Tomatoes By The Bucket

This year I'm trying to grow tomatoes in five gallon pails for the first time. I chose a determinate variety know as Siletz Organic, developed in the Siletz Valley of Oregon. As you can see from the photo, they are coming along quite well so far. Of course, those of you who are familiar with the Southern delicacy of fried green tomatoes may think that they are ready to eat right now!

My Tasty Valentine

Every year I try to grow something new. This year I planted lettuce seeds for the first time. This is a rare type of lettuce know as Sweet Valentine. So don't expect to see it in your local grocery store any time soon. Although, if you're lucky, you may see it in a local farmer's market. If you do, give it a try. It's a loose-leaf type with romaine tenderness. And the leaves are a dark red on both sides(hence the name) with the lower part of the leaf a bright green.

Ground Cherries

This is the second time I've grown pineapple tomatillos(aka: ground cherries, cape gooseberries). The seeds take a while to germinate but the tasty berries make it well worth the effort. They grow covered by a lantern shaped husk. When ripe, they drop to the ground. And when the husk becomes translucent, they're at their peak flavor, a flavor that's a cross between sweet tomatoes and pineapples. Once extracted from their husks, they may be eaten raw, used in desserts, salads, as a flavoring or in jams and jellies. They can also be dried and eaten like raisins or other dried fruit. So you can keep the taste of summer with you long past harvest season.

Going Herbal

My friend Rosemary gave me some sage advice and told me to try growing herbs, but I replied, "I don't have the thyme". O.K., enough with the attempts at botanical humor. This is my first year trying to grow herbs and so far so good. The sweet basil plant pictured above is doing quite well in a discarded Xtreme Gulp mug that has been re-purposed as a planter. The aroma of the plant is outstanding. I hope the flavor it adds to food will be too. But if I don't like this particular variety of basil, there are over 60 more to choose from. So I could be exploring the joys of basil for quite a few summers.

¡Que Sabor!

The first jalapeños of the season are almost ready. They've had plenty of rain and ample sunshine so far this summer, so their taste should be outstanding.

The Lazy Gardener's Vegetable

I really enjoy growing onions from seed. It never ceases to amaze me how something that looks like a small, black grain of sand, can become something that is so savory. Usually, less than half the onion seeds I plant actually sprout, but once they get started, they're one of the easiest vegetables to cultivate. Attacks from insects are rare and even squirrels leave them alone. Give them water and a nutrient filled environment using compost or fertilizer rich in phosphorous(10-20-10) and they'll be just fine in the ground or in containers. And as far as the flavor of fresh onions is concerned, well, try growing your own and see what your tastebuds think.

It's True, It's True, They're Really Blue!

For all of you out there who imagined that the color named robin's egg blue was dreamed up by some chichi designer who was drunk out of their minds and had nothing better to do, perish the thought!