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.
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| Bill |
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| Ted |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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Red Mustard, Chards and Beets in the longer trough, keeping company with the
Bolivian rainbow pepper, strawberry, lavender and basils. |
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| Gai Choy |
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| 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.
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| Okra |
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| 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.
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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. |
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| Peter's flower bud. Supposed to be good eating (taste like artichokes) but I think I'll leave this one be. |
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| Cocot showing new side shoots |
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| Cocot is showing tight apical leaves formation. Flower bud in formation! |
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| Cocot : named after my best friend's nickname :) |
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| Curly's decapitated stem. There's a slight bump that's getting bigger. Will it form a new bud? |
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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.
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| Borage flowers maketh a good colourful salad enhancer. Nectar rich sweetness! |
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| Nepeta cataria. I wonder if Thundercats also swoon with catnip? |
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| Bolivian Rainbow pepper showing flower buds! |
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| Rosmarinus officianalis |
