GIFTS FROM THE GARDEN

 

Whether a basket of cherry tomatoes, fresh bouquet of herbs, or home canned pickles, gifts from your garden are personal and most often lovingly appreciated. As you plan for the growing season consider adding plants for some homemade gifts.

From zucchini bread or mixed dried herb seasonings with a few recipes to an annual flower in a lovely container, our Sat., May 18 (9 AM - 1 PM) Annual Plant sale will have a wide selection of plants with gift possibilities.

Visit the herb table for lavender, chamomile, sweet marjoram, and lemon balm for sachets and sleep pillows - plus catnip to please feline friends. Look for Osin basil (delicious purple color), Greek oregano, and chives to create vinegars for use in marinades and salads.

There is always a wide variety of peppers super-hot to cayenne including the heirlooms of Hinklehatz and fish peppers. We plan on sweet stuffing and lunch box sized ones, too.

For the tomato tables we plan to have a variety of heirlooms and some of the standard hybrids plus several dwarf and container plants. There will also be two varieties of beefsteak tomatoes, bush and one indeterminate. There will be a variety of salad, slicers, and paste tomatoes of different colors, too.

Look for some unique vegetables such as the attractive 2” to 4” Fairytail eggplant sized for containers or vertical growing. We are trying the open-pollinated heirloom Poona Kheera cucumber—super crisp, fresh, and tasty was recommended by those who grew it on a trellis last year. For small spaces or large containers, there is Cocozelle zucchini—dark green with light green stripes. Listed as good for freezing and canning.

Whether an occasion calls for a present or you are just sharing with friends, gifts from your garden are sure to please.

Varieties available depend on seed availability and greenhouse growth.

Please remember it’s important to follow safe food-handling methods when preparing or preserving food.

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                    MOTHERS' DAY IS COMING  

                      HERB SAMPLER Second Edition (my book)

Buy one for yourself and consider getting a few more. They make great hostess gifts, housewarming, and anytime gifts.

The Second Edition Herb Sampler (2019) is available through Amazon. 

Just click this link to find it.