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Experienced gardeners are well aware of this reality and have even come to enjoy the ephemeral nature of their outdoor spaces.
gardening experts
Banana plants are often seen as wild-looking trees that give off lush jungle vibes in a landscape, but they can also be grown successfully in containers outside or as houseplants inside. The trick is giving them conditions they love (hint: plenty of sun) and choosing the right varieties for your space and climate.The common name “banana plant” is applied to a bunch of different species in the genus Musa, the bananas and plantains. The genus contains some 70 different plants, most of which aren’t edible or just not very pleasant to eat due to their large seeds. A hybrid called Musa × paradisiaca is said to be the parent of most edible banana cultivars.Edible bananas, the result of domestication and selective cultivation by humans, have been around for a long time. Research has indicated that the cultivation of bananas, now one of the most common crops worldwide, began around 7,000 years ago in Southeast Asia. There are now estimated to be well over 1,000 different cultivars out there. Banana plants are often confused with palms (hence their misnomer “banana palm”), but they actually form part of the order Zingiberales, alongside plants like ginger and Strelitzia (bird-of-paradise, another popular houseplant). And while they’re usually referred to as “banana trees,” they are classified botanically as herbaceous perennials because they never form a woody stem (aka a trunk) the way a tree does—the “trunks” are actually succulent stalks (pseudostems).Banana “trees” are characterized by their massive foliage, which are quite fragile. In banana trees kept outdoors, the leaves usually look torn and shredded, but this doesn’t bother the plant itself. Because banana plants die off after blooming but produce plenty of offsets (also known as pups or shoots) before doing so, mature ones that have been left to grow wild will often consist of a bunch of different stems growing together.
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Think it’s weird to eat broccoli leaves? It’s not—the broad outer leaves of the broccoli plant are edible and delicious, and grow so well in the garden that they beg to be used more in the kitchen! (And less in the compost pile.)And I’m talking the broad outer leaves that surround a head of broccoli, not the few tiny and uninspiring leaves stuck to the head of store-bought broccoli. Most people don’t realize that you can eat broccoli leaves, or that they’re just as edible and delicious as the broccoli head itself. And I can’t blame them, considering broccoli always comes in a neat little package at the grocery store or farmers’ market. It’s a surprise to many people that the broccoli we buy and eat is actually a very small portion of the plant itself. So where does the rest of it go?The growth habit of broccoli plants. Unless you grow them yourself, you never see the massive greens that broccoli heads spring from.On my Romanesco broccoli plant (Brassica oleracea ‘Romanesco’), which grows larger than your everyday broccoli, the mature leaves span up to 2 feet long with hefty ribs and stems. Even though the plant is typically grown for its flower bud (what you commonly know as a head of broccoli, or a floret or crown), the flower is a relatively small part of the crop, and it seems like you wait alllll spring (or fall) for the prize. (A prize that sometimes never arrives, as anyone who has waited fruitlessly for a bud can attest to! But that’s a different post on the ails of growing broccoli at home.) A broccoli plant only produces one significant head per life cycle, with occasional secondary sprouts that form in the axils of the leaves. These side shoots always turn out smaller than the center head (think bite-sized), which is where baby broccoli comes from. This specialty vegetable that you sometimes see at farmers’ markets or gourmet grocers is simply a bonus harvest — not broccoli picked early. Knowing all that, it seems wasteful to use such a modest portion of the plant when the rest of it is so good.Health benefits of broccoli and broccoli leaves Broccoli is considered one of the most nutritious vegetables on the market, providing 100 percent of the daily value of vitamin C in a single cup of chopped broccoli. It contains a full nutritional lineup of B vitamins, potassium, iron, calcium, minerals, and fiber. When compared to the stems, the florets have a higher concentration of protective phytochemicals like beta carotene and sulforaphane (the latter of which has been shown to protect against certain cancers). But broccoli leaves are their own superfood, with even higher amounts of beta carotene than the florets, along with vitamin A (which is important for vision and skin health) and phytonutrients that aren’t found in the florets or stems. That means if you’re a gardener who’s used to composting broccoli leaves or ignoring them while you wait for the heads to form, you are missing out on the many free health benefits of this amazing crop.How to harvest broccoli leaves If you grow your own broccoli, you can start to harvest a few of the outer (older) leaves every week once they reach 4 to 6 inches long. After the plant forms a crown, you can harvest the broccoli head but continue to pick the leaves until you can no longer keep up… seriously! Broccoli is an incredible cut-and-come-again crop, and new leaves remain tender even when the rest of the plant is getting tall and unwieldy. When I lived in Southern California, I could keep my broccoli growing year-round in the mild coastal climate (zone 10b). These second-year plants were still thriving despite having all the crowns harvested moons ago, and on some of the plants, I’d stripped them clean of leaves to cook with!
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Willow trees have a graceful, almost magical look to them. They are well suited to moist locations near ponds and wetland borders. In this article, gardening enthusiast Liessa Bowen introduces the diverse world of willows and how to best grow these trees in your landscape. Willows are a group of trees and shrubs in the genus Salix that includes over 350 species worldwide. While some willows blend into their surroundings without standing out or being noticed, other varieties are highly ornamental and useful in the landscape. The weeping willow is probably the most easily recognized, known for its long, graceful branches. As a general rule, willows are fast-growing trees that love wet areas. They aren’t suitable for all landscapes, but if you live near a pond, lake, stream, wetland, or occasionally flooded area, a willow could be an ideal tree. Willows thrive in these wetter areas where other tree species struggle. A few willow species are more tolerant of occasionally dry soils, but all willows appreciate constant moisture. If you decide to use a willow tree for your property, consider it more than just a tree. Look for a willow with an appealing structure. These trees often appear very elegant during the growing season when they are leafy and green. In the winter, the bare branches have their own unique appeal. Many willows have fascinating forms that you can appreciate all year round. If you have a plot of land with plenty of space and moist soil, let’s dig right in and look at the details of how and where to grow a willow tree. There are around 350 species of willows worldwide. Willows are found in many temperate regions around the world, including Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America. Many of the more ornamental willows, such as the weeping willow and pussy willows, originated in Europe and Asia. These trees have been widely cultivated for landscaping, erosion control, and the floral industry. Willows typically grow in moist to wet soils. They thrive along the edges of ponds, lakes, streams, and wetlands and are very tolerant of occasional flooding and saturated soils. They are fast-growing but often short-lived. Many species of willow spread to form small colonies along waterways, creating a natural floodplain erosion control. All willows are deciduous shrubs or trees. Smaller varieties, such as the pussy willow, can be pruned into a bush-like form, while larger varieties, such as the weeping willow, grow to be impressive, thick-trunked trees. The weeping varieties are highly ornamental, with long, gracefully drooping branches that cascade downwards, overlapping each other like elegant fringes. Most willow varieties have an upright growth form with a rounded or vase-like crown. These trees and shrubs tend to have similar leaf shapes. Many long, thin, lance-like leaves line the thinner woody stems, giving them a densely green overall appearance. Willows tend to leaf out early in the spring and hold their leaves until late fall. In the autumn, willow leaves typically turn from green to yellow before dropping for the winter months. Willows bloom in the spring. Most species are dioecious, having separate male and female flowers on different plants. Both trees have showy catkins, often with a white, fuzzy appearance. Male and female flowers bloom at the same time, both attracting pollinators, which then help these plants cross-pollinate. The female plants then produce seed pods, sometimes releasing the seeds with tufts of white fluff to help them disperse in the wind. These trees are remarkably easy to propagate. Willow seeds are ready to germinate as soon as they mature, and willow cuttings readily take root with minimal effort.
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A rite of passage for most beginner gardeners is growing cherry tomatoes. It can kickstart the love of gardening! Our tips make it easy. Growing cherry tomatoes is a great place to start growing all sorts of tomatoes. Most gardeners have tomatoes growing at some point. There’s much to choose from, with over 100 established varieties of cherry tomatoes. In the scheme of all tomato varieties cherries are easy to grow. Cherry tomatoes or Solanum lycopersicum were cultivated for centuries from wild tomato fruits grown in the Andes. Inca peoples selected them for their sweet taste and snacking ability. Anyone with the privilege of eating a ripe cherry tomato right off the plant knows why this happened. When you’re stocking up on tomato seeds for spring, consider growing cherry tomatoes. We like Chadwick’s cherry tomatoes from San Diego Seed Co. Whether you’re interested in heirloom seeds, black cherry tomatoes, determinate, or indeterminate seeds, cherry tomatoes make it easy to produce something worthwhile throughout the growing season. Grow them, eat them fresh, can them, and have sweet flavor infused with the sun year-round! Forget other tomatoes; let’s grow cherry tomatoes! All About Cherry Tomatoes Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme is also known as cherry tomato, as well as a wide selection of varietal names ranging from tomaccio to Sungold to Dances With Smurfs. They originate from wild tomatoes cultivated in the Andes by Inca peoples about 80,000 years ago. Tomato plants have trichome-covered leaves and fruits that cluster. The difference between cherry tomato plants and other tomato plants is that cherry tomato fruits and seeds are smaller. These tomatoes grow from flowers blooming on branches covered with green serrated leaves which connect to a central stem. External pollination occurs on tomatoes, but they are self-pollinators. The yellow tomato plant flower has five petals. After flowers die, fruit forms. The edible part of a tomato plant is the fruit. Leaves can be eaten, but they are poisonous to humans in large quantities. Like other nightshade plants, tomato leaves contain alkaloids solanine and tomatine that are hard to digest. Still, there is a lot of debate as to whether tomato leaves can be cooked. There are tons of cherry tomato varieties to choose from. I’m currently growing Cherokee purple cherry tomatoes, an indeterminate variety that exploded since spring moved into summer. They have purple skin, a red interior, and great flavor. Traditional red varieties are a great way to start your tomato journey. If a red tomato bores you, there are many types of tomatoes to choose from, including yellow and orange varieties. Planting Cherry Tomatoes Determinate varieties are easier to grow in containers (like the Air Pots stocked in our online store) or raised beds. Indeterminate varieties go wild in the garden and require a lot of space and care. Plant them in prepared ground. Leave at least four feet between each row of these plants. But choosing the right variety will have bearing on how to plant your tomatoes. Transplant summer varieties after the last frost. If you’re starting your tomatoes from seed, start those tomato seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. Plant fall varieties a few months before the first frost. Tomato plants need deep holes, at least 10 inches down. Plant your tomatoes in deep holes to allow solid root growth and nutrient uptake. Add a tomato trellis early on instead of a tomato cage which cherry tomatoes quickly outgrow. The trellises or stakes (instead of cages) give you vertical room to work within your garden. This also prevents heirloom tomatoes from contracting diseases. Cages and stakes are great supports for your plants but due to clustering, consider a trellis for your tomatoes. Cages are a no-go here unless you have extremely tall cages that can handle indeterminate growth. Caring for Cherry Tomatoes Caring for a cherry tomato plant is easy if the right conditions are met and maintained every day. Here are key aspects to pay attention to.
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"This is so easy and quick, but the salmon is perfectly cooked and seasoned. With a bag salad and French bread, a great home cooked dinner is on the table in minutes. A great recipe with fresh salmon from the great West U.S. region."
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"Don't recall where this recipe came from years ago, but it is one of the few salmon recipes that I really like. Note that 1.75 cups of cold baked salmon can be substituted for the canned salmon. If the final product seems too dry for your taste, additional red wine vinegar and olive oil can be added."
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"A quick and healthy fix when you just don't know what to do with left-over pork chops!"
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A bright, refreshing fall salad with apples, bacon + the most amazing candied pecans. Perfect for the holidays!
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