The Most Delicious Tomato in the World

I've been waiting with bated breath to taste the first ripe tomatoes from my Indigo Dragon's Eye tomato plant. Would it be The Most Delicious Tomato in the World as I had suspected last year? I needed a second season to confirm that fact because as we know, conditions change--those we can't control (this year we had the warmest June on record) and those we can (last year I nearly rotted my tomatoes in grow bags on a hot deck before moving them very late in the season to an inground location).

I know some plants thrive on stress and thought maybe the deliciousness I was tasting from Dragon's Eye last year was a result of torture and not something I could replicate. The flavor was so over the top. I've grown about 35 varieties of tomatoes and I've never tasted anything like this. The flesh was dense, the flavor layered and concentrated, the balance between sweet and acid a sexy tangle.

This variety was obtained from Log House Plants, which has the most amazing collection of tomato plants--they act like a gallerist, selling selections from the top tomato breeders around. Dragon's Eye is called an "Indigo" though it doesn't have a trace of purple. I wonder if it's high in lycopene though and has the same health benefits of the Indigo tomato varieties. It's a Wild Boar Farms hybrid. They're the folks who brought us the famous Berkley Tie-Dye, for all you tomato fanatics.

This year I gave the tomato a prime spot and let it do its tomato thing. The first tomatoes are off the vine and the verdict is in. Dragon's Eye, I crown you The Most Delicious Tomato in the World!

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Grow Haiti Plant Collection

Did you know you could grow peanuts and hibiscus and okra in the Pacific Northwest? I like to think of it as zonal denial for the veggie patch. Last Summer my vegetable garden was more exciting and colorful than it's ever been, thanks to a fun test-growing project I got to participate in to see what Haitian plants might work in our climate. It's a project called Grow Haiti from Loghouse Plants and the brainchild of my creative plant-loving friend Myrtle Von Damitz who was looking for a way to support the people of Haiti. Proceeds from the sale of this plant collection will go to The Lambi Fund which supports sustainable agriculture and development in Haiti.

This has been so fun in so many ways--growing things you didn't know you could grow here, the craziness and extreme beauty of many of these plants, the terrific packaging (I'm a sucker for a pretty label), and the gateway the plants provide to this rich and beautiful culture. Plus, through this project, I created perhaps the most delicious meal that ever emerged from my kitchen (more info below!) and I'm so excited that I'll have the opportunity to grow the magic ingredient again.

This beautiful collection will be sold at Log House stockists--check their site to find your nearest nursery. And if you're in Portland and free this Sunday, April 26th from 12-2 please head on over to The Portland Nursery on Division for a fun launch event. I'll be there buying plants and would love to chat with you about growing peanuts!

On to the plants...I was provided with several plants that I'd never grown before and not all of them made it into the collection. The mirliton was beautiful and fun to grow. It was almost a Jack and the Beanstalk experience as I watched it engulf an arbor with its twining tendrils. It really is a beautiful plant with large, tropical leaves. It didn't fruit for me unfortunately so won't be included in the collection...

 Mirlitons, twirlitons, just getting started with their magic tendrils!

My neighbor made me a special arbor for my mirliton growing experiment. Isn't it enchanting? Aren't good neighbors gold?

Other plants were very fruitful though! The peanuts, which I really didn't have much hope for, grew wonderfully and were SUCH A TRIP. Did you know that peanuts form underground? You thought potatoes were fun for kids to grow and harvest? Try peanuts! As the plant matures it sends these weird alien looking pegs into the soil and at harvest time you uproot the entire plant to find the roots teeming with peanuts. Perfect, beautiful peanuts! In the case of the Schronce’s Deep Black variety you had the added excitement of peanuts encased in a shiny, dark purple skin. Stunning.

 See those purple tendril things? Those are the peanuts legs that go down into the soil and form those funny Charlie Chaplin shoes we call PEANUTS. Man, nature is a hoot.

 Behold, the mighty peanut! Grown at my Grant Community Garden plot. I bet my neighbors had no idea what riches there were under the soil in my little plot. I didn't either!

I would have made George walk so I had room to harvest more peanuts but he didn't know how. And he was wearing white socks.

The Scotch Bonnet Peppers were another favorite of mine. Man are they beautiful AND prolific. Mine got stuck behind some towering tomato plants in a plot already hurting for sun and they still went bananas and kept producing into Fall.

 Scotch Bonnet Peppers are sooo pretty. Look at them! Golden delicious.

I'm always amazed at how well peppers do in our climate and these Scotch Bonnet Peppers are one of the best producers I've met. 

The hibiscus, Roselle (Flor de Jamaica), also did well and is a true stunner. If you've had the refreshing Jamaica from Mexico, it's like that, and the flowers are easy to dry and make tea of. The plants didn't get too large--about 2' but produced a nice amount of flowers. I would grow it just as an ornamental.

 Tropicalissimo! Roselle is a true stunner in the garden patch.

And now, onto the recipe that I mentioned before. Griot is a typical Haitian pork dish that has an unusual cooking technique which seams almost counter-intuitive. It's really not hard to make but there are several steps and it's the kind of thing you need a lot of time to plan for. You marinade the meat, then slow-cook it, and THEN you fry/brown it. At first I thought this was so weird, but then I realized that this is the traditional technique for making Mexican carnitas, minus the marinade stage. The flavors are also quite similar (orange and pork) but SO much more intense and delicious. It will really knock your socks off and would be an amazing gift to make for a large group or party. Serve with black beans and rice and some Pikliz and you're in heaven.

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Top (weirdo) Trees (or bushes pretending to be trees) for Small (and tiny) Gardens

It seems like there a lot of these "Best Trees for Small Gardens" lists but I have two problems with them:

1. They are so ho-hum. I do love a well-placed Japanese Maple but there are so many other cool options.

2. Their definition of small is not really that small. What if you have a truly tiny garden? I have some ideas!

So here's a list of some of my outlier favorites. Honestly I have very little tree knowledge (and if you live in the tropics or the desert, you're on your own) but play along with me...

Chain-flowered Redbud (Cercis racemosa)

My newest tree crush is Cercis Racemosa growing here in NE Portland. It reportedly grows to about 20'. The pink dangling catkins on this tree make me think of Chinese paintings. Cherry blossoms? Pfff. These are TO DIE FOR and give way to long flat purple pods, also pretty cool looking. I passed on some seeds I collected from this tree and my garden blogger friend Ann at Amateur Bot-ann-ist is going to attempt to germinate them. Good luck Ann--the world needs more of these pink darlings!

Wedding Cake Tree, Cornus controversa 'Variegata' 

I love to say the name of this one--it sounds like a Harry Potter Spell. Cornus controversa 'Variegata'! Poof! It gets its common name "Wedding Cake Tree" because it grows in tiers like a cake and in the Spring it is covered in frothy white flowers. Doesn't it look good enough to eat? This specimen in my yard is 8 years old and it's about 12'. I fell in love with this tree when I saw it in a photo in The Jewel Box Garden. It's excellent for lighting up a dark corner, especially on an overcast Spring day.

Edgeworthia chrysantha

Next up, blooming here in its Dr. Seuss sunshiny glory, is Edgeworthia chrysantha. I guess some of you would call this a shrub, but maybe that all depends on the size of your garden. It can take some light pruning so you can make it look a little more tree-like if you prefer. Mine always gets tons of suckers that need to be trimmed. I used to be a snob for this edgeworthia over the red blossomed Edgeworthia papyrifera ‘Red Dragon’ (the blossoms ARE bigger on the yellow version) but I have been won over after seeing my Mom's recently planted 'Red Dragon' showing off in a big way. 

Chinese Parasol Tree (Firmiana Simplex) at Brian's Botanicals

Tropicalisimo with huge leaves over a foot wide! Chinese Parasol Tree can grow up to 40 feet but its trunk remains slender and the foliage is at the top (hence the name) so you can easily grow things under it and it has a small footprint. It can be invasive in some areas of the South but in the Pacific Northwest it seems very well-behaved. 

 California Lilac (Ceanothus) at Yerba Buena Nursery

If you start them young you can prune California Lilac into some pretty extreme shapes--I even had a lollipop once but then I moved it to a new location and it died on me. I'm currently trying another one, a variegated variety. Hope to share some photos next year--it's pretty promising! This is a great plant with shiny leaves that are EVERGREEN and in the Spring it's covered in little blue flowers which the bees love. There's the common dark green variety, several variegated forms, and even a black one called Tuxedo! 

 Black Lace Elderberry (Sambucus Nigra) at the Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh

My love for this tree/shrub knows no bounds. It's just a knockout in so many ways! It has black foliage that makes Japanese Maples green with envy (or should that be black with envy?) and tufts of heavenly smelling pink flowers--such a beautiful hew that looks almost orange at times. I'm not a lover of pink in general but something about this one just does it for me. You can make cordial out of the flowers or wait for the berries, also edible. It's an AMAZING foil for chartreuse plants. It does need some pruning every year or it turns into a giant Cousin It pretty quickly, but that's its only fault, and who among us is perfect? 

Golden Spirit Smoke Tree (Cotinus coggygria 'Ancot), photo from The Oregonian 

Hot damn, look at that! TWO smoke trees, the common purple variety AND the "Golden Spirit" which is like a beam of light. This is another potential Cousin It but it can be pruned into a small tree. In my experience it needs full sun if you really want to see some glowing chartreuse foliage.

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My Favorite Spring-Planted Bulbs

Spring bulbs won't be shipping for a few months yet but smart gardeners know to get their orders placed ASAP or risk the disappointment of missing out on that coveted heirloom variety they are dying to try.

Here are some recommendations of things that I have grown and loved or things that are on my wishlist this season...

 

Dahlias

We are in dahlia heaven here and many of the world's finest varieties are grown right here in Oregon. Portland's Swan Island Dahlias is America's largest dahlia grower, selling over 350 varieties and their prices are great since you are buying straight from the source rather than a reseller. I'm really fond of the dark-foliage varieties as well as the collarettes (they have an orange and red one named for Winnie the Pooh!). Each year they introduce new hybrids. From their 2013 introductions I'm particularly excited about Ice Tea. I love the tidy shape and the nuanced shades of pink and salmon.

Dahlia Ice Tea from Swan Island Dahlias

Cannas

Talk about bang for your buck--tropical flowers AND striking architectural foliage AND incredible single-season growth. Cannas are really easy and great for pots or in the ground. I dropped the ball on growing them the last few years but I really, really want to try this upright (and to 8'!), dark-foliage variety from Brian's Botanicals. Incredible, right?

Canna Intrigue from Brian's Botanicals

Lilies

My first lily, the classic white Casablanca, has multiplied so much by my porch that it's becoming almost overwhelming to sit there when they are all in bloom. While I think the Oriental Lilies really are the most luscious, I wish I had more room for some of the statuesque Trumpet Lillies which always make me think of John Singer Sargent's Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose. 

Regale "Album" Trumpet Lily at K.Van Bourgondien

Elephant Ears

I can't live without the speckled lime and black Colocasia Mojito and I'm dying to try this new introduction from Brian's Botanicals Colocasia Red Eyed Gecko. Can you imagine the stunning high-contrast combinations you could create with burgundy and black and pink?!

Colocasia Red Eyed Gecko at Brian's Botanicals

Gladioli

Poor gladiolas, they are so out of style these days just like irises and yet so lovely and indispensable as cut flowers.  It was Old House Gardens that got me to see the light. I fell hard for their tropicalisimo Starface.

Gladioli Starface at Old House Gardens

Anemone

I always regret not having these in my garden when they bloom in Portland in late Summer and hopefully this is the year I rectify that. They are just so graceful and pretty. I'm just starting to learn about the different varieties (including some doubles for those who like things blousy!). The variety Richard Ahrens looks particularly nice--it starts off pink and fades to white with a contrasting yellow center.

Japanese Anemone Richard Ahrens at Plantify

What are your favorite Spring-planted bulbs or what are you eying for this year? I would love to hear! 

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Wapato: Bringing Back The Sacred First Food

Saggitaria, Image via Wikipedia

Living in the Pacific Northwest I am familiar with Wapato Island (renamed Sauvie Island) as well as the town of Wapato in Washington, but it wasn't until last night that I learned about the wapato plant. OPB ran a fascinating short called Bringing Back Wapato about this traditional food of the indigenous North Americans and how it's making a comeback. 

Along with salmon and deer, berries such as huckleberries and chokecherries, and roots such as bitterroot, wapato is known as one of the "First Foods", which hold cultural and spiritual significance to native people. There's a current movement to reconnect the younger generation with this important part of their heritage. On the Yakima Nation Reservation they are relearning how to harvest, prepare, and cook with wapato, just as generations before them did.

So what is it like? Wapato (Sagittaria latifolia) is an aquatic plant that grows in marshland and produces edible tubers that have a flavor similar to potatoes and chestnuts. Doesn't that sounds delicious? In addition to roasting over a fire, they were traditionally preserved as a flour which Meriwether Lewis described could be made into bread-like cakes.

You can watch a video from the Bonneville Power Administration showing folks from the Yakima Nation harvesting wapato...

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My Favorite Fall-Planted Bulbs

Valerie Finnis Grape Hyacinth at Wayside Gardens

When I was 21 I was completely uninterested in gardening but I WAS interested in bouquets of grape hyacinth. At the time, I lived in this old farmhouse in Ashland and dark grape hyacinth had naturalized all over the back yard--I've never seen anything like it. I used to trudge out in the wet grass with my scissors and cut bouquet after bouquet which would fill little vases and jam jars in every room. Ever since then I've been crazy about the smell of muscari. Where I live now I've planted a few of the common purple variety here and there but I really flipped for the pale blue variety Valerie Finnis. The color is indescribable--almost a woad blue which you can stare at forever and not figure out if it's a cool grey blue or a warm periwinkle. Several years ago I planted some bulbs in a ring at the base of my dogwood but every year their numbers diminish. I'm not sure who to blame: slugs or squirrels, but this one is too good to give up on. You can buy 1,000 bulbs for under $150 from Van Engelen which would keep the slugs busy and me happy for quite a while.

Tête-à-Tête narcissus at Eden Brothers

Here's another diminutive AND early bulb. It's a great antidote to Portland's dreary winters: the charming and extra, extra early little daffodil Tête-à-Tête, which is known to poke it's little yellow head up through the snow. Mine bloom when the crocuses do here in Portland. This one's great for forcing or using in pots too.

Cream Beauty Crocus at Lowes

I hope I don't make anyone cry here but there's something I find garish about most crocuses. Maybe it's just that I don't like the purple, yellow, white combo you often see them in. I do however love the sunny crocus Cream Beauty which starts out more dark orangy yellow and fades to a creamy butter yellow. Plus, with its bright orange stamens it matches my house perfectly!

 Allium Ambassador at Van Engelen

Lollipop, Lollipop, Oh Lolli-Lolli-Lolli. Alliums are so fun and I particularly like Allium Ambassador for it's dark purple color and perfectly round shape. Plus, if you have the patience, the seed heads on the spent flowers are absolutely magical backlit by the Summer sun. 

Fritillaria Meleagris at White Flower Farms

I'd tried 3 times to grow this checkered lily and last year I finally hit gold. It's such a gorgeous freak of nature. I'm pretty sure the fairies make their party dresses out of the flowers.

 Fritillaria persica alba Ivory Bell at Van Engelen

This year I'm trying out a new Fritillaria thanks to my Mom (who also gave me the Checkerboard last year, ain't she sweet?). Ivory Bells looks equally as stunning. I hope the foliage on mine has that dusty green color like the photo. I haven't planted it yet and I'm not sure if I want to put it in a pot or find a home in the garden bed. Stay tuned...

 Bridal Crown Daffodil at Holland Bulb Farms

I had to include at least one more daffodil on my list--I pretty much love all daffodils but the ruffly doubles are my favorite and Bridal Crown is one that I really adore. It grows in clusters of small cream flowers with light orange centers. Very classy.

Angelique Tulips at White Flower Farm

And I have to close with a tulip. This is the most swoon-worthy tulip ever. I'm pretty fickle when it comes to tulips which is easy to do when you treat them as annuals as I do, tossing them out after they have bloomed. Angelique is one I'll go back to again and again though. If you love the blousy, peony-shaped tulips like I do, this is one for you. Normally I don't allow pink in the garden but I make an exception for Angelique (and there is also an orange version now which I'm dying to try).

 And finally, I wanted to share some tips for buying and planting bulbs for anyone who is new at this:

1. Order early if you want something new or rare--I recommend ordering as soon as the catalogs ship as I've seen some things sell out in a flash.

2. Shop ultra early or ultra late for the best deals. Most sellers have introductory offers when they first introduce their Fall offerings and again late in the season, though things will be picked over. I've also had good luck buying close-out bulbs at the grocery store which I've planted into December.

3. I think those bulb planter tools are a pain in the tuchus. I prefer to just dig a big hole at the required depth and plant all my bulbs at once. It's way easier and it looks more natural this way, as if the flowers have grown in drifts.

4. Layer your bulbs. When planting you can dig your hole and then plant according to depth with a layer of daffodils, a layer of hyacinths, and a layer of crocuses, etc.

And a post script: I haven't shown you any bulbs from one of my favorite sellers so I wanted to do that now. Old House Gardens specializes in heirloom Spring and Fall bulbs. I highly recommend you order their beautiful catalog which is full of history and beautiful photos. An example:

Absalom Tulip from 1870 at Old House Gardens

Most people have never even seen a brown tulip, let alone grown one. Here’s your chance! 18th-century ‘Absalon’ is intricately patterned with swirling flames of dark chocolate and chestnut brown on gold. It’s a true broken tulip, a Dutch Bizarre from the Hortus Bulborum – and sure to cause a buzz. 

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Plant Lust Swap @ Schoolhouse Electric

Last month I went to an old fashioned plant swap hosted by Plant Lust at Schoolhouse Electric. It was raining pretty hard but my Mom and I braved the weather like good Oregonians to go unburden ourselves of some unwanted plants and hopefully pick up some new things to try. Like a crazy person I waited until the morning of the swap to dig up my plants in the rain. I wonder if I was the only one.

It felt good to pass along some things I didn't have room for (like the weeping sequoia I greedily accepted from my neighbor, later realizing that it can grow to 25 feet tall which would not work in my little city garden).  I also had some Russian sage and succulents and a few other things I've already forgotten. See? Easy come, easy go.

Here's my new plant loot:

Hakonechloa Macra via Plant Lust

I came back with a nice big Japanese Forest Grass. I love running my hands through its smooth papery blades. AND I hear it's a favored habitat of Boston Terriers.

Tanacetum Parthenium Aureum via Plant Lust

And keeping with the chartreuse theme a nice Golden Feverfew which I love for bouquets and for adding a nice shot of brightness to the garden wherever needed. This is one tough plant and grows for me in sun or shade.

 Euphorbia mellifera via Plant Lust

And finally, a seriously magnificent-looking euphorbia that's new to me: Euphorbia Mellifera (aka Honey Spurge). I hope I don't kill it--I hear it's iffy in Portland which makes me love it even more.

There were lots of fun plants and friendly faces at the swap including fellow garden bloggers Scott of Rhone Street Gardens and Ricki of Sprig to Twig and of course the gracious co-founder of Plant Lust Loree of Danger Garden who was helping out with plant labels, plant ID, general advice, and even sharing some of her fabulous homemade baked goodies.

The kind folks at Schoolhouse Electric extended a discount for the day for plant swappers. I was tempted at every turn, as I always am at their store, but didn't buy anything that day. I did however have to stop and take some photos of the beautiful little flower shop inside the showroom, Anna Mara Flowers. Anna Mara was working on some pretty Autumnal bouquets and had some superb terrariums and fancy leaf begonias, which I have a weakness for. Look at her charming business card with the little sprig of bittersweet attached with twine--so cute!

Thanks to Plant Lust for putting together this fun swap and to Schoolhouse Electric for hosting. Hope we get to do it again next year!

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Do You Play The Tromboncino?

I mentioned in my last post that I was growing Tromboncino squash. This has been an experience, and the plants, I fear, are just getting going. Zucchetta Trombonico Ripicante (Chinese trumpet in Italian) is a pale green variety of zucchini with enormous leaves and huge, tropical-looking squash blossoms that grow fruit up to three feet long in fun curlycue shape (though, less so, when trellised like mine).

This would be a great plant to grow with kids, as what starts off looking like this...

Has transformed into THIS almost before your eyes...

I'm loving the comical shape of these but I am beginning to get worried about what I'm going to do with all this zucchini (I know, I know--a tale as old as time). The flesh is denser than other varieties of zucchini, with the seeds being concentrated in the bulbs at the end. I've heard that it has a subtle artichoke flavor, which regretfully  I haven't noticed as of yet. I've sauteed it and grilled it for antipasti (works great for that!). I hear it freezes well so I may try that for use in soups.

One other cool thing about this squash is that it gets a hard shell as it matures, allowing you to store it like a winter squash, with a flavor that is supposed to be like a butternut. I'll be in heaven if that's true!

Help? Any favorite zucchini recipes or preservation ideas for me?

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Belle of Woking

Late last Summer something very exciting happened here. My Belle of Woking Clematis bloomed! After three years! Just when I was about to dig her up. And she was worth the wait, even though there was only one measly flower. I knew her reputation for being difficult when I first took up with her but I'd also heard tales of her immense beauty. Plus, my old Dad grew up in an orphanage in Woking (an interesting story if you're curious) so I really wanted to grow it for him so I could make lots of jokes about how his girl sure was looking fine today, etc.

Then in early Spring I noticed my plant was really taking off and lots and lots of BIG blossoms were forming. Until...

BAM! I thought the flower from last Fall was pretty but this one was incredible! So blousy and romantic and white as the driven snow. Incidentally, I have read that the blossoms are blue or lilac but as you can see mine are decidedly white with cream/yellow stamens. I'm in love.

Some info and tips on growing this variety:

1. It blooms on old growth but a light pruning after Spring's flowers are spent (mine is still blooming on June 14th here in Portland) may encourage the second bloom in late Summer/early Fall.

2. Mine is growing in a large terracotta pot on the north side of a lattice fence. This situation keeps the roots cool. I gave the plant a good topping of compost in early Spring and plan to do that again in late Summer. Some of the blossoms are on the north side of the fence which gets no direct sun and some are on the south side which gets a lot of sun. My conclusion? This plant can grow happily in at least part shade.

3. I would say the blooming time is 6 weeks in the Spring. Amazing, right? I expect the blooms in late Summer to come in late August or early September and that the flowers to be less blousy like last year.

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Forget-Me-Nots

Photo of Tasha Tudor, Richard Brown

I adore this photo of Tasha Tudor walking barefoot through her forget-me-nots and daffodils. I have never grown forget-me-nots before because the blue doesn't really jive with my spring colors but I've decided to plant some pink ones this year. They are just so sweet planted in drifts and do such a good job of hiding spent bulb blossoms.

Forget-Me-Not Victoria Pink Seeds, $1.89

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