Kara's Garden

And here it is, the little potato plant that could!

If you remember my first potato post, these guys were planted kind of as an afterthought because I thought I had killed the seed potatoes. But somehow, some way they pulled through and made this little plant! Now it is dying, so it is time to dig up the tubers underneath and have some 'taters!

I pulled the plants and the potatoes came right out with the roots. They are a nice red color, but they do have little white splotches on them that I'm not sure about...

One of the potatoes already has a little growth popping out of it. I'll just cut that part off before I cook them, and use it as a seed potato. I'm not sure if it will affect the taste though!

Another insect invasion story for you... Don't eat and read this post...

One of my cucumber plants is making cukes that are a little yellow and just don't taste right. The other day I went out there and discovered a horrible little hole on the side of one of my cucumbers.

Welcome to my pickleworm horror.

These things are really disgusting. They bore into cucumbers, squash, pumpkins- anything in the cucurbit species. They are the larvae of a moth, which rides tropical warm air north as far as the Carolinas, and usually attach in Florida in June. Guess they are early this year.

To get rid of these guys is not easy. First, they are nocturnal, so it's best to apply any remedy in the evening to get them when they're active. Bt (see my earlier post here) is supposed to be effective, but I applied that earlier in the season and didn't see any results. There is also a beneficial nematode, but it is tough because once the worms are in the fruit they're safe from anything you apply.

Here is a nice shot of the inside of my infested cuke:

I'm going to keep looking for a good option though! I'll keep everyone posted!

My corn lives!!

We were concerned because the silks had turned brown, but it appears that meant that the pollination process worked. These guys are still not quite ready- you can see the cob is only filled out about half way, but it's coming right along.

Carl has eaten some of it fresh from the stalk, and claims it is wonderful. I tasted a bite, and it was good but I still think I like it best cooked with a little butter and salt.

Thanks everybody for participating in my poll!

Sorry for the lag in posts everyone! I've been out of town, but I'll try to get some stuff up over the weekend! I have new beans and peas sprouting!

UPDATE! THIS IS NOT A SAFFRON SPROUT!! SEE BELOW!

Here is my little saffron plant, trying to come up!

I am so excited about this herb. Saffron is a spice used often in Mediterranean cooking, and is the most expensive spice by weight in the world. Saffron spice is made by drying and using the stigma of the flower and only a tiny bit is needed in any dish. I was lucky enough to live in Valencia, Spain for a semester while I was in college, and this spice always reminds me of Valencian Paella, the signature dish of the region.

Saffron is grown from a bulb. It lies dormant in the summer and becomes more active in the fall. It requires little water as it is used to the drier Mediterranean climate, and grows best above zone 6. Saffron requires a rich, well drained soil and a protected spot.

UPDATE!! THIS IS NOT A SAFFRON SPROUTING!

Thanks to alert blog reader Maggie, I double checked myself to see if the leaves were connected to the bulb... and they aren't! I think these are stray marigolds that slipped into the pot.

From my research, I don't think this will sprout until the fall. As soon as it does, I'll post it! Thanks for sticking with me through my learning curve, and thanks for the advice and inquiries!

These were some more free seeds I received when I ordered other plants. I just love freebies!

Sunflowers are annual plants that produce these gorgeous flower heads. Inside the heads are where the plant produces its seeds. They received their name not only because the flower looks like a sun, but it looks at the sun. Sunflowers are heliotropic, meaning they will face the sun as it moves across the sky. Once the flower has completely formed and set, however, they stop their daily track and usually face east, like mine have. They are also the state flower of Kansas.

It is possible to harvest sunflower seeds from the heads of the flowers. According to various sources, the best thing to do is wait until the flowers start to die off, then snip them from the stems and hang them upside down until they dry out. I think I'll have to give it a try!

And here we have the white eggplant!!

I just made eggplant parmesan for dinner, and it came out really well. Instead of using regular spaghetti sauce (maybe I tried to make sauce from my tomatoes and it came out black and horrible? Could be...) I used a parma rosa sauce mix I got from Publix. Something powdered and from Knorr, but it was really good! Here's the recipe, but I make no promises...

1 eggplant
1/2-1 cup italian style breadcrumbs
1/2-1 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
olive oil
butter

Combine the breadcrumbs and parmesan. Heat about 2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large frying pan. Slice the eggplant (I sliced sideways to get more pieces, but I think others will tell you to slice longways) and dredge the slices in egg, then in breadcrumb mixture, and place in hot oil. Fry until the breadcrumbs are browned (about 3 -5 minutes) then flip.

I served it over whole wheat pasta since the pasta is so heavy, and put just a little sauce over the top.

Check this out!! Kara's Garden made the number one blog on Dig In Dirt!

www.digindirt.com

I can't decide if it is because Dig In Dirt is such a small site, or if I did something right with my meta tags! But I am so excited!

Boy I was proud of this corn. It was tall and lanky and even had little ears on it. But Carl told me yesterday it's dead.

It doesn't look dead to me! But he said the ears wouldn't grow. He blamed worms. What do you think? Take the poll to the right!

Finally, I have a cauliflower head!

Before we moved the garden to the CP dirt, I tried so hard to grow this stuff. And it just laughed at me. When I finally saw the beginnings of a cauliflower head, the thing bolted and then we decided to try again in the new garden.

I love cauliflower. Steam it a little and I'm a happy camper, but I'm anxious to try to trick Carl into eating it as fake mashed potatoes. I tried doing a half and half mix a few months ago, but he figured it right out and refused to eat it. I know, it's like feeding a 5 year old but the guy doesn't eat enough vegetables!

Maybe with my own fresh cauliflower it will work!

Sage is such a pretty little plant. And this one is just out of control.

This sage is hidden behind the oak tree, so it only gets about 60% sunlight daily. There is another crop on the other side of the garden that receives almost full sunlight, but I don't think it's happy because it makes tons of short, stubby little leaves and stays very compacted.

Sage is a great herb for use in cooking poultry or pork. For Carl and I, pork is a good staple in our diets because so many of our friends are avid boar hunters. I have also used it in risotto with prosciutto and mozzarella which was really good! It is also the base for your standard poultry seasoning mixes you can buy at the store. Well, sage and salt. And, people used to believe sage could ward off evil, cure snake bites, and promote fertility.

As a gardening plant, common sage (which is what I have) is a pretty easy guy to grow. They'll tolerate most soil conditions as long as it isn't really dry or really wet, and don't require too much fuss. Plus, there's nothing better than fresh sage in cooking. It really retains its flavor well, and if you have a picky eater you can fish the leaves out before you serve the food so they'll never know it was there!

Would you believe, one of the lovely ladies in my Master Gardening class brought me this cutting, just to be nice?? I am so excited!!

Vanilla beans are actually orchids (I know, I had no idea either!). The original owner said she just lets it go, never fertilizes it and doesn't pot it. It grows up and down a trellis behind her bench. Now, I have never grown anything from a cutting before, and I haven't had much luck with orchids so far. Any advice out there? For now I have hung it in our oak tree which will provide lots of shade and ample space to wind around. I misted it with orchid fertilizer/water mix, because I thought it might need a boost from moving.

Most sites I have browsed say to treat the cutting like any other (again, I haven't had any other so whooptie- doo I'm still confused). Basically to cut the end off of the stem and soak it in water with fertilizer and/or rooting hormone for a while (10 days maybe) then planted in african violet soil. Has anyone else ever grown vanilla?

My big tomatoes are finally turning red!

The little cherries have pinked up here and there, but I haven't really seen them because Carl eats them just as soon as they're ripe. But now the big guys are starting to ripen.

Please excuse the brown leaves and Sevin dust all over the place. The garden has been neglected a little the last few weeks because I've been marrying off my friends and family (Congrats, Tracy and Eric and Erin and Chad!) and we're off again this weekend for a graduation (Congrats Brittany!). Also, we have been working to finish the new office Carl has built me, which is down to just painting! Thank goodness for irrigation or the poor things would be totally dead!

I'm getting better at starting seeds. I can tell because I have like, two of every variety of plant growing in the garden. I tend to start too many seeds, then get emotionally attached and can't bring myself to thin them out! Carl is not a fan of this practice. We're going to have to build him his own little garden where he can grow a food plot!

But despite my efforts, I am having real trouble getting habaneros and cayenne pepper seeds to germinate. I have a few varieties from a few suppliers, one being Bakers so I know it's operator error.

I purchased these little Jiffy pellets because I overheard someone at gardening class raving about them. I thought I'd give them a shot with the new heirloom seeds I ordered and see how they worked! So far I haven't seen any activity.

Germination on hot peppers is supposedly more difficult than other seeds because they need a very warm, moist environment. Many articles I've read suggest germination on a warm window sill to keep the temperature up, but I live in South Florida so I've been leaving them outdoors.

Today I'm sticking them in a tupperware container with a little water, or covering them with plastic wrap. Hopefully they'll pop up! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I have to admit, this was a freebie seed packet I received with my blueberries. I had no idea what these guys really were when I planted them. Sometimes called Cape Gooseberries, ground cherries are similar to tomatoes but the fruit is supposed to have a sweeter, more strawberry/pineapple/tomato like taste. I wouldn't know- I've never eaten one. They are small husked fruits with lots of tiny seeds.

Ground cherries can be used in the same ways as other light sweet fruits like grapes. They can be used to make jam or jelly, dried like figs or raisins, or used to make desserts. I, for one, am looking forward to making this recipe I found online if I can ever grow 4 cups of cherries!:

• 4 cups ground cherries, husked
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons tapioca
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

1. Gently mix together the ground cherries, sugar, tapioca, flour and lemon juice. Let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a 9 inch pie pan with half of the pastry.
3. Pour the fruit mixture into the pastry-lined pan, and dot the top with the butter. Cover with top crust or lattice.
4. Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake for another 40 minutes, or until golden brown.