Computers are wonderful, until they are not.

 Welcome back to another episode of Lost In the Farmers Market, A This post is late by a week. Unfortunately the computer I normally use to write these posts and edit the phots for these blog posts and for the youtube channel is currently out of order. It seems the CPU has gone and I need to find another one. In all honestly I might have to upgrade the motherboard and CPU so I don’t have to keep hunting for parts that are getting a bit scarce. AM3 central processing units aren’t exactly new technology and they’re becoming harder to find in any reasonably quality condition. But thankfully I’ve jerry-rigged a solution to the slight delay and today, although late I have a blog post for you with a ton of garden photographs and info so stay tuned for what is to come.

 

 

Here we have a volunteer Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) climbing up a bamboo stake. There are two types of cucumbers that are used in the garden, Bush type and Vine type. The cucumber pictured is a vining type which will climb up just about anything. The bush type has shorter stem internodes and still climbs but doesn’t get as big. Typically varieties like ‘Space master’ are bush type and they’re the best option or containers or limited spaces. They produce cukes as big as the vining types but are better for those who don’t know how the cukes do.  Way back in the mid 2000’s ‘Space master’ was the variety I experimented with to good success.

 

 

This pretty flower which looks a bit spindly is Thin-Leaved Coneflower ‘Prairie Glow’ (Rudbeckia triloba). It took a few years to really get it going but these flowers are totally worth it. For anyone who’s read this blog a while you know I have a bias towards coneflowers in general because they are native flowers that are pretty sturdy and reliable. The downside to this type of rudbeckia is that the rabbits seem to like eating it’s foliage a bit much. Thankfully their eating of it stopped once Caliente the cat showed up.

 

 

Three years later and in consideration for transplanting this Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus sp.) has bloomed. In our climate these hardy perennials can form dense clumps that resist the intrusion of weeds nicely.

 

 

Toad lilies (Tricyrtis formosana ‘Gilt Edge’) have been a long time perennial favorite of mine because they are evergreen in zone 8a and their flowers and foliage resembles Orchids minus all the special care and fuss. The best part is that these beauties spread by stolons so eventually I can give out clumps to friends and they are not invasive.

 

 

 

Four o Clocks (Miribilis japapa ‘Broken Colors’) are an old-time garden perennial that I have a special affinity for. They are named because their flowers never open before four pm, and they are the most well-known member of their family. They are considered a tender perennial in zones 7-10, and can form large tuberous roots that resemble rutabagas over time. Their large seeds are easily collected too so it’s easy enough to pass seeds onto neighbors and friends.

 

 

 

More Four O’clocks here, did you know they are also called ‘Marvel-of-Peru? They can have a sweet scent, and are actually native to the Americas. In the background of this picture are the papery seed husks from Silver dollar plant (Lunaria annua).

 

 

 

Inevitably when you have a garden you attract things. This kitten was found taking a nap in the driveway and was super friendly. Unfortunately Caliente wasn’t too kind about having competition for being fluffy and I had to take this kitten to Cumberland County Animal Control hopefully to be adopted by someone soon. Unfortunately FAPS said they were full and could not take her so CCAC was the best option.

 

 

 

Ah, remember that small Castor Bean (Ricinus communis ‘Zanzibar’)? Well this is how big it is now, there is no doubt those leaves are about the size of a pizza pie pan. Lets see how big it gets before the end of the year!

 

 

 

Now here is a life and death moment on the leaf of an Evening-Scented Flowering Tobacco Plant (Nicotiana syvestris). This spider is a Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans) and it is eating what appears to be a Cicada killer (Sphecius speciosus) of some sort. Green Lynx Spiders are numerous in any given garden setting and due to their unique color they are rarely noticed. They pose no threat to humans so it’s best to just observe and leave them alone.

 

 

 

This is an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus). I get several of these large butterflies in the garden every year; though this is the first time one has stopped to feed on the mint blossoms. I suspect this is a female due to the enlarged abdomen. Typically these butterflies will seek out a member of the Parsley/Carrot family to lay their eggs on. The Resulting caterpillars are those cool looking black and yellow striped ones with the little orange 'antlers' that they poke you with when you disturb them.

 

 

 

While this picture isn’t ideal for identification, this Mantis is probably a Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis). Chinese Mantises were accidentally introduced in 1896 in Mt. Aity Pennsylvania. While they do eat a lot of pest insects they also eat just about anything they can catch which makes them a threat to native insect populations including the Carolina Mantis (Stagomantis Carolina) and the European Mantis (Mantis religeosa). I do not think they are declared an invasive species yet, but they are hard to miss as they are the largest species in the USA as they can get up to five inches long.

 

 

 

Here we have the literal fruit of my labor, three differing types of Fig (Ficus carica). The big green ones are White Ishia, the tan ones in the lower half of the container on the right are Chicago Hardy, and the darker brown figs at the top of the container on the right are Celeste. The scientific humor here is that figs are technically not a fruit, they are called a Syconium. A Syconium is essentially a flower turned inside out, the actual sex bits are those strange filaments inside the fig. Normally a small fig wasp (Agaonidae sp.) does the pollinating. I only know for sure of one species of commercially available Fig that probably has wasp bits in the 'fruit' and that's Calimyrna. Thankfully, Black Mission, Brown Turkey, White Ishcia, Chicago Hardy, Magnolia, Celeste, produce fruit through parthenogenesis. Basically they had a genetic glitch somewhere that made them produce edible fruit without the need for pollination. In short a literal virgin 'birth', and so they were the types that were proliferated by humans because without the need for a wasp, they could go wherever the wasps were not and provide food in exchange for better care. So for all you vegans out there sweating if eating figs breaks your lifestyle and diet, most commercial and homegrown figs are safe.

 

 

At last, we have the Botanical Test Garden’s Mascot Caliente the Cat assaulting some weeds. Really those weeds had it coming for growing so aggressively!

 

 

 

Here are the latest YouTube videos for your garden entertainment:

 

Yucca: Still gonna git you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVo38cxaSkM

 

Ruellia; Ruellia DeVille….wasn’t she in that movie about the dogs?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aImcuHhW5Wo

 

Coleus; Not Coal Industry Approved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cB91RjUVAg

 

 

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 fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, 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.

 

 

It's Tomato and Cuke Season!

 

 

Fresh Food:

Figs, 1 Pound ($8.00)

Tomatoes: 2 for $1.00

Cucumbers: 2 for $1.00

 

Summer Veggies:

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

Pepper, 5” pot: Assorted ($4.00)

 

 

Herbs: ($3.00 each)

Basil, Emerald Tower, Dolche Fresca, Rutgers DMR Devotion ($3.00 each or 2 for 5)

Comfrey ($4.00)

Oregano

Thyme

 

 

Ornamental Stuff: ($3.00 each)

Marigold 'Antigua Yellow', 'Durango Red', 'Tangerine', 'Hero Bee' ($3.00 each or 2 for 5)

Coneflower, ‘Artisan Soft Orange’, ‘Artisan Ombre Red’ ($4.00)

 

 

Coming Soon:

Milkweed, Milkmaid White ($4.00, more available soon)

 

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

 

Our group’s online presence has migrated to Nextdoor.com. All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.

 

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

 

 

Meetings are back on track folks! We now meet at LeClairs General Store on the First and third Thursday of every month. Our next meeting is on August 5th between 5:30pm and 7:00pm. We are in the back room so come on in and join us for a fun garden chat.

 

 

If the two above methods do not work you can always contact me through this blog, PM me through Nextdoor.com and or visit the Fayetteville City Market. This brings to a close the sixteenth LITFM post of 2021; stay tuned the next episode which should be posted on or around the 13th of August. There will be more garden updates and other cool stuff.

We are one dog short of a...oh wait.

Welcome back to a November edition of Lost In The Farmer’s Market or LITFM for short. This week we bring you the latest test garden happenings as well as the market report for the Veterans Day special activities. Soon we will be present a Photo-tour of the Fall test garden for those of you who missed the Garden Tour on Sunday.

We used to call her “Dust mop” because her fur color and pattern resembled an old well used cotton dust mop.

But first off this week’s Post is sponsored by the Test garden’s Mascot Houdini. In case some of you have not heard, ‘Houdini’ is basically a mixed breed small dog that routinely escapes its owner’s yard even when put in an outdoor kennel and ironically she runs right to the test gardens every time. If anything you might say this little one is probably the epitome of boundless optimism.

 

This is the teardrop shaped garden with mulch applied.

So, first off many gardeners often lament the lack of plants in bloom during autumn with good reason. Realistically if you go by what the nurseries sell our selection consists of snapdragons, pansies, violas, chrysanthemums, ornamental kale/cabbage and shrubs that are on sale and definitely not in bloom. Of course we at LITFM know for a fact that there is more than that narrow selection and here are a few options to consider.

Hypericum peroratum ‘Glacier’ – ‘Glacier’ St. Johns Wort

Say what you want about St. Johns Wort being invasive under certain circumstances in the test garden for the last three years it’s been nothing but well-behaved. The variety called Glacier not only has the pretty yellow flowers of the normal type but also has these attractive marbled leaves which add extra color to shady spots with dry soil conditions. As far as perennials go it’s reliable and stands out.

Trycyrits hirta – Toad Lily

The tad lilies are late-summer/Fall blooming and very exotic. They resemble Orchids but require none of the special conditions other than soil that is reasonably moist that bears a fair to moderate amount of organic matter and some shade. In areas with a high water table they can spread at moderate pace filling shady beds with a sea of gorgeous purple-speckled flowers in fall. Toad lilies spread by stoloniferous growth and can be divided every few years for use as gifts or for trade to other gardeners.

Aloe x hybrid ‘Fauxgave’ – Faux Agave-Aloe

This is the perennial hardy aloe that was sold at the market this year as a limited quantity special item in August. The Test Garden specimen developed a flower stalk in late summer that prevented it from being planted in the gardens. Basically I wanted to see what the blooms were like and often transplanting a plant in bloom often causes the plant to drop bloom so now our specimen sits on a growing tray inside the lab. I do not know if this picture does any justice but the flowers are a wild pink-red color overall while the petal tips a sort of lime-green color in contrast.

Yes indeed the evidence of some frost activity played out on the basil plants still outside in the test gardens.

 So indeed we did get a minor frost at the start of the week though it was not quite up to the state of panic some seemed to think it would be. The cold snap might have been a disaster for certain warm season plants but hardier ones positioned near structures such as these basil plants will often survive several frost events allowing for a prolonged harvest or collection of seeds.

Frost damage can vary and unless it's a "killing" frost may hit with complete randomness.

Notice in the above picture where frost left the tips of the basil alone but "scorched" the tops of the lower leaves. The critical thing to remember is that frost is very random unless for some reason the localized micro-climate reduces it or  the plants in question have been watered within 24 hours of the event. Frost damage is technically a secondary effect. Plants that are watered before a frost hits tend to take less damage as frost damages though dessication the cold then causes cells to rupture in the leaves and stems especially when they are not fully hydrated.

Don’t worry, as other things come into bloom this fall you can expect to see the pictures up here along with images and suggestions for the normal rank & file plants that see common use. The topic must now shift to that of the City market this week. As you may well know the Fayetteville City Market is open on Wednesdays (2pm-6pm) and Saturdays (9am-1pm). As noted in the last post or two we’ll be maintaining a presence at the Wednesday market at least until November the 26^th and decide on if or if not to hold a spot at the market for December. I do however definitely plan to be at the City Market on Saturdays Up until the 27^th of December, After which I may take a two-week vacation from market operations between the 28^th and 9^th of January. If that is the case you can expect to see it up here by the first week of December. But enough of market scheduling, as some of you might have heard this Saturday is one of the big market events, Veterans Day is on the 11^th and the city of Fayetteville has it’s Veterans Day parade and festivities on Saturday so the City Market is following suit. On the grounds of the Fayetteville Transportation Museum there will be a car show and the Market is taking over Maxwell Street and so our booth position will be shifted slightly. Normally we are in the front parking lot of the Museum but for this event we will be located on Maxwell street not far from our normal position.

For those who do not know the Fayetteville Transportation Museum is located on 325 Franklin Street, and Part or possibly all of Maxwell Street will be blocked off for the event. Event goers may need to plan accordingly and possibly dress for the weather depending on what traffic and parking will be like for the event.  Here is the market list for Wednesday, and well let’s just say that I may sneak some odd and unusual things in for Saturday that may not be on the list.

Southward Skies: A northern guide to southern Gardening

This is the second edition of my book, which was published using data compiled from several years of test garden operations. It’s written to aid gardeners of all skill levels in successful garden methods that are targeted for the south east but had proven to be a valued resource for gardens across the eastern coast. It’s certainly a good gift for that gardener you know or for yourself if you’d like to have a reliable field guide. The book costs $25.00 and we do take checks for this item, you can even have it signed.

Good Stuff

Rain Forest & Devil's Tongue Pepper packs - ($1.00)

Cold Season Crops

3x Romaine Lettuce, “Rouge d’Hiver” - 3.5” pot ($3.00)

12x Romaine Lettuce, “Parris Island Cos” - 3.5” pot ($3.00)

9x Mustard Greens, India - 3.5” pot ($3.00)

9x Mustard Greens, Japanese Red Giant - 3.5” pot ($3.00)

6x Cabbage, Copenhagen Market - 3.5” pot ($3.00)

6x Cabbage, Savoy – Perfection Drumhead - 3.5” pot ($3.00)

6x Collards, Georgia Southern Creole - 3.5” pot ($3.00)

Oh no....Houdini is looking at YOUR yard!