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"Discovering Edible Flowers"
March 7, 2012
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Dear Gardening Bug,
When my brother returned from a recent trip to China, he raved about a salad that he had eaten that was made completely of flowers. He said it was not only delicious, it was also beautiful! Now, I haven't eaten many flowers, other than a nasturtium now and again, and an orchid flower once. But
this past weekend I experienced my first taste of squash blossom, and it was amazing!
Our squash plants at The Farm have been loaded with gorgeous golden blooms for the past several weeks. Our farmer, Diana, has been telling me how great they are to eat (and the bees sure have been enjoying the pollen); she sent me a recipe for stuffed fried squash blossoms, and I prepared them for our family dinner on Sunday. They were fun to make (though it helps to have a second set of hands when you're stuffing them with cheese), and they were a big hit, with wonderful, unique texture and flavor!
I have such fun discovering new tastes, especially tastes of something homegrown!
Below: squash blossom and lettuce mix at The Farm at Rockledge Gardens. See lots more of this week's "garden treasures" here.
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This Week at The Farm
Last Saturday we did a "soft" opening of the farm stand with our first harvest from The Farm. We put together a wonderful spicy salad blend (including a few nasturtium flowers); a mild salad blend; some radishes, scallions, squash and squash blossoms; and two kinds of mustard greens, Ruby Streak and Green Wave. It will be several weeks before tomatoes or peppers are ready to harvest, since they're just starting to bloom, but we should have a good supply of leafy vegetables for a while. It's difficult to know ahead of time what will be ready for harvest, since so much depends on the weather. We do hope to have the stand open each week, though, as long as we have something to harvest. Our tentative schedule for the farm stand is Friday from 4 to 6 pm and Saturday from 9 am to noon. The stand is located at our entrance to the garden center.
If you'd like to keep current on what's available from The Farm each week, you can either follow us on Facebook or become a "Friend of The Farm" and receive an email each Friday morning, with a list of what we'll be harvesting and selling on Friday and Saturday. We'll try to include a recipe each week, too (including the recipe for stuffed fried squash blossoms this Friday!). Just email me to get on the list for that weekly update.
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Actinovate
As I've mentioned, we are using organic practices at The Farm for pest and disease control. While hydroponic towers and soilless mixes reduce crop pests and diseases, we do still have challenges. A few weeks ago, Diana and I were ready to throw in the towel on squash and cucumbers when we faced an outbreak of powdery mildew. Fortunately, we discovered a biological fungicide called Actinovate, and it has made a huge difference in the health and vigor of our plants.
We now have Actinovate available at Rockledge Gardens, and we highly recommend it if you are experiencing any fungal issues on your vegetables or fruits. It's also effective on shrubs and lawns. For more info take a look at this informational flyer.
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Pottery Tour!
Our son John-Michael has been helping us put together some "virtual tours" of different areas of the garden center that we'll be featuring on our website. The first one, pottery, is now completed and ready for viewing on our website. Keep checking back on the videos page for more "tours" to come!
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This Week's Seminar: Rose Care (and Fairy Gardening Next Week)
Spring is the best time for roses here in Brevard County, and at Rockledge Gardens it's the time when we have the nicest selection. Our roses are on two rootstocks suitable to our Florida growing conditions, Dr. Huey and Fortuniana. This Saturday at 10 am Bernie Peterson, our own rose expert, will present a seminar on selecting and caring for roses. I hope you can join us for this one, and then take some time to smell the roses!
And mark your calendar now for our "fairy gardening" seminar on St. Patrick's Day. We'll let you know which plants these magical little creatures are attracted to, and show you how to plant and accessorize a fun fairy garden!
We won't be sending out a Garden Bug eMail next week; don't think we've forgot you! Kevin and I are celebrating our 33rd anniversary this year, and we'll be away on Monday. Then Diana and I will be attending a session in Live Oak on hydroponic farming, presented by the University of Florida. We're eager to learn everything we can so that we can provide nutritious and delicious produce from The Farm! Stay connected through Facebook and don't forget to become a Friend of the Farm!
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See you in the garden,
Theresa & Kevin
phone: 321-636-7662 |
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Rockledge Gardens "Quick Links"
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Free "Coir Brick" with the purchase of two roses bushes
Coir is an organic coconut fiber growing medium that is a renewable alternative to peat moss. It's an excellent soil amendment when planting roses, since it helps to increase moisture and air retention.
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| Please present coupon. Click here for printable version, or if you don't have a printer, mention coupon 20offFT031012. Coupon good until March 17, 2012.
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