Fenton Friday: Groundcherry Surprise

Groundcherry Plant

This week at the community garden we had lots of rain and yesterday we had a torrential rainstorm, so I have not been over to the plot much. In my absence, I lost a few Cucumbers and Tomatoes to some creatures gnawing on them - likely the same ones that destroyed my Watermelon last week.

Edamame

I did pull out all the Edamame (soybean) plants and had one big meal of them. They were delicious! In their place, I planted 'sugar Magnolia' Purple Snap Peas from Botanical Interests and I saw that they were already started to emerge when I visited the plot today.

Lettuce Seedlings

Also, starting to emerge are the lettuce seedlings planted by intern Nicole and I weeded a bit and found that the Groundcherries (pictured at top) had once again seeded themselves in the same spot by my Asparagus. They are always a welcome sight in late summer.

Finally, I cut a bunch of the Celosia flowers to use in my flower arranging talk and demo tomorrow for the DC State Fair. I also cut a lot of my Goldenrod from my home garden and will decide what third flower I want to add in when I gather the rest of my supplies in the morning. I am thinking something white like my Garlic Chives now in flower might be nice for a color balance.

What are you harvesting from your edible 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 8th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

Fenton Friday: Groundcherry Surprise

It is amazing what you find during a drought and when you start yanking out the weeds. These self-sown Ground Cherries are in about the same spot as where I planted some last year.

If you are not familiar with them. they are a native edible, related to tomatillos, but much sweeter. They are known by several names - Ground Cherry, Cape Gooseberry, Goldenberry, etc. - the Latin is Physalis spp. and you can find out all about sourcing and growing Ground Cherries in our September 2014 back issue of Washington Gardener Magazine posted here.

I have been watering the seedlings most every day. The Kale, Spinach, and Carrots plants by the interns are coming along nicely. The Tomatoes, Okra, Sweet Potato, and Marigolds are hanging in there - for now.

Everything else in the garden is a dried-out husk and I am slowly making my way in from the edges trying to weed them out. It is very tough going though as the ground is as hard as concrete. I pray for rain, any rain, but an all-day soaker would be such a blessing!

How is your edible garden growing 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 8th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

Fenton Friday: A Sprinkling of Ground Cherries

This week, I found these Ground Cherries (Physalis spp.) from a couple plants that had reseeded in my garden plot and camouflaged themselves among the Marigolds. 

They are not the golden-yellow color that they should be for safe eating and turning sweet-tasting. I threw these few out to the squirrels and birds. I suspect they aborted early due to all the rains we've had. This is a plant that likes things a bit on the hot and dry side like its cousins the Tomatillo and Tomato. 

You can find out all about sourcing and growing Ground Cherries in our September 2014 back issue of Washington Gardener Magazine posted here.

Elsewhere in the plot, the Beets and Swiss Chard are doing okay. Basils are hanging in there and we harvest a few Cherry Tomatoes. Mostly though it is prime-time for the cut flowers with the Zinnias and Celosia putting on a pretty autumnal show of lipstick-pinks and complementary deep-reds for the last of my small sunflowers. 

What is growing in your edible 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. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 7th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.) See past posts about our edible garden by putting "Fenton" into the Search box above.

Fenton Friday: Great Ground Cherry Crop

Sometimes an afterthought in the garden turns out to be your best performer.

For example, these Ground Cherries (Physalis spp.).

This year, I let a few re-seed in one spot at the front of my plot and in another spot I planted 3 scrawny, unwanted seedlings I got at the end of a plant swap. Neither patch was given much attention. I weeded a bit and threw some water on them when I did so around the neighboring plants, but I pretty much forgot these were there. This week, all the plants are booming with fruits and I may even have enough ripening at once to do a real recipe with -- like a jam or sauce. Please share your recipes, if you have some!

On a side note, am I the only one annoyed by the making up of new names for marketing edibles? Between Ground Cherries and the Mexican Sour Gherkin (Melothria scabra), I think I may have seen 10 different monikers for each floating around. It is hard enough keeping common names and Latin names straight, but throwing just straight up new nonsense names like Goldenberry and Cucamelon in the mix is highly irksome. 

By the way, you can find out all about sourcing and growing Ground Cherries in our September 2014 back issue of Washington Gardener Magazine posted here.

How is your edible garden growing 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. I'm plot #16. It is a 10 ft x 20 ft space and this is our 6th year in the garden. (It opened in May 2011.)

Fenton Friday: Why, Hello There, Little Ground Cherry

I was clearing out some unruly tomato vines from my community garden plot this week, when I looked down and saw a small Ground Cherry (Physalis spp.) plant had self-sown among them. It had several fruits on it and even a few that were already ripe and on the ground (hence their common name). I gave them to the intern to try and they both exclaimed over how very deceptively sweet they are -- they are the best kept secret of the edible garden, in my opinion. Animals and other humans ignore them. They take zero maintenance. They grow literally like the native weeds that they are... and they taste like candy. Who can find fault in that?

By the way, you can find out all about sourcing and growing Ground Cherries in our September 2014 back issue of Washington Gardener Magazine posted here.

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.)