OK forget the thermostat, who turned on the sauna?

 Welcome back to another episode of Lost In the Farmers Market, we hope your garden endeavors are working out just as you planned them. There is a slight change in schedule regarding posts to this blog and posts on the youtube channel. It was found that producing the videos and the blog posts at the same time proved too often be a but heavy on time consumption. So posts up here on the blog will be every other week as planned but we moved over a week. Videos will alternate in the same way on the non-blog post weeks keeping conflict between the posts at a minimum. So for today we have another set of garden photos showing our progress in this strange summer.

Coleus amboinicus – Cuban Oregano, this is the Cervesa and Lime variety which was the first Cuban Oregano I was ever introduced to. It has a more citrus-twang to its flavor. This specimen is the mother plant from which all the cuttings sold at the market came from, she’s in a 10 or 15 gallon nursery pot which was an upgrade from a 14” pot. Cuban Oregano used to be known as Plectranthus amboinicus.

 

Coleus amboinicus – Cuban Oregano, this is a variety with a larger leaf and cream to white colored variegations. These plants can get huge over the course of a summer and have the expected basil-oregano sort of scent and flavor.

 

Ricinus communis ‘Zanzibar’ – Zanzibar Castor Bean. This giant castor bean can get up to twelve feet tall in a single warm growing season, it is not frost hardy. Thankfully one plant will produce a fair number of large easily processed seed to grow in later years. Folks at the market doubted the size and capabilities of this tropical looking annual, but this one just keeps getting bigger.

 

 

Ricinus communis ‘Zanzibar’ – Zanzibar Castor Bean. This is proof that my claim that the leaves can grow large enough to have a diameter similar to pizza pie pans. This leaf is at least twenty-two inches in diameter but in reality if it were to lie perfectly flat might be two feet in diameter. They will get bigger, this is just the beginning.

 

 

Ricinus communis ‘Impala’ – Impala Castor Bean. At the market while selling Castorbean Plants I often get asked what the flowers look like and the descriptions are certainly entertaining. It’s hard to really describe the flowers but this picture illustrates it easily. The flowers are the little pink and white things lower on the stalk. The spiky pink balls are the seed pods, thankfully the spikes look more dangerous than they actually are. These castor beans volunteered from seed that survived in the garden soil somehow, it might be that they are more cold hardy than your normal Impala types.

 

 

Abelmoschus esculentus ‘Jing Orange’ – Jing Orange Okra.  Strangely enough they aren’t very orange, but I am still happy with the red coloration. These have become a replacement for Red Burgundy Okra in the garden and seem to be more vigorous and productive. The pods are still tender at 3-5 inches in length and I’ve been slicing them and freezing them for later use in succotash or gumbo.

 

Nicotiana sylvestris – Evening Scented Flowering Tobacco. I sold these at the market last year and from seed they have volunteered in the garden in a few places and really I am not all that upset about this. The scent at night is nice and the long tube flowers stand out in comparison to the other flowering tobacco plants in the garden this year.

 

 

 Brassica oleracea var. medullosa – Marrowstem Kale. Just when I thought this plant could not do any more to amaze me, it said ‘hold my fertilizer’. The stem is even thicker and according to a caliper measurement it’s two inches thick which if this keeps up I think it’s trying to be a Kohlrabi. I’ll keep you all up to date on how this cold season specimen plant develops.

 

 

Echinacea purpurea ‘Purple Magnus’ – Purple Magnus Coneflower. It wouldn’t be a LITFM post without a coneflower and these purple magnus coneflowers are looking really good. Asters bring in the pollinators and on a sunny day there are tons of things hitting up these perennials for the nectar and the pollen.

 

Lastly, here is the Blueberry harvest, seriously thats a LOT of berries.

 

Here are the latest YouTube videos for your garden entertainment:

 

All about wonderberries

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhyIqdE0sn0

 

The science of how Thunderstorms apply nitrogen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA-rXvazNPs

 

The origins and uses of Tomatoes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yEPZEFMlcw

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but by booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog. Also, as of the start of 2019, my booth can now process credit or debit cards thanks to the acquisition of s a Square reader so your payment options have doubled. With that said, if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic vegetables, herbs and fruiting shrubs come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the Hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

Fresh Food:

Blueberries, Pint ($4.00)

Figs, 1lb ($8.00)

 

Summer Veggies: ($3.00 each)

Pepper: Habanero, Golden Bell, Ghost ($4.00)

Pepper, 6” pot: Scotch Bonnet ($5.00), Cayenne ($5.00)

 

Herbs: ($3.00 each)

Basil, Emerald Tower, Dolche Fresca, Rutgers DMR Devotion

Cervesa & Lime Cuban Oregano

Oregano

Thyme

Shiso, Green 6” pot ($5.00)

 

Ornamental Stuff: ($3.00 each)

Cotton, Erlene's Green (Limited Quantity)

Flowering Tobacco 'Saratoga Purple', 'Saratoga Rose'

Marigold 'Antigua Yellow', 'Durango Red',  'Tangerine',  'Hero Bee'

Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm'

 

Coming Soon:

Comfrey (Herb, late summer)

We have a new place to share information and work on groovy sustainable stuff!  You can look for Sustainable Neighbors in our own Nextdoor.com group under the name “Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville”. You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join but it is a private group so feel free to request to join us if you are signed up on the Nextdoor.com site.

 

https://nextdoor.com/g/ybvdm226x/?is=nav_bar

 

Unfortunately, Covid-19 is still mucking up the works in terms of meeting in person. The good news is that Sustainable Neighbors does have a Discord Server. You can request access through our Meetup.com page or you can request access via our Nextdoor.com group. The meetup.com page is below for anyone looking to join us.

 

https://www.meetup.com/SustainableNeighbors/

 

Since our meetings have an open-door policy you don’t need to buy anything or maintain any sort of attendance standard, you can come on in and join the meetings. When this Covid-19 mess calms down we may be able to resume normal in-person meetings. If not, you can always send me questions through this blog or visit the farmer’s market. This brings to a close the thirteenth LITFM post of 2021; stay tuned the next episode which should be posted on or around the 16^th of July. There will be more garden updates and other cool stuff.

I think the thermostat is broken

 Welcome back to another episode of Lost In the Farmers Market, and wow June has been a test of everyone’s patience hasn’t it? It’s been super-hot and then not so much, we’ve had Thunder storms, thundershowers and flooding. Then there’s the weirdo pollen problems, I swear August is going to be absolute hell, and to think certain people still deny climate change. Well anyway today’s blog post is all about the garden photographs and what’s going on in the test gardens so be prepared for a lot of images folks.

Ricinus communis ‘Zanzibar’ – Castor Bean

 

That’s right folks this is one of those giant castor beans I was selling at the market. I kept one for planting in the gardens and here it is. In just two weeks after it’s planting its newest leaves are already a foot in diameter. When I joke about this plant being really good at drawing attention away from other things it’s not a joke it’s more or less an observation of fact. I will post a monthly photograph to show how big these things really can get so all you gardeners out there can really see what those not-so-tiny seedlings are capable of.

 

Solanum x burbankii - Wonderberry

 

Some of my customers at the market looked at the Wonderberries with a bit of doubt, which is understandable; they do look a lot like a certain weed. But then Wonderberries are very close to their genetic origins and as such they have not been as genetically homogenized as things like their cousin, the Better Boy Tomato. Even if you bought these with no intention of eating the purplish-black berries the plants still are interesting to look at and certainly will get you answering all kinds of questions. Take a peek at my post from last month to see how much growth has happened with this plant in just three weeks.

Nicotina alata ‘Seratoga Purple Bicolor’, ‘Seratoga Rose’ – Flowering Tobacco

Some folks seemed confused by the idea of growing tobacco just for the flowers, but some could not tell the difference between the purple and rose types. Purple is on the left and has a faded ‘face’ while Rose is on the right and is a pink-rose color throughout the bloom.

 

Hemerocallis sp. - Daylilies

It’s sort of a tradition to post pictures of the day lilies when they bloom and these are my assorted mix, there are some tawny day lilies int here and a bunch of other assorted types and colors.

 

Physalis sp. – Ground cherry

It’s impossible to know what specific variety this volunteer is, it could be the Cossack Pineapple, it could be Cape Gooseberries, it could be the new seed I bought at the beginning of the year. All I know is it volunteered in the same pot as my Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) and I’m ok with that.

 

Echinacea purpurea ‘Cheyenne Spirit’ – Coneflower

The crazy reddish-pink coneflowers are still going, they seem to like their spot but that garden bed could use a weeding. Remember folks, roses and coneflowers do make good company.

 

Hemerocallis sp. ‘Gentle Shepherd’ – Day lilies

Originally slated as a fill in for the Memorial bed, and then used in a curbside bed and then transplanted into the Compass bed in 2017, these plants sure get around. They’re bigger and healthier than ever.

 

Clinopodium vulgare – Wild Basil

For those with a good memory I offered these plants for sale in a prior year. Well as it turns out they are definitely perennial, and they seem to be doing just fine in the test gardens with light maintenance. Yes you can use the leaves in cooking, they impart a flavor that’s a bit like Thyme and Basil combined.

 

Hibiscus moscheutos ‘Texas Star’ – Swamp Rose Mallow

Does anyone remember how I tell that story about that one neighbor I used to have who mistook a plant in my front yard for Marijuana? Well this is that plant, it’s a hibiscus, but until the flowers bloom it really does look like a recreational herbal substance.

 

Opuntia ellisiana – Spineless Prickly Pear

While the flowers do not last long, boy are they a sight to behold!Prickly Pear is a true cactus and Cactus blossoms are worth all the troubles that cacti can give you when the plants are not in bloom.

 

Capsicum chinense x frutiscens ‘Fayetteville Inferno’ – Fayetteville Inferno

There she is, pushing four of five years old, the oldest and biggest of the pepper plants I grow at the test gardens, she’s taller than she’s ever been and gets special treatment. You see Peppers are short-lived perennials, and to get one to live more than three years in cultivation is a bit uncommon. This pepper is at least four years old and I’m hoping for a fifth growing year. Why all the fuss? This is the only Fayetteville Inferno Pepper plant in existence anywhere. I’m harvesting seed and taking cuttings this year just to keep the line going.

 

Brassica oleracea medullosa – Marrowstem Kale

Marrowstem Kale was an oddball seed purchase based on the name. I mean a kale that doesn’t get woody or stringy stems where you can eat almost the entire thing? What is not to like about that level of efficientcy? What no one mentioned was that these Kales can bet massive, like on the scale of how big a properly grown Collard or Cabbage-Collard Plant can get. The specimen pictured has leaves that are a foot long and it’s stem is 1” in diameter. Despite its sinewy looking main stem it seems to be doing just fine, even cabbage moth damage doesn’t seem to be slowing it down. This has got to be some kind of a growing record, and now I’ve found it has a specific scientific name that diverges from the names of all other Kales.

Here's some info on the plant:

https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Brassica+oleracea+medullosa

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but by booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog. Also, as of the start of 2019, my booth can now process credit or debit cards thanks to the acquisition of s a Square reader so your payment options have doubled. With that said, if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic vegetables, herbs and fruiting shrubs come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the Hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

Summer Veggies: ($3.00 each)

Pepper, Sweet Banana, Poblano/Ancho, Habanero, Golden Bell, Ghost ($4.00)

African Runner Peanuts (Almost Gone!)

Herbs: ($3.00 each)

Basil, Emerald Tower, Dolche Fresca, Rutgers DMR Devotion

Cervesa & Lime Cuban Oregano

Oregano

Thyme

Ornamental Stuff: ($3.00 each)

Cotton, Erlene's Green (Limited Quantity)

Flowering Tobacco 'Saratoga Purple', 'Saratoga Rose'

Marigold 'Antigua Yellow', 'Durango Red',  'Tangerine',  'Hero Bee'

Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm'

Coming Soon:

Comfrey (Herb, late summer)

 

We have a new place to share information and work on groovy sustainable stuff!  You can look for Sustainable Neighbors in our own Nextdoor.com group under the name “Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville”. You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join but it is a private group so feel free to request to join us if you are signed up on the Nextdoor.com site.

 

https://nextdoor.com/g/ybvdm226x/?is=nav_bar

 

Unfortunately, Covid-19 is still mucking up the works in terms of meeting in person. The good news is that Sustainable Neighbors does have a Discord Server. You can request access through our Meetup.com page or you can request access via our Nextdoor.com group. The meetup.com page is below for anyone looking to join us.

 

https://www.meetup.com/SustainableNeighbors/

 

Since our meetings have an open-door policy you don’t need to buy anything or maintain any sort of attendance standard, you can come on in and join the meetings. When this Covid-19 mess calms down we may be able to resume normal in-person meetings. If not, you can always send me questions through this blog or visit the farmer’s market. This brings to a close the Twelfth LITFM post of 2021; stay tuned the next episode which should be posted on or around the 25^th of June. There will be more garden updates and other cool stuff.