Fenton Friday: Cilantro = Coriander

I cut the last of the bolted Cilantro to dry and save the seeds (aka Coriander). A few plot gardeners asked about it when they saw me cutting the stalks. They hadn't made the connection that Cilantro seeds are the same herb Coriander that they purchase at the grocery store, so I shared a few stalks with them.

Hidden by the Cilantro were a few stalks of bolted Lettuces and a bolted Radish (pictured above). I'll let these all go to seed and collect them as well for planting this fall and sharing at our Seed Exchanges this winter.

In the place of the Cilantro, I planted two Basil plants -- 'Lemon' and 'Monteverde' (a trial plant from PanAmerican Seed) along with a row of 'Treviso' Basil seeds (an All-America Selections winner). Both the 'Treviso' and 'Monteverde' are new disease-resistant kinds.

Next to the Basil are the Tomatoes. We added 'Fourth of July' Tomato to the two other tomato plants we'd already planted there along with a new African Marigold 'Lanna Lace' that I was sent to try out from PanAmerican Seed. We top-dressed around the Tomatoes with a aged horse manure and coffee compost mix that I was gifted by EarthBrew Compost.

I plucked one ripe tomato off the 'Citrine' Tomato plant. I would have left it on for the interns to taste next week, but thunderstorms are in the forecast tonight and I thought it might get knocked off and then rot on the ground before their next visit. There are more ripening now (see pic above) for them to hopefully sample soon. 

 

We thinned the Okra 'Puerto Rico Everblush' seedlings and 'Thriller' Squash seedlings. They are all growing very quickly!

I harvested the Romaine Lettuce from a container I had it growing in and planted 'Rich Purple Pod' Heirloom Pole Beans and stuck a tomato cage in it for them to climb on. My hopes are that by growing them in the the tall container the ravenous bunnies do not get the bean seedlings before they get a chance to grow up.

In another container, I planted a 'Fairytale' Eggplant seedling and put a cover cloth over it to protect it from the awful flea beetles.

Next to the Blackberries, I put in a new Mouse Melon plant (aka Mexican Sour Gherkin) that I had bought at a local nursery to replace the one I lost to the harsh winter. It can use the berry bushes and a nearby trellis to grow up and clamber over -- especially now that the berries are not very productive right now.

In the pollinator garden strip, a dwarf Sunflower seedling is blooming as is the Mountain Mint and Borage. The Zinnias are really starting to take off. 

I cut more Dahlia flowers, watered, and weeded a bit more today.

Next week, I need to get the Pepper seedlings in and plant the Cosmos seeds.  

What are you growing and harvesting in your garden this week?

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 in zone 7 Mid-Atlantic MD/DC border. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 15th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton"  into the Search box above (at the top, left on this blog).