances the carrots' sweetness. Serve it hot or.... >>more Composting with Worms You've got to hand it to earthworms. Silently, without fanfare, they transform organic matter in your garden soil into nutrient-rich humus that plants can use. People typically think of earthworms as outdoor creatures, but you can actually raise them indoors, too, and use their castings to improve your soil indoors and out. Why bother? Because earthworm compost or "castings" contain five times more nitrogen, seven times more phosphorus, and 11 times more potassium than regular garden soil. The castings also.... >>more Send Your Ideas! Do you have any tips to share? Are there topics you'd like me to address?E-mail me at ediblelandscaping@... December 2007 E-Newsletter View newsletter online Sponsored by: E-mail your question and I'll choose two to answer in each newsletter. December Q and A Question: Recently I have seen elderberry shrubs planted here in Utah. Do they have fruits? Can I grow them? Answer: Yes, elderberries do produce clusters of small, black fruits that are excellent for making juice, jams, pies, and wine. They will grow in parts of Utah. Here are some elderberry growing basics. The species of elderberry most likely seen in the wild in Utah is Sambucus glauca or the blue elderberry. Varieties of Sambucus nigra are found commonly in nurseries and garden centers. Most are small, shrubby, multi-branched plants, but some, grown along streambeds and in ravines, can reach 30 feet tall. The shrubs produce dense clusters of white flowers that can be used to make an excellent champagne or to draw a soothing bath. The seedy black fruits are popular with wildlife such as birds and deer. Plant elderberries in full sun, in moist, well-drained soil. Apply compost annually and water frequently during droughts. Protect the shrubs from browsing deer and elk and you'll be rewarded with abundant berries each ye ar. Question: I live in Georgia where the dirt is hard clay. What's the best way to grow edible plants in this soil? Answer: Clay soil is both a curse and a blessing. It is hard to work— muddy when wet and like concrete when dried out. It warms up and dries out slowly in spring. Plant roots really have to work to grow in clay. However, on the plus side, clay soil is loaded with nutrients and holds water well. Once established, plants thrive in it. The key to working with clay soil is to add organic matter in the form of compost, manure, dried leaves, grass clippings, hay, straw, or whatever is available. Add materials in their raw form in fall so they can decompose over the winter. In spring add finished compost or composted manure before planting. . If you don't have the time and energy to keep amending the soil, consider building permanent raised beds and buying topsoil and compost to fill them. That way you avoid having to work with clay soil all together. To ensure our messages go straight to your inbox, add ediblelandscaping@... to your address book or safe list.If you can't read this newsletter, copy this URL and paste it into your browser: http://www.ngagardenshop.com/campaigns/show/4271 Contact NGA:1100 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT 05403802-863-5251 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 30, 2008 Report Share Posted April 30, 2008 Edible Landscaping Pruning Brambles There's been a recent surge of interest in growing small fruits in the landscape. That's a good thing because many small fruits, such as blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries, are not only delicious harvested fresh from the garden, they are also easy to grow. Plus, these fruits work well in the landscape — you can create an edible fence with brambles, use blueberries as foundation plants, grow a strawberry ground cover, and adorn a trellis with grapes.... >>more Edible of the Month: Strawberry Strawberries are one of the first fruits to mature in spring and one of the easiest to grow. While most varieties produce the second year after planting, day neutral varieties will produce a fall crop from a spring planting. Strawberry plants are small enough to fit in their own bed or among other flowers and... >>more Quintessential Rhubarb I first met rhubarb at my grandmother's table, served as a sweet-tart sauce over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. In her elegant dining room the table was set with a burgundy satin tablecloth and cut crystal ice cream bowls. Dessert arrived on a silver tray. Like many things both culinary and cultivated, my grandmother had... >>more Rhubarb Strudel One of my favorite ways to serve rhubarb is this strudel, made with chopped fresh rhubarb folded into a batter and topped with oats... >>more Send Your Ideas! Do you have any tips to share? Are there topics you'd like me to address?E-mail me at ediblelandscaping@... May 2008 E-Newsletter View newsletter online E-mail your question and I'll choose two to answer in each newsletter. May Q and A Question: What is the best way to convert part of my large lawn into an edible garden? Answer: Congratulations on wanting a garden instead of a lawn. Although lawns have their place in a yard, edible gardens provide both beauty and food. While the quickest way to convert the lawn into an edible garden is to dig up the sod and replace it with fertile topsoil and compost, a better long-term solution is to use sheet mulching. Sheet mulching takes longer than stripping off sod, but doesn't require that back breaking work of digging and hauling. It also composts the dead grass in place. While it's best done the fall before planting, you can still do it now and plant later in summer. Simply place a layer of black-and-white newspaper four sheets thick over the lawn area. Wet the pages as you lay them so they don't blow away. Cover the newspaper with a 4- to 6-inch-thick layer of hay or straw. Cover that with a 2-inch layer of compost. Then let it sit as is for a few months. The mulch will kill the lawn, the earthworms will start munching on the newspaper, and the whole area will be on its way to becoming a fertile garden without you having to pick up a shovel. To plant, simply dig holes in the mulch and plant transplants. For seeds, build raised beds with compost on top of the mulch and sow. By the time the plants get growing, the mulch will be on its way to decomposing. Question: I'm in Tennessee and I've grown cucumbers before with good success. Last year, however, my cukes started out great then yellowed, wilted, and died. What happened and how can I avoid it this year? Answer: It sounds like your cucumbers had a bacterial blight disease. This disease attacks mostly cucumbers and melons, causing the leaves to yellow and the plant to die prematurely. A telltale sign of bacterial wilt disease is the white, sticky juice you find inside the infected cucumber stem when you cut it open. It's commonly spread by the feeding of cucumber beetles. To control this disease, plant blight-resistant varieties and control the cucumber beetle. Simple cucumber beetle controls include not planting cucumbers in the same area each year, cleaning up crop debris well before planting, and placing a floating row cover over the crop before flowers form. After flowers open, remove the row cover so bees can pollinate the flowers. Spray plants with pyrethrum to keep cucumber beetle adults from spreading the disease. To ensure our messages go straight to your inbox, add ediblelandscaping@... to your address book or safe list.If you can't read this newsletter, copy this URL and paste it into your browser: http://www.ngagardenshop.com/campaigns/show/4523 Contact NGA:1100 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT 05403802-863-5251 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 Edible Landscaping Edible of the Month: Tomato Tomatoes are the most popular vegetable grown by American gardeners for good reason. There is nothing like munching on a juicy, sun-warmed, vine-ripened tomato picked fresh off the plant. Whether you like tomatoes fresh, dried, grilled, juiced, or frozen, fresh-picked tomatoes are tangier and sweeter than their supermarket counterparts.... >>more Much Ado About Mulch If there is one technique that will make your gardening easier this summer it is proper mulching. Whether it's mulching the vegetable garden, around fruit trees, amongst berry bushes, or in the herb garden, the right mulch will reduce weed growth, conserve soil moisture, make the garden look beautiful, and increase yields. The question is which mulch to use for each plant. Here's my rundown of various mulches and how to use them in your edible landscape to make it more beautiful and productive.... >>more Scalloped Tomatoes If you have lots of extra tomatoes there are many recipes that will help deplete the reserves. This one features tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cheese. I also toss in a little fresh basil, too. Just bake and enjoy.... >>more Send Your Ideas! Do you have any tips to share? Are there topics you'd like me to address?E-mail me at ediblelandscaping@... June 2008 E-Newsletter June Q & A Question: In July each year a yellow insect eats my bush bean leaves. My neighbor says they are Mexican bean beetles. What can I do about them? Answer: The Mexican bean beetle is one of the few harmful members of the lady beetle family. The adults overwinter in plant debris and hedgerows. They look like lady beetles, but have copper-colored shells and eight black dots on their backs. In spring they emerge and begin feeding at the same time your bean seedlings are sprouting. The beetles lay eggs on the undersides of the leaves and the yellow larvae that hatch continue feeding, doing most of the damage. To control Mexican bean beetles, clean up crop debris in autumn to eliminate overwintering sites for the beetles. Grow quick-maturing varieties that you can harvest before the bean beetle population swells by midsummer. Lay a floating row cover, such as Reemay, over the garden bed after planting your bean seeds. Since beans don't need bees to pollinate their flowers you can leave the row covers on all summer. For severe infestations try organic sprays such as spinosad and neem oil. Question: I recently removed the foundation plants along the front and side of my house and want to replace them with fruiting shrubs. The area gets full sun most of the day. I don't want anything that gets too "wild." I'm in Virginia and new to edible landscaping. Can you suggest some plants? Answer: Congratulations on going edible! Since you get full sun in your yard you have many options for shrubs. The first task is to map out the major house features, such as doors and windows. Measure their dimensions and how far off the ground they are. That will help you choose a shrub to fit in each location. The second task is a fun one. Start browsing catalogs, Web sites, and local nurseries. Examples of some "well-behaved" edible shrubs are blueberries, gooseberries, currants, filberts, American cranberry viburnum, and Nanking cherry. Look at the mature height and width of each and decide which best fits the location and your taste. A small fruiting tree or two might work, too. Consider dwarf cherries, weeping mulberry, and elderberry. How about a fig tree! If you want a hedge along the side yard consider black raspberries. These grow from a clump form and are less likely to spread and become "wild" like red raspberries or blackberries. To ensure our messages go straight to your inbox, add ediblelandscaping@... to your address book or safe list.If you can't read this newsletter, copy this URL and paste it into your browser: http://www.ngagardenshop.com/campaigns/show/4587 Contact NGA:1100 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT 05403802-863-5251 If you would like to change your e-mail settings, follow the link below:http://garden.garden.org/subscriptions/manage.php?r=9100_91ea847d3d150ac2405d1b36f3c50dd2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 27, 2008 Report Share Posted September 27, 2008 Edible Landscaping If this message is not displaying properly, click here to launch your browser. Season Extenders There's a chill in the air and the garden is slowing down. While fall usually signals the time to pull annual plants and cut back perennials, it's also a time when, with a little effort, you can take steps to extend your growing season ... more >> Edible of the Month: Pumpkins No other vegetable says "fall" like the pumpkin. This Native American fruit can range in size from a few ounces to more than 1000 pounds, depending on the variety ... more >> I'm Nuts over Nuts Nuts are one of those edible crops that people rarely plant because nuts are so widely available in grocery stores. However, nuts can be a great addition to your edible landscape. Some nut trees, such as pecans ... more >> Best-Ever Pumpkin Pie There's nothing like the smell and taste of a fresh pumpkin pie hot out of the oven. It is the quintessential autumn comfort food. Here's a classic, easy-to-make recipe that features earthy spices and not too much sugar ... more >> Send Your Ideas! Do you have any tips to share? Are there topics you'd like me to address? E-mail me at ediblelandscaping@... October 2008 E-Newsletter View newsletter online E-mail your question and I'll choose two to answer in each newsletter. October Q & A Question: How do I save the seeds from some of my bean plants and store them over the winter to plant next year? Answer: It's relatively easy to save seeds of legumes, such as peas and beans, as long as they are open-pollinated (non-hybrid) varieties. Beans rarely cross-pollinate with other beans, so the seeds you collect will probably come true-to-type next year. Select the healthiest bean pods from the healthiest plants. Let the pods dry on the plant, and brown well beyond the fresh-eating stage. This allows the bean seed inside to mature. When the bean pod is fully dry and begins to split open (or before a frost), harvest the beans and bring them into a dry, well-ventilated room. For small numbers of pods, remove the seeds by hand. For large numbers of pods, place the pods in a burlap sack and whack the sack with a stick until the seeds are removed from the pods. Separate the seed from the chaff and store the beans in a glass jar in a cool, dark place. Question: My husband and I recently purchased a home in Vermont with a row of hazelbert shrubs out front. Can you tell me how I should harvest and store the nuts? Answer: First, you'll probably have to fight the squirrels over the nuts. They love eating hazelberts. I'd suggest placing some netting over the shrubs as the nuts begin to ripen. Harvest nuts when they yield to being gently tugged by hand. Dry the nuts on a screen in a warm, well-ventilated area for 2 to 4 days. Shell the nuts with a mechanical sheller or nutcracker. As they dry, the nutmeat becomes firm and cream-colored. The nuts can be stored in the freezer in bags. They will maintain their quality for up to one year. You can roast dried hazelberts to bring out their flavor. Roast in a shallow pan in a 275-degree F. oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until the skin cracks. Roasted nuts only last a few months in storage so roast them in batches as you need them. National Gardening Association: 1100 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT 05403 802-863-5251 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.