Kids' favorite flowers to grow

Can't go wrong with sunflowers!! Let your kids plant the seeds in the spring or early summer. Kids love these because they get so tall so fast! There are different kinds of sunflowers that grow to different sizes. Be sure to read the labels on the back of the packages to see how tall that variety gets. This variety here is called "Skyscraper" they grows to be 12 feet tall!! Our neighbors have gotten to enjoy these as well because they tower over our fence! ;)
At the end of the sunflower's life the entire head of the flower begins to droop and then dries out. One sunflower head produces hundreds of sunflower seeds that can be eaten raw, roasted, or saved to plant the following spring. I was hoping to harvest the seeds by now, but due to all of the rain we've had over the last several weeks they have been saturated and have become soggy. Hopefully, i'll have better luck next year!

Zinnias and as you can see the butterflies love them! They make for a great addition to a butterfly garden. Best of all, zinnias make great cut flowers...they last for weeks in a vase.

Now is the time of year to start saving the seeds. Pick a dry, dead flower from a friend's garden and pull it apart. Inside will be plenty of seeds. Save them in an envelope or brown paper bag labeled "zinnias-plant in spring". In the spring let the kids sprinkle them in the garden and cover with 1/2 inch of soil. :)

ANDI SCORES - Nutrient Density Scale

This is a sample of the ANDI (nutient density scale). This scale shows the rankings of foods according to the nutrients they pack. The following nutrients are included in the evaluation: Calcium, Carotenoids: Beta Carotene, Alpha Carotene, Lutein & Zeaxanthin, Lycopene, Fiber, Folate, Glucosinolates, Iron, Magnesium, Niacin, Selenium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc, plus ORAC score X 2 (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity is a method of measuring the antioxidant or radical scavenging capacity of foods).

Colorful plant foods contain a huge variety of protective compounds, mostly unnamed at this point. Only by eating an assortment of natural foods that are nutrient-rich, can we access these compounds and protect ourselves from the common diseases that afflict Americans and the out of control medical costs.

Keep in mind that nutrient density scoring is not the only factor that determines good health! For example, if we only ate foods with a high nutrient density score our diet would be too low in fat. So we have to pick some foods with lower nutrient density scores (but preferably the ones with the healthier fats) to include in our high nutrient diet. Additionally, if a thin person or highly physically active individual ate only the highest nutrient foods they would become so full from all of the fiber and nutrients that would keep them from meeting their caloric needs and they would eventually become too thin. This of course gives you a hint at the secret to permanent weight control.

If you want to read more info on this scale, go to the Whole Foods website. This is where I got most of this information from.

So now which of these vegetables can we grow in our gardens down in the deep south?

Kale, Collards, Spinach, Cabbage, Romaine, Broccoli, Cawliflower, Green Peppers, Carrots, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Blueberries, Oranges, Canteloupe, Kidney Beans, Sweet Potatoes, Sun Flower Seeds, Apples (only a few varieties: Dorsette Golden and Anna's Apple), Peaches, Green Peas, Cucumber, Corn, and Bananas

Fried Okra Recipe

Okra is a must have in a Southern garden. It is so hardy and thrives in our really hot weather. I only have 3 okra plants in my garden, and it has produced enough okra to eat 1-2 times a week!

Here is my favorite FRIED OKRA RECIPE:

1 lb. fresh okra, cut into 1/2 inch-thick slices

3/4 cup buttermilk (i use low fat - only 2 grams of fat per cup)

1 1/2 cups self-rising white cornmeal mix (next to the flour in the grocery)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. ground red pepper

canola oil

1. Stir together okra and buttermilk in a large bowl. Stir together cornmeal mix and next 3 ingredients in a separate large bowl. Remove okra from buttermilk, in batches, using a slotted spoon. Dredge in cornmeal mixture, use a slotted spoon and gently shake off excess.

2. Pour oil to depth of 1 inch into a large, deep skillet or dutch oven: med.- med. high heat. Fry okra, in batches, 4 minute or until golden, turning once. Drain on paper towels.

A Day's Harvest :)

Even though I have been battling with the stink bug issue, I've been pretty impressed with the amount of veggies we have gotten this year. So far, we have harvested (not including all the veggies still on the plants) a total of 35 tomatoes, 4 family meals of eggplant, 5 red peppers, 4 dozen jalapenos, 5 meals of okra, and 3 meals of green beans. The only ones I've been a little disappointed in have been the green beans. I though with as big as they have gotten that they would have produced more beans. I think my apple tree has started to shade that area of the garden a little more...so my guess is not enough sunlight.

This is what I harvested one morning about a week ago: eggplant, okra, green and purple beans, tomatoes, handful of blueberries, and several apples. :)

Garden Fresh Tomato Soup!!

Recipe for Garden Fresh Tomato Soup:

4 c. chopped tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
half an onion, sliced
2 whole cloves (not garlic)
3 tbs. chopped fresh basil
2 cups chicken broth ( i use a little more)
2 tbs. butter
2 tbs. flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1-2 tsp. sugar or to taste (takes away the bitterness of the tomatoes)

splash of milk (optional)

Saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil. Add chopped tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add stock. 20 min. Add chopped basil and remove from heat. Run through a food mill ( I used a food processor in batches).
In the now empty stockpot, melt the butter over med. heat. Stir in the flour to make a roux, cooking until the roux is a medium brown. Gradually whisk in a bit of the tomato mixture, so that no lumps form, then stir the rest. I add a splash of milk. It gives it the creamy "look" with out all of the fat from using cream. Season with sugar, salt, and fresh pepper and adjust to taste. Can sprinkle with a little Parmesan if desired too. :)

How to keep the birds off of the tomatoes!

There is nothing more aggravating than to walk outside and see your tomatoes half eaten by the birds!! I have finally figured out a way to keep them off. You can fork out the money and buy some bird netting to lay over your plants.

I found a cheaper, more effective way to keep them off. I went to Michael's and bought some "tulle" used to decorate for weddings etc. I wrapped it around my plants when they looked like they were about to turn red and ripen. The plant can breathe and get sunlight through it as well. I also put up a bird feeder on the other side of my yard to make sure they are eating the seeds instead of my veggies. Working so far! :)

Updates from the Garden! June 2010

These sweet peppers are the biggest ones I've ever grown! They start out green and ripen red. I can't wait to cook with these :)

Green Beans!! I have a bowl full of beans and many more to come off of these plants!

Eggplants!!!

The jalepeno peppers are growing like crazy! I have dozens more still left on my plants! Justin made some roasted jalepeno cheese poppers with these for Memorial Day.

Stretching the Dollar and Saving the Seeds! June 2010

My goal for this year is to save as many seeds as possible from this year's production. I began vegetable gardening a few years back not to save money but because i enjoyed it. A friend asked me several weeks ago, "Are you actually saving a lot of money by growing your own veggies?". At the time my answer was, "A little bit."

I decided at that moment that was going to be my goal for this year! In the past I would spend a good bit of money on buying rich soil, buying the seeds or plants, and organic natural insecticides. I now have my own compost so I'm hoping that I won't have to buy anymore soil. To stretch the dollar even further, I started saving seeds from the plants to use for next year's harvest.

How do you save the seeds?

If your herbs are seasonal (meaning they don't last all year due to temperature variances), they should flower before they die off. At this point, don't pull up the plant. Wait until the flowers look like they are dying. When the flowers look dead and dry, pick them off. If you pull the dry, dead leaves apart you should be able to find several little seeds inside each flower. If they are really dry all you should have to do is give the flower a shake and the seeds should fall out into your hand. Store them in an envelope or a brown paper lunch bag and label it. The next time spring or fall rolls around you can plant the seeds.

If you plan on saving seeds from produce, simply open the fruit or veggies and take out the seeds. Put the seeds on a paper towel on your counter for a few days to let them dry out. Once completely dried, you can store them as you would the herb seeds. I bought an orange flesh melon (kind of a mix bt a cantaloupe and a honey dew melon) from Whole Foods last year. I scraped the seeds out and saved them. The boys planted them a few weeks ago, and the plants are looking great!

In this picture, the big flower on the right is from my dill plant which is about to die off. If you look closely you can see the brown seeds :)

May - How to start your own garden

When planning your garden, it’s better to start too small than to start too large. In order to enjoy your garden, you must be able to control it. I started a few years back with a garden that was 5 ft. x 5ft. and have slowly expanded it every year.
Choosing a sight: Vegetables and most herbs need at least 5-6 hours of sunlight a day. If you have a place in mind go outside at different times in the day and write down how much sun it gets. Spots you may have thought that got a lot of sun might be shaded by nearby fences, sheds, and trees. You also need to make sure the sight is with in reach of a hose for watering.
I bought cylinder blocks from Home Depot to line the garden. I did this for 3 reasons it was cheap, it will help keep the weeds and grass from growing in the garden, and you can plant herbs, smaller plants, and strawberries in the holes too.
Using a shovel I tilled up the ground removing all of the grass roots and weeds. I lined my space with the cylinder blocks. I added a few bags of garden soil and organic compost from Charvet's. I worked these bags into the soil that was already there. That's it!

There are summer vegetables and winter vegetables. The best time to plant your summer crop is in April and the best time to plant the winter crops is in September/October.
Some summer crops that grow well down here are:
corn, melons, beans, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, eggplants, peppers, and okra
Some cooler weather crops are:
lettuce (One of the easiest things to grow! I bought a $3 pack of organic "bronze arrow lettuce" seeds last fall from Whole Foods. I planted them and did nothing to them!! We had a wet winter so I didn't even water them! We had so much lettuce we were giving it away like crazy!)
broccoli, cauliflower, turnip greens, mustard greens, green onions.

May - Herbs

If you like to cook and want to start your own garden, herbs are the best to start with! Herbs are so pricey when bought in the stores. You by them only for them to go bad in your refrigerator before you use them. You can start with containers, make a small garden, or just throw in some herbs in your flower beds.

These are some of the herbs I have experimented with:

basil, sage, thyme, oregano, parsley, rosemary, mint, dill, cilantro, and green onions.

Some of these will last year after year down here such as rosemary (which can get big if allowed), oregano, and mint.

Others like the warmer weather and will go to see if it gets too cold. At this time I remove the seeds and save them in a brown paper bag and plant them the next season. Basil is one that likes the warmer weather.

Some of the cooler weather herbs are parsley, dill, and cilantro.

There are endless ways of using your herbs. Here is one of my favorite recipes using herbs and tomatoes from the garden.

Provencal Tomatoes

6 ripe tomatoes

1 1/2 c. fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices crust removed)

2 green onions, white and green parts

1/4 c. minced fresh bail leaves

2 tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

1/2 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper (freshly ground is way better!)

1/2 c. Gruyere cheese ( you can use mozzarella or Parmesan instead)

olive oil

Preheat oven 400 degrees. Cut the cores of the tomatoes, removing as little as possible. Cut them in half crosswise and, with your fingers, remove the seeds and juice. Place the tomato halves in a baking dish.

In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, green onion, basil, parsley, garlic, thyme and tsp. salt. Sprinkle tomato halves generously with salt and pepper. With your hands, fill the cavities and cover the tops of the tomatoes with the bread crumb mixture. Bake for 15 minutes, or until they're tender. Sprinkle with the cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for 30 seconds more. Serve hot or room temp.

May - Eggplants

I have planted eggplants for the past 4 years. The last 2 years I have planted this variety and had such great luck! It is called "Fairy Tale". It stays this color even when it is bigger. I find it not quite as bitter as the darker eggplants. Last year I had about 2 eggplants per week off of only 2 plants for about 3 months straight! Hopefully this year will be just as plentiful :)

Here is one of my favorite eggplant recipes that will help you use up the excess of tomatoes from your garden too.

Eggplant Casserole:

1 eggplant

2 med. tomatoes

2 tbs. butter (for the healthier version, i substitute olive oil)

1/2 c. chopped onion

1 tbs. parsley

1tsp. salt

pepper

dash of sugar

1/4 c. bread crumbs

1/4 c. parmesan cheese (fresh grated is the best!)

preheat oven 350degrees. peel eggplant and cut into 1/2" cubes. cook in boiling salted water for 5 min. and drain. immerse tomatoes in boiling water for 2 min. and drain. remove skin and chop. melt 2 tbs. butter in skillet add onion. cook till slightly tender. mix eggplant, tomato, onion, parsley, salt and pepper. pour into 1 1/2 quart dish. Mix a little melted butter (or olive oil) with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. sprinkle over eggplant. bake 20-25 minutes.

May - Jalepenos and Sweet Bell Peppers

Peppers are yet another thing that is easy to grow in the deep south...good thing because those sweet red peppers are so expensive from the grocery! I have the bell peppers that start out green and when ripe turn red...delicious!

Some things I find are better to grow from seeds and others best to buy the transplants. I got these transplants, tomatoes, and my eggplants from Charvet's. They have a great selection and great prices. For a 3 or 4 pack it usually runs about $1.50. I usually grow lettuce, beans, herbs, and melons from seeds.

You might be thinking....what can you do with all of those jalepeno peppers?! Here's a great recipe (thanks to my wonderful neighbors!) that is not too spicy.

Stuffed Jalepeno:

dozen jalepenos (cored-remove all of the seeds-the seeds are what makes them spicy)

insert small cubes of cheese - either pepper jack or cheddar - to fill the jalepenos

take a strip of bacon and lay it over the top (opening) of the jalepeno (if you want a healthier option we've tried thin slices of smoked salmon instead of bacon and loved it!!)

insert a toothpick to help it stay

put the jalepenos in a jalepeno stand, place on a grill over medium heat, and cover

cook until the jalepenos are crisp tender and bacon is cooked

Spearmint growing like crazy! That's fine with me because I love to use it in my ice cold green tea :) Of you don't think you will use as much as me, you may want to put your mint in a container. If not it will spread in your garden quickly!
Sweet Green Tea:
this makes a gallon of tea
put half gallon of water in a pot on stove
in pot 12 individual sized green tea bags tied together
3 sprigs of mint leaves (each about 3-4 inches long)
bring to a boil, remove from heat, and cover to let steep for 30 minutes

in a gallon sized pitcher add the juice of a lemon and however much sugar you would like -can be anywhere from a few tablespoons to a cup (depending on how healthy you want to be :)
pour the warm tea from the stove into the pitcher and stir to dissolve the sugar.
fill pot up with another half gallon of water and lightly press the tea bags with the back of a spoon. pour that water into the pitcher along with the spearmint and stir.

May - Beans, Beans, and More Beans!

Beans are sooo easy to grow! We have a variety of beans this year. I decided to branch out and see what works best. We planted bush beans (which grow to about 16-20 inches) and pole beans (they grow like vines and need to be supported on a trellis or pole).

The bush beans that we planted this year are called "Royal Burgundy" bush beans. They have green leaves, but the beans are purple. (Just wanted to try something different.) So far so good! We planted them about a week and half ago, and they are already a few inches high.

The pole beans that we planted in April (which are starting to flower) are "Kentucky Wonder" green beans. These seem to be very hardy and produce a lot of beans. We also planted "Fordhook" lima beans.

The kids brought home some "Red Kidney" bean plants from school. We decided to plant them all around a bean pole tee pee that we made. The kids loved building it and best of all they can play in it too :)

Bean Pole Tee pee:

Several bamboo branches

Tie together at the top with twine or rope

Plant the beans on the inside of the tee pee so the weed eater doesn't get to them :)

May - Tomatoes!!

I am so excited about my tomatoes this year! This is by far the best they have ever done. I decided to get the "Patio" tomatoes and put them in containers this year. I have only 3 plants, but i have 35 tomatoes! That's not counting all of the flowers that are on there that will turn into tomatoes too! :)

You need a large container for tomatoes. I used "Scott's" potting soil for all three. I have been trying to use more "natural" ways of fertilizing lately. I have been adding rinsed, crushed egg shells (which adds calcium) and used green tea bags (leaves) to the top of the soil around the plants. I just kind of scratch them into the top of the soil....it must be working!! :)

Oh, and don't forget to pinch off the "suckers". These are the little sprouts of leaves that pop up in between the main stem and main branches. Pinching these off will help the plant to become stronger and it will encourage the energy to go to the tomatoes.

The drawback of putting tomatoes in pots is they will require more water. I water them about every other day, but I'm sure as it gets hotter I will have to water them once a day.

May - Grapefruit Tree

May - Grapefruit Tree

I personally, I am not a big fan of grapefruits. Justin and Colby love them which is why we planted the tree. They love to juice them in the juicer. I'm hoping to acquire a taste for them because it looks like this tree will be producing mass amounts! We planted it about 2 years ago, and it is doing really well!

It is a "Ruby Red Grapefruit" tree. They love our soil and weather down here, and they really don't require alot of upkeep.

Whenever you plant a new fruit tree you are supposed to pick off all of the flowers the first year so that all of the nutrients will go to the tree instead of the fruit. This helps the tree to build a stong root system. I didn't do this with the peach tree (we weren't patient enough). Hopefully, it won't harm it in the future :) We had a hurricane 2 years ago that came through here and knocked off all of the flowers from the grapefruit tree. I really think this helped the tree alot! I wouldn't have been patient enough to pluck them off and wait another year. It is thriving now so it looks like the plant experts really do know what they are talking about :)

May - Blueberries!!

We planted out first blueberry bushes last fall. Now typically, we on the southshore don't have the best soil for growing blueberries. They like very acidic soil. On the other hand, the Northshore blueberries thrive because there soil is very acidic.

You can add things to the soil to make it slightly more acidic (which is what I did). When I dug the hole for the blueberry bush I added ALOT of peat moss (about half of a big bag) and pine needles in and around the hole.

Blueberries like most other fruit trees need to be planted in an area where it receives at lest 6 hours of sunlight. Oh, and something I didn't find out until after I planted them, you need 2 different varieties of blueberries that flower around the same time so they can cross pollinate. I have "Climax" and "Premiere" blueberries. I buy all of my fruit trees from Bantings on the West Bank. They have the best looking trees for the best prices.

They look great right now and are covered in berries. By the end of this month and into June the should be ready to eat :) Hopefully, my ammendments to the soil will do the trick....only time will tell!

May - first peaches!!

Chase came running to me the other day with a huge smile to tell me that the peaches were red! I had no idea that they would be so excited :)

Being that the tree was just planted a few months ago, I wasn't expecting any peaches. We were pleasantly surprised. They were small, but sooo sweet!!

How to Compost

What is compost?
Composting is putting organic materials in a pile or container, along with water. This pile is turned periodically and the beneficial bacteria will thrive. This creates high heat and breaks down the raw organic materials into a dark, rich, soil-like product.
Why compost?
It's the cheapest way and the most benificial way to add nutrients and minerals back to your plants. In return, your plants will be stronger, less likely to get diseases, and produce more flowers which turns into more crops :)
How to compost?
The easiest way to start a compost pile is on bare earth or on a piece of corrugated tin like I did (it allows the pile to get hotter which speeds up the decomposition).
1.Lay twigs or straw first, a few inches deep. This aids drainage and helps aerate the pile.
2.Add compost materials.
3. You can add food scraps (fruit and vegetable peels), coffee grounds (including filter), used tea bags. Do not add any meat products.... it will attract rodents!
4. You can also add leaves and grass clippings.
Keep compost moist. Water occasionally, or let rain do the job. You can cover it to help speed up the process with anything you have -plastic sheeting or a piece of wood. Covering helps retain moisture and heat, two essentials for compost. The compost should be moist, but not soaked and sodden.Turn. Every few weeks give the pile a quick turn with a pitchfork or shovel. This aerates the pile. Oxygen is required for the process to work, and turning "adds" oxygen.
With our hot summers you should have rich soil with in a few months :)

Colby and Chase dumping their first fruit scraps in their compost pile.

Week 1 - April

Spring is here!! The boys were so excited to plant out first peach tree :)