The Frugal Gardener

Stroll In My Garden

The garden in May is a good place to be. Come take a stroll and see what I have going on! As the Old Spanish Proverb says, “More grows in the garden than the gardener sows.”  

Serendipity in life and in the garden is a thrill. My pincushion flowers weaved in the baby blanket pink rose, and my purple Peruvian lilies. 

I am growing more vegetables, like most gardeners in America, and love to mix them with my flowers.I prefer this look rather than stiff rows of veggies- also I have limited space, so this method allows me loads of flowers and vegetables. The Farewell-To-Spring (Godetia ) in hot pink looks nice by my Bright Lights Kale!  

I save more space by going vertical. Hanging baskets can need lots of water, but not if you fill them with succulents.  

This is a favorite fancy leaved geranium named for San Diego plants-man 'Geranium George" Marston. The leaves offer color all year and it blooms all spring and summer.

Who doesn't adore foxgloves? I have several every year- this particular year they are blooming late and for a long time, because we have had such a nice cool spring.

Borage is a wonderful herb, it draws bees, and nods with star-shaped true blue flowers. The flowers taste like cucumber, and they look lovely scattered over fresh fruit. I also float them in wine.

Even water drops seem to glow on poppy leaves in the spring.

 

My butterfly Iris also sparkles with water drops. It blooms on the north side of my house, and I love the way it's foliage is spiky, and the flowers seem to float.

My new climbing rose 'Collette' is covered with flowers and after two years it has topped the arbor like a flowery crown.

My pineapple mint is the best- it has a hint of citrus mixed with pineapple and mint. So good in ice tea, and in the garden it is not a thug like most mints, instead it delicately crawls.

Enjoy everything this fleeting, glorious time of year has to offer. I plan on eating in the garden tonight. Wishing you spring breezes and flowers...

The Latest on Tomatoes

    Tomatoes do not need reinventing because the homegrown version is always delicious.  But, it is fun to grow new varieties that you cannot find in a grocery store.  This year there are plenty of unusual, mouth-watering, new tomatoes to try.  Have you ever seen a white or a purple tomato?  Just imagine making white tomato salsa, or savoring an open-faced sandwich with slices of an orange tomato.
    First, a quick, nutshell version of tomato care, in case this is your first year growing them.  Then, we will delve into savory descriptions of new tomatoes to try.  All tomatoes are warm weather lovers, so wait to plant them until the soil has begun to warm, usually by late April or early May.  Truthfully, tomatoes set out too early won’t fruit any sooner than the ones set out later.  Besides, tomatoes get off to a better start when conditions warm because they are less vulnerable to pests and diseases.     While tomatoes don't have human-like innards as portrayed in this vintage drawing- they do have specific requirements for optimal health. Place tomatoes where they get as much sun as possible, no less than five hours per day.  Then, prepare the soil by digging deeply and mixing in plenty of organic compost.  Plant transplants down far enough to encourage rooting along the stem.  Pinch off any flowers as you plant, so the tomato gets established before producing fruit.  Water well, so the soil stays moist while the roots get established.  Don’t let tomato plants ever dry completely, because this causes the flowers to drop off.

    Now, it is time to discover new tomatoes.  The top on my list this year is Snowberry.  This cherry tomato is yellow outside and white inside.  Furthermore, it produces loads of little fruit for many weeks.  Snowberry is indeterminate in growth.

Photo provided by www.parkseeds.com

    So why do you need to know if your tomato is indeterminate, or determinate?  Because tomatoes come in two basic growing styles no matter what the size or color their fruit; indeterminate types tend sprawl, almost like a vine and they set fruit continually until it becomes too cold. On the other hand, determinate tomatoes grow like a bush to a genetically preset size, and they produce fruit all at one time, and then die.  So, this means you need to stake or cage sprawling, indeterminate tomatoes, and don’t be surprised when the bush-like, determinate tomatoes die after producing a large batch of fruit.

    The next novel tomato is an orange, and determinate tomato called Amana.  It was discovered in the Amana Colonies in Iowa.  Believe it or not, orange tomatoes have been around for along time.  Lately, such heirlooms are popular for outstanding flavor and unusual colors.  Expect to harvest, large, bright tomatoes that weigh as much as two pounds.  Curiously, the flesh of this tomato tastes a little like tropical fruit.  Moreover, this tomato grows into a neat clump and does not need staking.

The Cherokee Indians also grew a unique tomato, Cherokee purple, more than one hundred years ago.  With a unique, dusky, purple color, and a rich, smoky taste, it is no surprise that this old-fashioned tomato is the latest thing.  This heirloom, indeterminate tomato (remember it will need staking) has large fruit, perfect for slicing and showing off its deep color.

Black pearl is another extrodinary tomato with a purple hue, but it is a cherry tomato.  When this tiny fruit is chilled, they taste like grapes.  But, if eaten at room temperature, the taste is like a regular, cherry tomato.  This is an indeterminate tomato, and it produces fruit all summer.

    Banana legs tomatoes almost does not look like tomato plant at first glance.  The leaves are thin, and lacy.  It’s produces clusters of yellow tomatoes are sort of shaped like bananas.  This determinate tomato has few seeds, and a firm texture, making it ideal for spectacular yellow sauces.

Most of these uncommon tomatoes are only found in catalogues or through the Internet.   In addition, in many parts of the country you must buy these tomatoes as seeds, because of agricultural shipping laws.  However, there are still plenty of warm days and weeks this year, and soon you will be enjoying a rainbow of tomatoes.  Heat up your summer with a cool collection of tomatoes.

Make a Sweet Heart!

This is one of my favorite desserts to make at this time of year. Enjoy, and Happy Valentines Day!

Hearts of Cream or Coeur A La Creme

 This is a lovely, classic dessert, and one that takes very little attention or work.
 Ingredients:
1 pound cream cheese
2 cups low-fat plain yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
Preparation
1. Spoon yogurt in a fine-mesh strainer lined with a thick paper towel or cheesecloth. Place the strainer over a bowl. The liquid in the yogurt drains out. In about eight hours, the yogurt becomes thick and cheese-like.

2. Use a fork or blender to cream together the cream cheese, thickened yogurt, vanilla, and half the sugar. (If you use a blender and the mixture is too thick, add a little heavy cream or milk.) The blended mixture should be smooth. 

3. Line a heat shaped dish with cheesecloth. On top of the cheesecloth arrange, face done, edible flowers. (you can use small heart-shaped ramekins, or one large heart) Let the mixture set in the refrigerator for several hours. 

4. Then, turn dish upside down on a platter and gently tug on cheesecloth to release dessert. You can garnish platter with more edible flowers, raspberry sauce, or diced strawberries. 



The finished dessert tastes as good as it looks!

Plant Love

    Instead of giving your sweetheart a fleeting Valentine's gift, like chocolates, give them a present that lasts and thrills.  Indulge your sentimental side by picking a plant with an amorous association.  For example,  you may choose gardenias because they were in your wife’s bridal bouquet, or pick out a rose named for where you spent a favorite vacation.  Get bonus love points for taking the time to find such a meaningful, and lasting gift.  Add some plants with enchanted names and nostalgic connections every year, and soon your garden will be filled with love.

    Nothing is as romantic as April in Paris, except maybe ruffled and fragrant sweet peas.  This flowers is a lover’s delight.  Look for one named April in Paris produced by Renee’s Seeds.  Renee claims this version was bred to bring intense, sweet pea scent back into the more modern, large blossoms.  The dedicate flowers are creamy yellow and edged with lavender. 

    Heirloom Cupid is also a splendid, love-struck sweet pea which is perfect for growing in containers, because its vine only climbs eight to ten inches.  Best of all, the fragrant pink and white blossoms flow in perfumed, cascading sprays.  Imagine receiving a bouquet of these for Valentine’s Day!

      Sweet peas are typically sown in October in Southern California’s mild climate, but you can start them now.  They just won’t  bloom as long.  Sweet pea seeds germinate quicker if you soak them overnight.  Make sure your soil is full of rich organic material before you sow by adding an enriched soil amendment.  Plant seeds an inch deep, spaced about two inches apart, and water daily.  Protect emerging seeds with bird netting, or a plastic berry basket placed upside down over each seedling.  For the most abundant blooms, grow sweet peas in full sun.

   
Another adorable Valentine’s choice is the Hollyhock Country Romance Mix.  This nostalgic seed blend has flowers in rose, white, maroon, yellow and pink.  To give vertical interest to your garden, place these stately flowers along a fence or in the back of the border. Growing these cheerful flowers is easy, and seeds will germinate now.  However, the optimal time to sow most seeds is early fall.  While hollyhocks tolerate poor soil, and scant water, they do need good drainage and full sun.

    Get inspired to search out a long-lasting gift for your Valentine.  With plentiful romantic choices such as an Iris named Aphrodisiac, and a rose called Lasting Love, the perfect gift should be easy to find.

Create a Garden Buffet From Grocery Store Produce

     Have you ever bitten into a juicy, exotic fruit, and wanted to grow one in your garden?   Well, turn such thoughts into action by growing fruit from the grocery store.  This project is a garden adventure which doesn’t require a green thumb or even a yard.  You only need curiosity and a bit of patience.  In addition, this experiment allows you to revisit the simple satisfaction you experienced as a child growing an avocado or a sweet potato in a jar in elementary school.

     Growing plants from grocery store fruit provides interesting houseplants during the winter, and later an exotic plant for your garden.  So savor a favorite fruit, and get ready to enjoy it a second time.
Papayas (Papaya cariceae) are incredibly tasty, like biting into a tropical island.  Besides  being juicy and sweet, they are high in vitamin C, vitamin A, and full of antioxidants.  One drawback to growing papayas is that female and male flowers do not grow on the same tree, except for a couple of rare varieties.  Accordingly, to get fruit you will need to have two trees.
But, papayas are worth growing even if they never produce fruit.  Expect them to have large segmented leaves with serrated edges and fragrant yellow flowers.  Papaya trees often bloom in the first year, and they love hot weather, so plan to plant them in your steamiest location.

    To grow a papaya, remove the gooey, black seeds and place them on a paper towel.  Roll the paper towel on a hard surface to break the gelatin membrane covering on the seeds.  Then, lay the seeds out on a fresh paper towel and allow them to dry and shrink, which can take up to a week. 

    To plant seeds, barely cover them with soil, and place the container in a warm spot.  The soil needs to be between seventy-five and eighty degrees for seeds to sprout.  Therefore, place pot on top of your oven or in a warm sunny window.  If seeds don’t germinate within ten days, wait until May and try again.

Passion Fruit (Passiflora edulis) is fragrant and succulent, with a taste like a citrus crossed with a perfumed strawberry.  In addition, the flowers are detailed and gorgeous, and it is an attractive vine.  Nurseries carry passion flower plants, but most offer only the ornamental hybrids which do not produce fruit. The ones with fruit have edulis in their name, which is Latin for edible.

     To grow your own vine and be assured of fruit, remove edible seeds from the fruit and wash off all clinging pulp.  Plant seeds immediately, and lightly cover them with soil. They need warm temperatures to germinate, so again, place them in a warm spot inside.  Sprouts take as long as eight weeks to emerge, so be patient.

    Start your favorite fruits inside this winter, and by spring have a garden buffet.  Avocados, grapefruit, ginger root, mangos, star fruit, and avocados are also good candidates to grow in your garden.And, if you live in a cold climate, you can overwinter the smaller ones indoors. Even large tropical plants, like avocado live happily inside for many years.