Originally posted by http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2009/11/17/adenophora-and-its-evil-twin-revisited/ from [caption id="attachment_4144" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Campanula rapunculoides: Good looking but hardly innocent"][/caption] A while back I wrote an essay for Horticulture detailing my attempt to figure out the difference between ladybells and creeping bellflower, and I wrote up a blog post with additional information. Anne Larson, the Des Moines Gardening Examiner, ....
November 17, 2009 8:50 AM
Cold Climate Gardening: Adenophora and Its Evil Twin Revisited
November 17, 2009 5:00 AM
Garden Rant: Anna Pavord loves bulbs more than I do
Originally posted by Elizabeth from Garden Rant.
It’s embarrassing to admit that the only Pavord book I know is The Tulip, but I suspect I am not alone. Nonetheless, she’s written a lot of others, including Plant Partners, The Flowering Year, and The New Kitchen Garden, among...
November 16, 2009 11:25 AM
In My Kitchen Garden: Garden Journal 11/16/09: Fall Radish Harvest (Such as It Is)
Originally posted by Farmgirl Susan from In My Kitchen Garden.
Yep, That's Pretty Much It
Realization of the Day:
I always seem to get massive cravings for whatever isn't growing in the garden.
This bizarre double specimen is a volunteer that popped up just outside the raised bed where I grew a bumper crop of French Breakfast radishes last spring (see photo below). A patch of beautifully colored Easter Egg radishes at the other end of the bed did really well, too. I scattered the seeds over a couple of square feet, and this worked out better than when I planted them in rows to delineate that bed of gourmet lettuce varieties two years ago (scroll down in that post to see the photos)—though it didn't look nearly as pretty.
I let several of the French Breakfast plants go to seed (I love those big fat radish pods), but just before the seeds were dry my well-meaning-but-slightly-maniacal mowing man (and all around handy and hunky farmguy who knows he has zero chance of being fired) unknowingly (I assume) zoomed over them with the brush mower.
Around Here We Encourage Growing Outside the Box
The rest of the nutrient-rich, yet bulbless, radish greens you see here will go to the foodie chickens—along with the volunteer kale which has literally been feeding them all year. Want to grow your own nutritient-packed green chicken food for nearly free? Simply sow a packet of kale seeds.
Back in August, I posted a recipe on Farmgirl Fare for this scrumptious Radish Cream Cheese Dip/Spread with Parsley, Scallions and Feta that I became addicted to about three bites into the first batch. (There's a photo of some of my Easter Egg radishes included in that post, too.) I'd planned to mention the recipe here at the same time, along with some radish growing tips, but that still has yet to happen, along with so many other things—including my fall radish planting.
French Breakfast Radishes Harvested on May 25th
Radishes aren't hard to cultivate, so you'll probably do fine without any help from me. What I can tell you is that every garden should have at least a few radishes in it. These fast growing, zippy little vegetables are ready to pick in about a month (making them a great crop for kids, especially since you get to yank them out of the ground) and are actually quite versatile in the kitchen. I love their crisp crunch and have always thought even the plain old ones were beautiful. You just have to remember one very important thing: be sure to actually plant your seeds!
I'm thinking of sowing a small patch of radish seeds this week in the greenhouse, along with some arugula (growing tips here) and cold-loving mache/corn salad, to see if I can get them to grow this late in the year (they thrive in cool, moist soil after all)—that is if I can find any available space in what has become a veritable Swiss chard jungle. Slightly scary but very edible. Jungle photos coming soon, along with yet another not-so-subtle-plea that you put Swiss chard on the mental seed order you know you're already working on.
In the meantime, I just might have to break down and buy some radishes from the grocery store because I've been craving this dip for months. With its cheerful red and green colors it would be a perfect—and healthy!—offering to have on hand during the upcoming holiday season.
You might also enjoy these other dips and spreads:
White Bean and Artichoke Dip with Rosemary, Romano, & Kalamatas
Chives and Herbed Yogurt Cheese
Sour Cream and Onion Dip (and Foodie Travel)
Ridiculously Easy White Bean Pesto Spread
Quick Refried Black Bean Dip
Salsa-Like Green Tomato Relish
Hot Swiss Chard Artichoke Dip
Do you grow radishes? Any favorite varieties, amusing stories, or growing tips? How do you like to eat them?
© Copyright 2009 FarmgirlFare.com, the fast growing, time flying foodie farm blog where our motto is, It's never to late to plant something!
November 15, 2009 9:07 PM
Blue Ridge blog: The backside of Mast Store Annex
Originally posted by Marie Freeman from Blue Ridge blog.
Sorry I've been scarcely posting. I was away on business through Thursday and having been playing catch up ever since... Annie and I did manage a jaunt around the Valle Crucis park on Friday afternoon and I snapped this photo...
November 15, 2009 8:10 PM
Green Talk™: Shouldn’t America Recycles Day Be Called America Reduce or Reuse Day?
Originally posted by Green Talk from Green Talk™.
Today is America Recycles Day, which is the only day nationally recognized to encourage people to recycle. For the past eleven years, this date has been celebrated across the country increase awareness of recycling at our home and business. (See here as to events in your area.) As the world has evolved, isn’t it time [...]
November 15, 2009 7:29 PM
India Garden: Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - November 2009
Originally posted by noreply@blogger.com (Green thumb) from India Garden.
November GBBD is always special as this is the best season here to be outdoors before the frigid December winters envelope the plants in a dense fog, sending them into dormancy or freezing them to death. Although, probably as an adverse effect of global warming, one gets to see blooms in mid December also. These are the plants which grace the garden here in NOVEMBER Portulaca
Calliandra or Powder Puff
Shrimp plant or Pachystachys lutea
Buddha Belly or Jatropha Podagrica
Lantana
Gaillardia or Blanket Flower
Plumeria
Water Lily
November 13, 2009 12:56 AM
Skippy's Vegetable Garden: garden blogger's bloom day
Originally posted by kathy from Skippy's Vegetable Garden.
Coming on the 15th (Sunday) - I'm getting ready.....
November 13, 2009 12:05 AM
May Dreams Gardens: The Society Meets: A Funny Hoe Story
Originally posted by Carol from May Dreams Gardens.
Greetings to all members of the Society for the Preservation and Propagation of Old-Time Gardening Wisdom, Lore, and Superstition (SPPOTGWLS or “the Society”, or the newly designated Garden Club for Everyone),I assume that all remember that the Society likes to meet whenever the 13th falls on a Friday, as it does today. I, your self-appointed president, came up with a full agenda for this
November 12, 2009 4:43 PM
NATURE TRAIL: Sunrise
Originally posted by Naturegirl from NATURE TRAIL.
"Sit quietly and listen for a voice that will saybe more silent"
Rumi
Early morning.. an opportunity sit quietly be silent andwatch the sunrise.
::
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More global skies to watch silently by
clicking on the SKY WATCH badge on my sidebar
November 9, 2009 9:05 PM
Urban Sprouts School Gardens: Garden Workday at San Francisco Community
Originally posted by Wendy from Urban Sprouts School Gardens.
Armed with wheelbarrows, shovels, and hand tools, we created new beds bordered by rice wattles to prevent soil erosion and to maximize garden space. Volunteers and staff also harvested summer crops, prepared compost, cleared established beds for fall planting, and carried out general garden tasks. Our day was even captured by film students from San Francisco State University for a short documentary on urban beautification in the Excelsior district.
What are we growing now in our newly prepared beds? Peas, broccoli, lettuce, spinach, radish, cover crops, garlic, yarrow, cauliflowers, strawberries...
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