by GardenLover | Jun 15, 2012 | Favorite Flora
Serviceberry, Shadblow, Juneberry (Amelanchier laevis, A. arborea and A.x grandiflora)
By Debra Knapke
What makes a plant desirable? The answer to that question varies with the gardener. Good fall color, beautiful flowers, winter interest, edible – tasty – parts, and wildlife attractor are attributes that come to mind. All of these can be found in our native serviceberries (Amelanchier laevis and A. arborea) and their hybrid “child” (A. x grandiflora).
Just before sitting down to write, I went outside to see if there was a chance of a snack. The birds have eaten most of the berries, and the remaining ones are turning into “raisins”. But I still remember the taste of the delicious cherry-blueberry fruit that covered the tree in late May to early June. As I have sipped my morning tea, I’ve watched robins, cardinals, woodpeckers and bluejays trying to grab some fruit on a fly-by. It’s an entertaining way to start the day.
I’m often asked for plant recommendations.
The serviceberry is my number one tree for smaller spaces. In most landscapes, serviceberry grows 15-25’ tall and 10-15’ wide. It is a secondary canopy tree so it grows well in a sun to part sun location. You have a choice of habit: in nature the serviceberry is multi-stemmed, but it is often pruned and trained to a single trunk. Both forms are attractive and have different landscape functions, but I confess – I prefer its natural multi-stemmed beauty.
One of the most popular garden trends is to incorporate food plants into one’s garden. Adding a serviceberry to your yard is an excellent way to start.
by GardenLover | Jun 9, 2012 | Gardens to Drive
By Debra Knapke
Sorry for the short notice, but the time is now: go outside and collect your garlic scapes, otherwise known as the flowering stem of a garlic plant. Flower and seed production takes energy away from the developing head of garlic which you will be harvesting at the end of June to mid-July. Now, don’t throw those scapes away! You can sauté them, add them to pasta, rice and vegetable dishes or you can create a subtle pesto that has the smell and flavor of leeks. Last night it was a bright green swirl of flavor in a seafood stew. Once tomato season arrives, it will be an accent to our favorite gazpacho.
This flavorful food accent is easy to make. I use a rough ratio of scapes to olive oil to nuts. Pesto is a “recipe” that is infinitely morph-able. I have added a handful or two of parsley or not. I’ve used cashews – my favorite for garlic scape pesto – almonds, pecan, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts. Freshly ground pepper is a must and salt is up to you. Leave the cheese out. It either gums up the texture or covers the delicate flavor of the pesto. Add cheese later to the finished dish.
We freeze “extra” pesto in 2 oz. plastic cups.
This year we harvested close to 400 scapes from large garlic plants and first year seedlings. We will harvest the large plants for their bulbs and spread out the seedlings for next year’s crop.
Garlic Scape Pesto … guidelines
¾ c garlic scapes, white to light green sections (darker green may be too tough), coarsely chopped
¼ c olive oil (may need more)
¼ c nuts of choice
A handful or two of parsley or spinach (optional – makes the garlic scapes go further)
Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
Using a food processor, process to a paste, adding olive oil if it seems too dry. Bon appetite!
by GardenLover | Jun 8, 2012 | Good eats
By Teresa Woodard
Cherries and berries make a great combination. I prefer sour cherries from our backyard and wild black raspberries from the preserve near our house, but this week I used store-bought raspberries since the black raspberries aren’t ripe yet. The recipe also works well with frozen fruit. In fact, we freeze some cherries and berries for a pie for Christmas Eve dinner.
Cherry Berry Pie
Based on a recipe from Williams Sonoma
Basic pie pastry for a 9-inch double-crust pie
2 TBS quick-cooking tapioca
1 c sugar
¼ TSP salt
3 c pitted sour cherries
3 c raspberries or blackberries
2 TBS unsalted butter
Preheat an oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, stir the tapioca, sugar and salt. Add the cherries and berries and toss to mix well. Pile the fruit mixture into an uncooked pastry-lined pan and dot with bits of the butter. Cover with the top crust, trim, flute the edges and cut vents. For another option, try a lattice top. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees, cover edges of crust with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes.
by GardenLover | Jun 6, 2012 | Snapshots
By Teresa Woodard
We harvested our first cherries from our backyard cherry trees. They’re a bit early and a bit small, but I’m not complaining. A fresh cherry pie sounds wonderful!
by GardenLover | May 30, 2012 | Trendspotting
Banana trees in a Midwestern courtyard
By Teresa Woodard
The Jimmy Buffet syndrome is prompting more and more gardeners to grow tropicals in zone-defying Northern climates. That’s what John Reiner of Oakland Nursery in Columbus, Ohio, sees as the cause for the exponential growth in tropical plant sales in northern states.
“When people see tropicals, they think of fun, happy vacation images, plus they love the blast of color they bring to the landscape,” says Reiner.
While many enjoy tropicals outside during the warmest months, other soft-hearted – and thrifty — gardeners try to sustain them indoors until it’s time to return outside for another growing season. Try one gardener’s tips for growing and overwintering tropicals in the Midwest:
- Place the tropical plants in five- to 10-gallon containers with drainage holes and plant them in the landscape after the threat of frost. To encourage lots of blooms, feed the plants with a high phosphorus fertilizer such as a 10-50-10. Follow the labels for the plants’ growing needs, and note many require lots of water.
- After enjoying the tropicals all summer, cut them back, especially larger ones like banana trees, water them thoroughly, then let them drain before moving them indoors. The ideal indoor conditions are 60-65 degrees with indirect light such as a garage, a four seasons room or a southeastern- or southwestern-facing windowed room.
- Thoroughly water the plants monthly and allow them to fully drain each time. Remember, overwatering can rot roots. Watch for spider mites and white mealy bugs, and treat with an insecticide if necessary.
Coleus plants and mandevilla vines
- Try angel’s trumpets (Brugmansia) for their growing ease, spectacular blooms and intoxicating perfume. One grower tells me they’re simple to multiply — just cut off a branch, dip the end in a rooting hormone and place it in soil. Also check out banana trees (Musa), plumeria (with blooms used in Hawaiian leis), coleus, hibiscus, mandevilla vines. Tropical tender bulbs like elephant ears (Alocasia, Colocasia and Xanthosoma), caladiums, canna lilies and dahlias can be grown in containers through the season then overwintered in the garage.
- Avoid overwintering more temperamental tropicals like palms, mandevillas and hibiscus. They are so affordable and readily available that it’s easier to replace each year like annuals.
- Plant cold-hardy lookalikes. Hardy hibiscus with dinner-plate-size blooms look much like their tropical counterparts yet thrive in central Midwest’s climate.
Xanthosoma ‘Lime Ginger’
The serviceberry is my number one tree for smaller spaces. In most landscapes, serviceberry grows 15-25’ tall and 10-15’ wide. It is a secondary canopy tree so it grows well in a sun to part sun location. You have a choice of habit: in nature the serviceberry is multi-stemmed, but it is often pruned and trained to a single trunk. Both forms are attractive and have different landscape functions, but I confess – I prefer its natural multi-stemmed beauty.
