Fenton Friday: Gathering the Community

Tomorrow is our annual Open Garden and YOU are invited!

Date: Sat Oct 1 from 5:30-7pm
(Rain date: Sun Oct 2 5:3-7pm)

Theme: A Pollinator Potluck & Open Garden

Location: corner of Fenton and Rt 410 (parking is very limited to please walk/bike/bus over)

Dress: everyone is encouraged to dress as a pollinator and wear wings, antenna, yellow-black stripes, etc. or just come as you are

Rules:
- no smoking
- no pets

PLEASE BRING a dish to share - we will have a dessert (Birthday cake!) so please bring appetizers, side dishes, or entrees

We will provide Lemonade and cups, bowls, cutlery, napkins, plates, tablecloths, etc.

Activities:
~ browse through a tub of "Free Garden Info" on local area public gardens, events, etc.
~ Jesse will demo a simple recipe using garden-grown items

~ Kathy will share games including bubbles, a ping-ping toss and a garden scavenger hunt sheet 
~ Beth and Sarah will lead a make-your-own Seed Packet craft
~ Bethany will demonstrate how to do a floral arrangement related to our pollinator theme
~ Pat will host a Community Garden info session (on how to get a plot) and then will lead a quick tour around the garden

How is your edible garden growing?

About Fenton Friday:
Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 5th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.)

Wildflower Wednesday: Blue (and White) Lobelia

Blue Lobelia also known as Blue Cardinal Flower (Lobelia siphilitica) is a native perennial wildflower that is adaptable to many growing conditions.

I have mine in a large container in part shade, but it does well also along woodland edges, stream beds, and even in clay soils. Mine came to me from a local plant swap and is the gift that keeps on giving.

It has no pest problems, is deer-resistant and tolerates drought. The best part is that it blooms for over 6 weeks straight for me an the bees love it.  





The white version is just as tough, though I have found it harder to propagate it. The blue version seeds around a bit, but it is clump-forming and is easy to pull and replant it where you'd like it to spread.


Wildflower Wednesday is about sharing wildflowers from all over the world. It was started by Gail Eichelberger on her "Clay and Limestone" blog. It is always on the fourth Wednesday of the month.

Savory Sunday: Homemade Ketchup from Leftover Tomatoes

Guest post by Shelby Smith 

Do you have leftover tomatoes from your summer garden or have a few that have just begun to ripen? Those cracked, bruised, and small tomatoes can still be used as the main ingredient in these three popular sauces: Homemade ketchup, BBQ sauce and red sauce. These three recipes are easy, stress-free, and can save you money. 

Because ketchup is the base of the other recipes and I will describe how to make it and then note the changes in order to make the BBQ and red sauce. For this recipe I used ¾ cup of 'Red Currant' and 'Sun Gold' cherry tomatoes mixed together. Any large tomatoes should be cut in smaller pieces in order to cook evenly. Different types of tomatoes will have different flavored sauces. For example, 'Sun Gold' tomatoes are sweet so you won’t have to add or as much sugar to make your BBQ sauce.

Ingredients

·       ¾ cup of tomatoes cubed*

·       ¼ tsp of vinegar or Apple cider vinegar

·       Salt and pepper to taste

·       Sugar, if needed

*A ¾ cup of tomatoes makes enough Ketchup for one serving.

Directions

1.      In a pot, simmer the tomatoes on low and crush them with a whisk or fork to help release the juices. Do not boil.

2.      Gently simmer for 10 minutes and stir occasionally.

3.      When the tomatoes are soft and all the juice has been released, puree your sauce with a hand mixer or food processor. Add your salt, pepper, and sugar to your liking.

4.      When it’s pureed, strain out the skin and seeds through a piece of cheese cloth or a fine strainer.

5.      Bottle and store in the refrigerator or serve immediately.

Variations

Your ketchup will be thinner if you have more juice or add water to it. It will be thicker with less liquid. These sauces can be made on the stove or in bigger batches in a crock pot.

For the BBQ sauce, you will need your finished Ketchup as your base and then add whatever flavors you want, like mustard, powder, paprika, or chilies. I made my BBQ sauce by adding garlic, onion, sweet peppers, hot peppers, and some brown sugar to simmer with the ketchup and then pureed it again. I used the sauce to flavor some baked chicken thighs. Check out the Food Network for several types of BBQ sauces to try out.

A basic red sauce starts the same way as ketchup, but then you can garlic and herbs, like thyme, and oregano to add more flavor. Simmering the sauce for several hours gives the herb more time to add more flavor and give it a bolder taste. 

All of these sauces can be made to your own specification and stay fresh while refrigerated. Also, you could store them in labeled mason jars and give them away for unique gifts for the holidays. I would recommend making big batches with your friend and kids to show them how you can use leftovers in multiple ways and to get people involved in cooking with fresh ingredients.

"Savory Sunday" is a new weekly blog series with seasonal recipes from the garden.

About the Author:

Shelby Smith is a senior double major in multi-platform journalism and film studies at the University of Maryland College Park. She was a sports copy-editor for a campus publication called Unwind Magazine and a writer at The Campus Current newspaper at Anne Arundel Community College. 

 

Fenton Friday: Nicotiana Bait and Switch

Nicotiana tabacum

At a plant swap in May, I was given a few "Flowering Tobacco" seedlings (Nicotiana sylvestris). They took forever to settle in and start growing. When they finally did, they became monsters towering over even the neighboring corn. I waited weeks and weeks for any sign of a flower and finally this week they sent out a bloom. The flowers are a sad comparison the sprays of the ornamental tobacco variety and I cannot detect any of that signature perfume. This is clearly field tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). I am more than slightly annoyed that I was given mislabeled seeds and grew this monster plant.

BTW If you click on the tobacco picture itself, you can view it at the original size and be able to see that it is covered in what I am guessing are spider mites. I will be yanking it out soon.

Gold Rush Currant Tomato

Elsewhere in my plot, the 'Gold Rush Currant' Tomato is ripening up. They are cute, but I have to say, "don't bother." They are far slower and far less prolific than the red currant varieties and also don't have half the flavor. I'd recommend only growing them as a colorful and cute salad addition or garnish.

Right before I left for the Garden Communicators Conference, I soaked and planted 'Carouby de Maussane' a variety of heirloom Snow Pea at the base of the green beans. No sign of them emerging yet. I will give them another week before panicking. 

How is your edible garden growing?

About Fenton Friday:
Every Friday during the growing season, I'll be giving you an update on my community garden plot at the Fenton Street Community Garden just across the street from my house. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 5th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.)

Win Espoma Organic Start!, Bloom!, and Grow! Liquid Fertilizers in September 2016 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest

For our September 2016 Washington Gardener Magazine Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away a set of Espoma Organic Start!, Bloom!, and Grow! liquid fertilizer. (The prize pack is valued at $30.)
   Start!, Bloom!, and Grow! from Espoma (www.espoma.com) are low in salts and made with all-natural ingredients. They are safer and healthier for plants and don’t leave a fishy smell behind. And because they are liquid, they work immediately to give plants what they need most.
   Providing the right balance of natural proteins, kelp extracts, humic acids and a proprietary blend of beneficial microbes, Start!, Bloom!, and Grow! each help plants grow bigger, better, and more beautiful.
   The new, innovative Easy Dose cap makes fertilizing less of a guessing game. Each dose gives a precise feeding of specially formulated nutrients. Simply open the flip-top lid, invert the bottle, and release a pre-measured dose of product directly into the watering can.
   Espoma’s organic liquid plant foods are safe to handle. Apply directly to the roots for fast-acting results. The products are also safe for use around children and pets.
   To enter to win the set of three fertilizers, send an email to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5pm on Friday, September 30, with “Espoma Liquid Fertilizer” in the subject line and in the body of the email tell us which was your favorite article in the September 2016 issue and why. Please also include your full name and mailing address. The winner will be announced and notified on October 1.

UPDATE:

The winner, chosen at random among the submitted entries, is Joanna R. Protz of Lynch Station, VA.

We are away at the Garden Writers Conference

The Washington Gardener Magazine blog, garden tip of the day, and most all our social media is on break as we attend the 2016 GWA Annual Conference & Expo. We aim to return inspired, refreshed, and renewed. You can follow along and virtually experience the conference using #GWA2016 on Twitter, Instagram, etc.

Meanwhile, while we are gone, enjoy some of our most popular past blog posts:

• Top 10 Hottest Gardeners in the DMV
• DC's Cherished Cherry Trees in Danger 
• 7 Stress-free Perennials that Work Hard for You in...
•  Garden Blogger Bloom Day BLING
• Wisteria, How I Love/Hate You

 PS If you are attend GWA2016 too, please say, 'Hi' and do come to my panel discussion "Eavesdrop of the Editors" and roundtable "Social Media: Beyond the Basics."

How to Grow Healthy Peaches and Nectarines in the September 2016 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine

 

The September 2016 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine is now out.

You can view it online at http://issuu.com/washingtongardener/docs/washingtongardenersept2016?e=0

 Inside this issue:

~ How to Grow Healthy Peaches and Nectarines

~ This Fall, Plant Bad-Tasting Bulbs to Deter Deer and Rodents

~ Your Monthly Garden Tasks To-do List

~ Testing the Japanese Rice Sickle

~ DIY: Yard Flamingo Facelift

~ Local Gardening Events Calendar

~ A Visit to Virginia’s Simpson Park Gardens

~ Win a Trio of Espoma Organic Liquid Fertilizers

~ Improve Indoor Air with House Plants

~ Fall for the Blues with Caryopteris

And much more….

Note that any submissions, event listings, and advertisements for the October 2016 issue are due by October 10.

  Subscribe to Washington Gardener Magazine today to have the monthly publication sent to your inbox as a PDF several days before it is available online. You can use the PayPal (credit card) online order form here: http://www.washingtongardener.com/index_files/subscribe.htm