tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14849061377225859902024-03-13T13:45:08.327-10:00Dirty Fingernails 808A Maui Food Garden BlogJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-46548143371903188662014-05-18T14:18:00.001-10:002014-05-18T14:19:36.246-10:00White Gold!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alpine strawberry 'Pineapple'<br />
Renee's Garden </td></tr>
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<br />Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-46708710401138422192014-03-30T22:48:00.000-10:002014-03-30T22:48:10.312-10:00March 12, 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Spring is officially here and the days are slowly stretching their way towards April. Let's take a quick look into the March garden.</span><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZJCYWM_Z8U/UyIK0JGDZ9I/AAAAAAAAA1A/1V1p1GP6qXg/s1600/IMAGE_749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZJCYWM_Z8U/UyIK0JGDZ9I/AAAAAAAAA1A/1V1p1GP6qXg/s1600/IMAGE_749.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aji Amarillo. There must be 40 peppers hanging on this plant right now! Crossing my fingers that they ripen before the fruit flies return.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RkFx7HpMvu0/UyIIhos_gqI/AAAAAAAAA0o/2HSFQvfKxyE/s1600/IMAGE_746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RkFx7HpMvu0/UyIIhos_gqI/AAAAAAAAA0o/2HSFQvfKxyE/s1600/IMAGE_746.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main bulb was harvested a few weeks ago. Cut and come again fennel!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asparagus shoots. Literally. They can grow 6-12" a day.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kale side shoots after the growing tip was destroyed. Perfect for baby kale salad. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple peacock broccoli with Pumba onion transplants in the background.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pickle worm damage on cucumber.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cANW5xPcDeM/UyIOWw4pZ6I/AAAAAAAAA14/53O8GYvk_YY/s1600/IMAGE_754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cANW5xPcDeM/UyIOWw4pZ6I/AAAAAAAAA14/53O8GYvk_YY/s1600/IMAGE_754.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More pickle worm damage, entry hole with frass.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GsD-GzyDzr0/UyIPBvi7mWI/AAAAAAAAA2A/hgpprRVuUOM/s1600/IMAGE_755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GsD-GzyDzr0/UyIPBvi7mWI/AAAAAAAAA2A/hgpprRVuUOM/s1600/IMAGE_755.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here pickle worm damage has extended from the fruit to the stems. Damage was swift with persistent and heavy pressure This is a rural area and i doubt there are too many other curcurbits in the neighborhood. There must be a local host although i have not seen it mentioned in the literature. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oHGfbr_T7aE/UyIP5mc9mcI/AAAAAAAAA2M/14084ibbB_U/s1600/IMAGE_756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oHGfbr_T7aE/UyIP5mc9mcI/AAAAAAAAA2M/14084ibbB_U/s1600/IMAGE_756.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bad picture of a great little vegetable, extra dwarf bok choy. Thirty days to maturity, fun to float in a hot bowl of ramen. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l67p4i4KZmE/UyIQr0JXheI/AAAAAAAAA2U/RTxQPkp345E/s1600/IMAGE_757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l67p4i4KZmE/UyIQr0JXheI/AAAAAAAAA2U/RTxQPkp345E/s1600/IMAGE_757.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another bad picture! This is a patch of Runway Arugula. Less bitter but retains a nice peppery bite.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bb5sjrGTeNI/UyVrAyp7W9I/AAAAAAAAA2k/FS8N2pTM_tE/s1600/IMAGE_758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bb5sjrGTeNI/UyVrAyp7W9I/AAAAAAAAA2k/FS8N2pTM_tE/s1600/IMAGE_758.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Romanesco, sporting a purple haze.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x69Dv4_jAOs/UyVtPkr6ohI/AAAAAAAAA28/-NjgpMmiw6U/s1600/IMAGE_760.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x69Dv4_jAOs/UyVtPkr6ohI/AAAAAAAAA28/-NjgpMmiw6U/s1600/IMAGE_760.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is a busy picture. Taiching 13 sugar pea climbing the trellis in the background. Jaune du Doubs and Purple Dragon carrots loom over a second planting of Atomic Red.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xbHZKnnSilo/UyVuON9Sg9I/AAAAAAAAA3E/yxCYdtS0fTc/s1600/IMAGE_761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xbHZKnnSilo/UyVuON9Sg9I/AAAAAAAAA3E/yxCYdtS0fTc/s1600/IMAGE_761.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Sweet Pea. A four foot planting (6' spacing) yields two generous pickings a week.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vuAHfI4ik18/UyVu8OO8SEI/AAAAAAAAA3M/p0H5BNw3kcc/s1600/IMAGE_762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vuAHfI4ik18/UyVu8OO8SEI/AAAAAAAAA3M/p0H5BNw3kcc/s1600/IMAGE_762.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Chard. Pink Lipstick mixed with Prima<br />Rosa.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e74bt41HR2Y/UyVyG2PYyII/AAAAAAAAA3w/giEGsLcTO7c/s1600/IMAGE_766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e74bt41HR2Y/UyVyG2PYyII/AAAAAAAAA3w/giEGsLcTO7c/s1600/IMAGE_766.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blush tomato on the left, Indigo Rose on the right. Blush is putting out a LOT of leaf in comparison to fruit. The Indigo Rose has less leaf, a good number of unripe fruit. Height is about the same, maybe 5', with the first fruits just ripening.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indigo Rose </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8oa_VwNrgSY/UyVzlwuMYuI/AAAAAAAAA4A/tk75B12LF3k/s1600/IMAGE_768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8oa_VwNrgSY/UyVzlwuMYuI/AAAAAAAAA4A/tk75B12LF3k/s1600/IMAGE_768.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blush</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nonr0hpQiBo/UyV0U0bs3nI/AAAAAAAAA4M/Yw6Rg2_abfc/s1600/IMAGE_769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nonr0hpQiBo/UyV0U0bs3nI/AAAAAAAAA4M/Yw6Rg2_abfc/s1600/IMAGE_769.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New lettuce planting from Wild Garden Seed, lost track of the variety.</td></tr>
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Lots and lots of rain this month. The peas are pumping, tomatoes are slow to ripen. Zucchini and cucumber have been pulled out. Chard looks great but the cabbage moth butterflies have found the garden and are hitting the Lacinato and cauliflower starts pretty hard. The wild red kales are holding up great. Harvested the last of the broccoli, should have planted a second, succession crop. Should have planted cauliflower starts sooner. Transplanting onions and leeks like crazy. The un-transplanted ones are just starting to bulb up. Red Coach seeds did not arrive until January so too small for transplanting or bulbing. Harvested amazing, technicolor beets.Garlic looks like crap. Asparagus coming out of our ears!<br />
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How's your garden coming along?<br />
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<br />Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-75098935224873898342014-02-25T23:57:00.000-10:002014-02-26T22:14:07.338-10:00Mid February 2014<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
MoH, one of my favorite blogistas, recently wrote about 'condiment gardening'. A little basil to sprinkle on your pasta, a green salad for dinner, a tomato slice on your sandwich. All very, very nice but not a significant contribution to your daily calorie needs. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rOvbPGBAYJ8/UwnCWz5SOUI/AAAAAAAAAw8/3CjHvmzs6Xk/s1600/IMAGE_171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rOvbPGBAYJ8/UwnCWz5SOUI/AAAAAAAAAw8/3CjHvmzs6Xk/s1600/IMAGE_171.jpg" height="288" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost ready!</td></tr>
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Upon reading her post, i first thought i might be a 'condiment gardener with aspirations'. But now i have a new idea.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u3IKuGAbKMM/UwnB7Jhm1kI/AAAAAAAAAwU/apAHJpBhhMk/s1600/IMAGE_166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u3IKuGAbKMM/UwnB7Jhm1kI/AAAAAAAAAwU/apAHJpBhhMk/s1600/IMAGE_166.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
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Stem borer on Lacinato Kale. Every once in a while i see this kind of damage. The caterpillar burrows down from the growing tip and into the stem of the plant, opening it up to rot. Seems to affect mostly brassicas and large stemmed radishes. Not such a big problem that i have bothered to research it.</div>
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I think i am a 'supermarket' gardener.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_PGmch2Iht0/UwnCAh3mZ2I/AAAAAAAAAwc/RpilhNPQiVo/s1600/IMAGE_167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_PGmch2Iht0/UwnCAh3mZ2I/AAAAAAAAAwc/RpilhNPQiVo/s1600/IMAGE_167.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ethiopian Kale. Growing nicely, not much else to say right now.</td></tr>
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In Hawaii the growing season can be year round. There is no reason to plant large quantities of storage crops to tide us through the winter.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KzwrdKYw8qA/UwnCN6zxKuI/AAAAAAAAAws/c74_JgumPZ8/s1600/IMAGE_169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KzwrdKYw8qA/UwnCN6zxKuI/AAAAAAAAAws/c74_JgumPZ8/s1600/IMAGE_169.jpg" height="308" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Wild Red Kale from Wild Garden Seed catalog. I especially like this frilly leaved, pink stemmed one. It's Girlie Kale ; )</td></tr>
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So 'supermarket gardening' works for us. A few plants of this, a few plants of that to provide small harvests of a variety of food plants.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C_Rc8Fve4ro/UwnCTJ48juI/AAAAAAAAAw0/9VQO7pSNDiA/s1600/IMAGE_170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C_Rc8Fve4ro/UwnCTJ48juI/AAAAAAAAAw0/9VQO7pSNDiA/s1600/IMAGE_170.jpg" height="326" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fennel has been on my mind this spring. I somehow ordered fennel from three different vendors (blush).</td></tr>
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It's how i shop and how we eat. But it's better than shopping because some food stores best in the garden. And if it won't store on the vine, it will last longer in the crisper when it's picked fresh.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uRCm40RvxY8/UwnCjdrPGWI/AAAAAAAAAxM/qteS8S-8Mv4/s1600/IMAGE_173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uRCm40RvxY8/UwnCjdrPGWI/AAAAAAAAAxM/qteS8S-8Mv4/s1600/IMAGE_173.jpg" height="163" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kale, beets, hot pepper, broccoli. A little kapakai to confuse the bugs.</td></tr>
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Kale keeps much longer in the garden than in the vegetable bin. And fresh from the garden lettuce lasts longer in the crisper than store bought.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3npbN135yo0/UwnCGXIKwSI/AAAAAAAAAwk/Pp6ELmdwe08/s1600/IMAGE_168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3npbN135yo0/UwnCGXIKwSI/AAAAAAAAAwk/Pp6ELmdwe08/s1600/IMAGE_168.jpg" height="385" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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Broccoli side shoots. I planted a mix of early, mid and late season broccoli from Rene's this year for an extended harvest from one planting. Unfortunately not all of the varieties seem to want to make side shoots. Disappointing! We enjoy the side shoots more than the initial head and the side shoots often make up the bulk of the harvest. </div>
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No way my tomatoes last as long as the ones you can buy at Costco but i'm not sure i want that. What do they do to those tomatoes to get them to last for weeks stored on a countertop anyway??<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tm3VNvP9p1g/UwnCeZUS-jI/AAAAAAAAAxE/DBo8p-wiEw8/s1600/IMAGE_172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tm3VNvP9p1g/UwnCeZUS-jI/AAAAAAAAAxE/DBo8p-wiEw8/s1600/IMAGE_172.jpg" height="320" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indigo Rose tomato on the left, Blush on the right. </td></tr>
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So that is all i have to say today. Please enjoy the rest of the garden tour.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oQA-moHGvKg/UwnCsbGHK0I/AAAAAAAAAxU/gYxYYLKIiU4/s1600/IMAGE_174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oQA-moHGvKg/UwnCsbGHK0I/AAAAAAAAAxU/gYxYYLKIiU4/s1600/IMAGE_174.jpg" height="400" width="378" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weed? No. Rhubarb! Experimenting with growing it as an annual this year. It will not perennialize in Hawaii at my elevation because we do not get enough chill hours.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BDc9KwGWq0Q/UwnCwTcrAfI/AAAAAAAAAxc/Op30cqCv3g4/s1600/IMAGE_175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BDc9KwGWq0Q/UwnCwTcrAfI/AAAAAAAAAxc/Op30cqCv3g4/s1600/IMAGE_175.jpg" height="191" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alpine strawberry 'Pineapple' is a pale yellow when ripe. I hope the unusual color will fool the other critters long enough for me to taste a few.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-unsmR9Hj9LI/UwnDd-2hB2I/AAAAAAAAAxw/uKS-AArtkbI/s1600/IMAGE_177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-unsmR9Hj9LI/UwnDd-2hB2I/AAAAAAAAAxw/uKS-AArtkbI/s1600/IMAGE_177.jpg" height="400" width="309" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I hoped the fruit fly population might be low enough to grow cucumbers without cover. No problems with fruit fly so far but surprise! the pickle worm is out in full force. This 'Green Fingers' variety is prolific enough that i am able to get a small harvest anyway. It is also self pollinating so i may try covering it later. Flanked with 'Wasabi' arugula, Pumba onion in the foreground, waiting to be transplanted.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QztxFjCb_8k/UwnDkrmrRjI/AAAAAAAAAx4/lpKp0u-kzzM/s1600/IMAGE_178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QztxFjCb_8k/UwnDkrmrRjI/AAAAAAAAAx4/lpKp0u-kzzM/s1600/IMAGE_178.jpg" height="334" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">More confusion planting. Nasturtium, asparagus, broccoli, kale, carrot, pepper, mustard.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dZFaHYRalyQ/UwnDp3uhfTI/AAAAAAAAAyA/SG7ze25z5Hc/s1600/IMAGE_179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dZFaHYRalyQ/UwnDp3uhfTI/AAAAAAAAAyA/SG7ze25z5Hc/s1600/IMAGE_179.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby 'Golden Sweet ' snow pea. It takes me a few days to get the photos uploaded and posted which means that the pea in this picture was picked and eaten today!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V1Je_3b3BX0/UwnDvWJZzpI/AAAAAAAAAyI/uB3LFLMfM5w/s1600/IMAGE_180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V1Je_3b3BX0/UwnDvWJZzpI/AAAAAAAAAyI/uB3LFLMfM5w/s1600/IMAGE_180.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zucchini pulled out due to intense Pickle Worm pressure. I'll order some self pollinating Cavili and replant under a tunnel later this year.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I6oxbslfQUs/UwnD8oNsN7I/AAAAAAAAAyY/Lz1SOCtfC58/s1600/IMAGE_182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I6oxbslfQUs/UwnD8oNsN7I/AAAAAAAAAyY/Lz1SOCtfC58/s1600/IMAGE_182.jpg" height="293" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This bed was in full sun when it was installed a few years ago. It's pretty shady these days. The 'Gator' chard has been growing beautifully here but the other greens are a little slow because of the reduced sunlight. </td></tr>
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A hui hou!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-29560747569828275712014-02-19T21:53:00.001-10:002014-02-19T21:53:17.712-10:00Sweet, rain tender broccoli<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/20/dining/201arex.html?_r=0">Garlicky Sesame Cured Broccoli Salad</a> Pure broccoli goodness, courtesy of the gifted Melissa Clark. </div>
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Even more wonderful with sweet, rain tender broccoli plucked from the February garden. Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-45008124075616055272014-02-09T23:53:00.000-10:002014-02-10T00:05:51.769-10:00Just not ready to go there...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Have you tested your soil lately? These are the results from my latest test.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2obXzwa80KM/UvUSlFDsJ8I/AAAAAAAAAs8/HZ_x0vKO7_0/s1600/IMAGE_141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2obXzwa80KM/UvUSlFDsJ8I/AAAAAAAAAs8/HZ_x0vKO7_0/s1600/IMAGE_141.jpg" height="196" width="320" /></a></div>
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Three years ago the test results were very different. I lost the hard copy to a trade shower last spring so i don't have it to post as a comparison. The pH started out around 5.3-very acidic. Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus were also very low. Potassium, interestingly enough, was sitting right about where it is now. I added lime, dolomite, gypsum and bone meal as directed in the 'fertilizer recommendations' section of the test when i completed the initial bed preparation. I have continued to add horse/rabbit/poultry manure and fish scraps during replanting. It's not a good idea to randomly add inputs without knowing what your baseline levels are but that's exactly what i did after the initial amendment, using azomite to add micro nutrients and/or a variant of Steve Solomon's complete organic fertilizer to replace outputs from time to time. I plan to do more extensive soil testing next year and hope that i haven't mucked things up too badly.<br />
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The big test surprise for me is the very high phosphorus result. It could mean that i went a little crazy with the bone meal, but it might also mean that a lot of phosphorus was bound up with aluminum at the lower pH. When the soil was limed, calcium replaced the aluminum creating calcium phosphates which are more water soluble and readily available. (I love that soil science is mostly chemistry but it does make my head spin a little.) So what to do about it? Many of my garden favorites are heavy phosphorus users so i expect the levels to correct themselves over time as long as i don't keep adding more. My main input this year will be nitrogen in the form of expensive blood and feather meal. There is a readily available and <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/human-urine-is-an-effective-fertilizer/">free source of nitrogen</a> available to each of us but i'm just not ready to go there. Yet. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An option to be aware of, just in case.</td></tr>
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If you are in Hawaii and are curious about how your soil stacks up, basic soil testing is <a href="http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/Site/ADSC.aspx">available</a> through the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) for around $12.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-49382876105566368642014-01-30T09:23:00.000-10:002014-01-30T09:23:27.006-10:00Fifteen tiny miracles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Fifteen wrinkled peas scratched into the damp earth with a whispered prayer. A day, a week, and then...fifteen tiny miracles, stretching towards the sky. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Sweet Peas. Mahalo Jane!</td></tr>
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Gardeners know that a seed is just a promise with an expiration date. Time, light, and moisture all conspire against the fulfillment of that promise. So how did these seeds, saved in 2012, beat the odds? Skillful storage and a pinch of luck is my best guess but i'll have to ask the gardener who stewarded them to know for sure. Maybe she'll share her secrets in the comments section.<br />
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Germination rates from my own stored seed have been terrible this year. Probably because i moved the plastic snap lock storage containers out of the refrigerator and into the hall closet. I've been working off bad seed karma ever since.<br />
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On the up side, it's been a merry time supporting favorite seed companies by replacing all that failed seed. And quite a few new varieties have found their way into my cart. Silver linings, everywhere you look!<br />
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How are you storing your seeds this year?Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-55728982653044459812014-01-24T08:59:00.003-10:002014-01-24T18:44:33.683-10:00As simple as thatBalance the soil, select a variety suited to your conditions, plant in season. A winter garden on Maui can be as simple as that.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click if you'd like a closer look!</td></tr>
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I offer this beautiful Romanesco as an example. No aphids, no cabbage worms, no spray. It's quite lovely, isn't it?Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-54312921216562236572013-12-09T22:33:00.000-10:002013-12-10T21:52:13.483-10:00Sheep ThrillsIt's <a href="http://modernfarmer.com/tag/sheep-week/">Sheep Week</a> at Modern Farmer! All sheep, all the time. Ewe-reka!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-84931639676670798992013-09-01T21:50:00.000-10:002014-01-14T21:50:13.646-10:00The tradewinds whisper coollyI turned 50 some time this year and suddenly my hips hurt. A lot. Everyday. Except not right now. Right now i feel great. I'm filthy and sunburned and covered in dirt and it's dark and i've just come inside from 9 or maybe 10 hours of squatting and digging and cutting and tilling and, did i mention? I feel great.<br />
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So i'm writing this down, taking note, to remind myself that today i was incredibly happy. It seems silly that i should need a reminder but life is busy and days like this are easy to forget. So i promise to remember today, the hot sun in the blue sky lending fire to the mountains as it slides slowly behind them, the big dipper, bigger than i've ever seen it, emerging from the gathering darkness, the lingering scent of bruised green and damp earth as the tradewinds whisper coolly about love and the meaning of life. <br />
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Namaste.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-45270114619977849662012-12-18T21:40:00.000-10:002012-12-18T21:42:52.595-10:00Scratchin' out a Living<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Chickens in the garden. Sounds like one of those incredibly clever, green, sustainable ideas doesn't it? After all chickens eat bugs, scratch up weeds, devour noxious seeds and even fertilize the garden. What's not to love? Well i'll tell you a dirty little secret. Chickens are <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/apr/13/uknews.taxonomy">dinosaurs</a>. When you unleash them on your garden they will gleefully peck a single hole in every tomato, dust bathe enthusiastically in newly seeded beds, pluck tender bean seedlings right out of the ground, and trample baby lettuces. Bah! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHoQ_-vOq-R23wFUunH_SrQgCOBnehIZsShbsXZ7PKsAXD7YFQC0y2-9C_nrQ0-Oj-H-kkKqZPkRNwCaED2rP1zPaYls9BeucXDNoes4hwRv9bHOxUBW5wa6M9X2YEfEMkv8sMInTvdiJ/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHoQ_-vOq-R23wFUunH_SrQgCOBnehIZsShbsXZ7PKsAXD7YFQC0y2-9C_nrQ0-Oj-H-kkKqZPkRNwCaED2rP1zPaYls9BeucXDNoes4hwRv9bHOxUBW5wa6M9X2YEfEMkv8sMInTvdiJ/s320/photo+(1).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lucky for me many smart gardeners have already worked out how to safely harness chicken power. Check out this freshly cleared swath, courtesy of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tractor">chicken tractor</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir4SOc2JYDMYsvzwBcyrCvETm8kp0czkMbSoylZP6QQFLRIhGQCXFxYsgRF72iO2Qo4rLBD1qddBKUv1PFHEFFOeyM8Ms0aB3UWTwkcQYIr6dZUv1HrrUhySJGqazC0niwRt5mGfcQnJen/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir4SOc2JYDMYsvzwBcyrCvETm8kp0czkMbSoylZP6QQFLRIhGQCXFxYsgRF72iO2Qo4rLBD1qddBKUv1PFHEFFOeyM8Ms0aB3UWTwkcQYIr6dZUv1HrrUhySJGqazC0niwRt5mGfcQnJen/s320/photo+(3).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's more or less what that row looked like before the hens worked it over. This patch is next but all the trellising needs to be pulled up first to make room for the tractor.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglN38GMdwZ6JRE2lGPVZ8lilnDP14ZRWwvoTyaujvDn6n1eOQHnx7yPYafd93brSRo-4R3DtIxnjQJZSn2dqVFHqE5gypvQH-CU77tIM5u-Bp9TVFXHbGbUi0SXGe4BVb4V15UcLX8ANVT/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglN38GMdwZ6JRE2lGPVZ8lilnDP14ZRWwvoTyaujvDn6n1eOQHnx7yPYafd93brSRo-4R3DtIxnjQJZSn2dqVFHqE5gypvQH-CU77tIM5u-Bp9TVFXHbGbUi0SXGe4BVb4V15UcLX8ANVT/s320/photo+(4).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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He pounds the t-posts in only just past the flange but they are still tough to pull back out. Ah, but wait. See the red thing? It's a t-post puller! A handy tool to have if you are like me and enjoy rearranging your garden. I bought mine at the local feed supply store but i wish i had seen <a href="http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=447&cat_id=47">this</a> nice galvanized one first.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBYViMlcmTwPxamcfsd56_GfsnDgkIdAfTEjnF8tY7P7DRDP7Z8noDKKWaB_3VohH2HFFt2-p_r5fMYC2NAvV-kw9QSnSd4txCoXBKSRW_CHbpBuVkTVGbPuiif59w-zsMzpyfe1vgdVq/s1600/IMG_1322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBYViMlcmTwPxamcfsd56_GfsnDgkIdAfTEjnF8tY7P7DRDP7Z8noDKKWaB_3VohH2HFFt2-p_r5fMYC2NAvV-kw9QSnSd4txCoXBKSRW_CHbpBuVkTVGbPuiif59w-zsMzpyfe1vgdVq/s320/IMG_1322.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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The chickens have finished their work now and are relieved to be back on pasture. Scratching out a living, they complain, just ain't what it's cracked up to be!</div>
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Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-28551663771665855692012-09-01T00:21:00.000-10:002012-09-01T00:21:32.205-10:00Once in a blue moonResolutions are so overrated, don't you think? This blog has been dark since January and the garden has been skittering along on auto pilot, offering small harvests and lessons on neglect or maybe resilience. Pipinola, asparagus, limas, kale, volunteer tomatoes, and giant onions have been the main players over the past few months. But now August is moving on and the garden is in need of some serious resuscitation.<br />
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It's tempting to overhaul and replant the entire garden at once but i've learned that slow and steady is far more sustainable so i'm taking some time to rearrange my seed collection by moon phase. I'm <s>deluding myself</s> hoping that honoring the lunar cycle will help me stay on top of all the little tasks that go along with tending an annual based vegetable garden. Linda does a great job blogging about that <a href="http://witcheskitchen.com.au/the-witches-kitchen-garden-old/lunatic-gardening/">here</a>. Or you can check out the sidebar for tips on planting by the light of the moon. Which, by the way, is full tonight for second time this month. You probably know that the second full moon in one month is called a blue moon, a rare event. The next one isn't until July 31, 2015. Now there's a deadline i can work with.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-22977883155585360372011-12-31T15:29:00.000-10:002011-12-31T18:36:35.543-10:00Aloha Twenty Eleven<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;">I make at least one resolution every New Year. Sometimes I nail it, sometimes not. I've got a few on my list this year, one of them being to post more often. I enjoy looking back over the year and seeing what i was up to. Here are a few things i didn't get around to talking about last year.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-60NN9GXhSq4/Tv9hLDwNEdI/AAAAAAAAAX8/0QknVwSqYcQ/s1600/IMG_0125_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="144" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-60NN9GXhSq4/Tv9hLDwNEdI/AAAAAAAAAX8/0QknVwSqYcQ/s320/IMG_0125_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">January<br />
New plantings of kumquat, olive, white sapote, mango, egg fruit, pulasan and rollinia.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pvuay6At2Ik/Tv9irDWwNbI/AAAAAAAAAYE/-3mDv8OMmnc/s1600/IMG_0168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pvuay6At2Ik/Tv9irDWwNbI/AAAAAAAAAYE/-3mDv8OMmnc/s320/IMG_0168.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First tangerine! Early winter</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TmffuI7rdlo/Tv9lDp0ihcI/AAAAAAAAAYM/IrFPA6A8C7A/s1600/IMG_0450_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TmffuI7rdlo/Tv9lDp0ihcI/AAAAAAAAAYM/IrFPA6A8C7A/s320/IMG_0450_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">February</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fq4uQtJwSRo/Tv9pn2b6LyI/AAAAAAAAAYc/s1TohDInVnQ/s1600/IMG_0690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fq4uQtJwSRo/Tv9pn2b6LyI/AAAAAAAAAYc/s1TohDInVnQ/s320/IMG_0690.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March <br />
Soissons Vert<br />
Thin walled, full pods</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qQm0RDepLZo/Tv9rZPiX0RI/AAAAAAAAAYk/oitkCxlpCnQ/s1600/IMG_0694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qQm0RDepLZo/Tv9rZPiX0RI/AAAAAAAAAYk/oitkCxlpCnQ/s320/IMG_0694.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perona<br />
Fleshy, thick walled pods. Shell beans? Really?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y8o_g6XawKM/Tv9tBBX9quI/AAAAAAAAAYs/lU6HT5p_LFk/s1600/IMG_0751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y8o_g6XawKM/Tv9tBBX9quI/AAAAAAAAAYs/lU6HT5p_LFk/s320/IMG_0751.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YqigGo9cwa0/Tv9vhpKFIpI/AAAAAAAAAY8/xgRiLZd2lnI/s1600/IMG_0740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YqigGo9cwa0/Tv9vhpKFIpI/AAAAAAAAAY8/xgRiLZd2lnI/s320/IMG_0740.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Popping chickpeas<br />
They deserve their own post!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J_Fsajqhp1Y/Tv9_a7joqEI/AAAAAAAAAZY/wEuZoIH63-4/s1600/IMG_0811_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J_Fsajqhp1Y/Tv9_a7joqEI/AAAAAAAAAZY/wEuZoIH63-4/s320/IMG_0811_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">May is always my favorite month.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7PVtTeaZ1t4/Tv-BnlbROyI/AAAAAAAAAZg/CNfuNQtH3KU/s1600/IMG_0815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7PVtTeaZ1t4/Tv-BnlbROyI/AAAAAAAAAZg/CNfuNQtH3KU/s320/IMG_0815.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those awkward teenage years ; )</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eWs5cTwbq5A/Tv-Ks-vMQaI/AAAAAAAAAaI/t0hVuxwJQ7A/s1600/IMG_1013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eWs5cTwbq5A/Tv-Ks-vMQaI/AAAAAAAAAaI/t0hVuxwJQ7A/s320/IMG_1013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These papayas are HUGE!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--G6ZtCKzUwo/Tv-EXajzjwI/AAAAAAAAAZo/0GhSgdWAl4Q/s1600/IMG_0816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--G6ZtCKzUwo/Tv-EXajzjwI/AAAAAAAAAZo/0GhSgdWAl4Q/s320/IMG_0816.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early July<br />
It grew!<br />
We havested buckets of lilikoi this year.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G49vgOxJZR4/Tv-LmhU1pUI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/oRoOUrjOejs/s1600/IMG_1049_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G49vgOxJZR4/Tv-LmhU1pUI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/oRoOUrjOejs/s320/IMG_1049_edited-1.JPG" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These banana flowers look like little orchids, don't they?<br />
This is an 'Ice Cream' banana, one of the tissue cultured plants UH is producing in response to Bunchy Top Virus. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XnNBtItYI9M/Tv-JDkk1UuI/AAAAAAAAAaA/ccjhLbztULw/s1600/IMG_1004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XnNBtItYI9M/Tv-JDkk1UuI/AAAAAAAAAaA/ccjhLbztULw/s320/IMG_1004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olena<br />
(Turmeric). Dead easy to grow and a snap to harvest. Part of the tropical herb garden.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dtPSbJourpk/Tv-HbZ14n2I/AAAAAAAAAZ4/3ntoWXW4GEU/s1600/IMG_0991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dtPSbJourpk/Tv-HbZ14n2I/AAAAAAAAAZ4/3ntoWXW4GEU/s320/IMG_0991.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galangal<br />
(Thai ginger). Another plant from my tropical herb garden.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-41uVS8ob5f0/Tv-GDa0mbEI/AAAAAAAAAZw/urF2QH3HOC4/s1600/IMG_0958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-41uVS8ob5f0/Tv-GDa0mbEI/AAAAAAAAAZw/urF2QH3HOC4/s320/IMG_0958.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">November<br />
They were ready in time for Thanksgiving ; )</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NjijmEWZKMI/Tv-hs8NhU5I/AAAAAAAAAak/0yXyTV1NNJ0/s1600/IMG_1059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NjijmEWZKMI/Tv-hs8NhU5I/AAAAAAAAAak/0yXyTV1NNJ0/s320/IMG_1059.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">December<br />
Cajun Belles-Sweet mini peppers with just a little kick. Recommended.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eAAZ6PalYrM/Tv-jYpE-ZII/AAAAAAAAAas/o8_OMTVROSU/s1600/IMG_1051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eAAZ6PalYrM/Tv-jYpE-ZII/AAAAAAAAAas/o8_OMTVROSU/s320/IMG_1051.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Husky Red cherry tomato. <br />
Slow but steady producer which is OK in these cooler temps.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pEpM7brkqYk/Tv-NBj8j1sI/AAAAAAAAAaY/wzoRje48iko/s1600/IMG_1060_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pEpM7brkqYk/Tv-NBj8j1sI/AAAAAAAAAaY/wzoRje48iko/s320/IMG_1060_edited-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy New Year!</td></tr>
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<br />Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-38657502070846001752011-10-22T09:38:00.000-10:002011-10-24T19:00:14.645-10:00The rains will start soon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Summers are a slow time in my garden. It's the rain, or more precisely, the lack of rain. There are a few plants like tomatoes or maybe cowpeas that will survive and even bear without supplemental water if they are already established but even these thrifty plants appreciate a good long drink every once in a while. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPlpVEht3eEkhBxmPWBFW3k5YuDbR6yHU5B8Ok6SBysHG754ndoypkli9vnPULXv4Etz4OexJjiFSHOWdG2sEevXLrNZOaqfCqk-Zp5sW0gwaLTmugieicJmBglyqFzbHbaoS7lHflwr7/s1600/IMG_0910_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPlpVEht3eEkhBxmPWBFW3k5YuDbR6yHU5B8Ok6SBysHG754ndoypkli9vnPULXv4Etz4OexJjiFSHOWdG2sEevXLrNZOaqfCqk-Zp5sW0gwaLTmugieicJmBglyqFzbHbaoS7lHflwr7/s400/IMG_0910_edited-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What i got on Craig's List...<a href="http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/sheep/friesianmilk/">milking sheep</a>!</td></tr>
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I want more from my summer garden so i've been adding a variety of drip lines and emitters to my collection over the past few weeks. They are slowly starting to appear in the garden and should give me a jump start on the fall season. Not a big one, it's an <a href="http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/hydro/pages/wet_season_outlook_2011-2012.pdf">La Nina</a> year and the rains will start soon, pushing the real pay-off back to next summer. Which is fine because i plan to be busy with other things next summer. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WistN7WUuAt9jT8XqeNadnoBNqBqoBcPhzBxaFWX7DHTmL6s7gbWiT_lhJWqH3bO63_s_mBHxPUITonN2h0ad29rE1y8SH65X9gmX5R9CQ3_vvcTSmPTXIuzs2eSxOteYmygpXcQQfT-/s1600/IMG_0853_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WistN7WUuAt9jT8XqeNadnoBNqBqoBcPhzBxaFWX7DHTmL6s7gbWiT_lhJWqH3bO63_s_mBHxPUITonN2h0ad29rE1y8SH65X9gmX5R9CQ3_vvcTSmPTXIuzs2eSxOteYmygpXcQQfT-/s400/IMG_0853_edited-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Say hello to Big, Bossy Belle</td></tr>
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As you can see, i was busy with other things this summer, too. I learned about fencing and feeding and fecal testing, yuck! I learned how to get sheep over <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">the <a href="http://draft.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1117218678"></span>Alenuiha'ha Channel<span id="goog_1117218679"></span></a> and into my back yard. I learned about dreching and hoof trimming and wool clipping. Yes, clipping because i really can't call what i did shearing and neither should you. I built a shed and a stanchion and bought a milk bucket. And i learned that sheep are clever and brave and naughty and overly fond of browsing rose bushes. No wonder i didn't have time to water my garden!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4p6x4rxZxRcLTtItusQ4enYeWrr4tiiXgKXGOzNZJ6UkB-_iDTnsTwaOZa05J3PS_lGiw-sbwMkkzvcWKbPUipMMoNaoOxRF-5geOtGMBbddJZSnlBQ2-xzs2cSt_205y-ccr4xXVskjw/s1600/IMG_0852_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4p6x4rxZxRcLTtItusQ4enYeWrr4tiiXgKXGOzNZJ6UkB-_iDTnsTwaOZa05J3PS_lGiw-sbwMkkzvcWKbPUipMMoNaoOxRF-5geOtGMBbddJZSnlBQ2-xzs2cSt_205y-ccr4xXVskjw/s400/IMG_0852_edited-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And cute but bratty Blossom!</td></tr>
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Last week i started the fall garden. The Purple Podded Pole beans are back, planted alongside Emerite and Tarahumara Purple Pole beans. I direct sowed some arugula and a dozen Japanese salad turnips. The turnips should have gone in a few weeks ago in order to roast for the Thanksgiving feast but we'll enjoy them when they are ready. Seeds were started in tray, as well. Spigarello, fennel, bok choy, and three kinds of cauliflower. I haven't tried to grow cauliflower before so this will be a new experiment. It will be a small trial, just two plants each of Graffiti, Snow Crown, and Charming Snow which is just 60 days to maturity. I also started a few Variegated Collards, some Golden Chard and some kohlrabi. I tried kohlrabi for the first time last spring and really enjoyed it. I hope to have some successive kohlrabi harvests this winter. It looks like the Cripsy Blue gailaan and the Anuenue lettuce failed but the Syphos butter lettuce is up along with the Soloist chinese cabbage and the Burpee golden beets. I am still waiting for the Oriental Giant and Matador spinaches to sprout. The Gator perpetual spinach i grew this summer was the most spinach-like chard yet so I don't know why i keep banging my head against the spinach wall. I'll be starting a new tray this weekend with Romanesco cauliflower, Blankoma white beets, Touchstone Gold beets, leeks, scallions, and cilantro. I'll be laying down some horse manure this weekend or next and then the transplanting will begin! Hope i have time to post some garden tours this winter, it's really a great record keeping tool. </div>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-70067530180758421212011-09-18T10:59:00.000-10:002011-10-24T18:47:55.832-10:00three little figsAn old cane house perches on the edge of a windswept Haiku pineapple field. You might not notice it if you happened to drive by. The old house is timeworn but well maintained and boasts a tidy greenhouse and a great old fig tree. A few times a year the woman who lives there sets up a sign by the road and sells banana bread and fig tree starts and other once useful things she no longer needs. I drove by one day, on the advice of a friend, and left with a fig tree of my own.<br />
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Do you recognize these figs? White Kadota and Brown Turkey are kama'aina fig trees, grown here for well over a century. So my tree could be a White Kadota fig. Or it might be a Brown Turkey fig. I don't know a fig about fig trees so i'm just guessing. Lucky for me, there's Ken Love.<br />
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Ken Love is a farmer who live on the Big Island. He knows a lot about fig trees. He was involved in the <a href="http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/12fruits.pdf">12 Trees</a> demonstration project and was later awarded a three year grant to study <a href="http://www.hawaiifruit.net/index-figs.html">the best fig varieties for Hawaii</a>. I'm going to learn from him.<br />
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If you can't make it to Haiku you can still grow a fig tree of your own. Plant It Hawaii distributes 3 gallon figs through Lowes, Home Depot, and Kula Ace and Chung's distributes 6 inch figs through Walmart a few times a year. No yard? No worries! <a href="http://akitchengardeninkiheimaui.blogspot.com/2011/10/growing-potted-fig-trees-in-kihei.html">Figs are a good choice for a container, too.</a><br />
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(These figs were picked in early July~i'm a little behind...)<br />
<br />Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-35378656633615829142011-09-04T08:56:00.001-10:002011-09-04T10:04:31.013-10:002011 Eat Local Challenge<a href="http://www.kanuhawaii.org/challenge/details/?id=16"><img src="http://www.kanuhawaii.org/images/campaign/16.jpg" /></a><br />
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How often have i heard some bedraggled visitor grumbling about spending the day driving all the way to Hana and back? "The road was terrible and there was nothing to see when we got there" they complain and i feel sad. Hana is magical, it's true, but so can be the journey there. It is up to the traveler to make the discoveries along the way.<br />
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The Kanu Hawaii Eat Local Challenge is for the whole month of September but that doesn't mean you have to be all hard core and commit to eating only locally produced foods for the whole month. Try it for just one day. Or choose to include at least one locally grown/produced item with each meal for a week. Don't think you can do even that? Try anyway. This challenge is like driving to Hana, it's a great destination but there are plenty of discoveries to be made along the way.<br />
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Where does your food come from? What can you do without? Do your food choices nourish your community? Find out and sign up for your own challenge <a href="http://www.kanuhawaii.org/challenge/details/?id=16">here</a>.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-44790433327759645652011-05-01T07:27:00.001-10:002011-05-01T10:19:38.227-10:00Favas will grow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUi0ESgZdcFkXpy7aBM5JBnY0I3_ezaGptoJpNDV8c93KuiFT7JBiwev7GIUOMOAdncQy73e4WEFJaeHVMkcasFrgzGCg2-VAMB6zqWzH_pF00sFWQKmBF-4wb9E7V_336M-Iup9xaU9Il/s1600/IMG_0786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUi0ESgZdcFkXpy7aBM5JBnY0I3_ezaGptoJpNDV8c93KuiFT7JBiwev7GIUOMOAdncQy73e4WEFJaeHVMkcasFrgzGCg2-VAMB6zqWzH_pF00sFWQKmBF-4wb9E7V_336M-Iup9xaU9Il/s400/IMG_0786.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Twelve plants, four months, fourteen pods. Eating fresh favas? Not exactly priceless. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I think i'll stick with limas. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUi0ESgZdcFkXpy7aBM5JBnY0I3_ezaGptoJpNDV8c93KuiFT7JBiwev7GIUOMOAdncQy73e4WEFJaeHVMkcasFrgzGCg2-VAMB6zqWzH_pF00sFWQKmBF-4wb9E7V_336M-Iup9xaU9Il/s1600/IMG_0786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIoBaXmbk3WbzzOsHH1vZ2dedQA3OFxLfyqwVccJdaQnrQ3RnnxejIJLk3ZmcxbFffpnwfWN9c7qJN9PbWiNYfHhI3zXlqHQfXm2jupBLl2n40dKxVK6ossFRALL4Ob-QhPNmzCjnL5Il/s1600/IMG_0793_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIoBaXmbk3WbzzOsHH1vZ2dedQA3OFxLfyqwVccJdaQnrQ3RnnxejIJLk3ZmcxbFffpnwfWN9c7qJN9PbWiNYfHhI3zXlqHQfXm2jupBLl2n40dKxVK6ossFRALL4Ob-QhPNmzCjnL5Il/s400/IMG_0793_edited-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Favas have their own charm, i'm sure, when you need a bean that will survive a chilly winter. Limas won't do that. Limas won't tint a hard boiled egg a soft, blushing pink either. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That's a job for Crimson Flowered Favas.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKq7WpkbIR2f0blpbYKXz_MtHz3SkmVLXu8M07XA__WVwNncioP4jlccE6kkM_gH9woCe5p-lpjZVmm7Uud_BLzTtq9OkrL81qXmLQn0vID_0pK77qMrsVrG7pOX5K9Dww56YmVgITb-u/s1600/IMG_0794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKq7WpkbIR2f0blpbYKXz_MtHz3SkmVLXu8M07XA__WVwNncioP4jlccE6kkM_gH9woCe5p-lpjZVmm7Uud_BLzTtq9OkrL81qXmLQn0vID_0pK77qMrsVrG7pOX5K9Dww56YmVgITb-u/s400/IMG_0794.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But <i>can</i> you grow favas in Hawaii? Can.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">At 1000 feet or lower they might not grow very well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Try planting limas instead.</div>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-58784389724631677882011-03-30T22:23:00.000-10:002011-03-30T22:23:35.821-10:00Girl gets GreedyBaby chicks, fresh peas and asparagus. Even here that means Spring! We've been picking and eating asparagus for a few weeks now. I grow Purple Passion, a variety that is low in fibre and high in sugar.<br />
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Fresh from the garden it is an entirely new vegetable, one that demands new ways of preparation. It is too delicate to withstand the traditional blister and char treatment. Even oven roasting is too much. Mostly we eat it raw~ tossed in salads, sliced into a slaw or barely warmed in a mixed veg stir fry. It is so delicious that i become greedy, waiting to harvest the spears until the very last minute. My greediness leaves me with little margin for error. A miscalculation of a single day means the tightly furled tips will fling themselves open and the tender spears will begin to gird themselves in a woody sheath.<br />
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Last week was windy and cold and windy. Did i say windy? It put me in a bad mood which made me forget for two days that i was greedy for more asparagus. When i finally remembered and braved the <s>hurricane</s> gusty conditions, i found the tall soldier spears of asparagus were gone. In their place the row bristled with thick purple stalks of snaking asparagus on the verge of ferndom. What to do, what to do? I did the only sensible thing. I cut them down and put them in a vase on the counter. It was kind of scary looking but the stalks were too big to fit in the fridge. And then i set about wondering what a girl should do with two pounds of woody asparagus.<br />
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This is what i came up with.<br />
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Saute one sliced leek and maybe half a clove of garlic in butter or olive oil. When tender add chopped aparagus stalks and enough water to cover. You could use broth but i think it masks the taste of the vegetables. Simmer until asparagus is tender. Run contents of soup pan through a food mill. You could use an immersion blender but i don't like woody bits in my soup, even if they are very small. Reheat soup and stir in two or more big spoonfuls of whole milk yogurt. Adjust salt and pepper. Garnish with tender, well behaved stalks of asparagus, thinly sliced. Dust with grated Asiago cheese and serve. <br />
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Sorry, no picture. The soup was gone before i could find the camera. Good eating on a cold, windy day ; )<br />
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Asparagus is a perennial. After the initial bed preparations and planting are complete it can give you several harvests a year for very little effort. Steve Solomon writes about starting an asparagus bed from seed in his "Gardening When It Counts" that makes real sense for Hawaii gardeners due to the shorter time to harvest (and the high cost of shipping!). Asparagus is also fairly salt tolerant so it can be grown in coastal gardens. If you have been thinking about growing some asparagus for yourself check out the new 'Asparagus in Hawaii' link in the sidebar.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-91922728206068920612011-03-04T21:19:00.002-10:002011-03-06T22:10:40.544-10:00February's GardenIs it March? So soon? But i'm not ready! I've finally worked my way through the dull up and downloading of pictures and find myself loitering in February still. Join me for a quick stroll through last month's garden.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Roselle, grown from seeds from Jane's garden. Delicious simmered with lemongrass and ginger and sugar. Can't get enough of it. Love it, must plant more. Rose beetles are fond of it too, can you see the telltale lace?</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Volunteer broccoli, sprouting along the rough border of the garden. It's unamended territory and i'm curious to see how things will turn out.</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9MDbnqgOnpCu89_7cuHz1I7psNwOo-eAMu4vicfDYUnb_y4paN61OliZYTG-1RtikHwK3yfgtb3q33u1uglP_IpzXQiMeDrQ5a7uzglEVe5bNqAKxU2dLJ__eso5Tczv-_t-z_vTzn6qo/s1600/IMG_0478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9MDbnqgOnpCu89_7cuHz1I7psNwOo-eAMu4vicfDYUnb_y4paN61OliZYTG-1RtikHwK3yfgtb3q33u1uglP_IpzXQiMeDrQ5a7uzglEVe5bNqAKxU2dLJ__eso5Tczv-_t-z_vTzn6qo/s320/IMG_0478.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oregon Peas</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9MDbnqgOnpCu89_7cuHz1I7psNwOo-eAMu4vicfDYUnb_y4paN61OliZYTG-1RtikHwK3yfgtb3q33u1uglP_IpzXQiMeDrQ5a7uzglEVe5bNqAKxU2dLJ__eso5Tczv-_t-z_vTzn6qo/s1600/IMG_0478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Two flowers per node promise a generous harvest.</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wTyVWINObd2AEt5emxUnIDMtEE2vqhWCSUa7XXPyM2BXlO5E3Q697Iov7ZgfhB2BsYdjvUc_bu_ZhXd9HNqO5pA4Kxql9R5b-gLgOINkXncz0rInaxO_Ic_mBuqANlFN4xvLgLU-un7u/s1600/IMG_0477.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wTyVWINObd2AEt5emxUnIDMtEE2vqhWCSUa7XXPyM2BXlO5E3Q697Iov7ZgfhB2BsYdjvUc_bu_ZhXd9HNqO5pA4Kxql9R5b-gLgOINkXncz0rInaxO_Ic_mBuqANlFN4xvLgLU-un7u/s320/IMG_0477.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Oregon peas.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Vertically challenged?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isar</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Butter yellow and crooked neck, they are his favorite.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvk2mmSLQ_wBqDZidoweIuD26oGYF4VMILv05fMmByyQaZLQbV8QV_kYF4bImNE_l3yDVHX_BqZmNwxQH91D8MF1Q7DER9jKxaHrqUR4iZpxZxMt4d-reZL78oNgj4Js4m6uf0HnsrLlGA/s1600/IMG_0492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvk2mmSLQ_wBqDZidoweIuD26oGYF4VMILv05fMmByyQaZLQbV8QV_kYF4bImNE_l3yDVHX_BqZmNwxQH91D8MF1Q7DER9jKxaHrqUR4iZpxZxMt4d-reZL78oNgj4Js4m6uf0HnsrLlGA/s320/IMG_0492.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow Lacinato Kale</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">After the storm. Good for kale chips.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSssvIg4VB4Uui2xJullPfRCJ89PEoIKTEfRAA8U2XfNWHLSXiMbtrkfHu6oobsunnxa_v9C9XXVS8vZeNpCZ6ogtBxeY7hbM3cDoCDwTs7N1Nz2eFW3sTMwLbi_jJmoMa9Nc39S0pLnKk/s1600/IMG_0474_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSssvIg4VB4Uui2xJullPfRCJ89PEoIKTEfRAA8U2XfNWHLSXiMbtrkfHu6oobsunnxa_v9C9XXVS8vZeNpCZ6ogtBxeY7hbM3cDoCDwTs7N1Nz2eFW3sTMwLbi_jJmoMa9Nc39S0pLnKk/s320/IMG_0474_edited-1.jpg" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Sweet</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A tallish vine with tumbles of shy, violet shaded flowers followed by glowing yellow pods. The pods are thin walled and crispy, good in salads or briefly singed in a wok.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYXnLb-rHq1iqG0mtA5N9ijek69Dl8ixboD1OxBmAHk-NQg6hLP_dfCieSfSFukn9V1wr9Fystdkb5lzw1lHmfZzXNaYsk3epNOYo3vPASKwYx_Tdg1NGOoGnLVkZKFThBXv5gSBjvGaB/s1600/IMG_0494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYXnLb-rHq1iqG0mtA5N9ijek69Dl8ixboD1OxBmAHk-NQg6hLP_dfCieSfSFukn9V1wr9Fystdkb5lzw1lHmfZzXNaYsk3epNOYo3vPASKwYx_Tdg1NGOoGnLVkZKFThBXv5gSBjvGaB/s320/IMG_0494.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Sweet</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">The first harvest was just in time for Valentine's Day ; )</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLod1w08vKWcqevOf5oY1N1kpCTFEDKfgT54nOx5-xrFf4SlsA2UEWZ7kzC6glp999YZzhbIXmV0IaewwOW0NtMlpc3ZQk84i_s0QmJdPz0-idQDZX2kfL3mWYSDayT34pX_DsKgZPkUr/s1600/IMG_0469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLod1w08vKWcqevOf5oY1N1kpCTFEDKfgT54nOx5-xrFf4SlsA2UEWZ7kzC6glp999YZzhbIXmV0IaewwOW0NtMlpc3ZQk84i_s0QmJdPz0-idQDZX2kfL3mWYSDayT34pX_DsKgZPkUr/s320/IMG_0469.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown Popping Chickpea</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">So far just a few flowers and one pod, can you see it all out of focus and to the right? Maybe a later planting, in drier weather, would do better. On warm, dry days the leaves are dusted with fine drops of a clear liquid. My hand tastes sour after i brush it across the top of the plants. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2EXbk2iAk9kO54WkvNlEv6c67vF4gPLpBsKhVFikCJldiHvKIE53qYHsxTdHxzidbv2a5w_RPdWqo3fCk80-vt2v2Aq3SxjKYwbDJwfM5KahthOu8jDLaOB4Ac3EroqlRTGAYK_NY6eo/s1600/IMG_0468_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2EXbk2iAk9kO54WkvNlEv6c67vF4gPLpBsKhVFikCJldiHvKIE53qYHsxTdHxzidbv2a5w_RPdWqo3fCk80-vt2v2Aq3SxjKYwbDJwfM5KahthOu8jDLaOB4Ac3EroqlRTGAYK_NY6eo/s320/IMG_0468_edited-1.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perona</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">'A bush bean' the catalog said, but these vines easily scaled the five foot trellis and then wanted more. I nibbled on a few raw pods when they were small and i think they would make fine eating at that stage. They were OK as fresh shellies but the thick skins puckered and wrinkled in an unappealing way. They are still a few weeks away from dry beans, i think.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rJrnNVAs_G7RLtLa-hhyxQdbSMhhFmqVZH0kObvrf1b679SiWEbYAxaVRNOuaktuFe9y2iPcEdsZpgSnaVKGng73zOgfUz1Z3A36UEwmKF_Y2biPPSaAGh9tmgpBNtUjPM3hyLZtDcue/s1600/IMG_0467_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rJrnNVAs_G7RLtLa-hhyxQdbSMhhFmqVZH0kObvrf1b679SiWEbYAxaVRNOuaktuFe9y2iPcEdsZpgSnaVKGng73zOgfUz1Z3A36UEwmKF_Y2biPPSaAGh9tmgpBNtUjPM3hyLZtDcue/s320/IMG_0467_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chaco Canyon</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">The first few showy sprays of white flowers produced these but then the flowering stopped. I hope it's just a hiccup because the one pod i sampled was really good!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Uk9gsGDr0GVjEnQTFkD2jcTN_r0DnAh6MUIcz81Ti3fjFdv9OwEpyYWv_mUMyTyO6-hdwg6pDHi-OtKkCgQQhyphenhyphensZ6KnMatEtD6CaUHPfPLBaq7aMvcBpCVn1KEWzDoswnS0l0VFOF0om/s1600/IMG_0465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Uk9gsGDr0GVjEnQTFkD2jcTN_r0DnAh6MUIcz81Ti3fjFdv9OwEpyYWv_mUMyTyO6-hdwg6pDHi-OtKkCgQQhyphenhyphensZ6KnMatEtD6CaUHPfPLBaq7aMvcBpCVn1KEWzDoswnS0l0VFOF0om/s320/IMG_0465.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crimson Flowered Favas</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">They were the first beans to flower. Aren't they pretty? But no beans, not one, still yet. I found <a href="http://fromseedtotable.blogspot.com/2009/02/crimson-flowering-fava.html">this</a> great post that you can read if you'd like to learn more about their history. I wonder how much longer i should wait for beans?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9URtZv5EDiQ9YQwIcgcZn6KP2DG4an91PhpYxh2QVzb4f661umXQTwuhabUKptdMVaiZS-9sV3FRQcy_OsOGMLcUuvyMGYNweOg31thpqUniBNw0gmM9jcPOZH1VE2XXtUVBbyckh75T/s1600/IMG_0464_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9URtZv5EDiQ9YQwIcgcZn6KP2DG4an91PhpYxh2QVzb4f661umXQTwuhabUKptdMVaiZS-9sV3FRQcy_OsOGMLcUuvyMGYNweOg31thpqUniBNw0gmM9jcPOZH1VE2XXtUVBbyckh75T/s320/IMG_0464_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lacinato Kale</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">This is my much loved Lacinato Kale (in case you missed the caption). I chopped the original plants down with a machete a few months ago, around the time they started to get taller than me. These are the pups, blown over in a wind storm and now growing straight up from where they fell. We mostly eat ours raw, in salads. How do you do kale?</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lhyphenhyphenX1Hn3Iiwkv7KdnKUSl7rq7WxJNsPHzj8ZctnGOvexDWVE4ch1MVzb3b53yF0DuG_U1MP-3Nhqbrar4jeoEXDHUr2fQNkBu6yUIR4CH5uXRw1OyYdMVdtSuGSHOHD3uesA3SUs9GLx/s1600/IMG_0245_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lhyphenhyphenX1Hn3Iiwkv7KdnKUSl7rq7WxJNsPHzj8ZctnGOvexDWVE4ch1MVzb3b53yF0DuG_U1MP-3Nhqbrar4jeoEXDHUr2fQNkBu6yUIR4CH5uXRw1OyYdMVdtSuGSHOHD3uesA3SUs9GLx/s320/IMG_0245_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">That's all for now. Ahui hou!</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div></div>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-79338483000482139802011-02-21T09:51:00.003-10:002011-02-21T10:52:59.626-10:00Harvest Monday~Kimchi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was going to publish this as a Wordless Wednesday post but after visiting the <a href="http://daphnesdandelions.blogspot.com/2011/02/harvest-monday-21-february-2011.html">Harvest Monday</a> bloggers today i decided to join in for the first time. I enjoyed seeing everyone's harvests but was especially inspired by the Kohlrabi Kimchi that <a href="http://www.highdesertgarden.com/2011/02/harvest-monday-february-21-2011.html">A High Desert Garden</a> is showing off today. Hope she shares her recipe ; )</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This <i>miniature</i> bok choi volunteered in my garden last fall. It was so green and healthy that i let it grow probably longer that i should have. It was almost two and a half pounds when i finally harvested it! Normally i would have been wondering what to do with a two and a half pound bok choi but some of my <a href="http://draft.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_31335602"></span>blogger<span id="goog_31335603"></span></a> <a href="http://akiheigardencuisine.blogspot.com/">friends</a> have been posting about kimchi lately. And i had some nice fat scallions to harvest. And FINALLY i was able to harvest ripe Aleppo peppers from the plants that grew from seeds from <a href="http://fromseedtotable.blogspot.com/">Michelle's garden</a>. A little Hawaiian salt, garlic, ginger, fish sauce later and you can guess the happy ending of this pungent story.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMLaE20O4q3iB3KsnkbotlywE5ueMKolG8obco10wN3xkR908rLPa1CEO_Xvl8i-hJmpLa8AodT19WSj-VtUvX1KiKNQhvwlzZ2FBsPUpWeIFG88ffYQqbJt-Ul83AHIeF_-G3-PXQkL6/s1600/IMG_0528_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMLaE20O4q3iB3KsnkbotlywE5ueMKolG8obco10wN3xkR908rLPa1CEO_Xvl8i-hJmpLa8AodT19WSj-VtUvX1KiKNQhvwlzZ2FBsPUpWeIFG88ffYQqbJt-Ul83AHIeF_-G3-PXQkL6/s320/IMG_0528_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_d0DabLi9j-otPsoaViL6cmAGZYbctA4eYOL-fCZGX5Kxs0u-WuG5M0hFKtrhJDD70sm47nrNHgLFOH5IWFsLpHkjLdhBObfOQXSnW2SUxJbzHU8_ui1fCwzbtj22QST90TKJromOSSH/s1600/IMG_0548_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_d0DabLi9j-otPsoaViL6cmAGZYbctA4eYOL-fCZGX5Kxs0u-WuG5M0hFKtrhJDD70sm47nrNHgLFOH5IWFsLpHkjLdhBObfOQXSnW2SUxJbzHU8_ui1fCwzbtj22QST90TKJromOSSH/s320/IMG_0548_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidR85zVg_y-lID5unnelYJhc6PLGVeVrHZndMHIxANIEuxFuYM3PQV2Z514WTtGXyZ_pzWA5x7M8uDmjR8Wb6KMab25iz5vGANX5W_1bUrWtSiTwpZIoI7VJ_mF-Da8mgdkg2LDQkI7DCI/s1600/IMG_0550_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidR85zVg_y-lID5unnelYJhc6PLGVeVrHZndMHIxANIEuxFuYM3PQV2Z514WTtGXyZ_pzWA5x7M8uDmjR8Wb6KMab25iz5vGANX5W_1bUrWtSiTwpZIoI7VJ_mF-Da8mgdkg2LDQkI7DCI/s320/IMG_0550_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiThBvIbJo_ZQ6sZwKWqAYVWEg8VRlzi9mme-xKfsK0zkRGFhQmVaCnqqUCcftlQHfC6SwGRlGX556WSuvSn4upU3fJ0sVwgLz0BClUARmjaC_58mt1389SfyCZPQK6ItNNujagtShVWpk/s1600/IMG_0594_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiThBvIbJo_ZQ6sZwKWqAYVWEg8VRlzi9mme-xKfsK0zkRGFhQmVaCnqqUCcftlQHfC6SwGRlGX556WSuvSn4upU3fJ0sVwgLz0BClUARmjaC_58mt1389SfyCZPQK6ItNNujagtShVWpk/s320/IMG_0594_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bloggers from around the country show off their harvests every Monday at <a href="http://draft.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_31335590"></span>Daphne's Dandelions<span id="goog_31335591"></span></a>, even in the middle of February! Stop by and say hello.</div>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-87268248921602257542011-02-08T23:38:00.001-10:002011-02-09T08:18:57.964-10:00Zoned out<div>Do you know what zone you garden in? For most of us in Hawaii the answer is USDA plant hardiness zone 11. But that answer is based on the minimum temperature recorded each year in a given zone. And the minimum temperature counting stops at forty degrees. So if you live in Hawaii knowing your plant hardiness zone is kind of like owning snow skis. Not entirely useless, but close.</div><div><br />
</div><div>A few years ago i discovered another, better zone map. This one is the AHS Heat Zone Map and it explains things the USDA map never could. Things like why <a href="http://akitchengardeninkiheimaui.blogspot.com/2011/01/harvest-monday_17.html">Jane's tomatoes</a> don't do so well in August (but not why i can't grow tomatoes much at all). The idea is that plants begin to experience damage from heat when temperatures exceed 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius). Heat zones measure the number of days that this occurs each year. </div><div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtr03EtbSp82K74JcaV8euSpJPy_mHHNQrr51Gac0Ez4fstGiYqEmzSuCUGtOzRP4pGAbtJ-ysA0QhGryAklUr6NPfphEDZhz3tgykFkV_3SikMrGlZb3jE-Kg4FfIw_noskum37-pugQ/s1600/Heat+Map2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtr03EtbSp82K74JcaV8euSpJPy_mHHNQrr51Gac0Ez4fstGiYqEmzSuCUGtOzRP4pGAbtJ-ysA0QhGryAklUr6NPfphEDZhz3tgykFkV_3SikMrGlZb3jE-Kg4FfIw_noskum37-pugQ/s400/Heat+Map2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div>Viewing the map at 1600x i can see that tiny Maui, squeezed way down in the left hand corner, contains all twelve heat zones within its 720 square miles. Astonishing to be sure but no surprise to anyone that lives here. Factor in rainfall and soil variables and it's easy to understand the lack of regional gardening advice. <br />
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The AHS map has really helped expand my gardening borders. Before i knew about heat zones i mostly paid attention to what was working for gardeners in S. California, Texas and South Florida. Now i know my garden resides squarely in AHS Heat Zone 5 so i also get to pay attention to what works for gardeners in places like northern Illinois and most of Oregon. Sort of ; )<br />
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Click <a href="http://www.ahs.org/pdfs/05_heat_map.pdf">here</a> if you'd like to see what heat zone you live in.<span id="goog_1631023200"></span><span id="goog_1631023201"></span><a href="http://draft.blogger.com/"></a></div><span id="goog_1009958223"></span>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-90073933580786606632011-01-22T12:06:00.000-10:002011-01-22T12:06:19.479-10:00Growing up"What would you like to be when you grow up?" i asked the bean as she unfurled her leaves and raised her face to the sun. Being a bean she ignored me, leaving me alone to weave twine into trellis and wonder about the secret aspirations of a bean.<br />
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Trellis weaving is satisfying work and i'm glad for the miscalculation that has made this necessary. Can i tell you a secret? I grew only bush beans for years because i didn't know how to build a trellis. My puny attempts bowed, sagged, listed, and generally ended badly. The pole bean pages of my favorite seed catalogs stayed clean and shiny, free from dog ears and purple sharpie marker stains. I pretended that i didn't care about growing beans that measure two feet long or beans that curl and corkscrew like the tail of a pig. If it needed to be trellised i wasn't interested!<br />
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He offered to help, of course, but i demurred. I knew that his trellis would stand true and tall and bear even the weight of Jack's famous bean but i also knew that it would be a forever trellis. Forever is good in love and marriage but in gardens, not so much. I wanted my trellis to be as easy to take down as it would be to put up, a trellis that would stand firm for only as long as i wished it to. I'm not quite there yet but i'm pretty close. <br />
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And here i really should insert a disclaimer. This is not my design. It's an idea i borrowed from another, more structurally talented gardener, offered here with a few minor modifications of my own. It's simple and sturdy and the materials are easy for the average home gardener to find and to transport.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFn3w8N4xVFDv0LTEEkkdzO_l9kVaNWIFfRAxIySGOVWHAJoh9CXcwwpxjENi7AYRFI2cMb7Uxnq2SsH-A543JnUVrOMMgNph559LmCvLlJQ5vXw3VSYDhYEr2q2YUfI_gc1KBgooSOxDn/s1600/DSC01898_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFn3w8N4xVFDv0LTEEkkdzO_l9kVaNWIFfRAxIySGOVWHAJoh9CXcwwpxjENi7AYRFI2cMb7Uxnq2SsH-A543JnUVrOMMgNph559LmCvLlJQ5vXw3VSYDhYEr2q2YUfI_gc1KBgooSOxDn/s320/DSC01898_edited-1.JPG" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on photo to enlarge details</td></tr>
</tbody></table>What you will need:<br />
<ul><li>Two or more t-posts. I like to use galvanized posts but the green painted ones are a few dollars cheaper and work just as well. Maybe you can find them on Craig's list or at the Restore but i have had rotten luck with that. My second choice is Del's, a local farm and feed store. Lowe's or Home Depot are my back-up options. Avoid U-posts which are not as sturdy. T-posts come in different lengths. I went a little crazy and got seven footers and a sore neck. Be smarter than me and select five footers instead ; )</li>
<li>Enough 5/8" rebar to span the distance between your t-posts. You'll need one for the top and if you use twine you'll need another one for the bottom. Smaller diameters seem a little flimsy to me. </li>
<li>A PVC 'tee' for the top of each t-post, 1 1/4" diameter.</li>
<li>Your choice-a big spool of garden twine or a 4 x 6 precut panel of concrete reinforcing wire.</li>
</ul>This goes together pretty easily. Bang the t-posts into the ground just to the top of the bottom flange. This is far enough to be secure but will still let you pull the post later without getting too sweaty. If you are using CRW you should space the posts to the width of the panel. Slip the PVC tees over the of the t-posts and thread the rebar through. If you are using twine then lash the second piece of rebar across the bottom of the posts. You won't need this second piece if you are using CRW. <br />
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If you are using twine then start by tying laterals between the posts. Begin your trellis weave by tying your verticals off to the top piece of rebar. Wrap the twine around each lateral as you travel down the trellis, reversing the direction of the wrap at each twist and maintaining even tension. Tie off to the bottom piece of rebar and repeat until complete.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXxixgv4VAO1m-HF1wLHCi8GVqrsUSvu_NOeGQJ4Z2qfJJ1Eq3l5wudXW4Po5tB7gDEqgUAeCN2Mei2QYLM6DXGLKi4yWCl2mMxyeE3kU9DvB053s1sR2rLUzl1q6V8iGtgqRXdo2Q_fL/s1600/DSC02335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXxixgv4VAO1m-HF1wLHCi8GVqrsUSvu_NOeGQJ4Z2qfJJ1Eq3l5wudXW4Po5tB7gDEqgUAeCN2Mei2QYLM6DXGLKi4yWCl2mMxyeE3kU9DvB053s1sR2rLUzl1q6V8iGtgqRXdo2Q_fL/s320/DSC02335.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CRW lashed to top bar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>If you are using CRW lash the panel snugly to the top piece of rebar and tie the sides off to the t-posts. If you are using five foot t-posts this will give you a trellis that is six feet long and five feet high with about a foot of empty space at the bottom on the trellis. Your beans won't mind and you will be glad for the room when you are tending the soil between crops. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqjm0tPS3kUzQtFrR3s0N7GiHm2Wfzrq1SQUXaTRrnAiorc4472bzppJrstzLO_fcOCk41c81wnNzW-6vO-iviGsvjB-cnqD9JbqLcNe4vFIJKbcHV1f35qdCKq1vJCHLHudjku8PE6se/s1600/IMG_0145_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqjm0tPS3kUzQtFrR3s0N7GiHm2Wfzrq1SQUXaTRrnAiorc4472bzppJrstzLO_fcOCk41c81wnNzW-6vO-iviGsvjB-cnqD9JbqLcNe4vFIJKbcHV1f35qdCKq1vJCHLHudjku8PE6se/s320/IMG_0145_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beans tackle that open space at the bottom.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The CRW is a lot quicker than weaving and won't need to be restrung with each crop but you will have to peel the vine from the wire at the end of the season. The twine trellis can be clipped off and composted, vine and all. I've heard some gardeners claim that their beans don't like to climb the wire and if you live in a hot climate that might be true. I haven't noticed any problems.<br />
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I still prefer growing bush beans to pole beans but now it's not because i don't know how to build a trellis.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwZkW6H-lX-n0SkclGoJ_SaxBTZiB-yoZtcfb9c1BjIDn-YH91vpeRF7UCQzyQs0kg9sC79RxOcORyE3bCzzj7WvkFCjqqXiskc6Z4qknKWfUCV7u_HTVdfWDX2OgSd_V2pPdb8M3cQIy/s1600/DSC01811_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwZkW6H-lX-n0SkclGoJ_SaxBTZiB-yoZtcfb9c1BjIDn-YH91vpeRF7UCQzyQs0kg9sC79RxOcORyE3bCzzj7WvkFCjqqXiskc6Z4qknKWfUCV7u_HTVdfWDX2OgSd_V2pPdb8M3cQIy/s320/DSC01811_edited-1.JPG" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-51151564549023282402010-12-28T14:59:00.000-10:002010-12-28T14:59:12.642-10:00Oh Beans!Last Sunday I opted out of the mad holiday rush long enough to sow a few bean seeds. Hours later, it rained. It rained all through the night, at least a foot i think. That much rain usually blasts in sideways, riding in on the scouring trades. But this time the wind was paused for breath and the rain fell steadily in a long, lush, ground soaking curtain. I'll confess to you that the timing was more satellite than serendipity but the beans, they don't mind either way.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maui Rain. Thank-you <a href="http://hovergirl.wordpress.com/">Teresa</a>!</td></tr>
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Most of the beans were purchased or traded last season and have been languishing in the refrigerator, waiting for the return of cooler weather. Warmth and humidity kill seeds. The refrigerator is the only dry, cool place in the house. Bean seeds are large which makes them easy to handle but bulky to store. Harboring those seeds has really been cramping my <a href="http://www.care2.com/greenliving/cheese-contains-morphine.html">cheese</a> habit.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUL_dJ08yV1DgzMqVy6SP5S4xHtI9IzWxlSy0KQz7TnWAqm6-QqESjYMGfX61QBdsrsTWwZCbchhWQMnv4_Bv3DN9XbyhoTJyR0ko1aaxACopfUJRbgzdUcNSSqDrvMrHwpj1ayEihyphenhyphenM4N/s1600/IMG_0065_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUL_dJ08yV1DgzMqVy6SP5S4xHtI9IzWxlSy0KQz7TnWAqm6-QqESjYMGfX61QBdsrsTWwZCbchhWQMnv4_Bv3DN9XbyhoTJyR0ko1aaxACopfUJRbgzdUcNSSqDrvMrHwpj1ayEihyphenhyphenM4N/s400/IMG_0065_edited-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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I was glad to get them in the ground but as you can see, i have a ways to go.<br />
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We eat beans from the garden all year round but the varieties change with the seasons. Lima and wing beans can appear anytime of the year but long beans and cow peas are summertime treats. Snap and shelly beans are harvested from fall through spring. Winter brings us peas~sugar, snow, and <a href="http://dirtyfingernails808.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2009-01-01T00:00:00-10:00&updated-max=2010-01-01T00:00:00-10:00&max-results=3">pigeon peas</a> which we enjoy through the springtime months. This winter i am trying out a few new cool season beans for the first time. Fava beans, pop beans, and runner beans. It probably won't get cool enough here for the beans to crop but i might get lucky. With so many micro zones in this state the best way to find out what will work in your area is to try it yourself.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7vGVkuxYS83RVo2QGKndOFl7E78ldED5nlq33jCYdwq4RzjQwZQ1meVwnP16VPdcjvH2jNl5yUm5YJrffvCH0lsmirSH2qymoiCnTY9qve4JqLbYS3m08iNZWRwH8kVLGQN0w1HJ5f3f/s1600/IMG_0032_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7vGVkuxYS83RVo2QGKndOFl7E78ldED5nlq33jCYdwq4RzjQwZQ1meVwnP16VPdcjvH2jNl5yUm5YJrffvCH0lsmirSH2qymoiCnTY9qve4JqLbYS3m08iNZWRwH8kVLGQN0w1HJ5f3f/s320/IMG_0032_edited-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crimson Flowered Favas</td></tr>
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A dozen Crimson Flowered fava beans will be beautiful even if they don't crop. And yes, i do have a lovely bottle of chianti on standby, just in case.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Tcj4UGU3frReKUexDxUikmCATtDwz2kH7jItsX894jB32CptbaSZBiZG3FwTJpMNjJAu9mv6XhB5-hbhGQV616YBZQSJKkZYSOratVKsp4KPjQpYH0CSV1hiy5bWEO-qjDFwTUlyt3au/s1600/IMG_0039_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Tcj4UGU3frReKUexDxUikmCATtDwz2kH7jItsX894jB32CptbaSZBiZG3FwTJpMNjJAu9mv6XhB5-hbhGQV616YBZQSJKkZYSOratVKsp4KPjQpYH0CSV1hiy5bWEO-qjDFwTUlyt3au/s320/IMG_0039_edited-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a bean?</td></tr>
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The garbanzos don't look much like beans to me, it will be fun to watch them grow. They were ordered from the SSE yearbook last year and are a type of popping chickpea, something you might be familiar with if you've read <a href="http://www.caroldeppe.com/">Carol Deppe's</a> books. I'm thinking more corn nuts than popcorn and hope i get a chance to try a few. Carol is planning to offer a popbean through her new company Fertile Valley Seeds this year. The site doesn't seem to be up and running yet. Sign up for her newsletter to receive updates if you like.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZiO5D-td15wkXYOiXfNFzRNUJ1_jcBkVQGSwyWxqMBiEi_6e9k-oxjXB3isXzQ909xy1Rr0cM7Wdj58b7vkTTjYR-p4_xgVuhnUB0Y3PPL7wSr0QDWv5F4b9MZ5L4f4yJ76zmk_MEhhyK/s1600/IMG_0037_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZiO5D-td15wkXYOiXfNFzRNUJ1_jcBkVQGSwyWxqMBiEi_6e9k-oxjXB3isXzQ909xy1Rr0cM7Wdj58b7vkTTjYR-p4_xgVuhnUB0Y3PPL7wSr0QDWv5F4b9MZ5L4f4yJ76zmk_MEhhyK/s320/IMG_0037_edited-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chaco Canyon</td></tr>
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Chaco Canyon is a white runner bean sourced from Baker's Creek. The <a href="http://dirtyfingernails808.blogspot.com/2009/11/runner-beans.html">Aztec Half Runner beans</a> i tried last year never really produced but i'm hoping for better things from Chaco Canyon. Insuk's Wang Kong is a runner bean that will tolerate warmer temperatures. It's available from Sandhill Preservation. IWK is not an all white bean but the scarlet flowers are stunning and edible, to boot. Maybe i'll try them next year if CC is a bust.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clem and Sara's Big Bean</td></tr>
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Clem and Sara's Big Bean is supposed to be a bush bean that produces a large, white shelly bean. They were ordered last year through the SSE yearbook. I have high hopes for this bean! Almost all large white beans are pole beans. Many folks prefer to grow pole beans (once they get past the trellis issue) because they are easier to pick standing up and because they usually produce over a longer period of time. I prefer bush beans because the wind is hard on pole beans and because disease pressures in my garden usually mean the vines are finished after the first or maybe second flush. Of course with shell beans there is no second flush. And besides, how can you not love a name like Clem and Sara's Big Bean ; )<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CgIgJnzfsrCYx3tXD58ZRn_TtH-Z2PO2U_Pr000_tkuZ7FYO-_F6WVhU33V7KGIMgX1dN21fmGpenytXeK6spRqfJK-gCufhB0-yivbR2OAVXjOGp1VVMEfyhpk8mZ-DJAgqKHcB3cyJ/s1600/IMG_0050_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CgIgJnzfsrCYx3tXD58ZRn_TtH-Z2PO2U_Pr000_tkuZ7FYO-_F6WVhU33V7KGIMgX1dN21fmGpenytXeK6spRqfJK-gCufhB0-yivbR2OAVXjOGp1VVMEfyhpk8mZ-DJAgqKHcB3cyJ/s320/IMG_0050_edited-1.JPG" width="165" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isar</td></tr>
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Isar is a bush bean that will produce slender yellow French filet beans. This bean will probably need to be picked every day which i am willing to overlook because i am a sucker for vegetables that come in unusual colors. I expect it will be delicious since it is the first bean the slugs have decided to dine on. If daily picking is not your thing try 'Masai'. It's green, not yellow, but it can go a few days between pickings and has a nice petite bush habit. Isar is available from Johnny's, Masai from Fedco.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eklDzUWVnHJIeq-cVEQo1YOtPvamMukVXBqKwTB4cv5pWz5Sw0oeJY-Qpf1b3UR8wUngzU-dKCcrJO1gUoJvmhaRMdWVMXiehyphenhyphenyTaq9omhN0ijz496zurgutof6rUxyPKFV84RmdtbuO/s1600/IMG_0041_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eklDzUWVnHJIeq-cVEQo1YOtPvamMukVXBqKwTB4cv5pWz5Sw0oeJY-Qpf1b3UR8wUngzU-dKCcrJO1gUoJvmhaRMdWVMXiehyphenhyphenyTaq9omhN0ijz496zurgutof6rUxyPKFV84RmdtbuO/s320/IMG_0041_edited-1.JPG" width="125" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perona~Off to a fine start</td></tr>
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Perona and Perona Verde are both bush shell beans purchased from Sandhill Preservation. They were originally sourced from Spain. Perona Verde is <i>not</i> green. That is all i know. I have no idea why i ordered these beans. Maybe i was in the mood for tapas?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvOBNeQooOCqJMS0iJ2xRb2cuNisMisENdZTF5x2CQJQUrCTGJ_tTs0ZgPtMkZcARh2LnMIyHFPuliOtdhCWgfPvufcDxXdMQbHh7Xj6kLqHkS7fvsG9tkPwi_SXxHnKCobZD8uqL2UqN/s1600/IMG_0045_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvOBNeQooOCqJMS0iJ2xRb2cuNisMisENdZTF5x2CQJQUrCTGJ_tTs0ZgPtMkZcARh2LnMIyHFPuliOtdhCWgfPvufcDxXdMQbHh7Xj6kLqHkS7fvsG9tkPwi_SXxHnKCobZD8uqL2UqN/s320/IMG_0045_edited-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soissons Vert</td></tr>
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I am so looking forward to trying this next bean, Soissons Vert. It's a large, pale green, pole flageolet. It garners the highest praise for flavor. These seeds were also ordered through the SSE yearbook last spring. By the time the seeds arrived my trellises were full and by the time they finally emptied it was summer. I didn't want to plant SV during the hot months so i waited. The beans just look delicious, all plump and shiny. This probably reflects the care and skill of the preservationist as much as the characteristics of the bean. Thank-you Chris. <br />
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And finally i have three different peas planted. Peas grow just OK here, even in the winter time, but are so well worth growing when compared to the tired, overpriced supermarket peas. All varieties from Pinetree.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7XupFO_ytA1CaX1LIDPsznJW4s52lb1VFaXgqLTDJR8VVgbeG7trWMTp7sbaptiubuZDigflNz21cj5FUJZ8qcp4LUXJR-AMZZ-OgxSVjF_X-izy44DL1JACTQ_45zPvROo8cW-y9xdDX/s1600/IMG_0035_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7XupFO_ytA1CaX1LIDPsznJW4s52lb1VFaXgqLTDJR8VVgbeG7trWMTp7sbaptiubuZDigflNz21cj5FUJZ8qcp4LUXJR-AMZZ-OgxSVjF_X-izy44DL1JACTQ_45zPvROo8cW-y9xdDX/s320/IMG_0035_edited-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Sweet</td></tr>
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Golden Sweet is a lemon podded snow pea originally from India. This is not a new fangled yellow podded pea, Mendel himself used it during his pea breeding experiments. I'm looking forward to the beautiful purple flowers as well as the yummy pods.<br />
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Cascadia is a newer sugar snap pea bred for the Northwest by Dr. Jim Baggett. It is shorter than my old standard Super Sugar Snap, a plus, and has been bred for resistance to powdery mildew and enation. Now i'm not sure enation resistance is useful in Hawaii but powdery mildew resistance sure will come in handy. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MxjnZNBARF6fLz2O_FglTat1CqM-UoT_-qr8xyuLX7xEp4NAl8uXHWgyR5qwY7HSdJHVuj3hzZh9K4jLd40cgyzEUaM90bX54p9ih6tNgnEdSmsP6MWTP9AO7LO7M8QXGGRjmdbYbDXv/s1600/IMG_0046_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MxjnZNBARF6fLz2O_FglTat1CqM-UoT_-qr8xyuLX7xEp4NAl8uXHWgyR5qwY7HSdJHVuj3hzZh9K4jLd40cgyzEUaM90bX54p9ih6tNgnEdSmsP6MWTP9AO7LO7M8QXGGRjmdbYbDXv/s320/IMG_0046_edited-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oregon Sugar Pod or Cascadia? I forgot.</td></tr>
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Oregon Sugar Pod II is another shorter, disease resistant vine out of Oregon State University. Wouldn't a better name be Oregon Sugar <i>Snow</i> Pod II? How else to avoid confusing this snow pea with a sugar snap pea? I always pick my first few sugar snaps a little too small. Waiting until the pods are almost bursting yields a sweeter pea in my garden. I wonder if these snow peas are like that, sweeter when they are old and puffy?<br />
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There's not much to look at yet but in a few weeks things should be filling in. In the meantime i'm curling up with a few new seed catalogs, trying not to order more beans. I need more space for cheese.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-57323544280951720152010-11-14T23:27:00.003-10:002010-12-11T07:19:12.842-10:00Spinach, by any other nameHe came home one day with a raggedy scrap of green and purple, swaddled in damp hardware receipts. "For you" he said as he kissed me hello, "Okinawan Spinach". This man knows that diamonds are not the way to my heart. I laughed in delight, kissed him back, and ran off to find a home for my new treasure.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcaDFOoktpxGuWCZVScvtKq6Z1Qezo8HxiMbn802-GKQ-r5-jgUE_FiYG9gf69hF2DW5NszEJ7QW6rmB84FwO3YxiQu3CImoi4MiyREuVdcq1zmJMfVQXwwaC8lyQZquLBtgbmN3j9ob4O/s1600/DSC03219_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcaDFOoktpxGuWCZVScvtKq6Z1Qezo8HxiMbn802-GKQ-r5-jgUE_FiYG9gf69hF2DW5NszEJ7QW6rmB84FwO3YxiQu3CImoi4MiyREuVdcq1zmJMfVQXwwaC8lyQZquLBtgbmN3j9ob4O/s320/DSC03219_edited-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
If you know much about growing spinach you might be wondering about my excitement. Spinach prefers cool, damp weather. It can grow in Hawaii but in most areas the season is short and the plant is fickle, demanding special consideration from the gardener. Gardeners in Hawaii are encouraged to select from a variety of warm weather spinach substitutes instead, things like Malabar spinach, Lagos spinach, New Zealand spinach, water spinach and Sisso spinach. After being fooled by a few of these imposters i learned that 'spinach' only means that the plant will be leafy and green. Probably edible but not necessarily palatable. Do not be discouraged by this. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Acceptable substitutes for <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinach">Spinacia oleracea</a></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"> </span>are available, according to your desired use, they are just not called spinach.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5AnSSO-qVYafwLOkCfT5h7kFTpz5gB8y_SAuK8cZ0UIi4Xjnn-qoSWOX-7TYIwkPM4eCXijaOpjPE4fsI6V8HATkoz11OInk0fqEqu6l_iQOf_rODMmxA3opQKQ4GBXzYopXyZQ1pti0v/s1600/DSC03224_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5AnSSO-qVYafwLOkCfT5h7kFTpz5gB8y_SAuK8cZ0UIi4Xjnn-qoSWOX-7TYIwkPM4eCXijaOpjPE4fsI6V8HATkoz11OInk0fqEqu6l_iQOf_rODMmxA3opQKQ4GBXzYopXyZQ1pti0v/s320/DSC03224_edited-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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But wait, i am getting sidetracked. Let me get back to telling you about this plant, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gynura_crepioides" style="font-style: italic;">Gynura crepioides</a><i>,</i> that belongs in every island garden. Like the spinaches mentioned earlier, Okinawan spinach should not be thought of as a spinach substitute. It isn't. But unlike the others it <i>is</i> plenty palatable. In our house we strip the leaves off of the stem and add them to green salads where they flash sparkles of jeweled brilliance. Each thick, smooth leaf has a slightly succulent quality, like spinach, but with a faint piney taste and an affinity tropical fruits. We are exploring other ways to incorporate this plant into our diet because of its rumoured cholesterol lowering properties. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwahb7R-gkjadVcQG6Cjhxf3o2ZfFwtJKqC9eEFlTkGDGgeNCsfzfS6JI1_XOxw_XPrT2BoxsNJXZkY14UVpeemLu_asjLShL4MojBNZigFNYMPMCYXajE7cjb6u8i67zgL3f_PaDW4RHD/s1600/DSC03227_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwahb7R-gkjadVcQG6Cjhxf3o2ZfFwtJKqC9eEFlTkGDGgeNCsfzfS6JI1_XOxw_XPrT2BoxsNJXZkY14UVpeemLu_asjLShL4MojBNZigFNYMPMCYXajE7cjb6u8i67zgL3f_PaDW4RHD/s320/DSC03227_edited-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So this Okinawan spinach tastes good, looks good and is good for you. You're checking your seed catalogs already, aren't you? But wait, there's more. This unfussy plant is ridiculously easy to grow. It forms a low mat that would be easy to incorporate into an edible landscape and seems to have few pest issues. It will tolerate a moderate amount of drought and even full sun in my garden although it does appreciate regular moisture and a little shade. It strikes readily from tip cuttings in moist soil or in a glass of water on a kitchen countertop. The plant produces a typical asteraceae type flower during the shorter days of winter but the seeds do not grow true to type, producing all green leaves that lack the characteristic richly pigmented underleaf. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I took a few tip cuttings to a seed swap last year and was pleasantly surprised by the number of people who shared that they had a patch growing in their own or their Auntie's garden.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"> </span>The internet tells me that Okinawan spinach can be found at selected nurseries, swap meets and plant sales on other islands but i have never seen it for sale on Maui. I hope i have convinced you that it is worth seeking out.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dawn Dewa, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><i style="font-style: italic;">Gynura nepalensis, </i>aka 'The Low Cholesterol Plant' is a related plant i would like to find . If you can help me out with that please leave a comment</span>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-85899948723192144042010-10-30T11:43:00.002-10:002010-10-30T16:49:23.455-10:00Kitchen Garden<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Wine and salad are the perfect summer pair." src="http://img4.cookinglight.com/i/2004/07/0407p214a-whitewine-m.jpg?300:300" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine</td></tr>
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I wanted the garden to start at my kitchen door but the soil and the slope and the wind are all wrong. It grows a few minutes away instead, stretched across a flat part of our property where the topsoil wasn't long ago scraped or washed away. I enjoy strolling out there in the early morning sun and even in the early morning fog and rain but in the dark of night? Not so much. And you know that this is a problem when you cook from the garden, don't you? Because sometimes, right at the very last minute, what the soup really needs to make it sing is a scattering of scallion or a sprinkle of cilantro. And sometimes, when the day has had it's way with you, and you can barely drag yourself into the kitchen, all you really want for dinner is a freshly picked green salad and maybe a glass of chardonnay.<br />
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So with the shorter days leaving me with less and less light at the end of mine, i decided to take some action. Luckily not much would be required. Just to the right of the kitchen door and sheltered by the stairs is a sliver of a raised bed, eight square feet in all. He built it for me five or maybe seven years ago. I've lately been using it as a halfway house for new slips and starts, anything that needs a daily looking at really.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPd2Q1TWheL4AYJDAvcv5L9_G5h554mlsmlWOZrxHE9DSIdPxlHLhK_OZpOLPkqB2WPQ0VUcXi-5ntEhRVfE0qmmveoFA6WDUXkcOGtxsAc_ZNZXeSbYJF0sC2Inx4LsWU2KtHI6TYjqSx/s1600/DSC03138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPd2Q1TWheL4AYJDAvcv5L9_G5h554mlsmlWOZrxHE9DSIdPxlHLhK_OZpOLPkqB2WPQ0VUcXi-5ntEhRVfE0qmmveoFA6WDUXkcOGtxsAc_ZNZXeSbYJF0sC2Inx4LsWU2KtHI6TYjqSx/s320/DSC03138.JPG" width="320" /></a>The old sides were bowed along two edges, spilling the backfilled clay out of the bed, but he repaired that for me in just a few minutes. The soil in that bed was never properly amended for growing vegetables so i sprinkled lime and dolomite and bonemeal as instructed by the soil test i paid UH for a few years ago. Since i know exactly where the soil in that bed came from there is no need to have it tested again. I spread a little azomite, too, because i had some and the plants seem to like it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3i-3dq0mYfRarcHhXPQN3IyBJSCsczmkItAvm-X5h1xhHfmMbOPEa5ayOQ2ATuh5M6ZSvL4Itm7zIyWjFww2nUexHZ4xzcNesVcxtEJgsjuDL7TgSKPX9xsT22X6Meputup7fqDpwUtbB/s1600/DSC03140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3i-3dq0mYfRarcHhXPQN3IyBJSCsczmkItAvm-X5h1xhHfmMbOPEa5ayOQ2ATuh5M6ZSvL4Itm7zIyWjFww2nUexHZ4xzcNesVcxtEJgsjuDL7TgSKPX9xsT22X6Meputup7fqDpwUtbB/s320/DSC03140.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
Our clay soil can be rock hard but the bed is tiny and it took me only a few sweaty minutes to turn. I added a wheelbarrow full of screened manure and turned it again, smashing the larger clods apart with satisfying thwacks from the back of my shovel. I wanted to plant some greens right away but instead i watered it well and let it rest.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmsK8SGy-JD4ggTBRktoR06CrhZ52a_7vGazIGCp56V4gacaWuAUeqxBgvY_FDXJSS1VJPF9fF00OB0cOTb7RXue0NKmBc9ocU2ctB_0gRwJ9Gdj5kR1EUf91t_G_mr5TZO29lySCRzgy/s1600/DSC03147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmsK8SGy-JD4ggTBRktoR06CrhZ52a_7vGazIGCp56V4gacaWuAUeqxBgvY_FDXJSS1VJPF9fF00OB0cOTb7RXue0NKmBc9ocU2ctB_0gRwJ9Gdj5kR1EUf91t_G_mr5TZO29lySCRzgy/s320/DSC03147.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's been about two weeks now and there are a few young weeds greening the surface. Allowing these weeds to sprout reduces the seed bank and will save me some time in the next few weeks. I'll pull them later today and plant. </div><br />
You might be thinking that eight square feet is not very big and yes, you would be right, it's small. But i have been practicing the time honored art of encroachment, layering woodchips, coffee grounds, lemongrass tops, and compost around the edges for a good while now. I have tucked in a young papaya tree, a chile pepper, and a few strawberry plants. There is room, still, for some basil and maybe a patch of mint or oregano. And soon my garden will start, as it should, at the kitchen door.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1484906137722585990.post-72786330228834878852010-10-11T22:08:00.001-10:002010-10-11T22:12:30.465-10:00Late Summer Garden UpdateSeptember was a slow time in my vegetable garden so i felt silly posting a tour. It should have been a busy month, full of sowing and transplanting and readying the earth as she tracks a slow pivot, returning us to cooler, wetter weather. What happened instead is that i was distracted, seeds failed, and slugs and birds grew fat on the few tender seedlings that did emerge. Grrr. But this blog is a record, my way to mark the rhythms of the garden through fat and other times, so i will see if i can record a few highlights.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmA3sbofrd92Sb3tAV5TyBlhemkhk5GvswJQBZc28GmFZsoJyJQbGDIHbpGftEowxfGDXfGT9eKm64snCK31WbutBxWYstSBAas3CU_pdzGs8zt03jsJ-0nGC_-2Qxw2uL35OJAv_TCEJD/s1600/DSC03097_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmA3sbofrd92Sb3tAV5TyBlhemkhk5GvswJQBZc28GmFZsoJyJQbGDIHbpGftEowxfGDXfGT9eKm64snCK31WbutBxWYstSBAas3CU_pdzGs8zt03jsJ-0nGC_-2Qxw2uL35OJAv_TCEJD/s320/DSC03097_edited-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Purslane. First time growing this. Predictably i couldn't resist it's easy reputation. Easy but virtuous, high in omega 3s. Felt weird eating a weed but it cropped quickly and wasn't bad mixed in with other greens and was pretty good with hummus in a veggie wrap. Have you ever tasted these?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSbEMIHcSrzxoiy4_Y1ybzUNI6mTIvh2_dwiCr9A0vyKdox970&t=1&usg=__IUx0Lfl0PB3iJK8NEspRh7tJfrY=" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 18px;">Photo by Dr. John Meade, weed scientist emeritus<br />
Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>It's what purslane tastes like. The oxalic acid i think. <br />
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Juliet tomatoes are just starting to ripen. I hope these are the grape tomatoes i have been looking for. A few years ago i let a volunteer tomato plant grow. It sprouted from a seed that was either washed out of a tray from an earlier planting or grew from a composted hybird tomato. The plant produced lots of firm little grape tomatoes that held for a long time on the vine. These tomatoes tasted okay fresh. But roasted? Oh my, roasting absolutely transformed them into smoky, rich tasting morsels that pureed into a remarkable sauce. Earlier this year i tried to prepare Komohana grape tomatoes the same way, assuming that one grape tomato was pretty much like another. Let me tell you, they are not. I'm crossing my fingers this time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczKq-gMyo-aTjDZo5T_tO1Bvu7UquH95_QZFRTYqYm6znp5Qc_chn18Dsbi1MujG5VvyM_ONhhqIggmcUp0Yq7hfH-2Pry4ArwP3tlYkffdWZKoohz3oJyBaruC99zpTmr-g7h98X-ljD/s1600/DSC02482_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczKq-gMyo-aTjDZo5T_tO1Bvu7UquH95_QZFRTYqYm6znp5Qc_chn18Dsbi1MujG5VvyM_ONhhqIggmcUp0Yq7hfH-2Pry4ArwP3tlYkffdWZKoohz3oJyBaruC99zpTmr-g7h98X-ljD/s320/DSC02482_edited-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is a sad little naranjillo plant. It has been sitting here looking much the same for about a month. Stunted maybe, did i leave it in the pot too long? It's a pretty thing, covering itself in prickly, purple fuzz. I'm curious about this and the fruit that it will produce. Have you grown it?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJhrI6unbHfsoyzCXbEHgGOMp6BI8F7trWrgmItyhyphenhyphengiCLyXGkkCh29AgQv-rTSgrlq2GPoVH0MDtVK_D7e_zQcj-Y9muHxoov6kpYuL49eHPsBPfLKnBFd9H4rt7bnq0yrlO7FjpIs7i/s1600/DSC03123_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJhrI6unbHfsoyzCXbEHgGOMp6BI8F7trWrgmItyhyphenhyphengiCLyXGkkCh29AgQv-rTSgrlq2GPoVH0MDtVK_D7e_zQcj-Y9muHxoov6kpYuL49eHPsBPfLKnBFd9H4rt7bnq0yrlO7FjpIs7i/s320/DSC03123_edited-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
A big surprise this month was my Hunan wing bean. It languished for the first three months while it's neighbor, Lorenzo's Wing Bean, pumped out an early harvest. Hunan decided to scramble up it's trellis just as Lorenzo's started to fade. At first there were only a few fat frilly pods here and there but this month Hunan has given me a skilletful once or twice a week.<br />
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In September the salad bowl was filled with rainbow and lacinato kales, mizuna and midnight chard, arugula and Okinawan spinach. The zucchini succumbed to powdery mildew and the melon flies had no trouble finding the cucumber but the cherry tomatoes were unstoppable. We are tired of broccoli but not cowpeas. The eggplants were small but delicious and we are looking forward to more. Oh, and then there were the gardenias. In September! Which, as it turns out, was a pretty fat month after all.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">That's all for now.</div><div style="text-align: center;">A hui hou!</div><br />
</div>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02961191716286809220noreply@blogger.com8