Replies

He has about 12 houses on a 13 acre park with no new ones allowed. We just lucked out this time buying the house when we did. That flat spot out to the north of the house looks like a good spot for a garden, now that I’m looking at the picture again.<<<

You are very lucky to have found such a wonderful place to live.

Yes, I have a view from here, 18 miles across a flat valley to the Black Mountains, with the sun setting behind them, it is a sight to see, black and jagged, brightest possible sunsets.

The Cerbat mountains are a mile behind me, but are rather boring.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2131124/posts?page=7

We had everything we needed during Great Depression
Country Today ^ | 11-12-08 | Marcie Leitzke

Posted on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 6:13:33 PM by SJackson

About as wild as you can get, links to webcams of every kind, pets, people and , and , more:

http://www.camstreams.com/liveinlast24hrs.asp

This said it was cats on camera, but it isn’t loading for me, too much open, I guess:

http://hillmanjohn2.camstreams.com/

Kittens, but I can’t see much with my eyes:

http://mythicbells.camstreams.com/

http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/vegetable-gardening-rules-just-made-to-be-broken/

Vegetable Gardening Rules Just Made to be Broken

Seems like some of you were surprised by the previous post to discover that I don’t always follow all of the conventional and established rules of vegetable gardening:

“I really like your website… your honesty about breaking a cardinal rule and not hardening off your cool weather seedlings, got my attention!” – Cameron

Well I usually do harden off my transplants and always recommend that you do likewise to protect your precious seedlings, but it’s true that I have managed to cheat occasionally and have gotten away with it. If a little insubordination catches your attention then here’s a long list of popular gardening ideas that I always refuse to abide by:

1. An edible garden has to be an eyesore – In reality a planned out and well tended vegetable garden is every bit as attractive as a flower or ornamental bed. You may not want to place them in your front yard, but there are a ton of great reasons to grow vegetables as part of any home gardening landscape.
2. You must grow veggies in rows – Organized and orderly maybe, but just plain boring and inefficient in my book. Give me a raised bed that is inter-planted with a mix different of crops arranged in a matrix pattern that covers the entire bed. It can’t be topped for yield, appearance and making life simpler for the organic gardener.

3. It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature – Let’s be honest, messing with the old lady is what gardening is all about… planting gardens in the fall, northern grown artichokes, starting seeds indoors, planting under artificial grow lights, how’s that for starters? Ok, just call it “working with Mother Nature,” but whatever you do please say no to GMO (genetically modified organisms) in the garden.
4. You need to pull all those weeds – Well to start with my garden doesn’t produce many weeds thanks to a few simple and very effective weed control techniques. But on the other hand an occasional and well behaved dandelion, lambs quarter, or chickweed is always welcomed and appreciated in my backyard.
5. You must spray chemicals – I have my own twist on this universal gardening practice… rather than use the sprayer to deliver pesticides, insecticides, and poisonous weed killers, I use it to apply foliar fertilizers like liquid kelp, compost teas, and fish emulsion which all add micro-nutrients and trace minerals to nourish the organic garden.
6. Hybrid seeds are superior – Claims of disease resistance and productivity, labeled as new and improved… okay, if they say so. But I prefer to grow those unique and flavorful heirlooms such as; Japanese Climbing Cucumbers, Amish Deer Tongue Lettuce, Black Krim Tomatoes, Thai Long Green Eggplants, Prescott Fond Blanc Melons and other varieties that were familiar to our great grandparents!
7. The primary objective is to kill bugs – But what about all of those beneficial insects that make their home in the garden? Sure there are some bad bugs out there too, but if the situation isn’t critical then I’ll leave it to nature to sort things out, or if necessary I’ll employ the least invasive organic insect control that’s available.
8. You must till the garden each year – Refer to the 2nd rule above; raised beds are the only way to grow. Frequent tilling probably creates more problems than it solves in the typical home garden setting. My tiller hasn’t moved from the corner of the garage in at least five years and I haven’t missed it a bit.
9. Spring is the best time to plant – Well I actually prefer to do as much planting as I can during the fall season. Winter vegetables, gourmet shallots, fall planted garlic, hardy greens, who says that you can’t grow an incredible vegetable garden outside of the usual spring and summer season?
10. Tomatoes are the Essential Garden Crop – I do plant tomatoes in my garden, but I also plant tomatillos, sea kale, elderberries, mushrooms, edible flowers, goji berries, and other plants that you seldom find growing in back yard veggie gardens. The point is to make room for something new and unusual rather than simply grow row after row of tomatoes, squash, or green beans.

So don’t be afraid to experiment or try something unconventional out in your vegetable garden. I’ve had fun breaking every one of these popular gardening practices and most of the plants lived to see another productive harvest!

http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/worm-farming-livestock-for-the-home-gardener/

Worm Farming: Livestock for the Home Gardener

Who says that you need big acreage, fencing, and a place in the country in order to raise small livestock? You can ignore zoning ordinances, noise restrictions, or the neighbor’s objections when it comes to worm farming no matter where you reside.

Composting worms are the perfect breed of livestock for the gardener who wants to raise a little more than fruits, vegetables, and herbs in the backyard. The worms won’t put meat on the dinner table but they’ll happily recycle your kitchen waste and turn it into a rich, organic plant food known as worm castings.
It’s Time to Open a “Can-O-Worms”

I was fortunate enough to inherit a four-story worm bin, complete with red wriggler composting worms when a co-worker relocated out of state this summer (thanks Gretchen)! I’ve written about the perks of vermiculture and worm castings here in the past but this was my first attempt at vermicomposting.

The worms spent the summer contentedly out on the patio but this weekend I decided it was time to bring them indoors for the winter. The transition gave me a perfect excuse to tear things apart and take a close look at what was happening inside the worm bin. The experience was very similar to inspecting a colony of bees inside of a hive.

While there isn’t the same level of complexity, communication, and organization that the bees employ, the worms do enjoy their own sense of community and teamwork. My bin has four stackable trays in which the worms are free to roam around as they forage for food, mate, lay eggs, and do whatever other things worms do.
Touring a Deluxe Multi-Level Worm Condo

The lower level of the bin was full of finished worm castings along with a surprising number of earthworms in every stage of their development; full grown adults, juveniles, new hatchlings, and freshly laid eggs or worm cocoons. I had assumed that all but a few stragglers had abandoned this section of the worm bin to move up to greener pastures but I was wrong.

The second level of the bin was empty except for the commuters traveling up or down to reach the other levels so there wasn’t much to see in this section. The third level is where I thought all the action would be taking place because this is where I had been depositing table scraps and yard waste all summer long to feed the hungry beasts.

A giant overgrown zucchini, water hyacinths out of the pond, those mysteriously half eaten tomatoes left on the vines, weeds yanked from the garden, and other assorted organic yard matter joined the kitchen waste and shredded strips of paper that made their way into the third level to be assaulted in a piranha-like feeding frenzy.
Warning: Compost Under Construction, Do Not Disturb!

It was amazing to see just how quickly the worms were able to devour whatever came their way and convert it into the black crumbly gold of rich worm castings! Unlike bees, it wasn’t possible to actually watch them work because they retreat from sight and disappear the second that a tray is exposed to any light. That led to some interesting bouts of peak-a-boo and hide-and-go-seek between the worms and myself.

The top tray of the bin was a wasteland of dried leaves, stalks, and debris that the worms didn’t seem to be taking much interest in. The only sign of life in this tray was from light colored, threadlike strands of baby worms that you had to look really close to notice. Guess these youngins were still finding their way around, figuring out up from down, and learning what’s good or bad.

After exploring the can-o-worms bin, I spent the rest of the afternoon separating worms from castings. The job was made a lot easier by the worm’s determination to avoid the light of day and move away and down deeper as each thin layer of castings was gently scraped away. They could only run so far until eventually I was left with nothing but a twisted mass of wriggling worms.
Relocating the Composting Worms Indoors for the Winter

Sorting through the castings you could clearly notice some areas containing concentrations of adult worms and others with pockets of barely discernible baby worms. I tried my best to save every single worm but I know that some of the adults and many of the babies will be going off to the garden when I add the castings to bed that I just finished preparing to plant the fall garlic in later this week.

Once the worm bin was cleaned, castings removed, and everything reassembled, order was restored as I divided the worms onto the top of two of the trays where a smorgasbord of delightful organic waste awaited them. Then the entire production was moved indoors to a corner of the room used for propagation and seed starting activities.

I have to admit that I’m very impressed with these red wriggler composting worms and the work that they are doing in their bin. They seem to be healthy and multiplying, with little effort on my part beyond feeding them garbage. Now I’ll see how it goes in the house and over the winter for my small livestock and worm farming operation.

[Next there is an ad for a composting bin]

http://www.growinggroceries.com/?p=139

Life Lessons From….Vegetables?
By admin | Oct 10, 2008

This morning I was sitting cross legged on the ground in front of a few rows of young pepper plants. I had a little cultivator in my hand and was unenthusiastically scratching at the ground around them that had grown rather thick with weeds. I was trying to go about it as quickly as possible, as I had already spent more time than I had intended doing things that ‘just couldn’t wait’ in the garden and had to move on to things that ‘just couldn’t wait’ in other areas of my life.

I got bit on the hand by a fire ant at this point, but that’s largely irrelevant.

There’s something intrinsically relaxing in a vegetable garden, as I’m sure many of you noticed. As I sat there sucking my newly injured hand, a fresh wave of this restorative effect washed over me. The wind was blowing nicely, the sun was just popping it’s head over the treeline and making the dew soaked leaves sparkle a little bit. Pretty cool.

As I looked at these young pepper plants in front of me it sort of struck me that a pepper plant, like everything else on this earth, has a lot to overcome and many problems to face. Bugs, weather, animals, a scary three pronged sharp cultivator in my careless hand that had already badly nicked one of their brethren- they all threaten this poor guy’s very existence.
It doesn’t seem to bother him, though. At lease, I’ve never seen a plant have a nervous breakdown. What little he can control of his own exsistence, he does. He’ll branch out towards sunlight if he’s in the shade, for instance, but what is outside of his control, he accepts.

He goes through many stages. he’ll sprout, grow leaves, flower, fruit, and die. But he doesn’t seek counseling in between stages. He’s not trying to grow faster than his fellow peppers, and he doesn’t try to change and become a tomato plant. He doesn’t even notice the tomato plant.

People, unlike plants, strive and worry so much for what we want to be that we don’t focus on being what we are now. They aren’t worried about the economy, and they don’t give a dime if Obama or McCain wins the White House. Job security is not an issue to them. And you know what? Nine times out of ten they usually make out just fine. And when they don’t, I get more upset about it than they do. I’ll loose sleep over a squash bug invasion. They just wing it. Funny how that works out.

I want to be more like a pepper plant.

[Are we too late to sign the petition? Just plain laughing at the thought of it all...granny]

http://www.growinggroceries.com/?p=181

Sign the Petition at EatTheView.org for a Healthier President!
By admin | Oct 21, 2008

I’m often late when it comes to finding out about stuff. I’m always the very last person to find out about every internet craze or popular website, for instance.

Well, I think I’ve done it again, but in case you haven’t heard about eattheview.org, then please head over and sign the petition for the next president to turn the White House lawn into a veggie garden! Wouldn’t that be so freaking awesome?

I can just picture McCain (not so much Obama, he doesn’t have the farmer look, I’m afraid) in overalls, a plaid shirt, and a hanky hanging out of his back pocket whilst hoeing the Presidential cabbage patch and whistling along to Woody Guthrie’s ”This Land is Your Land”.

AddThis
2 Comments so far

1.
Esther Montgomery October 27, 2008 7:41 am

Big flat lawns perplex me. I’m not even struck on rose gardens. I wouldn’t wouldn’t make a good American. (I’m English.) Turning a wide expanse of empty grass into an interesting vegetable garden sounds like a very good idea to me.

Esther Montgomery
ESTHER IN THE GARDEN

http://estherinthegarden.blogspot.com/

P.S. I came across you through Blotanical
2.
admin October 28, 2008 7:24 pm

Esther (Esther totally my favorite name, btw), sometimes I think I wouldn’t make a good American either, which is a problem since I’ve spent my entire life here.

Cool blog, btw!
I haven’t been on Blotanical much since my feed stopped showing up in the picks. Very selfish of me, I know. I keep meaning to get back on there.

Leave a Comment

http://www.growinggroceries.com/?p=3

A Tale of Two Cantaloupes
By admin | Jul 24, 2008

I planted only two varieties of cantaloupe this season. One is barely recognizable as a cantaloupe (until you smell it), and the other looks much closer to what I see sold in the store but without the netted surface. So maybe I’m not growing any cantaloupes at all.

I’ve been trying to figure out basically all my life what the differenceis between a cantaloupe and a muskmelon, but apparently it’s one of those heavily guarded secrets that only the few and privileged are allowed to know “Mr. President, I was sent from Department X, you need to be debriefed on cantaloupes.”

Nevertheless after countless hours of investigation I’ve determined that most people believe that Muskmelon is an overarching category of which cantaloupe- the netted varieties- are a small part of. Smooth-skinned varieties are muskmelons. Apparently, Honeydew melons (which I don’t particularly care for) would be called muskmelons while Cantaloupes would be called Cantaloupes. (Duh!)

However, of the two varieties I grew, neither have netted skin, but both taste similar to those netted things in the stores, so I’m going to call them cantaloupes. ‘

The two varieties are called (on the packets), Banana melon and Charentais, the latter being a French heirloom, the former being a freak of nature. Don’t ask me how on earth you pronounce the latter, but from what little I know of French words it’s probably one syllable and not at all how it looks like it should be sounded.

Charentais is a delightful little melon (mine averaged out at about 4 and a half inches in diameter), with a deep orange flesh, very heavy aroma, and annoying tendency to split on the vine. Fairly bountiful too, I wish I would have kept count of how many I picked off my six plants, but they were many indeed. Plenty more than our family could eat at one time. The flavor was, without a doubt to me, one of the best cantaloupes I’ve ever tasted. Very sweet with a wonderful texture that landed smack dab in the middle of too soft and too crisp. I’ll definitely be growing these little babies again. Maybe even take them to the Farmer’s Market next year. The splitting is a problem. It seems it you leave the fruit on the vine a few seconds longer than the plant would like, it splits. It’s a sure-fire way of telling that they’re ripe, though. :P

Banana melon- These things still scare me. I had never seen anything quite like it before I ran across it’s description in a catalogue and couldn’t pass it up. These vines are a bit more vigorous then Charentais, and the fruit is MUCH larger, not to mention the fact that they look decidedly more like a Yellow Zucchini or overripe Cucumber than a Cantaloupe. Observe-

Despite the fact that it is much larger, it has a hollow center (think Papaya) that really brings down the ACV (actual cantaloupe volume) value. The texture lives up to it’s name, being very creamy, almost like a banana, but with your normal (if inferior) cantaloupe flavor. Really didn’t care for the taste of this guy too much, but he’s quite a conversation piece. Try it out. You can get the seeds at Seed Saver’s Exchange.

http://www.growinggroceries.com/?cat=11

Grow Akebia- The Full-Shade Edible Fruit
By admin | Aug 20, 2008
1 Comment

Plants cost too much money. Every year for the past three years I have put aside a little cash for the fall planting season, when I order the plants my heart is lusting after the most. It’s usually around 150 dollars or so. This, for me, is a decent chunk of change.

There’s always one or two or three plants that get bumped off the list because I ran out of allocated funds. Akebia (Akebia quinata) had been on that list for the past two years now. This year, it’s at the top of the list. Both alphabetically and priority-wise. I’ve simply put it off too long.

Akebia, also called Chocolate Vine is, by all accounts, a remarkable little dude. The most remarkable thing about this plant is it’s ability to grow, flower, and fruit in full shade. A common complaint of suburban and urban gardeners who wish to grow some of their own food is the lack of sunlight in their limited growing space. Well, complain no longer! You may be scared off at first of it’s remarkable vigor, being able to grow up to 40 feet a year. While this is a scary thought indeed, keep in mind, before ruling it out, that you can always keep it trimmed back.

Reaction to the edibleness of Akebia seems mixed. The one thing that everyone seems to agree on is that the flavor is pleasant. However, many people seem turned off to the fact that there really isn’t that much food on a fruit, which is mainly seeds. Apparently you have to work hard getting to the sweet jelly with little reward. However, there seems to be other edible uses for the plant…none of which I can vouch for having not tasted it myself yet (sniff sniff).

From the PFAF profile (check the site for references)-

Fruit - raw. Sweet but insipid. The fruit has a delicate flavour and a soft, juicy texture. Lemon juice is sometimes added to the fruit to enhance the flavour. The bitter skin of the fruit is fried and eaten…Soft young shoots are used in salads or pickled. The leaves are used as a tea substitute.

In the edible garden, plants that have multiple uses and can grow in difficult areas are very valuable indeed. Vines even moreso since they have the ability to make use of vertical space. I’m perfectly willing to shell out the dough for a couple of these guys.

Keep it growin!

This next site is an amazing site, with information on plants that you do not find every day, the is also a Yahoo Group for the site, or was for years....granny

http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Akebia+quinata

Akebia quinata - (Thunb.)Decne.
Akebia
Author (Thunb.)Decne. Botanical references 11, 58, 200
Family Lardizabalaceae Genus Akebia
Synonyms Rajania quinata - Houtt.
Known Hazards None known
Range E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat Woods, hedges and thickets in mountainous areas[58]. Forest margins along streams, scrub on mountain slopes at elevations of 300 - 1500 metres in China[266].
Edibility Rating apple iconapple iconapple iconapple icon 4 (1-5) Medicinal Rating apple iconapple icon 2 (1-5)
Physical Characteristics
icon of man icon of climber A decidious Climber growing to 12m at a fast rate.
It is hardy to zone 5 and is frost tender. It is in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant)The plant is not self-fertile.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.
Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Ground Cover; North Wall By; East Wall By; West Wall By;
Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit; Leaves.

Edible Uses: Tea.

Fruit - raw[2, 105, 177]. Sweet but insipid[3]. The fruit has a delicate flavour and a soft, juicy texture[K]. Lemon juice is sometimes added to the fruit to enhance the flavour[183]. The bitter skin of the fruit is fried and eaten[183]. The fruit is 5 - 10cm long and up to 4m wide[200, 266]. Soft young shoots are used in salads or pickled[183]. The leaves are used as a tea substitute[105, 177, 183].
Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Anodyne; Antiphlogistic; Bitter; Cancer; Contraceptive; Depurative; Diaphoretic; Diuretic; Emmenagogue; Febrifuge; Galactogogue; Laxative; Resolvent; Stimulant; Stomachic; Vulnerary.

The stems are anodyne, antifungal, antiphlogistic, bitter, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, laxative, galactogogue, resolvent, stimulant, stomachic and vulnerary[174, 178, 218, 238]. Taken internally, it controls bacterial and fungal infections and is used in the treatment of urinary tract infections, lack of menstruation, to improve lactation etc[238]. The stems are harvested in the autumn and dried for later use[238]. The fruit is antirheumatic, depurative, diuretic, febrifuge, stomachic and tonic[218]. It is a popular remedy for cancer[218]. The root is febrifuge[218]. The plant was ranked 13th in a survey of 250 potential antifertility plants in China[218].
Other Uses

Basketry; Ground cover.

The peeled stems are very pliable and can be used in basket making[174]. Plants have sometimes been used as a ground cover, but their method of growth does not really lend themselves to this use[208].
Scented Plants

Flowers: Fresh
The flowers have a spicy fragrance, reminiscent of vanilla.

Cultivation details

Requires a well-drained moisture retentive soil[200]. Prefers a good loamy soil[11]. Succeeds in acid or alkaline soils[200]. Prefers partial shade but succeeds in full sun[3, 200]. Succeeds on north facing walls[219]. Plants are fast growing and can be invasive[200]. Dormant plants are hardy to about -20°c but they can be somewhat tender when young[200]. The young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun[K]. This species grows very well in S.W. England[11]. Plants are evergreen in mild winters[11]. Resentful of root disturbance, either grow the plants in containers prior to planting them out or plant them out whilst very young[219]. Plants are not normally pruned, if they are growing too large they can be cut back by trimming them with shears in early spring[202]. The flowers have a spicy fragrance, reminiscent of vanilla[219]. Plants are shy to fruit, they possibly require some protection in the flowering season, hand pollination is advisable[3, 11]. Plants are probably self-sterile[11, 182], if possible at least 2 plants should be grown, each from a different source. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].
Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Surface sow in a light position[133]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c[133]. Stored seed should be given 1 month cold stratification[113, 133] and can be very difficult to germinate. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[11, 113]. The cuttings can be slow to root[200]. Cuttings can also be taken of soft wood in spring[113]. Root cuttings, December in a warm greenhouse[113]. Layering in early spring[1]. Very easy, the plants usually self-layer and so all you need to do is dig up the new plants and plant them out directly into their permanent positions.
Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Plants for Problem Places - North Facing Walls and Deep Shade, The Woodland Edge Garden.
References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant’s Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[3] Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7
A very readable book with information on about 100 species that can be grown in Britain (some in greenhouses) and details on how to grow and use them.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka’s Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I’ve come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[133] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.

[174] Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants. 0
A good Japanese herbal.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 0
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[202] Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990 ISBN 0-670-82929-3
Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[219] Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

This did not grow for me outdoors, but I have grown it for a house plant for years.

It will live and produce 2 or 3 years in 6 or 8 inch flower pot, makes a lovely hanging vine and when you need greens for a sandwich, you pinch off a few leaves....plant about 4 seeds per pot.

When I raised Cockatiels and Parrots, they got a fresh leaf every day.

granny

http://www.growinggroceries.com/?cat=11

Malabar Spinach
By admin | Aug 9, 2008
4 Comments

As promised, I’ll be talking about Basella alba, or Malabar spinach. I grew this guy for the first time last year. I had known about it for some time but kept putting off growing it, despite what a promising addition to my garden it seemed to be. You see, I usually get a little bummed over the fact that my garden has no coloring to speak of. Everything is frikkin’ green. So I’ve been trying to break up the monotony by planting things with a little color to them. Or at least plants with colorful flowers or fruit. Malabar spinach fits these qualifications nicely. In fact, it’s often grown as an ornamental. It’s red stems, white flowers, and dark purple berries make quite a statement.

The best thing for me, is this plant’s incredible heat tolerance. There’s a summer gardening lull in southern Louisiana where not much wants to grow besides okra and cowpeas. I’ve found Malabar spinach to take the oppressive summers as good or better than the best of ‘em. Certainly better than I do. It’s also practically immune to disease and pests. In fact, I can’t recall seeing a leaf look even moderately unhealthy.

It’s a vine, by the way, and a long one at that so you need some type of trellis. I personally like a cattle panel cut a little more than half way and bent over (see pic). It’s a little pricey, but it comes out looking relatively attractive and is strong.

The seeds start easily, and can probably be direct sown, but I like to start mine in pots so I have more control over moisture. They’re a little slow to get going- I transplant mine when they’re only about five inches tall into heavy mulch. I’ve had a few transplants mysteriously disappear by what I’m assuming were cutworms (okay, so I lied about no pests). If you have problems with them in your area I’d put some kind of collar around the plant.

There are two major drawbacks to growing Malabar spinach.

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First- It’s a wee bit difficult to harvest. No, difficult’s the wrong word. It’s just plain boring and takes forever. Especially after flowering when the leaves seem to all magically shrink. The best way to do it, is just clip the top six inches on every vine. The tender stems can be eaten as well. In fact, if you stay on top of it, you won’t need a trellis since you can form a bush by keeping it only a foot or so tall. Just pick off the stems once they reach six inches longer than your determined bush size. Otherwise, you’ll be picking one leaf at a time which would try the patience of the Dahlia Lama.
* Second- All the books and articles you read on this plant will no doubt refer to it as mucilaginous. I rather doubt that this is a real word, but it’s definitely caught on in reference to malabar spinach. I call it “slimy”. Slimy merely sounds unappetizing. “Mucilaginous” sounds disgusting and is harder to spell. But however you name it, it is slimy, and there’s really nothing you can do to make it go away.

Which has led me to an interesting observation. Everyone I have let taste this plant has either loved it or hated it. No middle ground. As for me, I hated it, but found that it really is an acquired taste. After forcing it down a few times (I couldn’t let it go to waste, now could I?) I grew to like it, and now I’ll eat it just as readily as any other greens. My cousin on the other hand, loved it the first time and kept going back for refills.

All in all. It’s a great, reliable source of summer greens. One of the few, so beggars can be choosy.

By the way…this isn’t the first plant I’ve come across with Malabar in the title. What the hey is a Malabar?

Hey, hope ya’ll are liking the blog. Here’s a few plants I’ll be profiling in the near future- so keep checking back! I also intend to start writing entries on different biological gardening methods I use and the ecology of gardening.

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Cassabanana
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Cinnamon VIne
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Achira
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Jerusalem Artichoke
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Pyrethrium
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Fragrant Spring Tree
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Kiwano

Much love,

mrtumnas

http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/11/pressure-cooker-vegetable-soup-with.html

Pressure Cooker Vegetable Soup with Giant White Beans, Ham, and Bay Leaves

Pressure Cooker Vegetable Bean SoupThis gorgeous vegetable soup with giant beans is the first real meal I’ve made in the new pressure cooker that came in the mail, although I’ve used it several times to cook plain beans. I loved the way using the pressure cooker kept the vegetables and ham so brightly colored, and this was loaded with flavor. I’m sharing the recipe, although I’m by no means a pressure cooker expert, so any experienced pressure cooker users are welcome to chime in with suggestions in the comments.

The giant white beans were from a small Italian market in Boston, and I seasoned them with garlic and some wonderful bay leaves from Italy (via Ilva!) I hope the giant white beans and the use of Italian bay leaves make this a good entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, now sponsored by Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once and hosted by Siri’s Corner this week.

The only disappointing thing about making this was that some of the beans lost their skins after they’d been pressure-cooked and the beans fell apart a little. I did a little research through google and found that even famous cooks have had the same problem with these beans. It didn’t matter of course, but I liked the looks of the whole beans better.

I cut the vegetables and ham into fairly large pieces, approximately the same size as the beans, for a chunky look to the soup. You could definitely cut them smaller if you wanted a more blended looking soup.

I pressure-cooked the beans first for ten minutes with garlic and bay leaves, added to flavor the m. Then I added the vegetables and some pieces of ham and cooked the soup for three minutes. I put pieces of ham rind in during the second cooking time to flavor the broth even more, then fished out the rind and threw it away before serving the soup.

Pressure Cooker Vegetable Soup with Giant White Beans, Ham, and Bay Leaves
(Makes about 4 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

1 cup giant white beans, soaked for 8 hours in cold water (or use any white beans)
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves
1 onion chopped in 1 inch pieces
1 large carrot, cut in half lengthwise, then into thick half-circles
1/2 cup chopped celery, cut into pieces same size as carrots
1 cup ham cubes, about 1 inch square
ham rinds to flavor soup (or use Goya Ham Flavored Concentrate or barbecue sauce to flavor the broth)
chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Soak beans in cold water for 8 hours or overnight, drain water and throw away. (You can also cook beans without pre-soaking, but they will take a lot longer to cook.) Put beans in pressure cooker with 3 cups water, bay leaves, and garlic cloves. Lock lid on, then turn on heat and ring cooker to high pressure and cook ten minutes, then let pressure release slowly. When pressure has been released, remove and discard bay leaves and garlic cloves, but keep all bean cooking liquid.

While beans cook, chop onion, carrot, celery, and ham. Add vegetables and ham to beans and cooking liquid, along with ham rinds (or one of the substitutions above.) Lock lid and turn heat back on, then cook 3 minutes at low pressure, turn off heat, and let pressure release slowly. Remove ham rinds, and serve hot, garnished with freshly chopped parsley if desired.

South Beach Suggestions:
This soup would be for phase two of the South Beach Diet, due to the carrots. I’d serve it with some hot South Beach Diet friendly whole wheat bread.

More Pressure Cooker Dishes You Might Like:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly; check ingredients.)
I write about pressure cookers and do a round-up of recipes at BlogHer.
Azorean Spiced Beef Stew (Mohla) from Hedonia
Curried Butternut Squash Soup from Cooking with Amy
Split Pea Soup with Herbs de Provence from I Am Gluten Free
Vegetable Soup from Once Upon a Thyme

Have you tried freezing eggs? I’ve read directions online to do this and am wondering if the thawed eggs would perform the same as fresh in baking and the usual egg dishes.