Edited by Cathy Tylka, for Let’s Talk Plants! July 2022.
This month’s question –
What do you plant in your garden that you love to eat and share? It could grow in the ground, as a hydroponic, on a vine, on a tree, etc.
Kathleen Voltin stated…
... Passionfruit: When friends are over and visiting outside, I like to either serve halved passionfruit for a tasty refreshment or I strain the fruit and make ice cubes from the juice for glasses of iced tea or water. I also like it on my granola and yogurt in the morning.
Nancy Mueller of 92028 shares…
... Tree ripened Early Gold Apricots
The ripe fruit rolls gently down the inside of our net for us to harvest twice a day. The ex-pen surrounding the tree prevents our dogs from sucking the flesh of ripe apricots through the net, leaving the pit behind.
Thelma Lee of 92116 adds...
... I am currently growing cucumbers, which seem to do the best when I am growing them amongst flowers. I find if I plant them alone in direct sun they don’t do as well. I only plant Kirby pickling cucumbers and soon I will make bread and butter pickles to share!
Ken Selter mentions…
...Watermelon radish.
Miranda Alexander of 92117 replied…
... "I love to eat many things out of my garden in coastal No. Clairemont. Two of my favorites are the Black Persian Mulberries which are sweet, tart and complex and the Cot-N-Candy Apriums which are almost as good as a sun ripened (high chill hour) apricot! Both of these fruits are just starting to ripen now, and I can hardly wait."
Cindy Brueks ,92017, spoke up and said…
... I don't share my very favorite: New Zealand Spinach,Tetragonia tetragonioides, (I initially thought it was T. tetragoides, but that is an entirely different plant), which has taken over a small part of my shady area. I harvest it regularly and use it to make creamed spinach.
My other abundant things get shared liberally: avocados, apples, my early mandarin the Kishu, macadamias (which folks enjoy only once because they have to shell them and don't ask a second time) and my hill of naturalized Alstroemeria (not to eat but to enjoy). It's all good, and when I started, I never imagined I could have such bounty.
Tynan Wyatt adds…
... So far, my bananas and grey water system have been a match made in heaven. Would recommend, 10 out of 10, to everyone. Also, in cool coastal Chula Vista/San Diego I'd recommend trying jaboticaba. The plant seems to thrive without a lot of heat and the fruits are very sweet and tasty. They go from blossoms to fruit in 4-6 weeks!
James Schmidt offered…
...artichokes.
Vince Lazaneo, U of Cal., Urban Horticulture Advisor, Emeritus, was prolific with…
... I plant several varieties of tomatoes each year so that I will have enough to share with neighbors and friends. One of my favorites is "Jet Setter “which is prolific.
Cherry Extra Sweet
I'm trying two cherry tomatoes, "Suncherry Extra Sweet" and "Chocolate Sprinkles" for the first time this year. I'm also trying "New Girl" for the second year. There's nothing like vine-ripe tomatoes!
Chocolate Sprinkles
New Girl
Cathy Tylka, 92026, responds…
... So many favorites. This year’s bumper crop of blood oranges has made me very happy.
Karen England of 92084 exclaims...
... No contest, Hachiya Persimmons!
Next Month's Question (thanks to Barbara Crawford) -
How do you deal with the “too” areas of your garden? Too shady, too sunny, too far from water, too steep, too utilitarian, too piled up with old pots and bags, too some day...
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