My Summer Veggie Garden Rests - A Summary

I was pleasantly surprised this year by the amount of produce the garden yielded. Between whitefly infestations, aphids, powdery mildew, ants in my pots, munching lubbers and hornworms, squash borers, flea beetles, and sparse rainfalll, 2012 was a winner...No really it was!

The above picture is an example of a twice a week picking (March through June.) Just double the tomato and broccoli count.


As a general guide for other Zone 10 South Florida gardeners, my garden harvests were ready to pick as follows:


Nov - May      Broccoli (Packman)
Dec - June     Ichiban Eggplant, Sweet 100 Hybrid Cherry, 
                   and Lemon Boy Tomats
Jan - May      Bush Beans, Cherokee Tomats, Roma (Juliet) Tomats,
                   Big Beef Tomats, Black Beauty and Hansel Eggplant
                   varieties, Red Leaf Lettuce, Oakleaf Lettuce, Arugula,
                   & Bok Choi
March           Cauliflower              
April - June    Radish (Riviera)
June - Aug     Finally the onions I planted back December ripened.


What didn't do well at all this year: Spinach, Zucchinis, Carrots, Squash, Solar Fire (variety Heirloom) Tomat, and Cucumber. The Artichoke failed completely - although, while it lasted, it made an attractive accent to the garden with its spreading, silvery gray and feathery foliage. I think I'll just consider it an ornamental next season.


Eggplant: This was my first year growing eggplants. I tried 3 varieties: Ichiban, Black Beauty and Hansel. Next season I will just grow Ichiban and Black Beauty.

Six things come to mind immediately.

Black Beauty

 1) They need a really big pot 2) Lots of regular feeding with fish emulsion 3) Plenty of water 4) A large tomato cage right from the start, cos they grow BIG, and the vines with fruit on are heavy, and need to be supported 5) Watch for whitefly infestations 6) Have plenty of friends and family that love eggplant because you will probably not be able to eat them all!

Ichiban

Millet: We have three birds, two Maroon-bellied Conures and a Lovebird. So May and June I grew our own millet. Take store bought millet and sprinkle seeds in the ground/pot and watch those grasses pop up. They didn't grow as large as store bought millet, but the birds loved them, even in their slightly green stage. But then my birds love everything, including, but not limited to: shredded cheese, sea grapes, apples, strawberries, scrambled egg (with cumin), cheerios, bacon, marigolds, hibiscus, coriander seeds, peanuts, yoghurt, pizza crust, and sips of orange juice...whew!

Tomatoes: I tried four different varieties of tomato this year. In addition to my prolific producers Lemon Boy, and Roma Juliet, I added:
Sweet 100 Cherry -----  fruits are so sweet and juicy and makes for great snacking while working in the garden. No problems with this tomato. I grew it in a pot and it was fine.
Big Beef -------- great tasting tomatoes, deep red, very juicy - watch for hornworms early, it was nearly wiped out by them and took a month to come back. Fruit is a little slow to set but worth it. I'll just plant two or three next time. I also grew this one in a pot and was very pleased with yield.
Cherokee ------ an Heirloom, yet not a producer in my garden, although the flavor is amazing, so I'll persevere. Grown in the ground with plenty of compost, feeding and mulch.
Solar Fire ----- an Heirloom and supposed to be well suited to warmer climates. We had maybe 3 little tomatoes and it faded away. Grown in the ground, as above.
Next season I will be dropping Solar Fire and Roma Juliet and growing Brandywine (Heirloom) Yellow and Red varieties and Heatwave II.


Peppers: In previous years we had bumper crops of Sweet Bell and Banana type peppers, not so this year. My consolation prize was that we had hundreds of Jalapenos, but they were so darn hot, we couldn't eat them. Luckily they did not go to waste. A unknown, migratory bird of a gray and black coloring, with a creaky-door sound as bird song goes, came to the garden every day and picked them off, one by one.


Broccoli: We had a seemingly never-ending crop of Packman broccoli from November onwards. Cut and come again with those little side shoots, divine in stir fries or omelets. My son would walk around the garden, snap off those little side shoots and eat them raw. See below for his cheeky face.

"Guilty, as charged!"

This year I am going to try another couple of Florida recommended types: Waltham 29 (large heads up to 8" across and good for freezing), and DeCicco,(whose leaves are edible like collards), maybe Calabrese too. Yep, we eat a lot of broccoli.


Onions: The onions that I planted in December 2011 were very slow to develop. I need to be more patient and give them time. I have been pulling them up in their scallion phase and chopping up for stir fries. We have a bumper crop though. Well worth the wait. Some sources online suggest pulling the earth away from the emerging bulb.

Onions

We are also growing Peanuts this year, although the pesky squirrels think they belong to them.


The Calabaza pumpkin has taken off again, although I must confess it's a bit of a nuisance and is trying to smother the Bottlebrush. The leaves are at least 5 - 8" across. I think it's very tasty, but the boys don't care for it at all.

Calabaza

The Mammoth Dill is still growing and attracting the black swallowtail, also I have Red Leaf Lettuce still thriving (who knew), along with Culantro, and hoards of Mint, Basil and Rosemary. The Marigold reseeded themselves, as did the Pineapple Sage.


I'm getting the soil ready and purchasing supplies and seeds for the upcoming Florida Veggie Season. I will be installing some raised beds this year, and of course my broccoli-eatin' son will be assisting me with that project.. yes you are!


Next Up: What I'm Planting in My Zone 10a Garden this August and Sept.

Artichoke-Tomato Gratin

While I'm waiting for the weather to cool down so I can get my South Florida garden going, I'm looking around for recipes to share.

The Ingredients

This is one of our favorites:

You will need:
4 or 5 chopped up tomatoes, I used Lemon Boy and Romas
2 Tablespoons fresh basil leaves
7.5 oz can unseasoned Artichokes, drained
2 or 3 Tablespoons Mayo
2 to 3 oz Parmesan cheese
2 oz Breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper

You will also need a glass pan and some aluminum foil.
Spray your glass pan lightly with olive oil.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F

Chop the tomats and the basil.

Fresh From The Backyard!

Drain the artichokes, add to tomato/basil mixture and sprinkle with about 1 oz of the parmesan cheese.

Stir in the 2 to 3 Tablespoons of Mayo. The mixture should be well blended, but don't mush the ingredients :)

Mix together the 2 oz Breadcrumbs and 2 oz Parmesan and then sprinkle that mixture over the top of your tomato/artichoke dish. Salt and pepper. Cover with foil, bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 7-8 more minutes until golden brown. At this point you could add a little fresh grated parmesan on top while it's browning.

As you can see, I didn't get to take a pretty picture of the finished dish, my boys attacked it as soon as it came out of the oven! It's great piping hot served with tortilla chips or as a side dish with grilled chicken. Enjoy!

Finished...and half eaten....

Coming to Fruition - Pineapples

Several years ago a friend of mine mentioned that the top (a slip) removed from a ripe pineapple can be rooted and will produce another pineapple.


So, over quite a few years, we dutifully planted a few pineapple slips here and there, and promptly forgot about them. Sure enough they rooted and thrived, and in their own prickly, spiny, and somewhat primitive bromiliad way they make an interesting addition to the garden. However, none of them ever bore any fruit.

Then prowling around the garden in January........drum roll please....
....we noticed that several of them had flower-type-something-going-on.


Eventually this floret developed purple flowers, which were very pretty, but I forgot to take a photo of.

April; and finally the pineapple reveals itself! According to the University of Florida IFAS Extension's website (link listed below) the pineapple is ripe when the peel (called a shell) turns from its green color to yellow. As this is also right around the time when squirrels and raccoons become interested in eating said ripe pineapple, I cut mine off just below pineapple, before it started to turn yellowish,  and then I refrigerated the whole thing until the shell turned yellow.



I was concerned that it would be dried out, but when I cut it up......it was so juicy and sweet, and check out that vibrant color!

If however, you decide to let it ripen fully in the garden, the Extension's website suggests covering the pineapple with a paper bag to protect it from being chewed on. I'd go ahead and draw a scary face on the bag just for added effect.... :)

Here is how we got ours rooted and a link for more info is below. 

1)   Cut the spiky top off ripe pineapple. I left a little bit of the fruit to feed the slip.

2)   Peel off the bottom leaves, about 2" worth, to reveal a stalk. Don't use rooting powder, you don't need it.

3)   Plant in garden up to the bottom leaves.

4)   Water regularly, feed, and in approximately 18 to 24 months you will be the proud owner of a garden fresh pineapple.

I am growing mine in pots to give them a good start.


When you go to transplant your rooted slips, be aware that the mature pineapple plant might easily get 3 feet across in diameter. Also the leaves are sharp, so don't plant them close to your walkway.

Good Luck!

Click Here for University of Florida IFAS Extension website

Critters Galore III

A Squirrel family nested in the owls box and the two young squirrels are a right nuisance! They are always climbing all over the patio screen trying to get to our birds food. I got up this morning only to discover a youngster had actually gotten onto the patio by tearing a hole through the screening and was desperately trying to escape, by scrambling all over the screen (and putting more holes in it). I scooted him out the door and then sat down to read my emails. I had this creepy feeling I was being watched.....I looked up and there was one of the parents hiding under the bamboo shades on the inside of the screen. Here's a picture of him trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

"Don't eat me!

Two young Blue Jays

Blue Jays. The young Blue Jays are always on high alert with their head crest at "full mast." Unlike their parents, they have yet to get their lil' fluffy heads around how to use the bird bath, despite frequent demonstrations from parents. They make a sweet, mewling sound, like a kitten, and "tremble" their wings for attention. Then they get a "what's that!" moment and become startled by their own wings. I believe we have had ongoing generations of the same family for at least 7 years now.

We currently have two Cardinal youngsters moseying around and I gently rescued a cute, little female a few times from our screened in patio, where she has flown in attracted by our Maroon-bellied Conures feed dish. Both Conures can talk, so she has fluttered around, trapped and frantic, to a scathing male-duet-chorus of "bad birdie," from them.

Busy Busy Woodpecker Parent

The Woodpeckers' youngsters (hatched in my neighbor's dead Palm tree), made their appearance May through present time. The babies have an unmistakable wheezing peep. They closely watch what mom/dad does and then copy verbatim. The fledglings are a pretty, soft gray color with wing banding of a darker gray. The bright red head coloring comes in very gradually, starting off by just being plain gray. They are very cheeky and, if they don't think they are getting enough attention, they will "tug" on their parent's tail feathers for attention! This infuriates the parent who will give a warning peck feint to the youngster, who backs off for a minute or two, and then creeps closer for another "tug, tug," - gotta love kids......

Above a parent woodpecker alites right next to me to gather up sunflower seeds for the wheezy, pesky youngsters.


Here's another view of his/her gloriously striped, back feathers.

I believe this is, unfortunately, a Japanese Beetle, a serious pest. Follow "Beetle" link below for more information.
Beetles

Japanese Beetle?

Red Rat Snake

Here's a big predator in the yard, just in time for all those little baby birds (Red Rat Snakes are very good climbers).

Lubber Grasshopper

A brightly colored, but annoying Lubber grasshopper shown here in a very agitated mood. They do love to chew on the lilies.

First Instar

This year I planted plenty of parsley and dill to attract the Swallowtail Butterfly to my garden. I was rewarded by plenty of little caterpillars greedily devouring the parsley down to a stump. The caterpillars start out by being deviously disguised as a bird dropping, see above right picture. They get big fast!

Full grown Caterpillar

Pupa

Pre-Pupa

Life Cycle of a Black Swallowtail Butterfly

What Butterflies Can You Attract To Your Garden?

Then it's time for a snooze.  They develop from Pre-Pupa to Pupa overnight, and even though I kept checking for the butterfly to emerge I never caught the moment, but the empty case remained as testimony as to its safe transition to butterfly.

Laying eggs on Parsley

Spicy Broccoli Soup

Got Broccoli? I haven't...not in my South Florida garden anyway, it's way too hot. We are reduced to buying our vegetables from the local grocery store, and as fresh and nutritious as store bought broccoli is....it is just not the same as broccoli grown in your own garden.


Anyway I digress. Today I was supposed to cut-the-lawn, but the lawn mower wouldn't start, so while I hooked it up to the little charger gizmo I flounced around looking for something to do. An examination of the refrigerator revealed 2 full stalks of broccoli and 1 full broccoli complete with florets. 


Don't throw those stalks out, I am going to show you how to make a really smooth and spicy broccoli soup.


You will need 
a 10" skillet, I prefer stainless steel
3 broccoli (2 just using the stalks, but not last two inches, and 1 head of chopped florets, which you hold back)
5 tablespoons butter (hold 2 tablespoons back)
1 onion, sliced
1/4 teaspoons each of, powdered ginger and cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons each of, cumin, coriander and turmeric
4 cups chicken stock or vegetarian stock
2 potatoes and 4 carrots, peeled and diced (hold 2 carrots worth back)
2 or 3 cloves garlic, just peeled
2 oz reduced fat cream cheese
1 cup of reduced fat milk
12 cherry tomatoes, halved

Just sizzling

Heat the butter in the skillet on a low setting. Now chop up the 2 broccoli stalks, and discard any dried up bits and the last two inches of the stalk, which are very tough and fibrous. When butter is melted, add the broccoli stalk/stems, the onion, 2 diced carrots and garlic cloves, give it a good stir to coat and let it cook about 7 minutes, then add all spices and the potato. Give another couple stirs not letting anything stick to bottom of pan

Liquid has been added

Your combination should look something like this and will begin to be very aromatic.


Now add the 4 cups of chicken stock, put the lid on, and
set at a low setting, and allow to simmer.


Okay, lawnmower should be charged, I'll be back in half-an-hour......

30 mins later

After 30 mins the veg has softened, and my kitchen smells amazing, so I just turned the heat off and allowed it to cool down in the pan for another 30 mins, so I can puree it.


I'll just run out and do a little weed-whacking in the yard while I'm waiting for the contents to cool down.....

When the liquid is cool enough not to melt your blender, give it a good mix on the puree cycle, and at this point you want to add the 1 cup of milk and the 2 oz cream cheese.

Blended

In another pan, heat up the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and add the chopped up broccoli florets and the 2 remaining diced carrots, let the veg soften to 'al dente' and then remove and add to the large pan with the pureed contents. Add the cherry tomatoes and simmer everything for about 10 mins.

The finished soup

The combination of the smooth, creamy and just spicy-enough puree, with the crunch of the barely sauteed veg is amazing. Yield is about 6-8 bowls of soup.

You could make it heartier with diced sausage, black beans or even some cooked rice for a late night supper. Or drizzle it over cooked pasta.

Serve with crusty loaf. It's delicious, bon appetit!


......now where did those gardening gloves get to...

Critters Galore II

Springtime days have brought on lots of critter activity in our backyard paradise.

Baby Screech Owl 2010

Mommy Screech Owl 2012

The Screech Owl came back for a brief visit. She was a show stopping, speckled, calico color. The reason she has her wings out like that is to cool herself off. She wasn't worried about us. This year however it doesn't look as though we'll have any babies to coo over. We did have this privilege a few years back though.

"I'll be out in a few hours or thereabouts."

A multitude of different birds have taken to cheeping, cawing, peeping and singing in the trees, along with taking turns in the bird bath. They actually wait in line for a cool afternoon dip! I have to fill the bath up twice since they splash all the water over the sides. And of course the toad loves to wallow in there too. Biggest toad I've ever seen he is.

Female Carpenter Bee on Dianthus

Meanwhile the large, black carpenter bees have returned to the garden and are on patrol around the Sky Vine. I saw maybe one bee circling the vine about a week ago, and now there are many, and they all think the Sky Vine is their personal territory. I have even been dive bombed when I go out into the garden, but it's all for show - they are not going to sting me. Some even hide in the foliage and come flying out to intercept an interloper encroaching on their space. We have a few dead pine trees in the yard and they probably nest in there.

Too Bee or Not To Bee?

This is a picture of a rather scary looking 'bee.' Or is it??? I was amazed it let me get up close to it. But guess what it's not a bee or even a wasp! I cruised around online for identification, and it appears to be a Syrphid Fly. It mimics a bee so as not to get eaten. How to tell?
 1) has 2 wings not 4 wings
 2) stubby antennae 
 3) Big, BIG eyes! 


Now you know. 
Syrphid Flies favorite meal? Aphids.
Click below link for great website!
How To Identify Beneficial Insects in Your Yard

Left pic is Milkweed bug. Just what I need .... another insect chomping on the Milkweed, dramatic female sigh...

Monarch Caterpillars

These are the only little gals/guys I want to see on the Milkweed! They were both attempting to eat the teeniest morsel left on the stem, and, at one point started nipping at each other. It was interesting to see that they flattened their antenna much in the same way a dog puts its ears back when being hostile.

So cute!









Eventually we have this to look forward to in our butterfly garden.

Monarch Chrysalis

Just hatched and Drying Wings

Oh, and the aphids. Don't we just love the return of these nuisance insects. In my garden, they start on the peppers and then swiftly move on to the Milkweed.

Aphids on Milkweed

Aphids

But hold the soapy spray, help is on its way........

Bashful Ladybird

Welcome back the hungry, hungry ladybird. What took you so long?



But wait........ we need to make a mention of a super predator in my backyard paradise. I think it might be a male Blue Dasher. (Corrections are always welcomed and encouraged).

Male Blue Dasher

Juvenile Black Racer.

Want to know more about Dragonflies?
Click Here 


.....and while on the subject of predators. Here is a reminder why closed in shoes are necessary in the sub-tropical garden. 
A Black Racer. I moved a few pots around and it was curled up under there. 
Note to self: Put pot back quickly and back away.


That's my springtime tour of the garden and its various inhabitants.


Thanks for coming along with me!