info@theculinarycatalysts.com
- From Garden to Plate: Fresh Flavors, Naturally Grown
info@theculinarycatalysts.com
Experienced gardeners are well aware of this reality and have even come to enjoy the ephemeral nature of their outdoor spaces.
gardening experts
Society garlic is a garlic-scented, almost garlic-flavored bulbing plant... but it's not really garlic. Learn how to grow it with our guide!Do you enjoy growing edible perennials? Maybe you love garlic chives for their flavor and pollinator-attracting prowess. Or maybe you’d like to add a splash of color to one of your herb gardens. If this description suits you, look no further than society garlic! A society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) plant is a great addition to gardens managed by those with different plant tastes. Wildcrafters love using the leaves and flowers in salads and just as they would use wild garlic. Regenerative agriculture nuts love it because its hardy tuberous roots withstand almost any soil type. Society garlic does not attract pests or pathogens that spread disease. It thrives in bright sunlight and hot weather. And get this: it won’t give you bad breath when you eat it, like garlic will. Even though it loves summer, it’s winter hardy, meaning a long growing season is at hand. Society garlic, Tulbaghia violacea, is also known as pink agapanthus, spring bulbs, and sweet garlic. The common name society garlic comes from its ability to flavor a dish without the undesirable fallout of bad breath. This clump-forming herbaceous perennial is native to South Africa and has been naturalized in Tanzania and Mexico. Most people in America know of society garlic plants for their clumping, green straplike foliage which branch out below fragrant (sometimes pungent) lavender colored flowers. Flowers are tuberous and grow in clusters. The flower color ranges from white to pink to purple. Some varieties have multi-colored blooms of purple and white. Their tuberous roots need to be established before society garlic flowers can be separated and eaten. Interestingly, people who eat society garlic don’t come away with bad breath, even though the lavender-pink flowers smell as strong as skunk in the hot summer sun. Get it going, and you’ll be able to enjoy this clump-forming herbaceous perennial for at least three years. Flower stalks are topped by tubular flowers that reach up to 3 feet tall. Each lavender flower has six petals that cluster above narrow leaves. Society garlic isn’t garlic. It exists in the same family as garlic and onions (the Amaryllis family), and lies in the same genus as other tuberous South African plants which are very similar. Unlike regular garlic and onions, it grows quickly, with seeds that sprout within one to two weeks. However, it takes a year or two to bloom. It’s used in soups, salads, and dishes just as garlic chives would be used. All parts (including roots) lend spice to any culinary endeavor. Tubers have been used medicinally by people in Africa to treat many ailments. Zulu people in KwaZulu-Natal province have used the plant to season meat and potato dishes. They also plant society garlic around the edge of their homes to keep snakes out. And the same genus name comes from the governor of the Cape of Good Hope in Eastern South Africa in the 1700s (Rijk Tulbagh).
Read More
Early spring is tree planting season, and we are getting ready to add some of our favorites to the garden. Join gardening expert Melissa Strauss to discuss when you should water those new trees and how much they need. Early spring is an ideal time for planting new trees in your yard. Planting in spring means that your new tree has ample time to set down roots and adapt to its new location before next winter. It also gives it some time to adjust before the heat of summer, which can cause stress to many plants. The best time to put new trees in the ground is while they are still dormant. For many, this means late winter, as soon as the ground is workable. In warmer climates, you can plant your trees even earlier, as long as you’re able to dig a hole. Whatever the time of year, new trees need some special care considerations. Perhaps the most important care these young plants need is consistent and appropriate watering. Water is necessary for root development, and it helps buffer the shock of transplanting. It’s vital to establish a routine that addresses your tree’s needs from the time of planting through the end of its first year. Your irrigation regularity will shift a few times over the span of that first year. The most important stage is the first few weeks, but even once your plant comes out of dormancy and starts putting out new growth, it will continue to need special consideration. Let’s take a look at how your irrigation routine should evolve over the coming year. Transplanting a tree is a stressful event, and water is a key factor in minimizing that stress. It’s vital to help your plant acclimate to its new home. Another important factor in root development is the soil. Compacted soil is tougher for those roots to break through. Looser soil promotes better development. When you plant your tree, make sure to water it the day before. Dig a hole that is as deep and at least twice as wide as the root ball. This loosens the ground directly around the ball, allowing for good root development. Water the hole before placing your tree. Fill the hole with water, and then plant your tree and backfill with soil. Immediately after planting, water deeply, soaking the ground. If the water prompts the soil to sink slightly, add more soil to the sunken area. Deep watering means deep roots. Cover the ground around the trunk with a thick layer of mulch to protect the roots and help retain moisture. You don’t want the soil to dry out completely while the plant is acclimating. Leave a few inches of space between the mulch and the trunk so it will form a sort of doughnut. This reservoir will hold water in place so it can absorb rather than running off. It also keeps pests and diseases from sitting against the trunk. This next category covers about two to three weeks, and it’s a vital time to keep up with care. Your plant will need moisture, consistently during this time. The amount of rainfall will naturally change the frequency that you need to water. The general rule is every day to every other day for the first few weeks. If you get a significant amount of rainfall, you can adjust this. But, significant means at least one inch. Otherwise, make sure you stay on top of it. This is the most vital time in reducing stress and helping your tree to recover from transplanting. For the first season after planting, you’ll need to continue watering regularly. If you planted in the spring, that means you should follow this guideline for about 12 weeks, until early summer. During this time, you can reduce from every day to once every two to three days. You want to thoroughly soak the ground, reaching all the way down past the roots of your plant. Go slowly so that all the moisture absorbs into the ground rather than running off. A good way to do this is to wet the ground first. If the earth is too dry, it won’t be as absorbent. After wetting the root zone and allowing that to soak in, set your hose to a slow stream and lay it on the ground. Allow the water to soak that area, and then move it around the tree’s dripline to ensure moisture gets to the entire root system. From here, we move on to the duration of the year. It may seem like three months is enough to get your tree acclimated. But it truly takes closer to a year for the roots to grow into the surrounding earth. Once this happens, and they grow deeper, they will find water more easily. If you planted in spring, I recommend watering regularly through the summer. The general rule is once per week after the first 12 weeks, but summer weather should dictate frequency. If you get a lot of rain in the summer, once per week should be plenty. My Florida summers are hot and can be dry during some years. In this event, it’s good to water anytime the ground is dry. Don’t underestimate the value of mulch to retain moisture in the earth. Mulch is quite beneficial to your new plants, and old ones, too. As you move into fall, you can reduce to once per week unless you’re getting regular precipitation. As the weather cools off and your tree begins to enter dormancy, it will require and use fewer resources. Reduce watering to once every two weeks for the remaining months. It can take up to two years for your tree to establish a strong root system. Don’t make the mistake of giving up early and expecting the second year to be maintenance-free. Make sure you pay attention to moisture levels and supplement when you need to, throughout that second year. As with most things in gardening, there are exceptions to consider. Different environmental factors should influence your routines and decisions when it comes to watering. Your soil composition plays a starring role in watering. Not all types offer the same water retention, which can be good and bad. The ideal type of soil for most plants is loamy and well-draining. If you have a lot of clay or sand to contend with, you’ll need to factor that into your schedule. Clay-heavy ground tends to compact easily, and though it can absorb and contain a lot of moisture, drainage is often an issue. Overwatering can be as harmful as underwatering because it often leads to root rot. If you have poor drainage, reduce watering accordingly. Conversely, sand has the opposite issue. It drains quickly and doesn’t have good retention. It’s difficult to overwater your plants if you have soil with a high sand content. Naturally, rain is an influencing factor here because if you get a lot of rain, you won’t need to water as frequently or as much. Remember that one-inch rule. If you get less than one inch of rain in the interval between waterings, you need to take action. That means for newly planted trees, one inch of rain every two to three days for the first 12 weeks would be necessary. Heat and sun exposure are also important factors to consider. Heat and sun influence evaporation. If it’s very hot outside, the soil will dry faster, and you’ll want to compensate. This is why I say that if you planted in spring, you may want to continue watering frequently through the summer. We addressed this to a degree when talking about soil composition, but there are other things that can influence drainage. For example, if you are at the top of a hill, chances are you will have better drainage than someone at the bottom of a valley. Water flows downward, so low-lying spaces need less frequent watering, and vice-versa.
Read More
Are you looking to grow Blue False Indigo in your garden? Beginner gardeners or those wanting a low-maintenance, water-wise plant to add to their landscape will be satisfied with this native perennial. Gardening expert Madison Moulton takes a look at this popular plant, covering absolutely everything you need to know from planting to cutting the flowers in spring.Native plants often provide plenty of rewards for very little effort, whether that be in their stunning flowers, vigorous growth, or glossy foliage. But very few plants provide as much reward for as little effort as Blue False Indigo – Baptisia australis. In late spring, this plant shoots up gorgeous blue flowers reminiscent of other members of the pea plant family. But that’s not all there is to love about False Indigo. The glossy green leaves stand tall in garden beds, maintaining interest for the rest of the year out of the short flowering season. The blooms are pollinator magnets and draw a range of good bugs to your garden in spring and summer. And, to top it all off, they have almost no problems with pests and diseases. Take a look at these growing and planting tips for everything you need to know about keeping your Blue False Indigo thriving in your garden. Native to North America and commonly found in the central or eastern parts of the United States, Blue False Indigo was used by Native Americans for hundreds of years. It was primarily used as a blue dye. Strong pigments were extracted from the plant and used to color different materials. The long taproots were also harvested to make natural medicines to treat pain and nausea, and the hardened seed pods typical of the legume family were believed to be used as children’s rattles. British settlers took notice of the Native American’s use of Baptisia as a blue dye. At the time, indigo pigments from the plant Indigofera tinctoria were incredibly popular. This plant originated in the West Indies and was shipped around the world in the 18th century. However, demand far exceeded supply, and the settlers began using Baptisia as a replacement. Although the color was not as intense or vibrant as true Indigo, it did provide the blue hue in fashion in the 1700s. It became an essential crop and was even exported to other parts of the world until farmers began growing true Indigo in North American territory. Its time as a global economically important crop may have been short-lived, but the plant’s popularity has not waned. Instead, it is now valued for its ornamental qualities and ability to grow well in a wide range of conditions with little to no maintenance. Wild Baptisia australis can be found in the Midwest of the United States today. They are usually situated around woodlands or along streams and in meadows. However, this native plant is not restricted to the wilderness, nor its native habitat. False Indigo is a common garden plant in the US, found in nurseries across the country. It is one of only a few native blue flowers that have the true blue color not often seen in nature. It is also incredibly easy to grow and establishes itself well in most parts of the United States. Baptisia australis has also been introduced to other parts of the world and can be found growing in many European gardens. It has even won the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society’s Award Of Garden Merit, indicating its appreciation on continents far from its native area. It also won the award for Perennial Plant of the Year in 2010, awarded by the Perennial Plant Association. This is a big award for this popular blue perennial flower. Essentially, there are few places around the world where this plant is not beloved. Baptisia is most often propagated from seed, but can also be propagated from cuttings or by division. Seed germination rates are not particularly high, and propagating from cuttings, although requiring more equipment, usually produces more reliable results. Propagating by division is only recommended after the plant has been growing for a few years and should only be done when absolutely necessary, as the long taproots do not like to be disturbed.
Read More
The pinon tree is a lovely pine species that produces delicious, edible pine nuts. It is native to the southern US and has been used as a staple food for centuries. Not all pine trees are created equally. A particularly interesting stand out is the pinon pine, also referred to as pinyon pine or piñon pine. This pine tree produces edible nuts. Most pinyon trees have yellow-green needles and produce pine cones over the course of their very long lifetime. Some pinyon pine trees have been reported to live for up to 600 years, according to the US Forest Service! The edible pine nuts of single-leaf pinyon, two-needle pinyon, and Colorado pinyon pine taste almost cream-like in flavor, with the oiliness of macadamia and just the slightest hint of a pine-like flavor. The pinyon pine seeds are roasted and eaten as a snack and are commonly used as an ingredient in the cuisine of New Mexico, which calls pinyon pine its state tree. During pine nut harvest periods, you can often find them for sale at roadside stands that pop up in states where these pines grow naturally, particularly in the Great Basin. Pine nuts have also been a staple food of Native Americans for centuries and can be found on reservations across the four corners region in southwestern North America and Mexico. The one drawback of the piñon pine is that it can be difficult to grow; they have a very specific and set range where they produce cones filled with those delicious pine nuts. Pinus edulis is native to four states in the US – Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. While they can be grown outside that range, that’s where they thrive best – and that’s also why seed harvest rights are almost exclusively Native American-controlled on this tree species, as they’re a wild-growing tree in reservation country.There are different varieties, such as Colorado pinyon and Mexican pinyon, and within these varieties, there are different types as well. There are two main types of pinyon pines: the single-leaf pinyon and the two-needle pinyon (also known as two-needle piñon). As you can probably guess, the single-leaf pinyon (Pinus monophylla) generally has a single pine needle protruding from each growth point. In contrast, the two-needle pinyon has two needles at each growth point.
Read MoreFind and share everyday cooking inspiration on Allrecipes. Discover recipes, cooks, and how-tos based on the food you love and the friends you follow.
We’re hot and spicy… literally!
"Easy lamb chops Italian style. This recipe is layered. First you will have a layer of potatoes and onions. Next you will have 3 layers of tomatoes and crumbs and 2 layers of chops. I use a deep casserole dish."
Read More
That ooey gooey marshmallow topping!!!! All made in a crockpot. So easy without taking any oven space. Double win!
Read More
Healthy, decadent, amazingly creamy AND low-carb. Finally, a guilt-less alfredo dish that the entire family can enjoy! 203.6 calories.
Read MoreOur email newsletter delivers gardening solutions, new recipes and special
The Culinary Catalysts updates. It's always free and you can unsubscribe any time.
We really want to enable home cooks, all things being equal, to plan delightful and exceptional dinners in their own kitchen.
Know More
