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May Trees

Redbud 'Flame Thrower' (Cercis canadensis) As May comes to an end, I thought I would share some trees that look good now.  First, the insanely beautiful 'Flame Thrower' redbud. I always hesitate to praise this tree because of their finicky nature. So far, so good on this one which is near our front door.  Snowbell and 'Wolf's Eyes' Dogwood in the background The Snowbell tree ( Styrax japonica ) has been spectacular for many weeks. I was up on the roof of the garden shed this morning and got an aerial view of it. It looks so much larger from above. The blooms are so heavy that the branches are bending down. A few years ago, I recall standing underneath it and the roar from bees buzzing around it was deafening. Last week, I was saddened to hear no bees at all. Fortunately, there are some a week later but not nearly as many as in the past. On the opposite side is 'Wolf's Eye' Dogwood ( Cornus kousa ) which always delivers. This is a small dogwood c...

Book review and give-away - "The Speedy Garden"

Congratulations to Eve on winning the book! Stay tuned for more contests in the future.

We all know that most gardening requires some patience - especially vegetable gardening. But wait one minute, here is a new book that offers crops that are ready to eat in a few days, weeks and even hours. Food journalists Mark Diacono and Lia Leendertz profile these tasty delights, show you how to grow them and provide recipes.

Beginning with "Soaks and Sprouts," the authors describe the best techniques for sprouting seeds in sprouting bags or trays. Pumpkin seeds, almonds, sunflowers, radish, mustard and clover sprouts are just a few that are profiled with tips on storing them and using them in recipes. 

Micro greens include coriander, fennel, basil, and other leafy greens that can be grown in trays in as little as seven days and are ready for salads and flavorings for other foods. Edible flowers are also covered - nasturtium, daylily, chives, marigolds, and lavender. 

A chapter on "cut and come again salad leaves" demonstrates a method of growing greens in containers and harvesting the leaves so that the plants will sprout again. "Quick Harvest Vegetables" covers carrots, turnips, radishes and other fast growing crops.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. I am always excited to learn something new about plants and gardening. I just read the other post about root cuttings and found it interesting. I am crossing my fingers and toes and hopefully I will win!

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  2. Hi Phil,
    As an ancient gardener, I remember the admonishment of George Burns, who said "I'm so old, I don't even buy my bananas green." So this seems like a good book for me! Best to you,
    Shenandoah
    shenandoah@hushmail.com
    http://gardenaginginplace.com

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  3. Looks like a fun book! I'm in!

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  4. I can never have enough gardening books or cookbooks. Plus, I'm going to be giving edible gardening a more serious try this season... I'm in!

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  5. Whooo Hoooo! Can't wait to get it! I'm gearing up for lots of veggies this year!

    ReplyDelete

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