An All-American Salute to Our “Founding Gardeners”
Chicago Botanical Garden

Our “founding gardeners”— author Andrea Wulf’s depiction of early U.S. presidents who passionately promoted farming as a means to independence — would be tickled to see the American Seed Saver bed in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden. There, visitors will find varieties of heirloom fruits and vegetables grown by our third president, Thomas Jefferson, in his country estate at Monticello, just outside Charlottesville, Virginia.

The American Seed Saver bed also honors everyday gardeners who help safeguard the genetic diversity of plants, according to Garden horticulturist Lisa Hilgenberg, who oversees the Fruit & Vegetable Garden. “Because of the work of home gardeners and seed-saving organizations, an increasing number of heirloom varieties are now available to the public,” she said.

Heirloom vegetable varieties are open-pollinated plants that reproduce themselves, staying “true to their parents,” according to Hilgenberg. They’ve been handed down through generations, a practice that helps maintain the food crop gene pool for future generations.

The Abraham Lincoln tomato (Solanum lycopersicum ‘Abraham Lincoln’) was planted in our American Seed Saver bed as a tribute to our 16th president, who established the United States Department of Agriculture more than 150 years ago. The big, sweet, and juicy tomato is a good slicer and also makes great ketchup. “What could be more American than that?” Hilgenberg said. “Other cultures dry their tomatoes or make paste. We’re going to put them on our burgers.”

Visitors to the American Seed Saver bed can also see the rattlesnake bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), said to originate from the Cherokee people. The variety is also known as the preacher bean because its abundant yield of purple-streaked green pods gives cause for thanks and praise. The nearby Painted Lady bean (Phaseolus vulgaris ‘Painted Lady’), native to Mexico, was popular in England by the 1850s and a favorite in America by the early 1880s.

The sweet and spicy Alma Paprika pepper (Capsicum annuum ‘Alma Paprika’), of Hungarian origin, can be dried and ground into paprika and is cited in one of the earliest American cookbooks, according to Hilgenberg. In the American Seed Saver bed, the plant also serves as a symbol of America as a melting pot of cultures and traditions. “We’re such a nation of immigrants and now we have gardens with plants from all over the world,” Hilgenberg said. “We’ve made them our own.”

https://my.chicagobotanic.org/news/an-all-american-salute-to-our-founding-gardeners/

Grown together in a companion planting, marigolds deter pests from tomato plants in the garden.

Rattlesnake Bean

Pea Blossoms

Abraham Lincoln Tomato

President Jefferson's Vegetable Garden at Monticello.

I’m not satisfied with the crispness of my salt brine pickles. I will pickle as soon as I pick them, cut the very ends off the cucumber and use oak leaves in the pickles. Suggestions?

General George Washington's Gardens at Mount Vernon.

Happy July 2nd!

I currently have dozens of little plum tomatoes - all green.
Some bigger-than-walnut sized. Plants are monsters and blasting - as normal.
Early Girl tomatoes are marble-sized.
Zucchini plants have lots of blossoms.
Peppers - pea-sized.
Basil - just picked a few leaves for my omelette.
Fist lettuce picking by end-of-week. (Got a late start planting seeds.)

Progress!
I hope everyone's gardens are doing well.

I started some Brussel Sprout seeds and they are up already.

Yea!

Other than that, I am going through garden withdrawal.

We’re out of town on vacation and a friend is taking care of watering for me, but still………

I can just imagine the number of Colorado potato beetles I’ll fine when I get back. I’ve kept up with them wonderfully, and that’s checking the plants a couple times a week. Now it’s going to be two weeks before I get the chance again.

Find, not fine…..

Growing up in Boston, MA, I spent a lot of time on “The Freedom Trail” All the histric houses, from Paul Revere’s House in the North End to the Elite residences of Beacon Hill, have an herb garden, a vegetable garden, or both.

It is very much a part of our heretage.

Thanks for today’s post.

We've had more insufferable heat here, in the upper 90s to low 100s (SoCal). It's going to be a long hot summer.

Fortunately, plumerias don't mind the heat and are happily blooming away:

And hibiscus:

Lazy animals shirking their duty by retreating into the house:

I need a sure-fire remedy for flea beetles on my eggplant bushes. Any ideas are appreciated.

Oh, Boy! Nothing Flea Beetles love more than Eggplant!

In the past I have used Neem oil and have been happy with the results.

“Spray neem oil

Neem oil is a powerful repellent that deters flea beetles without the use of chemicals.

You can buy pure neem oil and mix a few drops into a liter of water. Pour it into a spray bottle.

And then test it on your plants first before applying it to the entire thing.

You should just spritz a bit on a tiny leaf and see what happens after a day or so. If the plant looks OK, then spray the entire thing. The neem oil will keep many bugs off your veggies like click beetles, soldier beetles, and asparagus beetles.

But note that using too much neem oil will burn the plant, so use only a little bit to make a moist layer on the leaves and stems. And apply after the sun sets.”

https://bugwiz.com/get-rid-of-flea-beetles/

Pickle Crisp is a good product to use if you want firmer pickles. It’s Calcium Chloride, which sounds horrible, but isn’t, LOL!

https://stockingmypantry.com/what-is-pickle-crisp/

CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO RETURN TO THE JUNE 25 – JULY 1 WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD

Esopus Spitzenburg Apple Tree (Malus cv.) Reported to be President Jefferson's favorite Apple.

ryderann :" I need a sure-fire remedy for flea beetles on my eggplant bushes. Any ideas are appreciated.

An ounce of prevention in the Fall and Spring seasons helps to minimize flea beetle invasions.
They and their eggs overwinter in leaf mold and other debris which should have been cleaned up last Fall.
Many flea beetle varieties are specific to a few various crops, so one that attacks egg plant probably eats potatoes and other solanaceous crops.
"Old School" organic gardeners would suggest planting a trap crop, or a 'sacrifice crop' (like radishes),
or inter-cropping with companion planting with other plants or over powering fragrant flowers (like marigolds).

For the organic pesticide, you might consider "Neem Oil":
" 70% Neem Oil is approved for organic use and can be sprayed on vegetables, fruit trees and flowers to kill eggs, larvae and adult insects [ many varieties of insects].
Mix 1 oz/ gallon of water and spray all leaf surfaces (including the undersides of leaves) until completely wet. "

Information Source :
https://www.planetnatural.com › pest-problem-solver › garden-pests › flea-beetle-control

M.M. Thank you for reminding me its time to start the Brussel sprouts! I actually bought mosquito to make a 3’ tent to grow them under because Cabbage loopers. (Even with repeated BT applications I cannot keep up with the loopers!)

I started Long Island Improved, an heirloom variety that’s only supposed to reach 24” tall.

I’m going to use tomato cages and make mesh tents to cover them with. I bought mesh, which is like heavier weight tulle and stiffer, at Hobby Lobby on sale this week, and will make them when I get home. I then slip the covers over the tops of the tomato cages.

I covered my potatoes for as long as I could and the ones under cover were perfect. Not chewed on leaves or leaves with holes in them. Problem is, the tops are so big now that the netting doesn’t work any more.

I also have my raspberries and blackberries covered like that to hopefully ward off Japanese beetles, which should be making their appearance soon.

I scavenged a bird cage someone was tossing and figured I’d try planting under that and covering it with netting also.

At the least, it will keep hungry rabbits and woodchucks out.