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Quote of the Week
"How can people say they don't eat eggplant when God loves the color and the French love the name? I don't understand."
~ Jeff Smith (The Frugal Gourmet)
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GardenLife Sneak Peek
This Week's Radio Show
| | Saturday, February 26
8-9 PST, 11am-Noon EST
 Spring has sprouted at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show (open from Feb. 23-27) at Seattle's Convention Center in Washington and garden writer Kym Pokorny will cover the highlights of this special event. She will talk about the spectacular garden displays, the newest and most exciting plants as well as the latest in garden tools and accessories. In addition to writing for the Oregonian, Kym has a delightful gardening blog called Dig in with Kym at the newpaper's website. Call Sharon, John, Bryan or our guest with your questions at 1-866-606-TALK (8255).
Sunday, February 27
8-10 PST, 11am-1pm EST
 Michelle Owens is the author of Grow the Good Life: Why a Vegetable Garden Will Make You Happy, Healthy, Wealthy and Wise and cofounder of the popular, Garden Rant blog. Drawing on her experiences as an amateur gardener for the past 20 years in upstate New York, Michelle will explain how growing food on a small scale can fit into our lives, no matter how hectic and why it is worth the effort. From Oasis Water Efficient Gardens, Bob Reidmuller will give us a sneak preview into Del Mar's 26th annual Spring Home and Garden Show to be held from March 4-6..
 For the second hour, take out your paper and pen because Deb Zary will suggest picture-perfect plants such as daylily, peony and rose varieties that are ideal for the home gardener. In past years, Deb has been a regular guest on GardenLife as our rose reporter but she has recently moved from Somis, California to Tipp City, Ohio and will be offering some wonderful "tips" on shrubs, perennials, annuals, trees as well as roses! Call Sharon, John, Bryan or our guests with your questions at 1-866-606-TALK (8255).
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| DID YOU KNOW? | |
Mandarin oranges are named after a group of high-ranking Chinese officials who traditionally wore bright orange robes and button-shaped hats. One medium-sized fruit has only 35 calories, but provides more than 1/3 of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin C. Some Mandarins are marketed as tangerines named after Tangiers, the Moroccan port city, but has no botanical significance.
Actually the mandarin has been cultivated in China and Japan for over 3,000 years. A new variety known as Sumo is the largest mandarin with a prominent "top-knot' and a bumpy, loose, easy-to-peel skin with 16-18 degrees Brix (a measure of sugar content) compared to 11-13 degrees Brix for navel oranges and clementines. Read this week's GardenLife blog for more about this sweet, new variety that is now available at a few select markets and also visit www.sumocitrus.com.
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Hansel & Gretel - Delicious Duo! |
Double Graft - Eggplant
There's no bitter end to this eggplant story. 'Hansel' was an All-American selection in 2008 and 'Gretel' won the award in 2009. They both produce slender, Asian-style fruits and both mature in only 55 days. Grafting them both onto a vigorous rootstock will provide the biggest eggplant harvest that you've ever seen!
READ MORE >>
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 Sharon Asakawa's
CLIVIAS: COLORFUL RELIEF FOR THE WINTER BLAHS | |
Sheltered by the gnarled overhead branches of our California pepper and fruiting mulberry trees is a shaded haven for thirty-four Clivia lilies that were gifts from the hybridizer Hodge Amamiya. In late winter to early spring, umbels of funnel-shaped flowers in apricot-orange, creamy yellow and fiery carmine arise from beds of thick, strap-shaped, deep-green foliage.
After several weeks, the blooms give way to clusters of large berry-like fruits that form, ripen and remain until the following year when new floral clusters emerge. Although the ripe seeds can be harvested after one year and planted, the flowering stalk can be removed at its base when the blossoms are spent to prevent the seed set.Despite its diminutive size, it weakens and damages plants by sucking on their sap.
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Orangeglo Watermelon
What makes 'Orangeglo' watermelon so special is its taste and texture. Many claim this to be the best-tasting of all watermelon! From a health standpoint, it has a high concentration of beta carotene and vitamin C. The skin of the watermelon is also unusual; a pale lime green with dark green mottling arranged somewhat like stripes. Not often seen in supermarkets.
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Shutterbug Contest | |
by Susan Hand Shetterly HINT #1 - Type of tree
HINT #2 - Species name means "good to eat"
Last Contest Answer:
Hoya coronaria
Winner: William from Sioux City, Iowa
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