GardenSpotlight

                The language of flowers, known as “Floriography,” a term coined in the Victorian era, is an age old art form.  King Charles II brought it to Sweden from Persia in the 17 th century.  The Japanese call it “Hanakotoba.”  So what is floriography?  Quite simply, it is the association of certain flowers with specific meanings.  Flowers are infused with symbolism through their rich mythology and distinctive characteristics.  Let’s look at some flowers that may be familiar to you.                 Alstroemerias resemble miniature lilies and are often called Peruvian Lily or Lily of the Incas.  This well known flower is found in a beautiful range of colors and is popular as a cut flower in bouquets.  The alstroemeria symbolizes friendship and devotion because the leaves grow upside down and twist as they grow out from...

We went to my in-laws' home for Super Bowl Sunday.  It was my job to bring dessert.  After roaming the aisles of the grocery store yesterday and not seeing anything I liked, I decided I was going to attempt to make a cake.  I remembered at home I had a Hershey's Cookbook.  This was no ordinary cookbook.

Extension offices and state universities are warning growers of the dangers this year of Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (INSV) and thusly a lack of availability of Impatiens this growing season.   INSV is closely related to the Tomato Spotted wilt Virus (TSWV) and was once called I-strain and L-strain of TSWV.   INSV causes a wide variety of symptoms including wilting, stem death, stunting, etches of ring spots on the leaves and sunken spots on the leaves as well as other symptoms.   The virus has the ability to “compartmentalize” itself so that it affects only one area of the plant.   Regardless of the situation, all affected plants should be destroyed immediately as there is no cure for this virus.   Other plants affected by this virus are gloxinia, cineraria, chrysanthemums (all of which you will see now for the Easter season), begonias, tomatoes, other vegetables and grasses.   There have even been reports of the virus showing up in specimens of salv...

Container Gardens for Indoor and Out We have been covering recently about how to develop indoor gardens for your homes.   In the greenhouse for spring sales, we plant and grow many different mixed containers.    Many times I just create as I go, placing whatever suits my mood at the time.   We sell a lot of ready-made containers, but we also have a lot of gardeners coming in to purchase plants for containers they wish to design themselves.   I am asked all the time which plants work well together, how should the containers be planted or what do I think looks good together?     It is easy to be overwhelmed when you visit your local garden center or greenhouse, so it helps to have some idea of what size planter you need, what colors you need and whether you are placing the container in a sunny location or shade.   Take a look at your home or wherever you are placing your container gardens.    In front of a larger home you can probab...

Creating a cozy indoor garden for your home is easier than you think.   All it takes is a little ambition and creativity.   You’ll need to keep in mind the climatic area of the room you are working with.   How much light does it have?   How much heat is available?   These are things that will affect the selection of plants for that particular area.   A southern exposure window gives the best light, without it being too hot.   If your room is very hot and dry, then you may want to add a source of humidity, such as a humidifier or simply place shallow pans of water with pebbles under the plants.   As the water evaporates, it will add the necessary humidity into the air surrounding the plants.   The latter is also very decorative and gives you a chance to play with colors, shapes and groupings of plants.   If your room does not have enough light, there are lights made specifically for plants that you can purchase. You should be able to...

Fresh from my kitchen....Crunchy Veggie Slaw Ingredients: 1 lb mixed shredded red and green cabbage 4 - 8 oz shredded carrots 3/4 Cup baby broccoli florets 1/4 Cup roasted sunflower seeds 1 Handful raisins 1/4 Cup Mayonnaise 2 TBSP Milk 2 TBSP Sugar 3 TBSP Vinegar, either white or cider 1 tsp Celery Seed Mix all veggies, sunflower seeds and raisins together in large bowl.  In separate small bowl, for the dressing, whisk together the mayonnaise, milk, sugar, vinegar and celery seed.  Pour the dressing over the veggie mixture; stir until dressing is evenly distributed and chill for one hour.  Serves 8.....unless you are my family, then it only serves 4. :-) Tip:  We always have Balsamic Vingar in our home, not so much of the others.  You can substitute with the Balsamic if you like.  Keep in mind the dressing will be brown and not white...still very yummy though.

This week at market, we are adding freshly dug garlic, patty pan squash and salad cucumbers to our produce line-up.  Yum...all farm fresh picked!

3 Cups Flour 2 tsp Cinnamon 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Baking Soda 1 tsp Baking Powder 1 Cup OC Blonde, Chatham IPA, Chatham Pale Ale (beer replaces eggs) 2 Cups Sugar 2 Cups Zucchini, grated 1 tbsp Vanilla 1 Cup canola Oil Sift first 5 ingredients together; add sugar and then remaining ingredients.  Mix and divide into greased loaf pans or bundt pan.  Bake @ 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until top springs back when tested. Courtesy of my friends at Chatham Brewing ( www.chathambrewing.com/ ) and the Dive Bar ( www.DiveBarNYC.com )

1 c. squash (Jersey Golden Acorn, Patty Pan or summer white squash)       Peel squash if skin is tough; cut up and cook until tender crisp. 3 eggs, beaten 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/4 c. melted butter Beat 3 eggs; add 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Add cooked and drained squash and melted butter. Bake at 325 degrees until knife inserted comes out clean.   Cooks.com

What to find at Running Creek Farm's market tent today: Mediterranean Squash Zucchini Yellow Summer Squash Kirby Cucumbers - just a few this week...more next week Zucchini Flowers Cannas (Plants) Bedding Plants Container Gardens

BATTER - DIPPED FRIED ZUCCHINI Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1750,155180-224205,00.html Content Copyright © 2012 Cooks.com - All rights reserved. 1/4 c. beer 1 1/3 c. flour 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley pinch of freshly minced basil (optional) 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1 tbsp. oil 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten oil grated Parmesan cheese Allow the beer to stand at room temperature for 45 minutes. In a large bowl, combine flour, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and garlic powder. Add oil, egg yolks and beer. Beat until smooth. Fold in beaten egg whites. Pour oil into a deep pan to 2 inches. Heat to 375°F. Dip zucchini slices into batter. Fry 3 to 4 at a time. Turn once and fry until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Serve while still warm, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Cooks.com

We've been harvesting a light green Mediterranean squash out of our greenhouse for a while now, but this week we've started picking zucchini and yellow summer squash out of our field as well.  Customers have come to the greenhouse in the past to buy squash plants and always comment on how many squash they are overrun with.  So much so that their neighbors hide when they see them ;-) ....just kidding.  I've also recently written an article on growing squash for our local paper, and I will post that once the article has been published next week.  For now, let the recipes begin.  Da-ta-da....!!! My Mom’s Summer Squash with Rice              ……an old Sicilian recipe   8 medium summer squash, either zucchini, yellow or other, split in half lengthwise, then cut into ¾” slices 2 medium or 1 large yellow or sweet onions, roughly chopped 1 -28 oz can peeled plum tomatoes with juice or ...

Summertime!   Ahhh…picnics, barbeques, outdoor sports……mosquitoes.   There are many things you can purchase to help fend off those nasty, disease carrying insects.   One of those items is Citronella Oil.   Citronella Oil is produced from Citronella plants, one of which is a type of grass ( Cymbopogon nardus).   There are also Citronella Geraniums or Scented Geraniums, of which the citronella type are also known as Mosquito Plants. Citronella grass is a coarse, clump-forming tropical grass that can grow 5-6 ft tall. The stems are cane-like and the leaves are grayish green and flat; about 3 ft long and about 1 in wide.   It does not spread by runners, as some grasses do, but the clump increases in size as the plant matures.   I did read somewhere that the grass can become quite invasive as it produces a large quantity of seeds, so you may want to check with you local nursery or county extension office prior to planting.   This grass is closely rel...

We are still adding new crops to our sales greenhouse…new marigold colors, new crops of alyssum,   a young coleus crop and new types of basil, to name a few.  The month of June is full of great celebrations; Father’s Day, weddings, graduations. This is a perfect time to assess your landscaping goals and schedule further plantings accordingly for the remainder of the summer and fall seasons.   Many times we have customers come in thinking it is too late to plant in June….not so.  Flowers can be planted throughout the summer, many well into August.  Garden centers are still full of great plants and you will also find larger plants for a greater impact in your garden.   For those of you not wanting to spend time in the garden weeding, or for a lack of planting space, look for container gardens; combination plantings in larger 10” -  20” pots.  Talk about instant gratification!  Vegetables can also be planted in pots successfully...

I wanted to bring up the subject again of USDA Hardiness Zones since it is now planting season and the article garnered much attention the last time I posted it.  We definitely have had a mild winter, and a very dry one at that.  I heard yesterday that even with the recent rains, we are still about an inch to an inch and a half short of necessary rainfall for this time of year.  Here in our area, we can expect frost up through the third week of May or so.  We can never be sure what Mother Nature will hit us with.  In 2008 and 2009 both, we were hit with damaging rain and hail in June, the same day both years. Without further delay, here is the article I posted previously: There seems to be confusion at times among some gardeners as to the definition of perennials and annuals. For those of you that this applies to, this posting is for you! J The definition of “perennial,” simply put, is a plant that continues to grow in your garden year after year...

So our Mango Roasted Chicken last night was delicious!  There was not enough left over for another full meal, so I took the rest and decided to make chicken salad and chicken stock.  I'm not sure what it is with me lately, but I've been concocting and trying out new recipes.  Maybe it's because I can't wait for the growing season here on the farm to start.  We've had such a mild winter and that 80 degree weather on and off between March and April...who knew?  Then the other night there were hard freeze warnings!  My poor hydrangeas are very confused.  I know Mother Nature is going to make us pay for our very mild winter!  Hopefully it will not be by the way of hail after the crops are planted and sprouting.  Last year's rain after the hurricane was bad enough.  We lost our crop of cauliflower and a field of beans and cucumbers too!  It's very scary at times living on the farm, but it's our way of life.  Tough at times for...

1 Fresh Roasting Chicken 3 Cloves Garlic, minced 2 TBSP Butter 1 TBSP Olive Oil 2 - 3 TBSP Mango Butter 1 Lemon, sliced, seeds removed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste, or about 1-2 tsp Dried or Fresh Rosemary, to taste, or about 1-1/2 to 2 tsp Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towel.  Set in roasting pan with a little olive oil.  Spread butter all over chicken, then do the same with the mango butter.  You can spread some of the butter and mango butter under the skin of the chicken as well.  Scatter a few slices of lemon on top of the chicken and sprinkle the chicken with the minced garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes.  I also like to put some of the herbs and butters into the cavity along with one or two slices of lemon. Bake covered at 350 degrees F until done, calculating at 20 minutes per pound, basting about half-way through.  Serve with your favorite selection of roasted or steamed vegetables and either c...

Good landscaping can increase the value of your home by upwards of 8%-15%.   A well maintained outdoor space gives the impression that the home is well cared for and maintained not only on the outside, but on the inside as well.   Realtors all over the country are suggesting that their clients improve the look of their landscaping. Even if your home is perfect on the inside, a bad view from the outside can literally turn people away. An amazing "82% of surveyed agents have had potential buyers decline to look at the interior of a house due to its exterior appearance," according to the survey Real Estate Agent Community Trends (REACT).   http://www.myhomechannel.org/article_landscaping_home_value.php Even if you are not planning on moving in the near future, you should invest in landscaping as plants and trees take time to mature.   Plan with the end result in mind; design your landscaping as a whole so it looks coherent when completed, even if you can only do a li...

Spring is here and it’s about time to prepare the soil bed for your gardens.    Remember, you don’t have to have a garden so big that you cannot take care of it all.   You can actually be more productive in a smaller, more manageable sized garden.   Begin first by planning out your space.   Select a spot in the garden that gets a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight if you are planning a vegetable garden.   If you are planning for flowers, know the amounts of sunlight your gardens will be receiving, as well as soil type and drainage and choose the types of plants accordingly.    Next, mark out your perimeter and then begin turning the soil over.   Dig down at least 12 inches.   Using a roto-tiller is best as it will break up the soil more thoroughly and deeply.   If you don’t own one, you can usually rent one at a local hardware store.    If one is not available, you can use a shovel and rake.   As you are prep...

Easter is almost here.   The traditional plant this time of year is the Lily.   There are many types of lilies, but at Easter, the standard is Lilium longiflorum , the Latin name for the Easter Lily.   The Easter Lily is native to the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan.   Each holiday is marked by cherished traditions that bring joy, comfort, and warmth, and provide continuity from one generation to the next.   For many, the beautiful trumpet-shaped white flowers of the Easter Lily symbolize purity, virtue, innocence, hope and life - the spiritual essence of Easter. Easter Lily bulbs are harvested in the fall, packed and shipped to commercial greenhouses where they are planted in pots and forced under controlled conditions to bloom for the Easter holiday.   To keep your Easter Lily as long as possible, follow these guidelines.   First, look for lilies that are neither too tall or too short. Ideally, a plant’s height should be about twice the height...