Musings of Musang: More plants

Eagerly awaiting the vegetables to mature enough to be eaten. Have been picking a few leaves here and there to have with my dinner.

Amaranthus cruentes is a wonderful lush plant that adapts easily to the rough mountain weather. Grows well in the pots and also on the flower bed. I will report on the quality of the grains once it's ready. Worse comes to worse, if I found it unpalatable, they can always feed the birds. The leaves are wonderfully tasty though! The Hopis (supposedly) used Amaranthus cruentus for red dye, as well as a nutritious food staple.

The Fractal Broccolis are doing well in the wet, cool, summer this year. Usually, it's scorching hot and dry in August, but it's been very wet -- a bane for the grain farmers, but a boon for those growing vegetables. Still no sign of the flowering heads -- but I think they are getting ready to bloom judging from the way the apical leaves are bunching and clustering.

Bill

Ted

Very tight apical leaves cluster. Is there a broccoli floret hiding in there?

I definitely have to grow more potatoes next summer! Maybe several different strains. This one came from a wrinkly, old, redskin potato from the kitchen. I'm glad it didn't have to end up in the bin and into some landfill site. Perhaps it's showing it's gratitude by bushing out like a plant on steroids.

Bigger container in the future, Mr Watson! It's elementary!

Close relative of the Amaranth, the Celosia. The use is similar, but historically it's grown more in the Asian continent. Amaranth are more of a New World plant.

This is a strange strain. It doesn't have the reddish veins like the rest of the celosias.

Red Asian Mustard (Gai Choy), Red Beets and Swiss Chards are doing well. They should be ready for harvest in a couple of weeks or so. I should start a few more seed batch as they are pretty tolerant of frost, being cold weather crops.

Red Mustard, Chards and Beets in the longer trough, keeping company with the
Bolivian rainbow pepper, strawberry, lavender and basils.

Gai Choy

Swiss Chards

I did start a few other seeds just to see if they will germinate at all. I do not anticipate any harvest from them, but will be growing them early next year before the last frost so they can mature in time.

Okra

Pumpkin

Sunflowers are hard to go wrong ... except if you get freak weather that pound them to death, blow them over ... and being eaten by squirrels and mice.

Some new strains that I'm germination testing: Joker, Moonshadow and Paquito Dwarf.
The Tithonia (Mexican sunflower) seed is still pushing it's way out of the soil surface.

Peter's flower bud. Supposed to be good eating (taste like artichokes) but I think I'll leave this one be.

Cocot showing new side shoots

Cocot is showing tight apical leaves formation. Flower bud in formation!

Cocot : named after my best friend's nickname :)


Curly's decapitated stem. There's a slight bump that's getting bigger. Will it form a new bud?

The herbs are doing well. Borago officinialis is a favourite of the bumbling bees. Catnip is a favourite of the cats and myself -- makes a nice relaxing tea -- the ancient Romans used to use catnip as a mild sedative. Rosemary is sloooowly getting bigger.