Fast Plants for Sandwiches

Posted on October 11, 2011 by

Watercress

Watercress

One of the delights of cooking is the ability to add your own homegrown ingredients. Nothing more so if you think you need green fingers to do so. Growing seeds for eating and being able to harvest them with in a week is within the grasp of anyone with a windowsill! The modern need for fresh eating has made this possible.

Watercress is one of the easy grown herbs or salad plants that can be grown this way. We pick this from a nearby flowing stream if the livestock have not beaten us to it! It grows very quickly and easily and in the wrong place a weed. The peppery flavours of the leaves are particularly nice in sandwiches. Watercress is a relative of the cabbage or Brassica family with genetic links to radish and mustard.
While the cress we pick grows big, in some cases over a metre in length, we never pick it if its flowering as the taste is too bitter. The beauty of growing your own on a windowsill
is any one can do it as seeds will grow in pots that just stand in water. Cut it at the size you want. Watercress is reputed to have many benefits including anti cancer properties,
as well as containing calcium, iodine, and folic acid so it is well worth including in the daily diet if possible

Mustard is another salad leaf growing quickly and easily at any time of the year. Mustard has been around for thousands of years and mentioned in the Bible.
Grow mustard seeds in a seed raising mix. Spread the seed out and cover with the soil mix and water gently. Keep seeds moist and the seedlings will normally appear within a week depending on conditions and warmth, earlier or later.
They can be cut at any size but leaving the seedlings to grow for three or four weeks until they reach 10-15 cm high, will provide a better return for your efforts and bigger sandwiches! Sow mustard seeds successively at two to three week intervals so you have an ongoing supply.

Rocket lettuce or herbs are another quickly grown green. Like both Mustard and Watercress has a peppery taste. It is best to eat just a few weeks from sowing as it grows so fast the leaves take on a bitter taste if they grow old. Grow it quickly with plenty of water, and sow successively for a continuing supply.
Enjoy your homegrown greens, they are worth it!

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How to Grow Tulips in Containers

Posted on September 13, 2011 by

Tulips

Tulips

Tulips are some of the more popular bulbs in the world. Reading the book “The Black Tulip” by Alexander Dumas as a child created an interest for life in these bulbs.
Introduced to Europe from Turkey over 400 years ago Holland soon became home to them. The Dutch became synonymous with the Tulip, and became renowned for their abilities in their breeding and cross breeding. The storyline of the book was to breed a black tulip. There was a time in Holland when tulip bulbs were worth a good deal of money and where fortunes were made and lost on a bulb! Similar to our current share markets where people can be carried away paying a lot of money on the current favourite stocks. Nothing has changed! There are now over a hundred different species, with the resulting hybrids running into thousands of varieties.

Plant Tulip bulbs in mid to late autumn. It is fun leafing through catalogues and nurseries choosing what to plant. Preorder bulbs if you require something a little different. Choose large and unblemished bulbs without black spots, mould or growths on them. As tulips are cold weather bulbs, they can be encouraged in warmer areas by placing the bulbs in the refrigerator for up to 6-8 weeks by making them think winter! I generally keep them in the crisper area of the refrigerator out of the way of day-to-day food and fruit.
Like most bulbs, Tulips prefer a well-drained soil, whether it is in a garden, container, or rock gardens, include some fine gravel or sand when preparing the soil to enhance the drainage.

Good preparation of the soil with well-rotted compost and a complete fertilizer will ensure a good base for a stunning display of flowers in the future. The depth of planting bulbs is generally taken to be twice that of their size, lengthways. Mulch protects the bulbs once they are planted. I tend to plant and forget, delighting in seeing them pop up as they start to flower. Some people will label the bulbs so they know where to find their bulbs. Tulips varieties today will tolerate some shade but their preference is for a sunny spot in the garden. They come in many colours and mixtures of color but the black colour has not been reached that I am aware of yet. There are some very deep reds that on first glance you think “wow, a black tulip”.

The depths that tulips are planted allow some of the smaller bulbs to be planted over the top of them to make the most of the area. The tulips are not fond of an acid soil, so if it is likely that your soil is likely to be acidic, add some lime prior to planting. It is best not to leave bedding tulips in the ground after the leaves have died down they are better lifted and stored in a cool dry place until the next season. There are varieties that may be left safely in the soil, ask your nurseryman for those suitable for your area.
In my experience, from growing tulips in warmer areas, a better display is achieved by buying in new bulbs each year.

After flowering deadhead the flowers, but leave the leaves to die naturally ensuring the bulb is ready for next year’s flowers. Tall tulip varieties are likely to be affected by strong winds, so if this is a problem in your area, ensure they are sheltered, or alternatively grow some of the smaller varieties.

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Chillies or Capsicums

Posted on July 19, 2011 by

Capsicums

Capsicums

Capsicums and Chillies are the well-known peppers. The difference is that some are sweet peppers, the other hot peppers! Some of the small hot peppers can easily be grown in containers as houseplants, the fruit taking the starring role instead of flowers. They are a heat loving plant and grow well in warm climates or cooler places in a heated environment like a glasshouse or sunny conservatory.

Growing capsicum or Chillies is easy from seed. Choose the seeds that you require whether it is the sweet or hot peppers. The seeds chosen will respond in the same way. The windows of opportunity for growing the seeds is a small one and to get the best results, start growing your seedlings a month or six weeks before they are planted in their final place whether in a container or garden. Depending on your family’s requirements, four to six plants will supply enough peppers for an ordinary family. Capsicum plants are also available from nurseries if you cannot be bothered with growing from seeds. Just make sure they are healthy and not root bound. Once seedlings reach about four inches in height, transplant them into to bigger pots for growing on. Plants have a reasonably deep root system, so they need regular and good watering.

Capsicums like most plants benefit from manure or compost worked into the soil or mix. Plant in a 35-40 cm diameter container or pot for growing on a patio or deck. Do not overdo the nitrogen-based fertilizer initially as all you will get are leaves and green growth. Once flowering and fruiting appear then is the time to sprinkle some high nitrogen general fertilizer around the plant. Peppers are really nice plants to have on display. Capsicum that you have planted in the spring will start to bear fruit in mid summer and continue having fruit until the onset of the colder weather.

Peppers can be picked at any time you consider they are big enough or suitable for your purposes. When you have just a few plants, cut the fruit from the plant as pulling them may break the branches. Like beans, the more you pick them the higher the fruit production will be. The common bell shaped varieties can be left on the plant until they change color be it yellow or even longer red. Pick the Chillies once they reach 7-10 cm long. Pick these when they are young for the freshest taste, but if you choose, leave them to shrivel up and then grind for use as an ingredient for spicy cooking!

If you have a creative side, make ornamental decorations of the peppers by threading on a string or displaying them.
Capsicums are usually trouble free and easy to grow; we used to grow acres of them!
The things that are likely to affect them are mostly of the insect variety. Amongst them are aphids, white fly, caterpillars and the green vegetable bug. Sprays suitable for the purpose control these, most of the sprays used do not have a long withholding period so the fruit can be eaten safely if you know how long the required time is.

Peppers can be frozen quickly from fresh with out prior preparation, apart from removing the seeds. This is fine for using as a casserole or added to soups. Done like this the pepper is not suitable for use as fresh in a salad.

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Peace Lily

Posted on June 21, 2011 by

Peace Lily

Peace Lily

PEACE  LILY

These popular plants provide an evergreen presence in a home year round. Grow these plants because they always look good with their shiny leaves. The flowers are unusual, produced on long stalks that grow from and over the plant itself. Those in not such good health will have smaller flowers right down to a miniature size. They are not unlike the Anthurium

The flower head called a spathe surrounds a spadix, which is the long protrusion.

The flower itself lasts approximately a week and then starts to change from white to green. This then lasts for a few more weeks. They are reasonably hardy plants. They have to be living at my house! They prefer medium light conditions as direct sunlight will burn their leaves particularly next to a window.  Keep an eye on plants, not just these, as they all need to adjust to the light and temperature conditions of the room in which they live.

I do put them out side in our warmer months in a warm sheltered spot out of cold winds way.

Watering pot plants is the nemesis of a lot of would be plant lovers. How ever, I find that watering sufficiently so that when you pick up the pot in passing it feels heavyish. When the weather turns cold, reduce the watering regime. Peace lilies prefer not to dry out and they will show you by dropping their leaves and looking sad! Perking up again very quickly after a drink. From the early onset of spring, give them liquid fertilizer every two or three weeks through to late autumn.

Repot the plants every year into a larger pot up to a size that suits you.  Use a good potting mix, peat based is preferable.

Increase the numbers of your plants easily by dividing the rhizomes of the big plants into smaller pieces. In addition, plant them into their individual small pots for on growing. Give them a chance to settle and grow. Do not bother with fertilizer for a while until they look as if they are growing nicely under their own steam.

Choosing the variety to suit your home depends on what is available in your area. Some can reach a massive 90 cms high while others a mere 30 cms in height. You may like to sponge their leaves to keep them free of the dust and slight fat coating that sometimes affects the rooms we live in.  They are not prone to many problems but a close watch on them will reveal any mite infestations. Mist spraying them frequently particularly under the leaves will keep the mites in check.

As the hippies used to say, “Peace”

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Super food Silverbeet

Posted on June 11, 2011 by

Silver beet happily growing in containers

Silver beet happily growing in containers

Whether you call it silver beet or chard, this vegetable remains one of nature’s nutrient rich products. A member of the beetroot family its scientific name is beta vulgaris cicla. This plant is sometimes confused with spinach but the leaves are much larger than spinach although both can be picked over a period if they are grown quickly.
These are the ideal fresh vegetable to grow in pots and containers. The plants are fast growing and like lettuce are best eaten while the leaves are young and tender. The leaves are removed from the outside of the plant to allow the new leaves to grow on in the centre of the plant thus giving a continual supply of tasty, fresh and nutritious food. Siler beet is a good source of iron so an invaluable food to have on your table. It saves you money as well being able to pick your own vegetable from a pot on your balcony or deck.

Temperature wise silver beet grows in most climates, in warmer areas the seed can be sown all year, but in the springtime for colder areas. The easiest way of growing chard is filling your container, preferably, a large well drained one with your multi purpose potting mix and planting your seed directly in the pot. The silver beet plants have a long taproot so a reasonably deep container is required.

If you have a source of different varieties or seed packets that come with mixed varieties, use them. It gives your containers a decorative edge while the plants grow. There are white and red stemmed plants. Plant more seeds than you will need, the seedlings appear in ten to fourteen days

After a few weeks, you will notice which are the strongest plants, and time to thin out the weak ones. The seedlings are usually about 10 cms after this time so the small and weak plants will be obvious. Feed them well with either liquid feeds or side dressings of granulated fertilizer that have an increased nitrogen component. Access to chicken manure also works well for silver beet but is too strong for using in pots. Silver beet requires little attention so bugs and diseases are not usually a problem. You will of course, still have to wash carefully before preparing for cooking because the small slugs get hidden in the crinkles of the leaves.

Preparing silver beet or chard for meals requires a good washing under a tap, or soaking in a salt solution for half an hour to rid it of any small bugs. Lightly cook in a small amount of water for a few minutes or alternatively steam until cooked then cover with butter. Butter is not the right thing these days with obesity becoming a problem but it tastes good! Another way if you like garlic, gently fry the chard with crushed garlic in a little oil, I use olive oil, until it is cooked. Whichever way you choose to eat it, silver beet or chard is very good for you and your family.

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Chamomile for the quiet Life

Posted on June 10, 2011 by

Chamomile Flower

Chamomile Flower

I have discovered a new respect for the old remedies and healing ways of past generations. Those of who never knew the advantages of the health providers, the modern world enjoys today. Even in some of the poorer parts of the world, traditional medicine is practiced still, using herbs and garden plants. One of those plants that achieved its own niche in the daily health of our forebears is chamomile. This little herbs history goes back to the Greeks, the Egyptians, and the early Anglo Saxons. They considered it as useful in lowering fevers, and for its calming effects.

Growing chamomile is easy. The plant likes growing in the full sun in a light free draining soil.
Growing it in pots or containers requires a similar soil mix. If you wish to propagate, your plants to either sell or like most gardeners, give them away. You can grow them either from seed, cuttings or division. The small beige colored seeds are sown in spring. The existing plants can be divided in springtime. Take cuttings from some of the side shoots over the summer months. Plants that are growing in pots, like most plants, need to be raised off the ground to stop the potting mix from becoming waterlogged.

There are many varieties of chamomile but the most commonly used ones are, Flore-pleno, Treneague, Matricaria recutia(German) or the Chamaemelum nobile (Roman).The low growing form of Flore-pleno has double flowers, while Treneague is used for lawns. Neither of these forms produces the flowers that are used for chamomile tea. Give plants, both in the garden and pots a liquid fertilizer drink every six weeks or so. Chamomile is a hardy plant and not too fussy about the temperatures it grows in. When chamomile is grown as a lawn or in pathway, the herb gives off a perfume similar to that of an apple.

When picking for use as an herb the leaves can be picked at any time of the day, while the flowers are picked when they are fully open and preferably in the morning after any dew has gone. Using the Nobile or the recutita make them into teas by infusion. Achieve this by pouring boiling water over the flowers and leaving them to soak for at least half an hour. This can be used for as a relaxant or sedative for both adults and children.
Drying the plant, both flowers and leaves allows you to use in pot pourri or in sachets for placing in clothing drawers, or bedding. Chamomile tea is readily available from supermarkets, health shops and pharmacies if you just want the easy way out! Try using the (squeezed) teabags for resting on closed eyelids for some eye relief. While generally an easy plant to use, be aware that if over used, it may cause dizziness or vomiting. Some people may also get dermatitis from touching the plant as well.

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Healthy Blueberries

Posted on June 4, 2011 by

Blueberries for Healthy Food

Blueberries for Healthy Food

Blueberries are considered in today’s health conscious world, a great food for healthy eating, and its ability to supply essential vitamins and antioxidants high on the list of essential foods. They are the perfect little plants for growing on a balcony or patio, or their alter ego that grows between .50cm -5m high in an out door situation. The blueberry predominately found in the north Americas, but are now grown commercially and domestically in the southern hemisphere countries of Australia, Argentina and New Zealand

Blueberries are acid soil loving plants and will grow in a peat based soil mix.
Choosing the right plant for your garden or growing situation will help in the successful cultivation of your blueberry. The three main types are the high bush with its growth reaching up to 4 meters, the rabbit eye reaching 5-6 meters and the low bush a dainty 50cm. All the varieties need a winter chilling, but both the rabbit eye and low bush varieties can stand a slightly warmer clime.

All blueberries need an acid soil with a soil ph of around 4-4.5. They thrive in well-drained rich soils. If you need to acidify your soil, the addition of ammonium sulphate would be required. Ask your nurseryman in your area for a more informed opinion.
Blueberry plants are best propogated from cuttings as seeds can be hit and miss. The cuttings taking up to two years to be ready for planting into their permanent positions.
Plant blueberries in groups with suggested space between them of 1.5 x2.5 meters. As birds are also partial to them, planting in groups lightens the problem but does not stop it.
Commercial growers cover their crops with netting, so you may like to use that option if you want to have a good crop.

Blueberries will provide their famous berries with out cross-pollination but crop production is much improved by the addition of another plant or two, preferably a different variety in close vicinity. The roots of the blueberry are shallow, so take care when cultivating or weeding near the plants. After fertilizing in the beginning of the season, cover the roots with mulch to assist in keeping the roots cool and moist. Pruning the plants will become necessary after three or four years, as fruiting occurs on the previous season’s growth. It will pay to cut back the oldest branches hard to encourage new growth.

The health benefits of blueberries include fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, particularly vitamins C, A and E. When buying the berries make sure they are firm with good coloring from a deep purple to nearly black. Eat them fresh, refrigerate in a plastic container for using in a day or two, or freeze loose on trays to package and keep frozen for later use. Freezing them loose means they will free flow when needed.

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Rhubarb,Rhubarb

Posted on June 2, 2011 by

Rhubarb

Rhubarb

This old-fashioned fruit is making a comeback in today’s culinary world. Easily grown with an interesting growth habit it adds a distinctive presence in the garden.
Its preferred habitat is a cooler climate as it does not handle heat very well, but manages quite heavy frosts.
The earliest references to Rhubarb are from Chinese manuscripts over 2,000 years ago they use the root for medicinal purposes. The English have been using it since the sixteenth century also for medicinal purposes. There is an oldwives remedy of burying a rhubarb stalk next to cabbages in the garden. It is said to assist in the prevention of club root in cabbage plants.

While rhubarb is available to grow from seeds, the plants are mostly acquired from sets. Rhubarb is grown from sets, which means the plant can be divided from a single root. You dig the main root out of the ground and then with a knife cut into the sections that you want. Do make sure there is a bud or growing head on the individual pieces that you slice off the root. This is best done in either late winter or early spring Plant your new plants into well-fertilized and drained site in your garden. The plant will tolerate some shade but does best in a mostly sunny site in the garden. When you first plant Rhubarb in the garden, it is wise to consider giving it a place that you can leave it to grow on for several years.

Grow Rhubarb in containers as well; they are very handy to have on a balcony or deck if you do not have a garden. Growing rhubarb in pots allows you to stand the containers in a little shade, if you need to protect them from strong winds. The large leaves of the plant mean it is susceptible to being blown over by the wind. In containers, you can move the rhubarb into the sun if you feel like it. Water rhubarb frequently whether it is in the garden or pots.For the best results, give all plants a liquid fertilizer or nitrogen based granular fertilizer every four to six weeks. Do this during the main growing season.

Picking the stalks is done correctly if you twist and peel the stalk from the bottom of the plant, not unalike silver beet. This leaves the new growth to grow on from the centre of the plant. To prepare the stalks for cooking it is imperative the leaves are removed from the stalk. Avoid using stalks that are soft or the leaves of them drooping or not in a healthy state. The leaves are poisonous to human beings but it is all right to compost them. Keep the prepared stalks in the fridge until you need them, as they store well. The color of the stalks is immaterial and does not affect the taste.

The rhubarb is a reasonably hardy plant but is prone to some of the usual pests in the garden, like caterpillars, slugs and snails.
Rhubarb is prepared for the table by slicing and dicing the stalks and stewing for use as a dessert, or in pies. The rhubarb will need sugar to lessen the tart taste but that is a personal preference. It is a good fruit to use as a ‘crumble dessert’.

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