The longan fruit comes from the Dimocarpus longan tree, and the fruit is known as ‘dragon eyes’ because of its round shape and translucent flesh, and the seed which resembles an eye. The tree originates from Mayanmar, southern China, southwest India, and the Indochinese peninsula. …
Betel nuts, or areca nuts, come from the areca palm tree, Areca catechu. It is not a true nut, however, but a drupe. The palm grows natively in China, Indonesia, and Malaysia, and was introduced to different islands via voyagers. It is commercially grown in …
This recipe makes great use of your summer squash.
This recipe is adapted from The Southern Junior League Cookbook: The Best Recipes from the Junior Leagues of the American South.
Blurb: There’s a growing demand for dependably hardy plants that require less maintenance and less water, but look no less beautiful in the garden. Plant Select—the leading purveyor of plants designed to thrive in difficult climates—meets this need by promoting plants that allow gardeners everywhere …
Here is a round up of Cultivate to Plate recipes using mint:
Pineapple and Mint Fresh Chutney
Early Green Peas with Mint and Orange
Green and Herb Salad with Simple Dijon Dressing
A simple creamy salad dressing made with plain yogurt using your garden fresh mint. Use spearmint if you have it, otherwise peppermint will do.
A simple herb and lettuce salad recipe with fresh herbs, and a vinaigrette with white wine vinegar. Use whatever herbs you have fresh in the garden, in whatever mix you desire: parsley, chervil, cilantro, mint, dill, or basil are all great choices.
Composting is recycling organic materials. Not only can you add leaves and grass clippings, but you can keep all your food waste such as fruit and vegetable trimmings. Compost is an excellent way to enrich your soil. Not only is composting earth friendly by keeping methane-making materials out of landfills, it can save you money by amending your soil with the purchase of fertilizers.
Here’s how to start composting, and what to add to the compost pile, and what not to add.
A pile is the easiest way to compost, although there are many compost bins on the market to choose from. Your simple compost pile can be roughly housed in a simple structure of chicken wire around it to help keep rodents out of it. You want an area of the garden in partly shady or shady spot, with an area of at least three feet wide by three feet deep, or one cubic yard.
Add your browns and greens with this ratio: three parts browns to one part greens. All your material should be shredded or chopped in smaller pieces. Layer well, and use varying sizes of materials in each layer. Grass clippings should be mixed with other greens, and all fruit and vegetable trimmings need to be buried down 10 inches.
Every time you add more trimmings to the pile, you need to stir it up and turn it well with a pitchfork. You need to be able to provide proper aeration. If it seems dry, add water to it. As the organic material breaks down in the pile, you may notice it getting warm or actually steaming on colder days, which is natural and indications biological action is taking place. Once the bottom material is dark in color with no remnants of your trimmings, it’s ready to be used. Screen out big chunks, separating your new compost. Place the material that hasn’t decomposed yet back into the pile and add to it again.
If you are looking for about the easiest and most consistent thing to grow in the garden, then look to radishes. They are practically foolproof, and they come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and even colors. They can be planted in both containers …
Rhubarb is a perennial plant that grows from rhizomes. The leaves are huge and decorative (and poisonous). The stalks, or petioles, come in red, green, or speckled. The color doesn’t matter with rhubarb as far as flavor goes, and red and green can be used …
